The Solar Return

The Twelve Houses

The twelve houses of the birth chart each represent a different area of life. The planets that fall within each house colour and activate that area of experience.

First House

Self, Identity, Appearance

The First house starts with the point that is known as the Ascendant. This is the Eastern Horizon of the chart. If you are looking at a circular astrology chart it is the middle point of the arc on the left hand side. At the time of a persons birth there will be a certain set of stars on this Eastern Horizon , this is therefore also commonly referred to as the Rising Sign. Our web site is called RisingPisces as this was the sign on the Eastern Horizon when this author was born. Of course sometimes the stars are not visible but nevertheless each of us has our set of stars somewhere out there to the East just at the time we were born. Astrology says that as the child looks towards these stars or sign so literally this is his or her way of looking at the world. It is his perception or filter on the world out there that colours everything he sees. It is his way of relating to his environment and the way he gets feedback from that environment. As you can imagine this is a fundamental and essential part of a human being and indeed a major part of the astrological picture of a person. Some would say the Rising Sign is the most major day to day attribute we exhibit in the world although of course the Sun and the Moon and the other planets are also of fundamental importance. If a person would have a Scorpio ascendant or Rising Sign they may see a world that is filled potentially with danger. They may be fairly slow to show their feelings however their intensity and sexuality would be quite evident for all to see. Someone with a Sagittarian Ascendant on the other hand may see the world as a big adventure with lots to be done and challenges to be overcome. They would come across generally as positive and bright people. The Ascendant is very much the seed and essence of the First House. Who am I and how do I relate to the world out there. The First House is a Fire House. Fire is concerned with inspiration and emergence of a new desire or idea. It is naturally ruled by the sign of Aries and has many of the same characteristics. It is the child of the zodiac opening his eyes to a big world out there. It is the start of the journey. The first house is very much me me me. It's about a person establishing their own nature and their needs. A child when he is first born has to have his needs met and there is no time for thought of another. Literally a child grasps his hands together in an effort to grab what is out there. A person cannot go out into the world and achieve things until fundamentally he has his own needs met and his own self established. Later on we will see the opposite position, the Descendant, which starts the Seventh House and which is about one person relating to another. A Person with many planets in the First house tends to come across quite up front , what you see is generally what you get. Their focus in life will tend to be around establishing their identity in the world. The Ascendant and the First House are also about new beginnings so the person will focus much of their energy on new projects and new adventures and will have a strong initiating quality about them. Planets close to the Ascendant and in the First House strongly colour a persons character. With Venus in the First House, a persons love or desire will be for discovering who they are and they may be quite self absorbed. There may also be a lot of charm and beauty and grace about the person. With Mars in the First House the person will come across fairly forcefully, they will be blessed with a lot of energy to go out and achieve new things.

Second House

Money, Possessions, Values

The Second House is a stage onwards from the emergence of an idea or a person that is shown by the First house. Here the keyword is Maintenance of that which emerged in the First House. As our child of the First House begins to realise there is a big world out there and certain things give him pleasure he will try and hold on to them at all costs. Just try and take away a kids toy and you'll see the strength of this desire. This House is therefore concerned with the areas of physical security and personal consolidation. What is it that is mine and what do I value ? This is shown by this house being an Earth House and concerned with Earthly matters. This is a house that is naturally ruled by and parallels the sign of Taurus, the second sign. Taureans are interested in physical comforts and objects that give them safety and security. Of course the greatest one of these we all know and most people chase after is money. It gives a person security and a freedom to pursue their desires. being an Earth House it is very much connected with the physical world and not abstract ideas or concepts. The physical world is full of beauty and sensual pleasures and they are there to be chased after. At another level this chasing after possesions and money is really a desire to be comfortable and to be satisfied and to feel good. The Second House therefore shows us what gives us a greater sense of self worth and what it is we value. Planets in the Second House show us what it is that gives us pleasure and comfort. On a physical level it can show us how we can earn our money in this world. A person with many planets in the second house may be quite focused on their physical comforts and possessions and in this way they may end up being quite materially successfull. Issues in their life will be focused intensely on their self worth. With Jupiter in the Second House a person is likely to acquire wealth often through good fortune and an optimiistic and positive nature and faith in the world. With this position there is a hint of over indulgence and love of the sensual pleasures of the world. With the Moon in the Second House a persons self esteem may be quite cyclical and change from day to day depending on their moods.

