1st House (Ascendant) – The individual personality
Together with the Sun and Moon the ascendant is one of the most important single factors in a horoscope. The sign at the beginning of the first house tells us a lot about someone’s personality, temperament and constitution. It typifies our immediate, instinctive reaction and shows how we present ourselves to the world. The planet ruling the ascendant sign is of particular importance for the interpretation.
2nd House – Values and Possessions
The second house and its occupants tell us about the material circumstances, the acquisitive urge and how we deal with possessions and material means. This includes the relationship to our own body.
3rd House – Communication
The third house and any planets occupying it tell us of our siblings, the manner in which we communicate on an everyday level and the relationships which determine our daily life.
4th House – Roots and Origins
This house describes our origins, the parental home and the circumstances influencing childhood and youth. It describes how we relate to “family”, our attitude towards “hearth and home”. The father image and the relationship to the real father are also to be found here.
5th House – Pleasure and Creativity
Sexuality and eroticism are at home here, along with play in general and all types of creative expression. This house also describes how we relate to children, pleasure and simple fun.
6th House – Work and Routine
The sixth house describes the circumstances surrounding us in our daily lives, including the work environment and daily routine. This includes our behaviour towards subordinates. Bodily hygiene and care also belong here, as well as tendencies to certain acquired illnesses.
7th House – Relating
The descendant sign and planets occupying the seventh house tell us about how we select our partners and describes the partnerships and relationships we seek. Often we are involuntarily attracted to people whose horoscopes carry a strong emphasis of the sign in our seventh house.
8th House – Loss and Common Property
The eighth house shows how we relate to communal goods and how we deal with material loss. The taxes levied on us each year are a good example for this and show how closely related these areas are. Traditional astrology maintains that this house has an affinity to death and all things metaphysical. Death would then be the ultimate material loss. Amongst other things, the study of metaphysics can be a very differentiated way of dealing with this loss, which inevitably comes to us all.
9th House – Philosophies and Far Countries
The ninth house describes our spiritual leaning, life philosophy and our world view. In fact, these are often influenced by journeys to foreign countries. The attitudes cultivated and formed in this house can greatly influence matters of the 10th. (see below)
10th House (MC) – Occupation and Calling
This house is of particular importance, since it affects not only our choice of profession and our sense of calling – it also has a bearing on our general development, what we become. This continues throughout our lives. According to tradition, as well as more recent experience, this house describes the mother image and the relationship to the real mother.
11th House – Friends and Acquaintances
The eleventh house describes how we relate to friends, benefactors and teachers – people who wish us well or from whom we can learn. It also shows us in these roles. This house shows how we relate to the society in which we live.
12th House – Beyond the Personal
This house represents those spheres of life in which the individual no longer plays a part, where we step back for a greater whole or lose ourselves in one. Traditional astrology sees hospitals, prisons and psychiatric institutions in this house. It is also associated with monasteries and any other retreats