Houses System in Astrology: 12 Houses and Their Meanings
The houses system in astrology is one of the most important components of the natal chart. 12 houses represent different areas of life, and each house has its own unique meaning.
What is the Houses System?
The houses system divides the natal chart into 12 equal sections. Each house represents a specific life area, and the house position of planets shows which life area that planet's energy is effective in.
General Classification of Houses
Angular Houses (1, 4, 7, 10): Most powerful houses Succedent Houses (2, 5, 8, 11): Medium strength houses Cadent Houses (3, 6, 9, 12): Weak but instructive houses
1st House: Personality and Appearance
Main Theme: Personality, appearance, first impression, self
1st House Characteristics
- The house where your rising sign is located
- How you appear to the world
- Your first impression
- Your personal style
- Your physical characteristics
Planets in 1st House
- Sun: Strong personality, leadership
- Moon: Emotional appearance
- Mercury: Mental personality
- Venus: Graceful, aesthetic appearance
- Mars: Dynamic, energetic personality
2nd House: Money and Values
Main Theme: Material resources, values, talents, self-worth
2nd House Characteristics
- Your income sources
- Your material values
- Your talents
- Your self-worth
- Sense of ownership
Planets in 2nd House
- Sun: Money-making ability
- Moon: Emotional values
- Mercury: Mental talents
- Venus: Aesthetic values
- Jupiter: Abundance, expansion
3rd House: Communication and Learning
Main Theme: Communication, learning, siblings, immediate environment
3rd House Characteristics
- Your communication style
- Your learning method
- Relationships with siblings
- Immediate environment
- Short trips
Planets in 3rd House
- Sun: Natural leadership, teaching
- Moon: Emotional communication
- Mercury: Strong communication (house ruler)
- Venus: Graceful communication
- Mars: Aggressive communication
4th House: Home and Family
Main Theme: Home, family, roots, emotional security
4th House Characteristics
- Your home life
- Your family relationships
- Your roots
- Emotional security
- Inner world
Planets in 4th House
- Sun: Strong family ties
- Moon: Emotional home life (house ruler)
- Mercury: Home communication
- Venus: Beautiful home, family harmony
- Saturn: Family responsibilities
5th House: Creativity and Children
Main Theme: Creativity, children, entertainment, romance
5th House Characteristics
- Your creative talents
- Relationships with children
- Entertainment and hobbies
- Romantic relationships
- Speculation
Planets in 5th House
- Sun: Creative leadership
- Moon: Emotional creativity
- Venus: Aesthetic creativity (house ruler)
- Mars: Dynamic creativity
- Jupiter: Abundance, broad creativity
6th House: Health and Service
Main Theme: Health, work, service, routines, daily life
6th House Characteristics
- Your health condition
- Your work life
- Your way of serving
- Your daily routines
- Your employees
Planets in 6th House
- Sun: Health, work leadership
- Moon: Emotional health
- Mercury: Mental work
- Mars: Physical work, energy
- Saturn: Responsibility, discipline
7th House: Relationships and Partnerships
Main Theme: Marriage, partnerships, open enemies
7th House Characteristics
- Marriage and relationships
- Business partnerships
- Open enemies
- Public
- Legal agreements
Planets in 7th House
- Sun: Strong partnerships
- Moon: Emotional relationships
- Venus: Harmonious relationships (house ruler)
- Mars: Dynamic relationships
- Jupiter: Expanding relationships
8th House: Transformation and Sharing
Main Theme: Transformation, death, rebirth, shared resources
8th House Characteristics
- Transformation processes
- Shared resources
- Inheritance
- Psychological depth
- Hidden powers
Planets in 8th House
- Sun: Strong transformation
- Moon: Emotional transformation
- Pluto: Deep transformation (house ruler)
- Mars: Aggressive transformation
- Saturn: Slow transformation
9th House: Philosophy and Long Journeys
Main Theme: Philosophy, religion, higher education, long journeys
9th House Characteristics
- Your philosophical views
- Your religious beliefs
- Higher education
- Long journeys
- Foreign cultures
Planets in 9th House
- Sun: Philosophical leadership
- Moon: Emotional beliefs
- Jupiter: Broad vision (house ruler)
- Saturn: Disciplined learning
- Neptune: Mystical experiences
10th House: Career and Social Status
Main Theme: Career, social status, authority, success
10th House Characteristics
- Your career
- Your social status
- Your success areas
- Authority figures
- Social recognition
Planets in 10th House
- Sun: Strong career
- Moon: Emotional career
- Saturn: Responsible career (house ruler)
- Mars: Dynamic career
- Jupiter: Expanding career
11th House: Friends and Hopes
Main Theme: Friends, hopes, ideals, groups
11th House Characteristics
- Your friendships
- Your hopes and ideals
- Group memberships
- Social reforms
- Future plans
Planets in 11th House
- Sun: Leadership, idealism
- Moon: Emotional bonds
