Our zodiacal Sun Sign is known by the day and the month of birth. The Rising Sign according to the hour and minute of that day. Then we consider where the planets are positioned in the Chart in the areas known as the Houses.
A 'house' is the name given for each of the twelve divisions of 30° in the 360° circular Astrological Chart. Like slices of a cake, each serves to indicate a portion or area in mapping the heavens and is used to record the position of the planets at one's time of birth. This is calculated through the aid of an Ephemeris. Information must then be adjusted to conditions pertaining at the time and the actual geographic location of the place of birth.
When your Astrological Chart is drawn up by the astrologer according to the information you have given of your birth date, time of birth and also the place of birth it appears as a large circular disc with a smaller one in the centre in which the individual is symbolically placed. The larger circle or 360° is usually equally divided into 12 segments of 30° . Each of the 12 segments is known as a 'house' with the first one being that on the left and in sequence going anticlockwise the following houses are numbered and named accordingly, establishing the 12th house as the segment on the left, immediately above the horizon. The House division remains constant although there are emerging two different schools of thought as to how the 360° should be divided - equally or unequally. For the present take the traditional placement with the First house as the first 30º in the horoscope below the horizon on the left hand side of the circle.
At the beginning of each house is one of the zodiacal signs which dominates that particular area. The ruling or dominant sign governing the First House, once having been established by astronomical calculation, is placed on the Chart on the left hand horizontal and this is called your 'Rising Sign'. Your Rising Sign will occupy the First House in part or totally, depending upon the degree shown at your birth. The Rising Sign is considered to be of major importance as a factor in one's chart. It indicates your physical make up and constitution and your material circumstances.
The Houses are actually positions along the ecliptic where the planets can be found on any date or time according to the calculations of astronomers and the records of the Ephemeris. During a single day there is little change in placement except for the fast moving bodies of the Sun and the Moon which have a powerful affect upon the chart. Because of earth's rotation and a new zodiacal sign is rising above the horizon every two hours it becomes obvious that for accuracy, it essential to know the exact hour and minute, if that is possible, of one's 'first breath'.
Each house is comprised of 30° and is found to influence and represent a number of specific human interests and activities. The division of the astrological chart into these 12 houses is a vital part of the understanding of how these released energies are likely to affect the personality and circumstances and the human psyche. Such knowledge has been gained by long experience and observations over thousands of years of human culture and its study continues.
Interpretation must be undertaken with the total chart in mind, with the astrologer reducing some of the complexity to simple factors for the clarification of the individual concerned.
A planet placed in the 1st house was passing through that part of the heavens at that hour and will influence the traditional characteristics of that House. It can moderate, intensify or complicate the energies and events related to that House. For instance, if the aggressive Aries sign is rising and there is a planet such as diffusive and vague Neptune located in that sign, this will tend to be a factor which indicates the individual to have a more compassionate and sympathetic outer personality than is generally evident in an Aries person. Or perhaps the influence of Neptune will turn the adventurous and pioneering Arian nature to investigate the subtler, more nebulous or non-material aspects of life.
It is important to understand the general indications and implications of the planetary positions in the different houses or signs. It is also a factor in interpretation, whether the majority of planets fall in the houses of the Northern Hemisphere, or the South, relative to the individual's moment and place of birth. It is considered that if the planets are placed in the Chart to appear above the horizon the life will be more extrovert and active than that where the majority of planets are below the horizon. Some observe that if the planets fall in the eastern houses it indicates greater self sufficiency and in the west, greater dependence upon others. There are many generalities associated with this subject and further investigation is ongoing.
All the natural energies which are represented in the Astrological Chart provide an invisible 'climate' in which the individual applies his intelligent understanding of life and his free will. Although in many cases a wise astrologer can predict events, because of particular powerful influences which are evident, they will be more inclined to assist an individual to self awareness of the equipment and talents which are uppermost and of their weaknesses which are to be overcome.
The Houses have each their own importance in human affairs and are said to govern particular aspects and activities, character traits and even spiritual matters. Their rulership and how the House affects the individual will be modified or affected by any planets within that House. The interplanetary relationship which is described in terms of 'aspects' is also important when interpreting the signs. There are many factors to consider in the complexity which comprises the individual recipe described in the astrological chart of a person. It requires great experience to be able to take each factor into account and to weigh one energy against another. Special aspects of analysis are made easier by the particular interests and concern of the individual himself. For instance, a common enquiry is regarding relationships and the subject of marriage. To answer this, the astrologer will tend to consider the indicators of the 5th, 7th and the 8th houses. The signs on the cusps of these Houses will give an indication of what is in store.
Influence Of The Twelve Houses
1st House (This is the first 30° segment about to rise above the left horizon of the chart which represents the east.) It influences the body- the appearance- the principle energies and motivations of the personality- identity - capacities - external character - outward talents - obvious qualities - personal ego- self - beginnings - childhood- vitality -matters of personal nature -immediate environment .
2nd House Earnings- material possessions- constructive undertakings- physical destiny or karma--powers - fortune-money - ambition- emotions - desires - stimulations - investments - financial gain- prescribed draft or pattern of destiny - monetary affairs.
3rd House Immediate relatives- early home and family - writing - speech - adaptability-short journeys - correspondence -brothers and sisters - mentality, subconscious mind- travel - activity - kinship - correspondence and communication, talents and literature, education, interests, intellectual activity.
4th House Home - parents- domestic situations- real estate and property-home life - environment - estate -inheritance - end of life - environment - living environment in general -realms of habitat- environment in latter years - mines - inherited tendencies - patrimonial affairs.
5th House Enjoyments- entertainment- pleasures- creations- offspring - children-enterprises - hazards - sex - the senses - speculation- -friendships- disappointments in friendship or children - work for children-creative talents - love - responsibilities - dharma-education - theatres -teenagers, newspapers, gambling, risks.
6th House Health- service- illness- work- sense of responsibility- ways and means - employees - health - nursing - medical - rectification - adjustments - healing- aunts and uncles - (fathers side) in female - service .
7th House Spouse- marriage- partnerships - individuality - self emergence - marriage - open enemies --sharing bonds - karmic ties - husband (female's chart) public in general - opponents in litigation - contracts and agreements.
8th House Death- regeneration- finality- subtle destiny- payments - losses - fatalities -partner's money - occult - psychic consciousness- - finalities - endings - conclusions - completion - legacies - marriage partner's finances - occult - sex - soul destiny- soul limitations- beginnings and endings both.
9th House Philosophy - travels of the mind - travels of the body- philosophy and religion - aspiration - religion -- philosophy - imagination - long journeys- - expansion - mind and physical adventures- religion - philanthropy - legal profession- visionary -science - spiritual matters -devotion.
10th House Worldly status - career- worldly achievements - citizenship, avocation - honour --- profession - reputation- work - standing in the community - mother (in female's horoscope) authority and power in the social order - public affairs.
11th House Friends- ambitions -desires -aspirations -- altruism - self abnegation - social -- associations - companionships - sympathies - brotherhood- step children - social affiliations - attitude towards people -hopes and wishes.
12th House Secrets- limitations- imprisoning influences-solitude- loneliness- self undoing - failure - secret enemies - restrictions - inhibitions.- an indication of past life - inner self - withdrawal from the world - spiritual matters - meditation - negative bonds - hates- karmic negatives - exile - locked out - impairment of the senses- sacrifice -hospitals - occult - prisons- trouble! It is an indication of the end of one's life.
It is largely due to the tradition specific references to the aspects of human life and to human nature, that detailed analysis of character and prediction of events can be made.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Horoscopes