Third House

Communication, Learning, Siblings

The Third House is when a child begins to communicate and question the ideas and concepts and workings of the world. At around three years old a child seems to ask the question 'Why ?' to their parents to just about everything they see and experience. They are taking in the knowledge of the world around them which they will need when they are older. The Third House in an Air House and the element of Air is to do with ideas. This House is naturally ruled by and parallels the sign of Gemini. This is a sign that is concerned with knowledge and the transfer of ideas. To a Gemini everythying is endlessly fascinating. Why do people do that ? What does this mean ? How does this work ? These are all ideas and questions that relate to the Third House and Gemini. Around this time the child begins Nursery and starts to formally begin to learn, up until now he was just free to emerge and form his identity. The Third House is therefore also about the early schooling process and the acquisition of knowledge. The Third House is about all forms of local communication. As we will see it's opposite House the Ninth is more concerned with long distance travel and global understanding of concepts and ideas. The Third House is however more concerned with it's immediate environment. Brothers and Sisters, relatives and neighbours and short journeys , schooling and daily life all come under the jurisdiction of the Third House. Planets in the Third House show us how we communicate with our immediate environment. They show us what our attitude and abilities towards acquiring knowledge are. With Mercury in the Third House the person will be a great communicator and will probably never stop talking and asking questions and reading books and hankering after more and more knowledge. With Saturn in the Third House a persons early schooling may be slow and they may find communication difficult. They may even have a stutter or a lisp or only talk later than all the other children. Ultimately though they may be an authority in communicating ideas but only after much effort and overcoming of hardship and difficulties.

Fourth House

Home, Family, Roots

The Fourth House generally begins at the lowest point in the chart. If we could look below it, we would be looking off the chart somewhere into the past. This is to do with our roots and origins. What family did we come from, who were our grandparents and ancestors. What have been the issues in our family over the years, what is the family history we are inheriting ? The Fourth House is more immediately about our current family, about our Mother and Father about the environment we grew up. Specifically it relates to our Mother. For the child we have been following through the houses, it is how he sees his family around him, what sort of warmth there is in the home, where he lives and whether he feels safe and nurtured there. The Fourth House is naturally ruled by and parallels the sign of Cancer. It is a watery house and is concerned with the realm of feelings and emotion. Does the child have a tangible feeling off warmth or coldness in this house ? Is a person secure and safe and cared for or do they feel cold and abandoned or neglected ? This is also an indication of how we wish our home to ultimately be for us when we form our own families. The opposite House to the Fourth is the Tenth. This is to do with being out in the world and showing our public face, quite the opposite of the insular Fourth House. Planets in the Fourth House show us how we relate to our family and home and origins. With many planets in the Fourth House much of a persons focus will be taken up with home and family. They may need to isolate themselves away from the Public world to gain strength and remember their roots. They may also have many issues that need resolving in the sphere of the family. With Jupiter in the Fourth House a person may have or be part of a big family. There is a hint of joy and life about this placement. There is likely to be a lot of emotion and expression and life in this family. With Saturn in the Fourth however the person's family background is likely to have been cold and austere and lacking in love. A person may have been an only child or have had to take on a great deal or responsibility at an early age, possibly acting as a father or mother figure.

