Your Birth Chart: The 12 Zodiac Houses Explained
Your Birth Chart, or Natal Chart, is a symbolic snapshot of the sky with respect to the Earth at the moment you were born.
It’s your unique heavenly roadmap and can reveal the fastest, least dramatic way to meet your destiny.
Birth Chart analysis can help you understand your inner conflicts, obstacles, most suitable career, the types of partnerships that will make you truly happy, and even tragic events you might have experienced on your life’s journey.
Astrology is one of the best self-discovery tools you’ll ever come across.
Getting your Birth Chart done is the first step to uncovering its superpowers.
Astrological Systems
There are different types of astrological systems. The most popular are Western Tropical Astrology and Vedic Astrology.
Western astrology is based on the “tropical calendar” and the four seasons, while Vedic astrology charts are based on the sidereal system, which looks at the changing, observable constellations.
Numerous free online resources and mobile apps can produce Birth Charts in minutes.
Please note that your Sidereal Birth Chart will look dramatically different from your Tropical Birth Chart. This site is dedicated to Western astrology, so the information below is valid for Tropical Birth Charts only.
There are different house systems in the Tropical Western Astrology: Placidus, Koch, Regiomantus, the whole house system, and many more.
My preferred system is Placidus. I am also occasionally checking transits through the whole house system to ensure I don’t miss anything important.
Both systems work, but I find Placidus provides more information.
Birth Chart Structure
In a nutshell, a Natal Chart is composed of luminaries, planets and secondary elements (Lunar Nodes, Lilith, Chiron, and other asteroids).
Related article: Your Birth Chart: Understanding the Planets.
The exact geographical location and time of one’s birth are key to an accurate Birth Chart.
The typical chart’s layout is a ‘pie-like’ Zodiacal wheel consisting of 12 houses with planets scattered all over it.
Differently coloured lines connect them, showing various aspects they form with each other.
At first glance, it can look overwhelming, especially if you’re a beginner. Worry not! The more you learn about the planets, aspects, and houses, the clearer it all becomes.
To simplify Chart’s structure:
Planet – a symbolic representation of what is happening (event/ relationship/ personality trait, etc.)
Related Article: Your Birth Chart: Understanding the Planets
The sign it lands in – how and why this particular event/relationship/personality trait is prominent.
House – The area of one’s life where this event/ relationship/ personality trait is most evident.
The Meaning of the 12 Zodiac Signs
The 12 houses of the Zodiac represent different areas of life.
Each house is associates with a particular Zodiac sign and has its own natural ruler, which will be most likely different from your personal one as our Birth charts are uniquely designed.
It is the basic layer of information about each house. For example, the First House is naturally represented by Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, and its ruler Mars.
But in your personal chart it could easily be in Aquarius or any other sign and can host various planets, depending on astrological transits at the time your of birth, e.g. Jupiter or Pluto.
The Concept of Natural Rulership
The natural rulership of each House is closely connected with the basic meaning of the House.
For example, the First House, naturally ruled by Aries, is the House of the self. It is all about you as an individual, your drive, ambition, and personal strength.
These themes are naturally associated with Aries.
If this house is in Aquarius in your personal chart it means that you, as an individual, possess traits associated with the Aquarius archetype.
It also means that your Ascendant/ Rising sign is in Aquarius.
Related Article: The Big 3 in your Birth Chart (Ascendant/Sun/Moon)
Most likely you love to be surrounded by groups of open-minded, progressive thinkers.
However, it’s very likely you are quite detached and don’t form close intimate one-to-one connections easily.
You care deeply about humanitarian causes and injustice in the world.
The easiest way to master houses in Astrology is to start with studying your own Birth chart.
You can also pick charts of well-known celebrities that can be easily found online.
I recommend starting with the whole house system to make things less complicated.
Recommended article: Why should I use Whole House Houses?
First House: The House of the Self
Natural Rulership: Aries (Mars)
The first house of the self represents “you” and how you show up in the world. It represents your personality traits, your style, your mannerism.
It literally rules over one’s physical appearance.
The First House reveals how you present yourself to others and the way the outside world sees you.
It often shows your physical characteristics, especially your head and facial features.
This is your Ascendant/ Rising sign.
If you have any planets in your first house, it is likely that they’ll have a massive influence on your personality and life’s journey.
This house is the lens through which the rest of your chart is interpreted.
Second House: Material Possessions and Self-Worth
Natural Rulership: Taurus (Venus)
This is the House of earned income, possessions, things we value and our self-worth. The Second House is about worth, both of your bank account and of the self.
It gives an overview of your earning potential and ability to save and multiply your material resources. Analysing this house can significantly help to understand what is the most efficient way for you to earn the living.
Second House also talks about your physical possessions, the things you physically own and surround yourself with.
It describes your taste for food and the finer things in life, your fashion sense or the lack of thereof.
Third House: Communication, Local Travels and Neighbours
Natural Rulership: Gemini (Mercury)
This House is connected with our ability to communicate, gather and process information.
It also covers our immediate environment such as our siblings, extended family, neighbours, schoolmate, roommates, etc.