- Uranus: Originality (house ruler)
- Jupiter: Wide friendships
- Saturn: Selective friendships
12th House: Secrecy and Spirituality
Main Theme: Secrecy, spirituality, subconscious, karmas
12th House Characteristics
- Hidden enemies
- Subconscious
- Spiritual search
- Karmic lessons
- Isolation
Planets in 12th House
- Sun: Spiritual leadership
- Moon: Emotional secrecy
- Neptune: Mystical experiences (house ruler)
- Saturn: Karmic lessons
- Pluto: Deep transformation
Inter-House Relationships
House Axes
1-7 Axis (Personality-Relationships): Self and others 2-8 Axis (Money-Transformation): Material resources 3-9 Axis (Communication-Philosophy): Learning and knowledge 4-10 Axis (Home-Career): Inner and outer world 5-11 Axis (Creativity-Hopes): Individual and social 6-12 Axis (Health-Secrecy): Daily and spiritual
Practical Usage Tips
When Analyzing Houses
- Empty Houses: Less focus in that area
- Occupied Houses: Much activity in that area
- House Ruler Planets: Strong influence
- Angular Houses: Most important life areas
Planet-House Combinations
- Sun in 10th House: Strong career focus
- Moon in 4th House: Strong family ties
- Mercury in 3rd House: Strong communication ability
- Venus in 7th House: Strong relationship focus
Conclusion
The houses system is the most complex but most instructive part of the natal chart. Each house represents a different area of life, and the house position of planets shows how that planet's energy will be expressed.
By analyzing your houses in your natal chart, you can learn which areas of your life you are strong in and which areas you can develop in.
For detailed house analysis, you can review Marifa Astrology professional services.
House System Choices (Placidus, Whole Sign, Equal)
Multiple house systems are used in the astrological world. At Marifa, we perform our calculations by default with Placidus because it is widely used in modern practice and suitable for psychological interpretation; however, we can also work with alternative systems like Whole Sign and Equal when requested by the user.
- Placidus: Most common modern system; provides detailed results especially in individual psychological analyses.
- Whole Sign: Each sign is considered one house; suitable for Hellenistic astrology tradition and provides technical simplification.
- Equal House: Every house is equal 30° from the rising degree; a practical alternative for those who want to reduce latitude effects.
When choosing, consider your purpose: psychological depth (Placidus), technical simplicity (Whole Sign), or geographical balance (Equal).
Key Questions for Each House (Applied Guide)
The following questions can be used as a quick checklist before client consultation or in your own work:
- 1st House (Self): How am I perceived from outside? What is my first impression?
- 2nd House (Values): How do I earn and save money? What do I find valuable?
- 3rd House (Communication): Which learning method suits me? How are my relationships with close environment?
- 4th House (Roots): What are my perceptions of home and family patterns?
- 5th House (Creativity): How do I express myself? Love and hobby themes?
- 6th House (Routine): What daily habits strengthen my health?
- 7th House (Relationships): What is my expectation from a relationship? What is my role in business partnerships?
- 8th House (Transformation): How do crises and shared resources that transform me work?
- 9th House (Philosophy): What are my beliefs and long-term learning goals?
- 10th House (Career): How is my goal and reputation in the visible field shaped?
- 11th House (Ideals): Who do I stand with? What is my future vision?
- 12th House (Spirituality): What are my unconscious patterns working in the background?
Applied Mini Case Study
In the "Sun 10th house, Moon 4th house, Virgo Rising" combination, the client typically moves toward a visible goal in public (10th house); in the inner world, the search for security and belonging is intense (4th house). Virgo rising gives an image that operates with attention to detail and order. In this chart, focusing on 6th house routines (sleep, nutrition, work blocks) to support career goals provides concrete progress.
References and Further Reading
- "Swiss Ephemeris" technical documentation – high-precision astronomical ephemeris Astrodienst Swiss Ephemeris
- Comprehensive introduction to Hellenistic systems: Annotated Whole Sign approach
- General framework on modern psychological astrology approach: Archetypal Astrology Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are empty houses important? A: Empty houses indicate less planetary activity in that area, but the ruler planet of that house is still effective.
Q: Which houses are most important? A: Angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) are the most powerful houses and represent the most important areas of life.
Q: What does having more than one planet in a house mean? A: It shows that there is much activity in that life area and that the person focuses a lot on that area.