Fifth House

Creativity, Romance, Play

The Fifth House is the area of life concerned with self expression and creativity. Having passed through the first Four Houses our child is now a youth and is ready to express himself and his unique talents in the world. No longer is he taking in energy from the outside world and establishing a place in the world, now he knows he has talents and something to give to the world out there. He has something to say and views to express. He is special and unique and the world is about to find out just how so ! It is the spontaneous outpouring of his or her creativity and inspirational energy. It is the place we truly feel alive and energised. Where does this energy go to ? Well for a young person inevitably their thoughts turn to the opposite sex. This is the place of the romantic love affair. The place where a person expresses their ideas and dreams and talents to another person. This is also a House associated with Children since their playfullness, joy and spontaneity are all reflections of this same outpouring of creative energy. This House will show how we relate to children since they are a reflection of the child inside each of us. The Fifth House is naturally ruled by and parallels the sign of Leo. It is a Fire House and as such is full with inspirational energy. Leos understand the world in relation to how they shine in it. This is the House where we can shine and show our talents and charm and grace and generosity. While the Fifth House is very much about my abilities and talents it's opposite, the Eleventh House, is much more concerned with how the individual uses his uniques talents for society or within a group. With many planets in the Fifth House a persons focus will be on their ability to shine and show their talents, to be spontaneous, creative and dynamic. They are likely to possess a certain charm and style. With the Sun in the Fifth House a person will radiate spontaneity and creativity , they may be quite self absorbed. They will look at ach event as to how it is related to their ability to shine and show their talents. With Saturn in the Fifth House a person's abilities to express themself will be severely restricted. Only through lots of hard work and experience will they begin to gradually be outgoing and creative. Possibly as they reach middle age, only then, will they begin to realise what charm and talents they possess. With Venus in the Fifth House, a person will have a charming nature and will be drawn to romantic love affairs.

Sixth House

Work, Health, Daily Routines

The Sixth House is the area of life concerned with service to the community. As the Fifth House demonstrated a person's full range of talents and abilities, so now these are put to work to the good of society or to earn one's way in the world. In our child analogy, the child is now a young man who having honed his talents is ready to go out into the world and make a living. The Sixth House is an Earth House and parallels the sign of Virgo. This is a sign about refining the Earth and it's processes. In ancient times there were the stories of alchemists who wished to turn lead into gold. In real terms this is a day to day process in which we attempt to turn difficult and wasteful processes into streamlined and effective routines. For most people this is in the realm of their day to day work, although it can be really any area in which we are being of some kind of service. The Sixth House is also about the realm of Health and Healing. This parallels the refining and improving nature of this house but in the realm of the body and the mind. Here there is a focus and interest in making the body and mind as healthy and efficient as possible. Unfortunately with this also comes the other side and that is the worrying and negative side of this House. It is the person who looks at every label and analyses every additive until nothing is safe or healthy to eat. The Sixth House being a Virgo House is also concerned with the details of life, not necesarilly the big picture as it's opposite house the Twelth is. In the Sixth House, details of life that are not perfect loom large, as they are in need of refinement and perfection. Unfortunately with this there can be a focus on the problems and not on the positive side. A person with many planets in the Sixth House will focus on refining the day to day tasks they encounter in the world. They will notice the faults and wastefullness in the world and will wish to correct them. This may make them appear criticising to others. They will be talented and interested in the areas of Health and Healing and are likely to have a very strong Mind/Body connection. On the negative side they may suffer ill health if they are not careful about how they treat their bodies. They may also focus strongly on the negative and what needs to be improved rather than the positive and what is already running well. Also they may tend to focus on the small details and miss the big picture. With Venus in the Sixth House a person will be attracted to and talented in the areas of perfecting routines and day to day tasks. They may be obsessive about going to the gym or taking vitamins. They will be quite a perfectionist in what they like. Their service may take the form of being a Health Practitioner or a Fashion designer that finds their perfection in the clothes they make.

