Many people in the modern world are now aware of the fact that each individual is more than “just their Sun Sign”. “Sun, Moon, and Rising” has become a commonplace term that proves that many people know that they at least have a Moon sign and a Rising sign in addition to their well-known Sun Sign. With this knowledge, a door to deeper and more nuanced astrology is opened. Through that door, there emerges an entire world of cosmic knowledge, one that starts with the planets and signs but must also always include the houses, which I would argue just might happen to be the least known facet of astrology (and yet one of the most important!). It’s about time we talk about it. Enter: the houses.

So what are houses in astrology?

The houses are the 12 divisions of a birth chart, splitting up the chart into 12 different pie slices that each represent a distinct area of life. These house divisions create another level of unique differentiation between birth charts and give clarity as to where each planet is “doing its job” in the native’s life. 

I know this may sound confusing right now, but stick with me. It will all start to come together soon…

So what do you mean by “areas of life” and “where each planet is doing its job”?

Each house represents a unique part of the psyche and life experience. For example, one house represents home, family, and parents while another represents career and public image. Between all 12 houses, the full life experience and life cycle is represented in a simple 2D chart. You see, not every placement in the birth chart is only about you. Sure, every placement impacts you in some way, but certain placements in specific houses may also explain the people in your life and the experiences you’re destined to have. As astrologers, we can only know this by looking at the house each planetary placement falls into.

Now, let’s focus on the second part of the question, “where each planet is doing its job”. This builds upon the first question, so let’s use the example I gave above.

If a planet is placed in the house that represents home, family, and parents, it says more about the life experience related to those specific themes than it would to do with career. Whereas, if that same planet was instead placed in the area of the chart related to personal resources and income, it takes on an entirely new meaning and might have nothing to do with their family or home life. 

As for planets “doing their job”, that’s something I explore in depth in my free “Learn to Read Your Soul’s Blueprint: Astrology Basics for Beginners” PDF. Please feel free to check it out! It’s both beautiful and incredibly educational…but I digress. To keep it simple here, just know that every planet has a certain role to play – for example, your Moon sign represents your emotional nature, needs, and instincts while your Mars sign symbolizes your drive, will, and the way in which you pursue your goals. Every planet in the chart “plays a role”. Imagine that without the Moon there, you wouldn’t have emotions or without the Sun, you’d have no sense of self! Each planet is there to “play a role” or represent a certain facet of your psyche and life experience. 

Does that make sense? If not (or if you simply want to dive deeper), check out my blog post about the Sun, Moon, and Rising signs or my blog post about the significations of each planet. I have no doubt those posts will help you better understand the “roles that each planet plays”.

Alright, back to the houses…

So what does each house symbolize?

As we discussed, there are 12 houses total and each “pie slice” represents a certain area of life. Here’s a snippet from my (which includes a lot more helpful information!) so you can get a visual representation of the house divisions and the significations for each one. If you want a simpler rendition of the house significations, scroll past this big ol’ chart picture for some easy one-word meanings.

Here are some easy single phrase significations for each house to keep memorization simple and fun! ↓

1st House – Self & Physical Body

2nd House – Resources & Values

3rd House – Communication & Daily Chores/Activities

4th House – Home & Family

5th House – Creativity & Pleasure

6th House – Health & Service

7th House – Relationships

8th House – Shared Resources & The Taboo

9th House – Exploration & Teaching

10th House – Career & Public Image

11th House – Social Network & Dreams for the Future

12th House – Mental Health & Solitude

So how exactly do the house placements influence planetary energy?

I like to think of house placements as the kind of environment each planet is immersed in. If a planet was immersed in a serious, work-focused environment, it would take on that kind of energy, whereas a planet immersed in a playful, creativity-focused environment would take on a very different energy. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say one person has a Leo Sun in the 3rd house and another has a Leo Sun in the 6th house. The person with the 3rd house Leo Sun will probably shine and take pride in their communication, writing, and learning. They will probably be busy bees who share their light with their close community during day-to-day normal life! On the other hand, the 6th house Leo Sun will take great pride in their health and wellness routines and they’ll probably be incredibly generous when it comes to serving others. You can start to see from this example how the house placement helps to color every single planet, even a powerful luminary like the Sun. 

In short, a planet placed in a more serious and challenging house will take on a bit of that flavor, whereas a planet placed in a more lighthearted and fun house will take on a bit of that flavor. Every planet plays their specified role no matter where they’re placed, and every sign still holds a certain energy. However, because the energetic environment of each placement is so important, the house placement is a necessary ingredient in the recipe of a birth chart.

Want to go deeper and learn how to seamlessly blend the planets, signs, and houses?

If you’re interested in learning to blend the first three key pillars of astrology (planets, signs, and houses), check out my fun and educational freebie here! I break down each of the pillars with entertaining analogies and then walk you through the process of blending them together so you can go from astro beginner to astro pro in no time! The blending of these three is where nuanced and dynamic chart interpretations come in, so if you have any interest whatsoever in learning astrology or at least in exploring your own chart, download my free “Learn to Read Your Soul’s Blueprint” PDF here!

Thanks for reading, my friends! See you next time!