The Third House very often describes our early education and how we study and learn new things.
It also covers local travels, especially travel for work and education.
Fourth House: Family of Origin, Home Environment, Country of Birth
Natural Rulership: Cancer (the Moon)
This is the House of our home, our roots and origin.
It describes our family of origin and environment we grew up in. It also reveals what kind of home you would like to make for yourself.
It is connected with the real estate and vehicles we own. The Fourth House is all about what we want to cherish and protect. It is ruled by the nurturing, ever-changing Moon.
It uncovers our core emotional needs first and foremost.
Fifth House: Creativity, Joy and Children
Natural Rulership: Leo (the Sun)
The Fifth House is all about our creative self-expression.
Creativity can take many forms. It can be our hobbies, businesses we create, and our children.
This is the House of your heart and soul. It rules all the things we enjoy doing.
It also rules fame, artists, entertainment, holidays, professional sports, speculations and gambles.
Sixth House: Day-to-day Work, Service, Health and Daily Routines
Natural Rulership: Virgo (Mercury)
The Sixth House rules over things we don’t particularly enjoy doing: day-to-day work, routines, health-related matters and service to others.
It also describes our employment and people we work with.
Sixth House is closely connected to the need to help others and be useful to the world.
Analysing this house can also help understand which areas of our health are the most vulnerable and what is the best way to look after our physical bodies on a daily basis.
Seventh House: Partnerships, Business, the Public and Open Enemies
Natural Rulership: Libra (Venus)
This is the House of official partnerships, marriage, business contracts, the public and legal matters.
On a personal level, it represents our significant other (husband or wife), our life partner.
It also describes our business partners, legal disputes and contracts we enter.
Paradoxically, it also represents our open enemies and opponents.
Eight House: Shared Resources, Sex, Death and Rebirth
Natural Rulership: Scorpio (Mars / Pluto)
This is the most mysterious and challenging house of the Zodiac.
In financial terms, it rules over shared resources, loans, taxes, inheritance, the money we receive from others.
The Eight House also rules over emotional traumas, deep psychological and spiritual transformations.
The matters of death, rebirth, deep intimacy and sex are also covered by this house.
It describes psychic powers, occult studies and secret knowledge.
Ninth House: Higher Knowledge, Philosophy and Foreign Lands
Natural Rulership: Sagittarius (Jupiter)
The Ninth House is the House of higher education, outlook on life and long distance travel.
This is the House of the higher mind and adventure. It also rules over publishing.
Long distance travel, relocation, immigration, business dealings in foreign lands are all covered by this House.
It is also known as the House of good luck since its natural ruler is Jupiter.
It can reveal what your biggest blessings are in this lifetime.
Tenth House: Public Image, Career and Social Status
Natural Rulership: Capricorn (Saturn)
This is the House of social status, your public image, career achievements and success.
It is right opposite the Fourth House of home and family.
The Tenth House rules over all matters outside of your home. This house is naturally ruled by stoic Capricorn, solely focused on climbing that mountain.
This is the highest point in your Horoscope, the most visible House.
It reflects your public image, your social status and honours that you have potential to achieve in this lifetime.
It is an outward expression of your gifts, talents, and abilities. It shows how you deal with responsibilities in life.
This House has a significant influence on your tangible success in life.
Eleventh House: Social Connections, Friends, Hopes, Wishes and Massive Gains
Natural Rulership: Aquarius (Uranus/ Saturn)
This House is all about the groups of people you surround yourself with.
It describes your ability to network and form social connections, both online and offline.
The clubs, societies, or political associations you belong are all covered by this House.
It is considered to be a very lucky House by many Astrologers out there. If well aspected, it promises a sudden windfall of a massive fortune, most likely gained through your social circle.
Twelfth House: Subconscious, Hidden Enemies, Isolation, Sorrows and Self-Undoing
Natural Rulership: Pisces (Neptune/ Neptune)
This is the most hidden part of your Horoscope. This is the final House, the end of the circle.
It defines your potential limitations and struggles in life.
This House governs subconscious, intuition, psychic realms, isolation, disappointments, escapism, asylum, hospitals, prison and immigration to faraway lands that can feel like isolation.
The Twelfth House is known as the house of Karma and spiritual debt.
It is very useful to analyse this house thoroughly, especially if you struggle with unhealthy escapism tendencies and addictions.
You can gain a lot of wisdom and find surprising solutions to your problems that don’t meet the naked eye.
It is all about your subconscious patterns of behaviour and past life influences that can’t be understood and explained with mere logic.
Use this free Birth Chart calculator to create your Natal Chart in case you haven’t had a chance to get it yet.
N.B.: Remember that it’s ideal to have your EXACT time of birth on hand. Use 12 p.m. noon if you have no way to get this information. The best option, of course, is to get a personal reading with a professional astrologer who can provide birth-time rectification. Birth time and birthplace are crucial pieces of information for your Natal Chart, as they determine the unique position of the houses and planets that can help you understand transits and their impact on your personal journey.
One Comment
Pingback: