Astrology Houses: What Is the Meaning of Zodiac Sections in 2025?

The planets in astrology are named after personified versions of the gods, like Mars and Venus. But what’s the deal with astrology houses?

Some say that, when a planet visits a specific house, the future can be predicted depending on the sign involved. So, let’s look at what each of the houses mean, how they’re used, and the possible wisdom they may hold.

What Are the Houses in Astrology?

In Western astrology, the basic astrological chart is in the shape of a circle. This circle is then divided into 12 sections called houses, with each one taking up 30 degrees of the 360 total degrees in the circle.

The best astrology sites usually explain that each house in your birth chart symbolizes a specific area of your life. As the planets and signs pass through them, each area they traverse theoretically gets activated in real-time.

What Do the Houses Represent in an Astrological Chart?

Astrologers group the 12 houses of astrology into 2 main sections: those in the bottom half of the circular chart and those in the top half.

Houses 1-6: The Personal Houses

The first 6 houses in the bottom half of the chart are called the personal houses because they represent the elements of your personal character. According to the acclaimed astrologer and author Alan Oken, these 6 houses (in order from 1-6) could be titled: “I am,” “I have,” “I think,” “I feel,” “I create,” and “I serve” [1].

Houses 7-12: The Interpersonal Houses

The next 6 houses (numbered 7-12) are in the upper half of the chart and are known as the interpersonal houses. These houses represent how you change and adjust when dealing with others. In order, these houses govern relationships, sex and shared resources, travel, career, groups and friends, plus hidden things.

How Do the Planets and Signs Move in Relation to the Houses?

The planets are tracked as going around the chart counterclockwise, while the signs move clockwise. The houses are time-sensitive and subsequently calculated based on a point called the ascendant, which is the sign that was coming up over the horizon at the time you were born.

That means when an astrologer calculates your birth chart, the planets, signs, and houses whirl around in different directions. It’s like a huge wheel of fortune that will eventually reveal the master plan for your soul at the moment you enter this life.

What Do the Houses Mean in Astrology?

Discover the astrology houses meaning, along with the signs and planets that rule them, to better understand your birth chart and daily horoscopes.

The First House

• Ruling Sign: Aries, the ram
• Ruling Planet: Mars
• Meaning: The first house represents the identity and temperament you project to the world, as well as your physical characteristics and health.

The Second House

• Ruling Sign: Taurus, the bull
• Ruling Planet: Venus
• Meaning: The second house represents your possessions and your ability to increase them. On a deeper level, this house also describes your sense of self-worth.

The Third House

• Ruling Sign: Gemini
• Ruling Planet: Mercury
• Meaning: This house shows your mental abilities, your style of communication, and your relationships with siblings. It is also the house of writing and communication, along with short trips and intellectual pursuits.

The Fourth House

• Ruling Sign: Cancer
• Ruling Planet: The Moon
• Meaning: This house stands for your symbolic foundations, such as your home, family, parents (specifically your mother), and childhood. It is also said to describe the conditions at the end of your life.

The Fifth House

• Ruling Sign: Leo
• Ruling Planet: The Sun
• Meaning: This is the house of creativity and describes your fun-loving side and your amorous affairs. What’s more, this is also the house of children.

The Sixth House

• Ruling Sign: Virgo
• Ruling Planet: Mercury
• Meaning: The sixth house describes how you function on a daily basis. It shows your job, work environment, and how you take care of your health. This is also the house of pets.

The Seventh House

• Ruling Sign: Libra
• Ruling Planet: Venus
• Meaning: The seventh house governs all of your one-to-one partnerships, particularly marriage but also your friendships, business partners, and open enemies.

The Eighth House

• Ruling Sign: Scorpio
• Ruling Planets: Mars and Pluto
• Meaning: This is the house of death and resurrection, agony and ecstasy, sex, shared resources, other people’s money, and inheritances.

The Ninth House

• Ruling Sign: Sagittarius
• Ruling Planet: Jupiter
• Meaning: The ninth house governs higher issues such as philosophy, religion, spirituality, teachers and mentors, long journeys, higher education, and publishing.

The Tenth House

• Ruling Sign: Capricorn
• Ruling Planet: Saturn
• Meaning: As the highest point in the chart, this house presides over your career, reputation, and social status. This house can also describe the character and influence of your father.

The Eleventh House

• Ruling Sign: Aquarius
• Ruling Planets: Saturn and Uranus
• Meaning: This house rules the groups, teams, friendship circles, and organizations that you’re part of, as well as your fondest hopes and dreams.

The Twelfth House

• Ruling Sign: Pisces
• Ruling Planet: Neptune
• Meaning: This is the house of your secret self, the part of you which exists when you are all alone. It is also the house of restrictions, confinement, and secrecy, while it also governs higher spiritual union and mystical attainment.

Expert Insights

According to the legendary occultist Aleister Crowley, there should be sympathy between the meaning of the sign and that of the corresponding house for the potentially best influence of the planets to come to pass [2].

For example, in the case of Libra men and women, a placement of Libra in the seventh house of marriage and partnership may be advantageous because Libra rules that house. Additionally, the positioning of Scorpio there might lead to great sex, but power issues and secrecy could also be in the mix.

The renowned astrologer Robert Pelletier likens the power of the astrological houses to the force of evolution. According to him, the houses show you the adjustments or modifications in your personal desires and behavior you must make to function within the master plan [3].

To learn what the spiritual community thinks about astrology houses, you can join discussions on online forums like r/psychics. Such Reddit threads also give you the chance to explore other related topics like World War 3 predictions astrology enthusiasts are interested in.

FAQs on Astrology Houses

If you have more questions about the astrology houses’ meaning, read our answers to popular questions below!

What Do the 12 Houses of Astrology Represent?

In terms of your birth chart as a whole, the 12 houses of astrology represent the areas in your life where the combined energy of the planets and the signs may either assist or challenge you.

How Do I Figure Out My Houses in Astrology?

To generate an astrological birth chart that will show all your planetary, sign, and house placements, you can use a free astrology houses calculator featured on certain astrology-centric sites.  Take note that you need to know the exact day, month, year, location, and time of your birth to determine the exact positions of the houses in your chart.

What Are My 3 Big Signs?

The 3 big signs in an astrological birth chart that can tell a lot about you when you read horoscope predictions are your sun, moon, and rising signs.

What Is the Most Powerful House in the Birth Chart?

There is no single most powerful house in the birth chart. However, the 4 angular houses, which are the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth, are thought to be more influential than the other houses. The first governs your essential self, the fourth your symbolic roots and home, the seventh your marriage and partnerships, and the tenth your career and life accomplishments.

What Does It Mean if a House in Your Birth Chart Is Empty?

When a house in your birth chart is empty, it means you have no life mandate for it. For example, Saturn in the tenth house in your birth chart will likely make career accomplishments crucial to you. Having no planet in that house means that whenever a planet does pass through it during your life, it will exert an influence depending on how it aspects your other birth planets.

Astrology Houses: Final Word

The importance of the houses in astrology is that they reveal the specific area of your life where a beneficial or challenging planetary aspect is likely to occur.

It’s one thing to know a terrific transit like Mars trine Venus will be happening on a certain day, yet knowing which houses it will occur in can let you know where this powerful energy will help you in life so that you can capitalize on it.

Knowledge is power, and that applies to your enlightenment on astrology houses.