Seventh House

Partnerships, Marriage, Open Enemies

The Beginning of the Seventh House is the point known as the Descendant. This is the Western Horizon of the chart. If you are looking at a circular astrology chart it is the middle point of the arc on the right hand side. This is the point opposite the Ascendant (See the First House). As the Ascendant was our starting point and the emergence of a person or concept, so the Descndant is the opposite, it is the person meeting another or a concept reaching expression in the world. It is the point in the chart where the individual and the outside world meet each other. The Seventh House is an extension of the seed of the Descendant. It is about relating to the outside world and the other person. It is quite the opposite of the First House which dealt with me and my emergence and needs. In our analogy it is the time our child has grown up and is ready to meet and settle down with another person. This is the House of Partnerships, it shows the area of life where we relate with another person. Besides the comfort and pleasure, what is a relationship for, but to make us grow as individuals and to change hopefully to kinder and better people. The area of the Seventh House allows us to see ourselves through another and in this way refine our character. The other person acts as a mirror for our attributes and faults and only through them can we change. Without them, our mirror, we cannot see anymore, either our beauty or our failings. This is why love is so powerful because we see ourselves in a completely different light as reflected back to us by the other person. As time progresses this reflection may not always highlight our beauty but nevertheless it will give us a feedback, through which over the years we will hopefully improve as an individual. This is the area of the Seventh House, learning through relationship. Infact people with planets in the Seventh House often project them on to their partner. Since this is the point where you and the other meet it is very easy to confuse your nature with that of the other person. Isn't it odd how people often attract exactly the same type of partner one time after another ? There is a lesson here that keeps getting repeated until the individual owns their nature and it is no longer necessary for that energy to come to them from the outside world. This is an Air House and as such deals with concepts about relationships. What is right and fair, how should an individual be treated and what is Justice between people. The Seventh House is naturally ruled by and parallels the sign of Libra. The sign of Libra is the sign of the scales which shows us the idea of balance, fairness and the idea of two elements being in harmony. A Person with many planets in the seventh house will focus their energies on relating to others and ideals of what is right and wrong and what is justice for the individual. They will come alive through relationship to another and not so much through being left to their own devices. Indeed they may be so heavily focused on the other person that they may lose themselves in the process. They may be very indicisive, as this House deals with the understanding of what is right and wrong, and this is often a great challenge as both sides of a case may seem equally valid. With Mars in the Seventh House, a persons strength and energy will come out in the area of relationships. They may also be quite confrontational with the other person, alternatively they may disown their energy and project it on to another person and keep inviting in aggressive or abusive partners into their lives. With Saturn in the Seventh House there will be much work to do in relating to others. The person may only get married later in life after a lot of hard lessons in relationships.

Eighth House

Transformation, Shared Resources, Death

The Eighth House is where a person is purified and cleansed through an intense meeting with another. It is the area of sexuality and of death. This can be a metaphorical death of the personal self and often this occurs by the deep merging of two people where the self is lost. There is nothing shallow about this house. Everything is felt with an intensity and depth and this is both the good and bad sides of human nature. There can often be a deep crisis that causes a person to be purged of their negativity. This crisis could show itself in the form of jealousy or rage or hate or possesiveness. Whatever can be said about this House the areas it highlights are never superficial. The life processes are felt intensely here, things such as the birth of a child , or the death of a friend, or the passion involved in wanting to be close to another. This is the area where a person will give everything in order to possess their desires. The child in our analogy now has to grow up and experience the intensity and depth of the basic life processes, birth, sex and death. This house often can be a very secretive place since the sensitivity and pain that surround it are so strong. For this reason it's not always easy to see the areas that it controls since they are often hidden deep inside a person. It could be the place where a person locks himself away or has deep emotional crisis. Often what is going on is therefore not apparent to the casual observer. Being the opposite House to the Second House which is very much about my Possessions and Values the Eighth House is to do with other peoples Values and Possesions. This is why this house is very much about purification of the individual through meeting the other and their values at an intense level. This may be by desiring their possesions or what they have or desiring them and who they are or by setting your values against theirs. It is also the area of taxes. This is money that is effectively someone elses of which you have only temporary possesion. This is a Water House and this is reflected in it being the area of deep emotional purification. It is a Fixed Water House and their is nothing transient or superficial about the desires that are expressed here. This House naturally is ruled by and corresponds to the sign of Scorpio. These people are known for their intensity and battling nature but there is also a depth and a raw honesty about this sign. A Person with many planets in the Eighth House may well be a very private person. There will be a lot more to them under the surface than first appears. There will an intensity and depth about them and a sexual magnetism. Much of their life focus will be in battling their internal demons often through deep relationsihips. Ultimately hopefully they will purify themselves in the process. With Mars in the Eighth House a person will be highly sexual, intense and magnetic. They may see crisis and trouble around them and people plotting against them. With Venus in the Eighth a person will desire to deeply lose themselves in another. They may have a talent for dealing with other peoples money such as being an Investment Banker. With Neptune in the Eighth House a person will achieve a mystical experience by merging with another in sexual union.

