The Secrets of the 12 Twelve Astrological Houses

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Copyright 2000-2004 Moses Siregar III

1st House - Naturally like Aries, the 1st sign

Me, me, me, so goes the 1st house. This is the house that signifies the self. (See note
below under transits for connection with the 5th and 9th houses as a "safe haven") Here
are some of the major significations of the 1st house.

The self, the self-image, the self-projection: What kind of person am I? What kind of
things about myself do I most identify with? What am I proud of about myself? How do I
like people to see me, and what qualities do I like them to identify me with?

View to the World: How do I tend to see people and things? What color are the glasses I
am peering out of? How do I think people and life should be?

Self-Confidence and Social Success: One's ability to project oneself boldly, confidently,
and naturally into social environments is a 1st house concern--and through this self-
projection to be recognized when necessary. The ability to make a good first impression,
and be well-received by others is included here.

Personal Interests: What do I like and love to do? What are my passions?

Fresh beginnings, new starts: Especially in the case of transits, progressions, etc. that
move from the 12th to the 1st house, the 1st house will signify a new beginning, or a
fresh start on life, or a time of reemerging into the outer world.

Early Life: Especially in natal analysis, information about the very beginning of life is a
1st house matter.

The Body: In Vedic astrology, the 1st house is considered the major house when it comes
to all things concerning the body, including health and longevity (although the 6th is also
health to them, and the 8th is also longevity). Does the 1st house have the same 'body'
connotations in Western astrology? I think it does for the most part, though perhaps not as
much as in the Vedic system. The 6th and 2nd houses are also body-oriented in western
astrology.

Transits to the 1st house will primarily influence or change our sense of self, our self-
projection, and our sense of who we are and what we are about. Also influenced could be
our direction in life, and our pursuit of personal interests. Generally speaking, the first
house per se (i.e. not necessarily the ascendant per se), like the other fire houses, the 5th
and 9th, acts as a kind of safe haven in the chart, where transitting planets are more likely
to show opportunity, and less likely to show difficulty.

2nd House - Naturally like Taurus, the 2nd sign

Along with the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 2nd House has a very esoteric
meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very spiritual.

The Essence:

Esoteric: Can you calm down and be present, to realize that you already have it all?
Intimate: Can you be strong within and love yourself, not needing to lean so much on
others?
Material: Can you provide for all of your material needs by yourself?

Esoteric/Spiritual significance: The highest fulfillment of this house is inner peace,

grounded and relaxed in the body in the present moment. That is why this house can be
so difficult, because every deep issue, addiction, and external distraction that prevents us
from this rest is met here. For most people, events in this house often coincide with
relationships, because relationships are often misused to prevent us from being able to be
self-sufficient.

The Danger: Depending on a drug, Leaning too much on our relationships, Not slowing
down, Over-indulgence, Avoiding your feelings.

Intimate significance: This is one of the big houses that involve relationships, in addition
to the 4th, 5th, 6th (read below!), 7th, and 8th. This is usually a more negative house for
relationships, like the 6th. That's because many of us form very interdependent
relationships with others before being sufficiently independent. But unlike the 6th, the
2nd doesn't have to be negative zone for relationships. If two people really love their own
selves first, and are strong within their own selves, then the 2nd can be a very solid place
for relationships. If two people need each other and are addicted in and to the
relationship, then the 2nd refers to this negative kind of relationship.

Material significance: This is the traditional house of money, finances, and resources.
Basic material self-sufficiency and bodily wellness is the issue. Can you save money? Do
you have a mature approach to your finances? Can you make money? Can you provide
for yourself, enjoying a comfortable and beautiful home? Can you take care of your
body? Can you relax and take-it-easy? Can you slow down?

Hard transits to the 2nd house are likely to bring crises and challenges of our self-
sufficiency, usually in our relationships. Through these experiences we are challenged to
either find some peace and strength solely within ourselves, or we put off these positives
by turning more deeply to the addictions that distract us. Material opportunities and/or
material challenges are another major ingredient of 2nd house transits.

For more on the 2nd house, read my article: Taurus, A Holistic View

Vedic Notes: The 2nd House in Vedic Astrology is also about at least two other
interesting things. 1) the happiness of the family, and 2) speech, including the mouth
itself. I do not use these significations for the 2nd House in Western Astrology, however.

3rd House - Naturally like Gemini, the 3rd sign

See Note below (under the 11th house) for an important way of understanding the air
houses (3, 7, 11) as a group. The third house, like it's natural sign, Gemini, covers a
variety of different areas. In keeping with its Gemini nature, I'll list the diverse possible
connections.

