The 12 Astrology Houses
Revised . First published .
Your birth chart has 12 astrology houses that map different areas of daily life. Zodiac signs show how a planet acts, while houses show where that energy plays out. We calculate these 12 sections from your exact birth time and birthplace.
The 12 astrological houses at a glance
| House | Covers | Natural sign | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st house | self, body and first impressions | Aries | angular |
| 2nd house | money, possessions and self-worth | Taurus | succedent |
| 3rd house | communication, siblings and the local world | Gemini | cadent |
| 4th house | home, family and roots | Cancer | angular |
| 5th house | creativity, romance, play and children | Leo | succedent |
| 6th house | daily work, health and routines | Virgo | cadent |
| 7th house | partnership, marriage and open rivals | Libra | angular |
| 8th house | shared money, intimacy, death and rebirth | Scorpio | succedent |
| 9th house | travel, higher learning and belief | Sagittarius | cadent |
| 10th house | career, reputation and public life | Capricorn | angular |
| 11th house | friends, groups and hopes | Aquarius | succedent |
| 12th house | the hidden, rest, solitude and the unconscious | Pisces | cadent |
The 12 life areas shown on your chart wheel
A circular birth chart has 12 wedge shaped slices surrounding its center. Each slice stands for 1 house. The 12 zodiac signs travel through the sky over 1 year, but the houses remain fixed to the horizon at your birthplace. Each house covers everyday areas of life, including house 2 for your income, house 4 for your home and house 10 for your career.
A cusp is the line where a house starts. Starting at the left horizontal line, count the houses from 1 to 12 counterclockwise on your chart wheel. By reading the planets within a house, astrologers identify where you direct your time and effort. The zodiac sign at that cusp also helps them explain your approach to those matters.
House 1 starts with the Ascendant
At the moment you were born, your Ascendant was the exact zodiac degree rising over the eastern horizon. With a birth time of 6:30 AM, 14°23′ Taurus crossing the eastern horizon line would make your Ascendant 14°23′ Taurus. This degree marks both the starting point for your whole house wheel and the start of house 1.
To astrologers, house 1 represents your physical body, temperament and approach to new situations. Planets placed in house 1 were only beginning their rise through the sky at your birth because the house rests on the eastern horizon. Traditional texts say planets in quieter houses have less visible influence over your outward mannerisms and personal habits than a planet here.
The angular, succedent and cadent groups
Based on their positions in the sky, astrologers divide the 12 houses into 3 groups of 4 houses each. The angular houses are 1, 4, 7 and 10. These houses stand at the 4 main compass points of east, north, west and south. In astrologers' readings, planets in angular houses are loud and active and touch on your home, partnerships, public standing and identity.
The succedent houses follow next and consist of houses 2, 5, 8 and 11. Since they come right after the angles, astrologers see them as areas where you build and manage steady resources such as money or friendships. The cadent houses are houses 12, 9, 6 and 3. Traditionally, these houses point toward learning, travel, daily routines and private rest. Their position falls between the other groups.
What makes your birth time important?
The sky's average shift of 1° every 4 minutes happens because the Earth completes a full 360° turn in 24 hours. Even a 15 minute difference recorded on your birth certificate shifts your Ascendant by nearly 4° and may change the zodiac sign on house 1. We can't identify the sign that was rising in the east at your birth without a clock time.
Because most planets move slowly enough, your Sun, Venus and Mars stay in their zodiac sign all day. The houses, however, tell a different story. A birth time of 12:00 PM places a Sun at 24°12′ Gemini in house 10. At a birth time of 12:00 AM, that same Sun falls into house 4. An accurate time is always necessary for accurate houses.
The method used to draw the houses
Common questions
In my birth chart, what does an empty house mean?
Empty houses appear in every birth chart because 12 houses outnumber the 10 main planets, which include the Sun and Moon. It doesn't mean that an area of your life is missing or damaged. Astrologers check a house's cusp sign and where its ruling planet appears in your chart.
If your birth time is unknown, what are your options?
From the vital records office in your birthplace, you can request a long form birth certificate, or check family baby books. If there's no record, the houses are left off the wheel, or 0°00′ of your Sun sign is placed at house 1 for reading broad themes without exact degrees.
Why do the houses differ from one astrology calculator to another?
The math methods used to split the sky into 12 sections vary by calculator. Using time to divide the sky, the Placidus method produces uneven house sizes, particularly far north or south. Under the Whole Sign method, each zodiac sign receives 1 full house of 30°00′, so a planet may shift by 1 house.
How do astrologers interpret a planet placed directly on a house line?
Astrologers often read a planet in the upcoming house if it lies within 5°00′ before the next cusp. Rather than remain in the house it is leaving, it acts in the upcoming one. With house 7 starting at 18°45′ Libra and your Venus at 16°10′ Libra, astrologers usually place Venus in house 7.