Episode 16: The 12 Houses in Astrology
The 12 houses in astrology represent 12 aspects of a person's life. These are based on the daily rotation of the earth, as well as the planet's movements across the sky. In this episode, we will learn how these 12 houses combined with the zodiac and planets. Welcome to Exploring Esoterica, the podcast where breakdown different esoteric practices and shed light on the history and truth behind them. Let's explore the third part of this framework within astrology.
Welcome to another episode, and today we'll talk about the 12 houses in astrology. Now, we've talked about a few of the other components of astrology to give a better understanding of this practice. So let's do a quick rundown of the episode so far. In episode 12, we explored the philosophy of astrology within Hellenistic culture, which is a great starting point to understand the overall practice. We also explored a little of the historical impact this has had. In episode 14, we started the discussion on the four part framework by examining the seven classical planets, which include the sun and the moon. And in the last episode, which was episode 15, we took a closer look at the 12 signs of the tropical Zodiac. So if you would like to listen to those episodes, they will be listed in the show notes as well as linked in the description for those watching on YouTube. But let's dive into this episode and gain even more foundational knowledge.
So as usual, we'll break this down into three parts. Part one, we'll look at the principles of the 12 houses in an astrological chart. Part two, we'll explore the 12 houses individually. And in part three, we'll explore how the planets, houses, and signs fit together in one system.
[01:42] Part 1: The Principles
Like most of the foundations of astrology, it's believed that this notion of the 12 houses of an astrological chart was derived from ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. Now, we discussed how the Egyptians divided the sky into sections, and it is the precursor to how we have divided the day into 24 hours. They time their rituals to the sun rising over the horizon and reaching the highest point in the sky along the ecliptic. These two points are called the Ascendant and Midheaven, and these are the most important places on a chart.
Now, if you look at the 12 houses on a circular chart, and for those of you listening on a podcast app, I have included a picture of one for this timestamp. But you'll see the chart divided into 12 sections, just how we did for the Zodiac signs. But unlike the signs which are tied to the ecliptic, these 12 sections or houses are static. These are based on the Earth's rotation from night to day.
The first house or Ascendant will always correspond to the eastern horizon regardless of what time of day it is. The seventh house or descendant will always correspond to the western horizon where the sun dips below to signal nightfall. The midheaven corresponds to the highest point of sky, while the opposite corresponds to the theoretical lowest point of the sky on the other side of the world. This is called the Imum Coeli, or I.C., and this is Latin for bottom of the sky. Apologies if I mispronounce that, I don't really speak Latin.
But these four points form the basis of the housing system for which there are many versions of. Some housing systems will start at these four angles and divide the sky that way. Others will start at the Ascendants and then assign equal measurements to the 12 houses. There are several other ways that different systems will divide the sky, and some of them become preferred based on different techniques. But the main one that was in use during the ancient times was the Whole Sign housing system.
This system ties the 12 houses to the 12 signs of the Zodiac. If each sign is 30 degrees on a chart, then each of the 12 houses are also 30 degrees as well. Now we have to be careful because modern astrology will conflate to 12 signs with the 12 houses, and that is a deviation from traditional astrology. Some sites will make the first house correspond to the first sign of the zodiac, which is Aries, but not everyone was born with Aries being on the horizon. Again, the signs are different from the houses, even though they are the same measurements on a chart. This is why the time and location of a person's birth is important because any of the 12 signs could be in any of the 12 houses. This depends on which of the 12 signs were calculated as being on the Eastern horizon when that person was born. The whole sign housing system just makes it much easier to understand and as many components of a traditional astrology, this was standardized during the Hellenistic era.
Also, the houses are numbered in counterclockwise order, the same as the signs of the Zodiac, which is the same order in which the planets travel through the zodiac. This is also the direction that the earth turns. Now, if you're facing south, this gives the illusion that the sun is traveling from east to west across the sky. This is how our clocks are numbered. And while the exact reasoning is lost to time, I can only guess that the ancient astrologers decided we'd be best to number the houses in zodiacal order instead of the daily path of the sun across the sky, which again would be in a clockwise fashion.
[05:08] Angularity
Now when it comes to interpreting each of the 12 houses, there are two categories to keep in mind. The first is something called angularity, and this describes a relationship to the four angles I mentioned. So let's go over them right quick.