Amazingly, the third house has a very different meaning in Vedic astrology. There, it has
a lot to do with one's energy, courage, and martial prowess. In other words, someone with
a strong third house in their Vedic chart is someone who is dynamic, bold, super-charged,
adventurous, and full of vitality. The third house in Vedic astrology has a much more
Martian flavor to it (in keeping with its rulership of brothers). Someone with a truly
strong (i.e. having a stellium or planets in the third doesn't necessarily make it "strong," it
just makes it emphasized) 3rd house in Western astrology is someone who has good
social skills and ability to be very active and involved in city-life with people and
commerce. In either system, a healthy third house will bring good relationships with
siblings and buddies.

Thinking/Writing/Speaking/Education/Communication/Theorizing: Yep.

Short-Distance Travel: The travel associated with the third house is usually local travel,
like taking a road trip or journeying within your own country. It's about getting around
and being stimulated by new things, not really as much about going to another country
and being totally blown away by another culture (that's more like the 9th or 11th houses).
Occasionally, though it is international, but this is rarely the case.

Siblings and sibling-like relationships: Gemini is an air sign, so relationships and people
are significant here. Mainly it's with people who are like brothers and sisters to us.

Business and commerce: Mercury, in Greek myth, is the patron of merchants. The third
house can have a very business-like dimension to it. It can be about practical realities and
making money, and about "city-life."
The Arts: The third house and Gemini are not usually given enough credit for connection
with all of the arts, including music. Gemini rules the hands, and almost all music is
played using the hands, and much of the other arts are done with the hands, too. In Vedic
astrology, the third house has a lot to do with the arts.

Anything done with the hands: You name it. Massage therapy can even fit in here because
it's a combination of hands and commerce.

There's a lot listed there, huh? Welcome to the third house. Any significant transits to the
third house will probably coincide with much or most of the above.

4th House - Naturally like Cancer, the 4th sign

Along with the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 4th House has a somewhat esoteric
meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one being very human, intimate, and
grounded, while the other is very spiritual.

The Essence:

Esoteric: Can you realize that all things of this world pass, and so find your home within
yourself and depend on the spiritual dimension of existence more than anything else?
Intimate: Can you value and enjoy the realm of human and family relationships?
Material: Can you be a responsible provider to your family or community, and can you
make your home a financially solid and comfortable place to live?

Esoteric/Spiritual significance: All of the water houses (and some of the earth houses) are
strongly related to the spiritual dimension of life. (This helps us see one reason why
Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, for those who speak astrology). And even though the 4th
house is a very 'human' house, it also has a very esoteric dimension. Particularly we see
this through the I.C. or cusp (beginning) of the fourth house.

The I.C. can be one of the most significant points of crisis in all the houses. It is the very
bottom or base of the chart, and it sometimes symbolizing being brought to a kind of
personal bottom, for the purpose of refilling ourselves with reliance on the spiritual
dimension of life. What sometimes coincides with transits to the I.C. is some kind of
crisis in our relationships or families that forces us to go within and depend on our
relationship to Spirit for our survival and sustenance. Other transitting possibilities are
below.

Intimate significance: The fourth house is naturally associated with the sign Cancer,
which is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is the most down-home, down-to-earth, human
'planet.' The Moon is all about humanness and human relationships, and the fourth house
is also a place of human intimacy, both family closeness and partnership closeness. So all
elements of close emotional relating are connected with the fourth house.
Mom, Home, and Family: Mom is powerfully symbolized in the fourth house, as is one's
literal home or dwelling. The family, in general, is also symbolized by the fourth house.

The Past and Family Psychology: The fourth house, like Cancer and the Moon, governs
'the past' including whatever positive benefits or difficult issues the past has given us.
This also relates to patterns we inherit through our families's psychological inheritance
(the other water houses, the 8th and 12th, also relate to psychological family inheritance).

Personal significance: All of the cardinal, or angular, houses have to do with our basic
self and self-projection. So any transits to the fourth house can have to do with
incorporating certain qualities more deeply within ourselves. I like to say "getting certain
qualities deep within our souls." For example, Jupiter in the fourth could be about getting
more spiritual and light forces deeply within us. Saturn in the fourth could be about
getting more responsibility, groundedness, and discipline deeply within us.

The 4th is a basically reclusive house, and whenever planets come through here, we tend
to become more withdrawn, pulling into our own shells and homes, and our focus moves
more towards our most intimate human relationships. Transits to the IC, when not like the
crisis scenario discussed above, can bring an emphasis on the home, whether that mean
moving, selling, buying, refinancing, remodeling, or furnishing, for example.