Ninth House

Philosophy, Travel, Higher Learning

The Ninth House is the place where we search for a global meaning to our lives. It where we expand our personal limited ideas into a global vision. It is the place where we find our own God. For some people this may be finding oneness and beauty and challenge and adventure by climbing a beautiful mountain. For others it may be to visit foreign cultures and to see their way of living. For others it may be a formal religion which explains all aspects of creation. Whatever, this is a place where we expand our limited vision into a global one. The opposite house the Third was about accumulating knowledge in our local environment, however here in the Ninth House this knowledge comes together into a grander vision of the World. There is something intensely positive and idealistic about this house because it is the area of Meaning and Purpose. It is life affirming and points to some higher order at work, even if this higher order is just to see a beautiful sunset and wonder about the harmony that lies behind it all. The Ninth House is a Fire House. It is the last and most mature of the Fire Houses. Here the inspirational energy of the First House still exists but in a refined manner. Conclusions are now being drawn about what all this inspiration and meaning points too. In our analogy our child, now an adult, has been through ups and downs in his life but now he asks what does it all mean. Is there a common strand that ties it all together or is there something that he has found that gives him meaning and purpose and inspires him with his life. The Ninth House is naturally ruled by and corresponds to the sign of Sagittarius. These fierey , optimistic freedom loving people are always looking over the horizon for a meaning or a challenge to keep them inspired. In such a way people with planets in the Ninth House cannot be boxed in or constrained to the mundane, they need to search for the bigger picture. People with a lot of planets in the Ninth House will focus their life on a search for meaning and adventure. They may well be attracted to religions or even cults. They may also excel in danger sports and challenges of all kinds. They may spend much of their life travelling, living abroad or seeing foreign cultures. They will be good teachers and inspirational leaders. With Neptune in the Ninth House a person will look for spiritual enlightenment by seeing the different cultures of the world of through a formal religion. With Mercury in the the Ninth House a person could be a great travel writer or inspirational storyteller. With the Moon in the Ninth House a person will be nurtured and nourished by having a higher meaning in their life.

Tenth House

Career, Public Image, Authority

The Tenth House is a very public house. As it's opposite the Fourth House was at the bottom of the chart and very much about roots and origins, the Tenth House is at the top of the chart and about being out in the public eye and shining in the process. If you were to look at the planets when a child was born, the Tenth House planets would be high overhead showing themselves in their full glory. In a similar way this is where a person needs to get out and show himself and his talents. In our analogy this is our child who now an adult has to go out and leave his mark in the world. Will he be a respected scholar or teacher or businessman or philanthropist ? What mark will he leave on the world ? The Tenth House is very much the area of Career. It is our public face. It is not the private face of the fourth house but it is the face our business colleagues will see every day. It is a house of public recognition. Being naturally ruled by the sign of Capricorn and having many of the same characteristics, this is a place of tradition and hierarchy. Recognition in this house often comes with hard work and dedication and adherence to rules and structure and tradition. It is also the last of the Earth Houses. This is a place where a person manifests something with their talents and all they have learnt up to now. This could be said to be the xenith of a person, the very height of their expression. The Fourth House is traditionally associated with the Mother and the Tenth House the Father. This is the traditional dominant figure and breadwinner of the house we look up too, much like the midday sun high overhead. However nowadays it can be the other way around with the Mother represented by the Tenth House. A Person with many planets in the Tenth House will have much of the focus of their lives out in the public eye. They may well have very prominant careers. They are likely to be successful business people and will be pillars of society in the traditional sense. They may be attracted to social status and may be overly bound to their reputations and public image. With Saturn in the Tenth House a person is likely to be a very successful businessman but probably only after much hard work and possibly a few failures. With Jupiter in the Tenth House a person could be an inspirational schoolteacher, much like the character Mr Keating played by Robin Williams in the movie 'Dead Poets Society'. With Venus in the Tenth House a person may be attracted to social status and will favour traditional or older people.