The ascendant corresponds to the eastern horizon. This house represents the soul or the body, the place where we take our first breath. The sun rises over the horizon, bathing the earth has sunlight, and is the official start of daytime. There is a similar connotation to the start of a person's life.
The next in order is the fourth place called the IC. This is the lowest part on a chart, the very bottom, which is opposite the midheaven, which is the highest point. Just like how the sun is out of view, as this would be around midnight, this place is thought to correspond to themes of death, secrets, things that are private and hidden out of view. This house also signifies our sense of home. Our past or our sense of foundation. This notion is also extended to the physical land and the physical foundations of a home. It signifies our parents possibly because our parents are seen as the foundation of the home life and our sense of beginning, and it is possibly the strongest connection to our past and childhood.
Now next in order we have the seventh house or descendant, and this is the western horizon where the sun dips below to signal nightfall. In Hellenistic Greece, the astrologers call this the setting place since again, this is the place where the sun sets at the end of the day. While there is a connotation to death, secrets, and old age, the most popular association with this house is relationships. This is because on a chart, it is opposite the ascendant or Eastern horizon. If the ascendant signifies our individuality, then the descendant signifies other people that affect our lives in some way. This is the house of marriage, close friendships, business partnerships, and other close relationships that we form with other people. In some interpretations, the ascendant is the face that we show to the world. Those first impressions we give off. The descendant is a shadow of that, the part of our personality that we keep hidden or slow to reveal, but that these close relationships will eventually bring out.
And last, we have the midheaven, which is the highest point of the sky that the sun reaches, which is around midday or noon. If the IC is the place of secrets and private matters, then the Midheaven is a place of public affairs. It's the most visible part of our chart and signifies what we produce for others. In a modern context, this could be jobs or projects that we produce for others. This could even signify our reputations and what we're known for. Some ancient astrologers saw this as a place of our greatest achievements and highest points of our life and careers.
Now these four places on a chart are called angular houses because they represent the four main angles of a chart and are also the most sensitive and important areas. All the other houses are interpreted in relation to these four main ones. If we think in terms of a clockwise daily rotation of the earth, as the planets travel across the sky, then there are houses that rise up to these angular houses and then fall away after. These are called the succedent and decline houses respectively. The succedent houses are seen as supporting the angular houses, while the decline houses signify things that are either taken away from the angular houses or are tangentially related. These will make more sense in part two when we look at each house individually, but just know for now that the angular houses are the strongest in expression and most important. The succedent houses are next in importance, and the decline houses are the weakest. These are also called cadent houses in modern astrology, which essentially means the same thing as decline in Latin.
[09:01] Configuration
The second category of the houses is based on the configuration to the ascendant, or the first house in someone's natal chart. We will talk more about the five classic configurations in future episodes or aspects as modern astrologers call them, but I'll give you a brief overview now. Much of astrology is based on degrees and geometric shapes formed from those degrees between two points in the sky, which many times correspond between the relationships between two planets. For this discussion, we're talking about how many houses are between the ascendant or first house and the next one.
The five classic configurations are sextile, opposition, trine, square, and conjunction. Since we're talking about other houses in configuration to the ascendant conjunction does not apply. Sextile houses are two houses from the ascendant, so the third and the 11th. Squares are three houses, trines are four houses, and the house in opposition, which is six houses apart or straight across from the ascendant, is the descendant or seventh house.
When houses are in one of these four configurations, they're seen as being advantageous to us somehow. The rest of the houses, which is the second and 12th being only one house apart from the ascendant, and the eighth and sixth houses being five houses from the ascendant, these are seen as being disadvantageous or negative in some aspect. We can find themes of illness, loss, sacrifice, and confinement as part of their interpretations. Now, as usual, there is much more to this concept, but that's the basics of what we need to establish an understanding of each of the 12 houses.
Now if you would like to dig deeper into those nuances beyond the basics that I'm giving, feel free to check out my resources. I have a listed those in the show notes and description if you're watching on YouTube. Also be sure to sign up for my email newsletter. Just go to merwin mccrady.com and click on the button, Learn More. You can also click the link in my show notes to easily sign up there. But let's finally go on to part two and talk about each of the 12 houses.
[11:14] Part 2: The 12 Houses
Now just to recap the two categories that help us interpret the 12 houses are angularity and configuration to the ascendant. Angularity refers to whether a house is angular, whether it is succedent, and that it supports the angular house, or decline, which means it falls away from the angular houses. So let's go through them one by one and see this in action.
Now, the first house, which is the same as the ascendant, is the most important angular house in a chart. This is also known as the hour marker because in marks the time you were born. It represents the zodiac sign that was on the eastern horizon at the time of someone's birth. It signifies the life, body, and spirit of a person. This is essentially our overall wellbeing and affects the way we navigate life in any external circumstances.
The next is the second place, which is a place of livelihood and resources. It is succedent to the ascendant, meaning it's the area of our life that supports the ascendant and therefore our wellbeing. This represents our livelihood, resources that support our body, life, and spirit. These can include money, property, and material possession. Now this is only one house from the ascendant. It's the next house. So it is outside the classic configurations to the ascendant, and it means it's an aversion to the ascendant. So this house includes unfavorable areas of life, such as death, cemetery, prisons, and confinements. In fact, the ancient Greek associated this place with the underworld as it's seen as the last place the planets and signs are before they rise above into the first house and over the horizon. Now this house doesn't fit neatly within these two categories because while the second place is an aversion to the ascendant, meaning it represents unfavorable conditions, it's also very much needed to sustain our life. We all need resources like money and food to survive. So in a modern context, I see this house as well as the eighth, sixth, and 12th places as places of obligation. These are things that we have to go through as part of life that may be unfavorable, but also necessary. We all need to do things from time to time, like work unfavorable jobs or make financial sacrifices in order to survive. It's just a part of life.
So the next house is the third place, which is the place of communication, but also extended family. It is a decline house to the IC or fourth house, meaning it is tangentially related to the areas of our past, private matters, and parents. This includes siblings and extended family, our communication style and the knowledge that we've learned from our family, and knowledge and perspectives we have developed due to our past experiences. This also includes themes of traveling and living abroad. In fact, all of the decline houses, which are the third, sixth, ninth, and 12th, all have some themes of traveling. In this instance, it's the theme of traveling away from home. This is also the reason why modern astrologers relate this to short travel, such as daily commutes. It is sextile to the ascendant, meaning it is only two houses away, and this signifies that the themes of this place are very favorable to our life.
Next we have the fourth house, which is the same as the IC. It is a place of our past, parents, and home. It is located at the very bottom of the chart and also signifies matters that are private as opposed to public. Ancient astrologers also call this the subterranean meaning underground. Therefore, it represents our foundation and things related to our past, such as our parents, genealogy and family history, as well as our physical home and hometown. This is also themes of what we keep hidden and secret. It is an angular house, just like the ascendant. It is also three houses away, meaning it is square to the ascendant. Now in astrology, two points or planets that are configured in a square or 90 degrees from each other is said to signify a sense of struggle or challenge between those significations. I'm not quite sure if that applies to the concept of the 12 houses or if it simply means that the fourth house is advantageous to our life simply because it is one of the classic configurations to the ascendant. I'm not quite sure. It is an angular house, so that may be way more important than their relationship to the ascendant, and that's kind of what I'm going to go with is that it's an angular house so it is very important.
Next we have the fifth house, which is a house of pleasure and recreations. It is succeeded to the fourth house or the IC, and therefore represents areas that are supportive to our foundation, past and our home life. These can include themes of creative pursuits, pleasure, romance. It's also related to our notions of parenthood and therefore signifies children. This house is only four houses away from the ascendant, which makes it a trine configuration. This means that it is another advantageous and beneficial house in our chart.
Next we have the sixth house, which is a place of health and routines. Now, this house has several interpretations to it and shifts in meaning over time. First off, it's a declined house of the seventh, which is the descendant. Since that house is related to relationships, the sixth house represents those themes that are related to those relationships, but also can take away from them. However, this house is also only five houses away from the ascendant, which is outside the classic configurations. And therefore has a negative connotation to it. So in regards to relationships, these could be relationships at our job, which include coworkers, employers, and subordinates, as well as people we service such as customers. This place also represents relationships that can cause us harm, such as enemies and related things as plots and insurrections. Other significations include injuries and illnesses, since again, this house is an aversion to the ascendant. Now, one way to interpret this house is that these are themes that can cause strain on our relationships, as well as hinder our life. As I said, with the second house, I view this as a place of obligation. So in other words, these are the routines, health matters, and relationships that we have to deal with simply because it is part of life. No one likes to get sick, but it happens from time to time. We may not get along with our coworkers, but we have to deal with them just like we have to deal with rude customers and clients. And then lastly, because it is a decline house, it can represent themes of travel, but in a negative connotation such as travel issues or banishment.
And then next we have the seventh house, which is the same as the descendant. This is the place of relationships, both romantic and platonic. It is an angular house, just like the ascendant and IC. As I mentioned before, Hellenistic astrologers also call this the setting place as this is the western horizon where the sun and planets set before they dip below the horizon. If the ascendant represents the life, body, and soul of a person, then the descendant represents the opposite of that. Therefore, this house represents other people that we form bonds with. This includes marriages, business partnerships, and close friendships. Now because of the notion of the planets setting and dipping underneath the horizon, this place is said to represent death, old age, and matters that we keep secret. This is a secondary meaning, and it's one that depends on culture and other techniques, as most astrologers see the first meaning of relationships being the main one.
Now, before we go on to the rest of the houses, I want to mention a few things. First off, there seems to be a slight difference between the houses at the bottom of the chart or below the horizon versus the one above the horizon. Houses one through six seem to represent areas of life that are more personal or private, whereas houses seven through 12 seem to represent matters that were public or mostly dealt with other people. The houses below the horizon seem to deal more with the body, whereas houses above seem to deal with the spirit or higher mind. This isn't a hard and fast rule, it's just a subtle distinction. Also, houses that are across from each other in the chart, just like the ascendant and descendant, also have a similarity to them as if there are opposites of the same axis. For instance, the ascendant represents self while the descendant represents other people. So with that in mind, let's go to the houses above the horizon.
Starting with the eighth house, which I don't really have a succinct name for this one because it can mean many things, but it is a succedent to the descendant, so it represents those things that are supportive of our relationships. However, it is an aversion to the ascendant being five houses away if we were to count clockwise. So there is a slight negative connotation to it. Now lastly, it is opposite the second house, which is our place of resources and livelihood. So with all that in mind, this house represents shared resources and joint ownerships such as joint bank accounts. Some astrologers say this place also signifies marriages and joint unions. It can also represent death and inheritance, as these are resources we gain after someone passes or a relationship ends. Again, remember, it's not configured to the ascendant, so there are some negative connotations. Lastly, because it is above the horizon, some astrologers see this as a place signifying mental health because again, above the horizon is spirit and higher mind. So in a modern context, there is mental health being related here as well. As I said, with the second and six houses, this place can also be one of obligation. So those sacrifices we make in our relationships, either in support of them or due to some circumstance such as death or separation.
Now the ninth house is a place of higher learning and spirituality. It is a decline house of the 10th house, which is the midheaven. If the midheaven is our place of highest achievements in public affairs, then this house represents things that are tangentially related to it. It's also opposite the third house of knowledge and communication. So this is seen as a higher level of that. Hence why this house represents higher education and apprenticeships. And while the third house is more detailed information that we use on a daily basis, the ninth house is seen as spiritual information since it is above the horizon. This house also signifies themes of religion, spirituality, and esoteric practices such as astrology. In the modern context, this house is seen as a place where we share information with others. So this includes topics such as writing, book publishing, public speaking, broadcasting. Fun fact about me, most of my planets are located in the ninth house of my chart, so it's no surprise that most of my achievements have been related to writing and publishing. Now in relation to the 10th house, I see this as part of our public affairs and what we share as a result of those efforts. And lastly, just like the third house and ninth house is related to travel, but in a bigger way. So think long distance travel or business traveling. The ninth is four houses away from the ascendant, which makes it a trine configuration. Therefore, this house is seen as being very beneficial to our life as well.