5th House - Naturally like Leo, the 5th sign

The 5th house is similar to the 3rd house in that it is the province of a great many things,
owing to the creative natures of their ruling signs and planets. The 5th house is a bit
easier to unify under a single essence, though:

The Essence: Having a secure sense of self allows one to play, love, have fun, and
express oneself creatively, all with the innocence of a child.

Another extremely important note about the essence of the 5th house is that it shares a lot
in common with the 9th house. For those who speak astrology, the 9th house is the 5th
house from the 5th house, and the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th house.
Together, these are the most "auspicious" houses of abundance, grace, and good fortune.
Yummy. In many ways, I consider the 5th house even more lucky and positive than the
9th. But in Western astrology, the 5th house doesn't often get this credit that it deserves.
The 5th and 9th houses are the real safe havens of the chart, along with the 1st. There are
some specific matters which both the 5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does
distinguish them from each other.

Fun and Play: One's capacity for fun and play, or one's idea of fun and play, are primarily
the province of the 5th house. Travel is therefore one of the many things that can be
shown by the 5th house, because the 5th house includes easy, good fortune and having
fun.
Love and Romance: The 5th house is also a major house of romantic relationships. The
interconnections between romance and the rest of the 5th house show up in various ways.
Romance is fun, and enjoying romance is one way to experience that one is lovable.
Relationships imply sex, and sex is a creative force, and can also result in children. For
women, relationships with men will of course mirror many facets of their relationships
with their father(s), and a woman's relationships with men can be shown largely by her
fifth house indicators.

Self-Expression and Creativity: Creative self-expression optimally arises out of

confidence and faith in one's own gifts and goodness. Various kinds of creativity are of
course possible here-including the arts and writing.

Authority and Leadership: Inner authority is the province of the 5th house; this includes
trusting and believing in oneself in all possible ways--confidence. Therefore positions of
authority and leadership also come in to play in the 5th house, including politics.

Dad: The 5th house is the house of Leo and the Sun, some evidence of the fact that this is
the one house that one can always look to for information about one's relationship with
one's father figures (the 4th and 10th houses can be either father or mother, depending on
the person, although the 4th will also always signify the mother). The father is naturally
meant to be a symbol in our lives of self-esteem, power, and positive authority, and the
influence of our father(s) upon the development of these qualities within ourselves is
indicated by the fifth house.

Teaching and Teachers: Combining the elements of authority and self-expression (and
sometimes children), we can see that one manifestation of these qualities is in teaching
roles. The role of teachers in our own lives can also be read largely through the 5th house.

Children: One of the biggest provinces of the 5th house relates to children (including
miscarriages and abortions in the case of some hard afflictions and transits), as seen by
the combining of Dad (parenthood) and creativity.

Healing of the ego: An important 'umbrella' understanding of the 5th house is that it refers
to the many ways that one might go about healing the ego, or a lack of self-esteem.

Games: Athletic sports and mental games (like board games, video games, etc.) are also
the province of the 5th house, in keeping with the spirit of fun and free time.

"Past-life credit": In Vedic astrology, the 5th house is also considered a house of past-life
credit, and generally a very auspicious and positive house. I have seen this to work very
well in the western context as well. I find that past-life gifts can be read through the 5th
house, and probably good things owed to us from "good karma."

Transits through the 5th house will generally give a kind of grace period filled with fun,
leisure, and opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Hard transits can, however,
bring up issues with father figures or children, creative struggles, or difficulty with
conceiving a child.

6th House - Naturally Like Virgo, the 6th Sign

Along with the 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 6th House has a very esoteric
meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very
transformational in nature.

In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or
grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but
they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets,
these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational
potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There
is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than
the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or
spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and
usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important,
but lesser extent.

The Essence:

Transformational: The transformation of our self-esteem through projecting our lack of

self-esteem onto relationships and working situations that end up feeling unequal,
abusive, or unfulfilling to us. The question is: Can you raise your standards for yourself
so that you insist on having mutually supportive relationships and work that is creatively
nourishing?
Material: Can you take good care of and heal your physical body? Can you commit and
focus yourself on your work, studies, or service to others?

There are also other ingredients to the 6th house, as listed below.

Transformational: Negative Relationships: The 6th house is the ultimate house of

negative relationships. This includes all varieties of unequal, unfair, unhealthy, and even
abusive relationships. When we meet with these kinds of relationships in the 6th house, it
is for the purpose of encouraging us to stand up for ourselves, put ourselves first, and set
better boundaries and limits for what we are willing to accept in our lives.

