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The
Astrological Houses: One Through Six
Kathryn
Silverton
An astrological chart has four basic components to it, all of which
can be best understood if you first think about the chart as being analogous
to a dramatic play. If you examine a play, it also has four main components:
the actors, the role the actor takes on for this play, the plot and
the setting. In a chart the planets represent the actors on the stage.
The sign in which a planet sits tells us the personality that the actor
takes on for this play. The plot is played out by the aspects, or angular
relationships of each planet to one another. Finally, the houses represent
the setting, telling us where the action takes place in our lives.
The first six houses of the chart have to do with our personal lives
– the second have to do with how our lives intermingle with the
outside world.
The sign on the cusp of the 1st House is often called the Ascendant
or the Rising sign, since this is the sign sitting on the eastern horizon
at the moment of our birth. It represents how others see us, and therefore
has a lot to do with our physical makeup. If you're one of those
people who likes to guess the signs of others, you could possibly be
reading or picking up on the ascendant, since that is what is shown
to the outside world.
Planets in the 1st House as well as the ascendant itself tell us how
a person intuitively views their world, and their intuitive response
to a given situation. Planets very close to the ascendant, within a
few degrees, play a very large role in how our lives are molded during
our early years. And planets in the 1st House give us the opportunity
to be more self-expressive. For example, I have a dear friend who has
Mars, the planet of action, sitting very close to the ascendant. Therefore
she’s not the kind of person you can miss when she walks in the
room, as she’s likely to run the show from start to finish. She's
not immune to giving orders and has a strong sense of self and independence.
The 2nd House represents our assets, such as our finances. This tells
us how we earn our money and how we invest it. But, above and beyond
the purely economic, this house tells us what inner resources we possess
that are of value to the outside world. This may include what we have
learned along the way and therefore what inner assets have been honed
and fine-tuned. What makes us valuable is not necessarily what we possess
or how much money we have in the bank. Our inner assets are often what
others value about us.
The 3rd House represents our relationship to our immediate environment
– whoever or whatever is in close proximity to us. Therefore it
represents our neighbors and our siblings. It also influences our writing
and speaking skills, as well as short distance travels. The latter can
be defined as trips of a couple of days’ duration, such as a side
trip to a neighboring state or region. This is essentially the House
of the Town Crier, telling us how we get our message across to the outside
world.
The 4th House represents our roots and heritage, our home life, real
estate and property. It therefore represents much of what we inherit
from our parents. In a female's chart it represents the father and
in a male's chart, the mother. This is also called the midnight
side of life and therefore tells us how we will spend our time during
the latter years of our lives prior to our deaths. Similarly it also
represents the midnight portion of the day, suggesting how we spend
those night owl hours. Because it primarily influences the home, it
tells us what kind of home environment we prefer. Planets in this house
can sometimes suggest making a career out of real estate or things associated
with property.
The 5th House tells us what we create out of our home environment. So
it represents our children, who of course come from us. It also represents
the creative and entertainment sides of life, therefore influencing
such things as the stage, the theatre, and our urge to perform and to
be in the spotlight. Romance also falls under the influence of this
house, as it represents another facet of how we entertain ourselves
and how we become creative with those closest to us.
The 6th House has to do with work, service and our relationship to our
coworkers. This house represents the labor side of work, such as the
type of working environment best suited for us to be productive. Health
matters also fall under this house. The sign on the cusp as well as
planets within tell us what parts of the body are prone to problems
and how to best deal with health issues. Numerous planets in this house
can indicate a proclivity to be a workaholic.
Editor's Note: Watch for the second part of this article, detailing
houses 7 through 12, in a future issue of Aquarius.
Kathryn
L. Silverton is an Atlanta area astrologer. She may be contacted for
consultations at 770.931.2577 or kls@planetaryperceptions.co
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