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The 12 houses of the birth chart: what each house means
Tropical zodiac, Western astrology
The twelve houses divide the birth chart into areas of life. Each page gives the house’s meaning, its type, its natural sign and ruler, and how to read it in a chart.
- House 1: meaning and how to read itHouse 1 begins at the Ascendant, the zodiac degree rising over the eastern horizon at the moment you were born. It is the house of approach…
- House 2: meaning and how to read itHouse 2 is the house of what you value and what you can count on: your possessions, your talents, and the sense of worth that comes from…
- House 3: meaning and how to read itHouse 3 covers everyday exchange: talking, listening, writing, short trips and the early learning that happens close to home. It is the…
- House 4: meaning and how to read itHouse 4 begins at the Imum Coeli (IC), the lowest point of the chart, the degree of the zodiac directly below you at birth. It is the house…
- House 5: meaning and how to read itHouse 5 is the house of play and self-expression for its own sake: creative projects, hobbies, romance, games, performance and the pleasure…
- House 6: meaning and how to read itHouse 6 is the house of daily work and routine: the tasks you repeat, the skills you refine and the usefulness you offer to others. It is…
- House 7: meaning and how to read itHouse 7 begins at the Descendant, the degree of the zodiac setting on the western horizon as you were born. It is the house of the other…
- House 8: meaning and how to read itHouse 8 is the house of what is shared and what changes you. It covers resources held jointly with others, deep trust and intimacy, and…
- House 9: meaning and how to read itHouse 9 is the house of the far horizon: long journeys, higher learning, beliefs, philosophy and the search for what it all means. It is…
- House 10: meaning and how to read itHouse 10 begins at the Midheaven (MC), the highest point of the chart, the degree of the zodiac culminating overhead at your birth. It is…
- House 11: meaning and how to read itHouse 11 is the house of friends, groups and shared hopes: the communities you join by choice, the networks that carry you and the ideals…
- House 12: meaning and how to read itHouse 12 is the last house, just before the Ascendant, and the house of what is hidden, quiet or not yet in words: solitude, rest…
To see this in your own chart, cast it in the app from your date, time and place of birth.