Health: The physical health of the body is a major element of the 6th house. However, to
understand whether or not a hard transit would bring health issues, the natal chart has to
be properly understood first. For some people, relatively minor transits to the 6th could
bring health problems. For others, major and heavy transits to the 6th might not affect
health much at all.
Work, Discipline and Work Ethic: The 6th house can easily bring us work opportunities,
however these opportunities are often ones where we will have to work too hard, and/or
where we will have problematic relations with our boss (or employees). So we should be
aware that 6th house work opportunities may bring us problems in the end, and so we
should be prepared to let go of them if necessary. One’s capacity for committing to hard
work and discipline is also shown in the 6th.

Teachers, Mentors, Healers, Gurus, Studies: The 6th house is a place of learning, and of
all varieties of unequal relationships. However, some fundamentally unequal
relationships like teacher-student, mentor-mentored, and healer-healed, can be very
positive here. This also means that apprenticeship and the mastery of skills related to our
work is connected with the 6th house.

The Mind: The left-brained, logical strength of the mind is signified by the 6th House and
its mental significator, Mercury.

Pets: The 6th house, remember is the house of "unequal relationships." Probably for this
reason, it also signifies pets and our relationships with them.

Transits to the 6th house bring opportunities for the transformation of our self-esteem,
and for healing and purification. It’s best to work with these transits in a few ways. 1)
Become exceedingly conscious of exactly what you want in your relationships, work,
home, etc. Write these things down as a kind of manifestation list. 2) Give yourself time
to focus on healing, particularly towards the end of the 6th house transit. It’s good to have
time to just be with your experience, rather than letting your schedule get so busy that
you don’t have time to yourself. 3) Physically fasting or cleansing can be very
constructive ways to work with 6th house transits also.

7th House - Naturally Like Libra, the 7th Sign

The 7th house is the eye of the hurricane between the transformational processes of the
6th and 8th houses; its experience is basically and generally pleasant, especially
compared to the houses on either side of it. It is the traditional house of marriage,
although the 8th house may be even more accurate as a house of marriage. It is definitely
true that the 7th and 8th are both houses of intimate relationships and marriage. Here are
some of the major themes and meanings of the 7th house.

Partnership: The 7th house is meant to be a house of the partnership of equals. So all
relationships that operate on a fundamentally equal plane are signified here. Of course
this primarily indicates one's predominant intimate relationship.

Relationship with Self, God: The 7th house is a house of all kinds of positive
relationships, and this really does begin with oneself. When a planet transits into one's
7th, it is very common to experience at least an initial period of having a very nice and
smooth time alone with ourselves. For some, the choice to have a deeper relationship
with God rather than a human being, is the way of the 7th house. More on the
relationship with God is below with the 12th house.

Social Emergence: The 7th House marks the beginning of the second half of the chart,
which is more outward and socially directed. This is why "coming before the public" is
an important part of the 7th house (the 7th house is also the 10th house from the 10th
house, for those who speak astrology). It is very common to see people with planets
transiting over their Descendant (the beginning of the 7th house in most house systems)
to emerge very powerfully and positively in social spheres. When this happens one
usually comes across as radiant, beautiful, and impressive to others.

Open Enemies: When the planetary influences are more hard and conflicting to the 7th
house (particularly when they involve Mars), one can meet "the other" (the 7th) as being
in literal opposition to oneself (the 1st), as some kind of enemy working against us.

Generally speaking, transitting planets entering the 7th bring us a fresh and clean break
from the issues we worked on in the 6th. When the end of the 6th is marked with
conflicting relationships, the entry into the 7th usually brings a nice time of freedom and
aloneness, to be followed by new relationships. When the end of the 6th is marked by an
emphasis on being alone and healing oneself, the 7th usually brings a positive new
relationship into one's life. Transits to 7th house planets (or the 7th house ruler, if you
speak astrology) will often manifest as effecting our partners more than ourselves.

8th House -- Naturally like Scorpio, the 8th sign

Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 8th House has a very esoteric
meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is of matters pertaining to purely physical life,
and the other to matters that include the depths of spirituality.

In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or
grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but
they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets,
these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational
potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There
is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than
the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or
spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and
usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important,
but lesser extent.

The 8th House is, to me, the repository of humanity's darkness, guilt, and shame after
countless centuries of treating one another in frequently evil and despicable ways. Our
own connection with that collective darkness is shown through the 8th, including how
mired down in it we may initially be in life, and how much potential we have to work
with others to help turn this darkness and pain into healing and light. The first place
where these 8th house matters are going to manifest in life is within our own families.

The Essence:

Psychological/Esoteric: Can you totally face the dark and painful parts of yourself and
your past, thereby liberating deep shame? Can you transmute darkness into light using the
power of loving awareness?
Intimate: Can you expose yourself and experience a beautiful closeness with another?
Physical: Can you have successful financial partnerships with others?