Eleventh House

Friends, Groups, Hopes and Wishes

The Eleventh House is about our friends and groups and the causes we are associated with. This is where we as an individual dedicate our talents to a greater cause. Where the Fifth House was about us as an individual and our ability to shine, the Eleventh House is where we put these talents to use in a larger arena. This can be any kind of cause. It could be to do with going into politics and championing causes or it could be being a member of our local housing committee or going to the Bridge Club. In whatever case it's not something we do alone. This is the last of the Air Houses and is ruled by and parallels the sign of Aquarius. This is an idealistic sign that wishes to share new ideas and concepts with others to move forward society. It has the theme of the brotherhood of man and the championing of the basic rights of the individual such as liberty and equality and freedom. Being an Aquarian House it is also associated with groundbreaking ideas entering society. In accordance with this, this House can be associated with Computers and Technology and leading edge thought. More and more so it is becoming obvious that as a society we have a group consciousness. What is experienced by some pioneering members of society can then gradually be accepted by others. The Four Minute Mile was deemed impossible until Roger Bannister broke it. In the next year a number of people understood it could be done and thus broke it also. In this way the Eleventh House shows us our contribution to the greater whole which is indeed at a deeper level a part of us also. This is what mystics have been saying for years, that we are all connected. In our child analogy, here is where as a mature adult we learn to give back our contributions to the greater society around us. This House says a lot about our friends and how we relate to others. It shows how we are part of something bigger than just ourselves and how we dedicate ourselves to a higher cause. A person with many planets in the Eleventh House will focus their energies on group causes or pursuits. They may be involved in changing society in some way or just may enjoy being part of a group mentality. In it's most negative sense this could be the person who is obsessed with a cause or their role in it and may forget about the individuals the cause effects. We saw this very much so with some forms of communism and other ideologies, which often prefered to sacrifice the individual for the ideal, which was considered a far greater cause. With Venus in the Eleventh House a person will be attracted to and talented in following causes and ideologies. They will enjoy being around groups of like minded friends. They may espouse high ideals and love to talk about political solutions to the worlds problems. With Saturn in the Eleventh House a person will be slow to meet and accept friends but gradually they may become a real leader and presence in any kind of group.

Twelfth House

The Hidden, Spirituality, Solitude

This is the last of the Houses and the end of our journey. Our Child has experienced the whole journey of life and is now ready to dissolve back into the group, bringing home all he has learned and experienced. If it is an idea, this will now have served it's purpose and as it's energy disippates it will gradually fade and be absorbed into the collective thinking, ready for a new concept to begin. The area of life this House represents is that of the ending of the journey. The strength of that which emerged in the First House is now ebbing as it carries it's experience back into the collective. On a personal level the individual is no longer separate from that which is around him. Much as when the night comes on, the edges of objects become blurred until they can not be made out as separate anymore. For a person it can mean working in isolation , living on their own and withdrawing from the physical world as they merge with some higher truth. It can be the mountain top where the monk withdraws in contemplation. Since there are no boundaries and distinctions between the people in this house, this can also be the place of caring and compassion where the sick and the outcasts and the weak in life are cared for and taken in as one of our own. This could be in the form of a home or hospital or an insane asylum. The insanity can also be caused by the person not being fully grounded in this world but having a foot in some other distant world. The Twelth House is the last of the Water Houses. It is naturally ruled by the sign of Pisces. This sign connects all people together via it's emotional nature. What is it to be connected to someone else but to feel what they are feeling. This is the gift of this sign and this house. Here you are connected with a group feeling and indeed beyond to higher worlds of inspiration. With all endings there are beginnings, so this House also hints at the beginning of a new cycle that will begin to emerge as a seed based on the energy of this ending cycle. For a person this will be the new generation ready to go forward and live their life with the memory of their parents and all they have been taught and inherited. A Person with many planets in the Twelth house will tend to spend much of their life hidden away or at the very least they will regularly need their space to recharge. They will be highly in tune with the group consciousness and be sensitive to receiving inspiration from a higher source. They may end up working in hospitals and caring for other people. In a negative light they may have trouble adapting to day to day realities and may continually want to be on their own.