The 12 Houses in Astrology Explained

Houses at a Glance

House	Rules
1st House	your self-image, body, appearance and first impressions
2nd House	money, possessions, values and self-worth
3rd House	communication, learning, siblings and your neighborhood
4th House	home, family, roots and inner foundations
5th House	romance, creativity, play and children
6th House	daily work, routines, health and service
7th House	marriage, committed partnerships and close one-to-one relationships
8th House	intimacy, shared resources, crisis and transformation
9th House	travel, higher learning, beliefs and the search for meaning
10th House	career, reputation, ambition and public life
11th House	friendships, groups, networks and hopes for the future
12th House	the subconscious, solitude, spirituality and hidden matters

Angular, Succedent and Cadent Houses

Type	Houses	Theme
Angular	1, 4, 7, 10	Action and visibility — the strongest houses
Succedent	2, 5, 8, 11	Resources and stability
Cadent	3, 6, 9, 12	Learning, adapting and transition

How to Read a Planet in a House

A planet in a house brings its energy to that area of life. Saturn in the 2nd house points to lessons around money and self-worth; Jupiter in the 7th to growth through partnership. Several planets in one house — a stellium — make that area a major life theme, while empty houses are read through their cusp sign and its ruler. Houses need an exact birth time; see house systems for Placidus vs Whole Sign.