Psychological significance: This is the house of all deeply buried psychological issues,
the house of 'skeletons in the closet.' Also this is the true house of one-to-one intimacy,
and also therefore our blockages to this intimacy. As such, the 8th house is always a
sticky, sensitive, and very personal house, as it is the storehouse of our most personal
psychic 'garbage.' This garbage is not bad, but fundamental to our humanness, and
requires persistent and loving investigation to become conscious and liberated from the
shadows.

'Power struggles' can be an eighth house way of acting out our own lack of power over
ourselves, by attempting to have power over something outside of us; they are simply a
convenient way to avoid oneself, and come up with an excuse for doing so.

Esoteric/Spiritual significance: This house can be seen as 'the dark night of the soul.' It
symbolizes the deepest psychological healing processes that we can undergo and
facilitate, to free up our consciousness from being split and divided. The next house, the
9th, is generally the most positive house while the 8th is the most difficult. This shows
that by courageously integrating our unconscious and painful aspects into a wholeness,
that the natural results are positive spiritual qualities, such as joy, abundance, friendliness,
and freedom.
The 8th house can represent the death of ego. Ego is the fundamental false way of living
that involves identifying with our minds rather than our silence, being consumed with
past and future rather than right now, being out of our bodies, avoiding our feelings, and
being resistant to these truths.

The fullness of the 8th house is true spiritual power, guided by our inherent oneness with
Truth itself, which is the only place where real power comes from. 8th house spiritual
power is also guided by profound love, healing, sincerity, and transformational honesty.

Intimate significance: This is the primary house of sex and intimacy, per se. The 8th
house could be considered the true house of marriage, because it is about ALL the nitty
gritty of intimacy and shared finances. The 8th house takes partnership to a much deeper
level than the 7th house.
Physical significance (Other People's Money): The 8th is the most significant money
house, along with the 2nd. In particular, the 8th has to do with money that is in some way
shared or involved with two people. This is the house of inheritances, of married couples,
of wealthy spouses, of spouses' inheritances, and of business partnerships. In general, any
relationship that significantly or primarily involves money can fall under the domain of
the 8th house. This would include roommates, bosses and employees, and in some cases,
parents and children.

Healing: Whereas some have said that a motto of the 12th house is "serve or suffer," a
similar motto for the 8th house would be something like: "heal or self-destruct." Those
with an 8th house emphasis are forced to one extreme or another: healing of self and
others (transforming darkness into light) or self-destruction. Having a spiritual source to
turn to is invaluable in the 8th house where those self-destructive forces threaten to keep
us mired down in vicious cycles unless we have something very positive, powerful, and
transformational to turn to to get us spiraling upwards in the positive direction. In the 8th
house, we are quickly forced to choose the low road or the high road.

Research and Insight: The 8th house is all about going deep, and it can be a very
powerful house for going deeply with the mind into scientific or intuitive matters.

Esoteric Mysteries: The realm of the esoteric itself is ruled by the 8th, which governs the
occult, or the 'mysteries.' These esoteric realms can be sources of power which can be
guided by compassion, wisdom, surrender, and awareness, or by self-serving, controlling,
and other negative motives. A knife can be used to kill or heal. The knife isn't the
problem or the boon, it's the intention of the one who uses the knife, and one's skill with
using the knife, that are the important factors.

Transits through the 8th house are generally speaking the most difficult of the transits
through any given house. These are generally times when we are most struggling against
our own inner darkness. The beautiful thing about these times is that if we can keep
meeting our difficulties with consciousness and keep turning to spiritual and healing
solutions we can make great progress in liberating ourselves from our inner "demons."
One of the main ways that these challenges can be triggered is through experiences of
scandal. However, if we use a transit going from the 7th house to the 8th house to go
deeper into a marriage-like connection (perhaps by getting married), then much of the
difficult 8th house energy will typically greatly diminish; this is one of the most "easy"
ways of handling an 8th house transit, though it doesn't mean that the challenging parts of
it will not also be present.

9th House -- Naturally like Sagittarius, the 9th sign

Like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so is the 9th house. Of course this house
has its shadow, too, and this really has to be emphasized because the 9th house, like the
sign Aquarius, sometimes only gets good press. Still, no astrologer has ever looked upon
a planet transitting from the 8th to the 9th house and felt a sense of dread.

Let's return to that pot of gold theme for a moment. Did you know that the 9th house is
the 5th house from the 5th house? And that the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th
house? Translation: the 9th and the 5th houses are probably more fundamentally similar
than any other two out of the twelve houses. They are both the houses of abundance,
grace, luck, and good fortune. Yummy. There are some specific matters which both the
5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does distinguish them from each other.