Next we have the 10th place, which is the midheaven. Like the ascendant, descendant, and IC, this is also an angular place and corresponds to the highest point that the sun reaches in the sky. Now, while the ascendant and descendant will always correspond to the horizons and therefore are the first and seventh houses, there can be a discrepancy with the midheaven. While this is the highest point that the sun reaches in the sky on a given day, it may not always be the 10th sign from the ascendant when we are counting counterclockwise. Remember the whole sign system counts each sign as equal measures of a particular house. So depending on how far away from the equator a person is born, they may have a midheaven in their ninth or 11th house instead of the 10th. In fact, the closer to the north or south pole you go, the more distorted the angles on a birth chart will look, especially in places where the sun barely sets during the summer or barely rises in the winter. In the book On The Heavenly Spheres, the authors actually say that this discrepancy is an illustration of how harsh life can be in extreme places like the North and South poles. This is why there are so many different housing systems that exist as an attempt to rectify this. I've also read that some astrologers will treat the 10th sign as well as the actual midheaven as a combination of each other when interpreting a person's chart, if this is the case. But nevertheless, since this corresponds to the highest point in the sky, this place signifies the most public part of our lives. It's our highest achievements, our reputations, and what we put out into the world for others to see. This is the exact opposite of the IC, which again represents our private affairs and what we keep secret and hidden. It is the second most important place on a person's chart, right below the ascendant.
Next we have the 11th House, which is a place of community and alliances. It is succedent to the midheaven, which means that this house supports our public achievements and reputation. This place signifies our community, friendships, and alliances, and any supporters who help us along the way. It also represents gifts, opportunities, and honor sometimes from powerful people and leaders. This house is opposite the fifth place of pleasure and recreation. So while the 11th House can signify fun and recreational activities with friends and public acquaintances, there is a theme of luck, opportunities and fortune that is associated with both the fifth and 11th houses. And lastly, this house is sextile to the ascendant, meaning it is two houses away and therefore seen as beneficial and supportive to our life.
And last, we have the 12th place, and similar to the eighth place, I don't really have a concise name for it because it can have many meanings. It is decline to the ascendant, meaning it represents these themes which fall away from our sense of life and vitality. It is also not configured to the ascendant only being the next house away, and therefore has several negative connotations to it. It can signify misfortunes and losses that detract from our life and spirit. Other significations are dangers, enemies, ailments, confinements, and restraints. It is very similar to the sixth place, which is the opposite house. A slight difference is that the sixth house has more personal connotation, hence why it is related to health and illnesses, while the 12th is more spiritual with a public connotation. Hence why the connection to enemies and outward restraints. Some astrologers place mental health here as well, just like the eighth place. Prisons and similar institutions are also signified here since these are places of confinement and restraints. Now, in my studies, I've also read stories of this being the house of solitude, secrets, and spiritual work like mysticism. Again, I think this is a modern interpretation of the negative themes that traditional astrology placed here, but still related to public displays of spirituality since it is above the horizon. What's interesting about the 12th house is that it's very similar to the second house as it is a part of the ascendant, but in an obligatory way. The second is the resources we need to support our physical body, while the 12th seems to be themes that are either support or affect our mind. Another little tidbit about me is that my moon is in the 12th house, and I found that I need a lot of time to process my emotions and solitude to just deal with daily stressors. So that's a little, another little tidbit of what the 12th house can mean and how that can be related to solitude.
So that is all the 12 houses in astrology, at least from a basic standpoint, as there are several other ways you could define each one of them. But I'll stop there and move on to part three.
[27:05] Part 3: Putting It Together
If you've been following along in this series so far, we have just discussed the most important parts of the framework when it comes to astrology. To wrap up the planets signify certain topics and themes in our lives, the 12 zodiac signs represent how these topics are expressed, and the 12 houses signify where in our life we will deal with these topics the most. This is the very basics of astrology and honestly, just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the overall practice. Throughout time, astrology was seen as a very spiritual and even communal practice with a deep philosophical background to support each technique and component of it. All of this I've covered in previous episodes, if you would like to go back and listen to those, but for now, that's going to be all. And we have one more episode left in this series where I'll talk about the configurations a bit more and a last few details.
Now, if you would like to hear more from me, make sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter, but stay tuned for the final episode in which I'll talk about the configurations and planetary conditions.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you would like to learn more, be sure to check out my website where you'll find transcripts of this episode as well as older ones and additional blog posts. For those of you watching on YouTube, be sure to subscribe and leave me a comment. Thank you so much, and I'll see you in the next one.