The Essence:

Spiritual Growth that comes through ease rather than difficulty; this particularly includes
travelling, leisure, studying to gain understanding rather than information,
philosophizing, and religious experiences.

Another important key essence to the 9th is that of the theoretical unperpining of
societies. This includes law, morality, ethics, rights, and social or spiritual principles. This
also makes the 9th house the territory of groups that organize around such principles,
including activist groups.

Here are some comments on some of the major domains of the 9th house:

Travel Abroad: Spiritual growth never felt so good. Relax, have fun, and open your mind
to other realities. In addition to the 9th house, the natal condition of Jupiter will tell you a
great deal about someone's experience of travel abroad. Unlike ...

Higher Education: Don't work. Just learn. I want to personally shake the hand of whoever
came up with the concept of higher education. However, in addition to the 9th house, the
natal condition of Mercury will tell you a great deal about someone's experience of
higher education. Most people probably assume that Jupiter would give us this
information, but that is not what I have found to be the case.

Laziness and the rich kid syndrome: The shadow of the 9th house is that is such a place
of opportunity, that it can also become a place of laziness, childishness, and
overindulgence. It can be like the bratty rich kid who has things so easy in life that they
do not develop important qualities like responsibility, compassion, and the ability to
work. This can also be a shadow of the 5th house.

Guru's/Spiritual Teachers: While it is not the best idea to polarize mundane daily life
from the spiritual life, there are certainly valuable things that can be gained from those
who specialize in the "spiritual" side of life. Our relationship to such spiritual teachers (or
even just regular professors) is indicated in the 9th house.

Philosophizing: Philosophy is certainly the realm of the 9th house as well as the sign
Sagittarius. The 9th house can give us an indication of how "spiritual" or material a
person's life philosophy is. But be careful, having a strong spiritual philosophy in life
does not insure that someone understands what spirituality really is (hint: it's not in the
mind).

Publishing and Teaching: Got something to say? You've come to the right house. Shout it
on the mountaintops, publish it in a magazine, or just write an entire book about it. The
dissemination of ideas is a vital part of an intelligent and evolving society. Don't forget
that the fifth house has a lot to do with these affairs as well, especially teaching.

Social Gatherings: Along with the 11th house, the 9th house also has a lot to do with
social gatherings. Sometimes these are for more "party" purposes, and sometimes these
are for more social purposes, like activist gatherings and organizations.

Nature and Retreat: Not fully in the world as the 10th is, the 9th house is in many ways
the opposite of this. The 9th house is the country as opposed to the city (3rd house). The
9th house also often indicates spiritual, meditative, contemplative, and nature-centered
retreat rather than being in the hustle and bustle of public life.

Animal-Focused Organizations: Like the ninth sign Sagittarius, the 9th house has
something to do with animals, and sometimes pertains to groups such as a Humane
Society. The 6th house, however, is the house of "pets."

Basically, transits through the 9th give an emphasis on pure fun (exactly like the 5th), or
on studying, often in order to have a credential or degree in order to do work later on.
Transits to 9th house planets indicate hard or expansive experiences with regards to the
above affairs.

10th House -- Naturally like Capricorn, the 10th sign

The 10th house is certainly straight forward in one respect. It's the realm of career, fame,
and recognition. Many Vedic astrologers consider the 10th to be the most solid and strong
house in the chart. The worth of the 10th house probably depends a great deal on what
you really value. In many ways, the trappings of the 10th house can potentially subtract
from things like family, relationships, leisure, and spirituality (humility, simplicity, etc.).

The Midheaven has some very interesting elements to it, but the Midheaven and the 10th
house are not necessarily synonymous. The Midheaven is the cusp of the 10th house in
most, but not all, Western house systems. I'll discuss the Midheaven below as well.

The Essence:

Dedication to social responsibility and/or working hard as an individual has its rewards:
success, fame, and recognition (though not necessarily money).
Here are some of the affairs of the 10th house:

Career: Simply, the 10th house can tell us a great deal about someone's career.
Descriptively, it can tell us how we go about our work. Concretely, it can tell us how
successful and stable we are likely to be in our careers. It can tell us about assets that we
possess and the obstacles in our career paths.

Fame and Recognition: The 10th house does not tell us how much recognition our
personality will tend to get in social situations (the 1st house tells us that), but it does tell
us about the recognition that our work is likely to give us. It is possible to have a
powerful social charisma (1st), but little fame (weak 10th). It is also possible to be meek
as a mouse (weak 1st), but be incredibly famous (10th).

Transits to the 10th house will affect the above matters in hard or expansive ways,
depending on the aspect involved, and the planets and signs involved. Transits through
the 10th will mark times where independent hard work is highlighted. It is as if those
times are times when we are fated to give back to our communities through hard work
and service; however this hard work in the 10th normally also comes with a large share of
social and public recognition.

The Midheaven

The Midheaven signifies at least two very interesting things:

Moving: Time and time and time again I have seen moving related to the Midheaven
moreso than any other part of the chart (such as the 4th house). The planets involved will
give a good sense of what the move is about, i.e., Jupiter could be moving to a fun,
leisurely place or for these reasons; Saturn could be moving for career, work, or dutiful
reasons. Another ingredient of the Midheaven is "where are you going in life?" and this
of course fits in with this theme of moving.

Learning to have the Confidence to Project Certain Qualities to Others: The Midheaven
can show us important evolutionary needs, particularly things that we are working on
learning how to express comfortably to others socially with confidence or clarity.

Planets transiting over the Midheaven will bring changes to our public and working life,
in accordance with the planets involved.

11th House -- Naturally like Aquarius, the 11th sign

The 11th house has everything to do with our relationship with humanity as a whole.
Thanks to some clues given by Hilarion in his channeled book, Astrology Plus, I've been
able to put together a somewhat unorthodox, but telling, view of the 11th house. It tells us
a lot about how we will relate to humanity as a whole, including such an obvious
manifestation as how we will tend to relate to groups of people.

Remember that the air houses tell us, primarily about our social skills and natures. The
3rd tells us about our relationship with close friends, people who are like (or literally are)
brothers and sisters; the 3rd also gives a picture of basic social skills. The 7th tells us
about our interactions with close partners, rather than 3rd house buddies. And the 11th
tells us about our social relations with more than one person at a time, as well as all
people, in general.

In another respect the 11th house is like a continuation of the 10th house. It's very public
and career-oriented in nature, though it involves more cooperation than the 10th house,
because the 10th is a very independent house when it comes to work.

The Essence:

What do you tend to do when gathered together in groups of three or more people? What
can people do together when gathered in groups of three or more people? In working
together with others, can you do so with the highest, most universal, and all-inclusive
motives? Or is your focus on self-aggrandizement and sowing division between people?

Groups of People: The 11th house is the first house to consider when it comes to any
affair involving a group of people (the 9th is the other). Thus the 11th signifies a diverse
number of social gatherings such as: your poker buddies, a concert of 100,00 people, the
corporation or business you work for, your church, and the charitable group you work for.
Particularly, the 11th house is connected with groups that have a common identity of
sense of there being an "us" to belong to in some way.

One's Relationship with People in General: Do you tend to like most people? Do most
people tend to like you? How you do feel about and get along with most people, in
general? Be sure to look at how planets in the 11th are aspected. For example, an 11th
house Venus (using Porphyry houses) with hard aspects generally shows difficult
relationships with women in general; an 11th house Venus with positive aspects generally
shows positive relationships with women in general.

Working with Others and "Passing the Torch": Whereas the 10th represents the rugged
individual working like a dog and doing all of the work by themselves, the 11th shows
the potential for people to each have different roles or jobs working together for the same
end. It also represents the time when an individual can take all of their own 10th house
experience and teach or train someone else how to do what they do, thus insuring that
their work will live on beyond them.
Reaching the Masses: If it involves humanity or large numbers of people, it's related to
the 11th house. This includes everything from being on television to publishing a
magazine, teaching classes, and public speaking.

In Vedic Astrology the 11th house is the house of gains (whereas the 12th is loss),
particularly material gains from one's work. Jyotishi's consider the 11th one of the most
positive and desirable houses in the chart, one where abundance comes about and where
matters gain in strength over time. This same meaning does not particularly seem to apply
in Western astrology.

Transits to 11th house planets will give hard or expansive opportunities with some
grouping of people, depending on the aspects and planets and signs involved. Transits of
planets through the 11th tend to indicate a kind of social or career culmination or fullness
of activity in these areas.

12th House -- Naturally like Pisces, the 12th sign

Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 12th House has a very esoteric
meaning. But unlike these other houses, the 12th house has an almost entirely spiritual
meaning, without much of a mundane, physical meaning.

In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or
grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but
they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets,
these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational
potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires.

The Essence:

Spiritual/Esoteric (Only): Can you recognize how powerless you are next to God? Can
you surrender your life to Spirit, and let it be guided by Spirit? Through this surrender,
can you either humbly serve in the way that God directs you, or let an inspired artistic
creativity flow through you? Life crises may force the above questions upon us in the
12th house.

In keeping with this grand metaphysical picture of the 12th house, here are some of the
things that tie in directly to the unity of the 12th house:

Aloneness: Because the 12th house wants us to tune into the spiritual dimension of
ourselves, it often brings us time alone so that we can look within and relate to a higher
spiritual power. When we are surrounded by people, as we typically are in the 11th house
that precedes the 12th, our focus will obviously be on the manifest human reality rather
than the more unmanifest inner dimension.
Sorrow: The 12th house is the house of sorrow. It is the house where we are meant to
meet the experience of sorrow, and hopefully do something constructive with this
experience. Those who are willing to meet their inner sadness and pain with compassion
and a desire for healing can then better reach out to others in compassion and service or
through artistic inspiration. This theme of sorrow has a direct connection with family
patterns/karma/psychology and difficult family issues.

Escapism and Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Because the 12th house forces us to meet our
pain and the emotional issues of our families (as all of the water houses 4, 8, and 12 do),
one's first response early in life to this pain is usually to avoid it. There are so many ways
to attempt to escape from our emotions, including work, co-dependency, television and
mass media. But drug and alcohol addiction is probably the greatest and most dangerous
escape associated with the 12th house. Those who master the 12th house are those who
commit to a sober lifestyle and attempt to clear their minds rather than muddy them, and
then do something positive out of this mental and spiritual clarity.

Spiritual Humility: The famous crises and challenges of the 12th house seem to me to be
mainly about remembering that we are not in complete control of our existence, and that
it is a very good idea to have some kind of relationship with a higher spiritual power, or
some kind of spiritual practices to help us grow spiritually. Eventually, realizing that by
constantly turning our lives over to a spiritual power we may seem to lose "free will" but
we actually gain "freedom."

Relationship with God: One's relationship with a higher spiritual power, including such
ways of connecting as prayer, meditation, and ritual, is a very important element of the
12th house.

Opening the Heart: The 12th house is optimally meant to be a place of opening up the
heart in love and service to others. The 12th house is of course the last house of the chart,
and this probably symbolically shows that the affairs of the 12th house have a kind of
ultimate importance in the big scheme of things. So these themes of spiritual humility and
love are indicated in astrology as some of the greatest purposes of human existence.

Service to Others: All forms of humble service to others are in keeping with the 12th
house, particularly all forms of caring for others. Through this service we not only gain in
humility and a sense of oneness with others, but also deeper in love, compassion, and
spiritual surrender.

Artistic Expression: Things like music, art, poetry, fiction and spiritual writing, are all
things that tune us into a more otherworldly (and often less serious) dimension, one
which is obviously inspired by creative forces that are inspired by some spiritual source.
Creative people tend to recognize that their art comes from a mysterious "flow" that they
get in tune with and help give expression to.

Spiritual Consciousness: The actual, inner, level of spirituality of a person can largely be
determined through the 12th house, however determining this is a fairly complex matter
that I would not recommend for anyone to do without the guidance of an astrologer who
understands how to do this. Things such as the degree of calm, kindness, peace,
generosity, altruism, humor, humility, and simplicity can be seen here.

The Unseen: All of the unseen realms are matters of the 12th house as well, including
realms of fantasy and dreams. An interesting thing about these realms is that they remind
us that this material world is not the only game in the universe, and helps relax our
mental fixation on being so serious and closed-minded about this earthly reality.

Institutions: Historically, the 12th house has been known as the house of prisons and
hospitals. The reason for this connection is that these institutions are places that we go to
to realize how powerless we are and often to be taken care of by others. Prison offers one
the isolation and time alone to perhaps realize ways that Spirit is asking one to improve
his life. Hospitials make us surrender to the reality that we are not in complete control of
our lives, because our bodies experience limitations. These are also places where people
are either taking care of others (nurses, doctors, etc.), or being taken care of by others--
both things which are very much a part of the 12th house.

In Vedic Astrology, along with all of its more "troubling" elements, the 12th house is
considered to be the major house of moksha, or spiritual liberation.

Transits through the 12th house or to 12th house planets are generally very challenging,
at least to the mental ego mind; they tend to enforce aloneness and powerlessness, and
sometimes physical health problems. However, a 12th house transit is one that, more than
most difficult transits, can quickly become less difficult and quite positive if we do what
it is intending for us to do: to open up and surrender to a spiritual dimension, in order to
open our hearts and make ourselves available to Spirit to be of service to others or to be
an artistic channel. Transits of Jupiter travelling through the 12th (i.e. not those in aspect
to 12th house planets), however, are usually the time of being "the happy hermit," and
therefore a kind of exception to the above.