HOUSE II
The 2nd House is the House of money, finance and material goods, specifically those which we possess and earn for ourselves; so it can denote income, the desire for physical possessions, our relationship to money and our beliefs around it. Symbolically it is also a House denoting worth, in the sense of what we place value on and hence what we might wish to spend our hard-earned cash on.

HOUSE III
The 3rd House covers people and territories which are close to us, the local vicinity, our immediate environment, our siblings, neighbors and short journeys. It also denotes our experiences of school and primary education, as well as the development of language and communication skills.

HOUSE IV
The 4th House is our home territory; it can describe different aspects of home life, from the purely physical to the emotional and psychological, and the dynamics of home and family life. Traditionally, it is the house denoting father, while the opposite 10th House is associated with the mother. The 4th is our place of retreat and sanctuary, our private space and how we need this to be in order to feel safe and secure. The ancestors inhabit this house, so it can describe immediate family, but also the genealogical line stretching back through the generations.

HOUSE V
The 5th House denotes play, leisure and recreation; it describes hobbies and sports, all the things we do in order to ‘recreate’ ourselves away from work and the pressures of everyday life. Whatever planet is here, it is our medium for play and enjoyment. Here we can see activities we do because they make us feel creative and alive. Following the creativity theme, it is also a house of pregnancy, childbirth and children.

HOUSE VI
The 6th is a House of everyday duties and routines, the work we do to pay the bills, the rituals of everyday life, and our approach to housekeeping and husbandry. Here we are keen to hone a craft or learn a technique, or put our skills to good use, according to the nature of the Planets which occupy it. With Mars here we may be keen to learn how an engine works, with Mercury we may be interested in the pragmatic uses of language and learning. It is also a House of health and wellbeing, and denotes practical service.

HOUSE VII
The 7th House shows how we relate to others. Opposite the 1st, it is the House of the ‘other’. Traditionally it shows relationships, also the opponents we may have, and litigation in the lower courts, which perhaps says something about traditional astrology’s view of the marriage partner, who also belongs here! In psychological terms, Planets in the 7th can form shadow traits and behaviors which we are attracted to and attract in other people, as a way of learning about them in ourselves.

HOUSE VIII
The 8th House takes us into deeper emotional territory. It is a house of ‘other people’s money’, including mortgages, investments and inheritances. Opposite the 2nd, it denotes shared finances and shared possessions, also shared values, for which shared possessions are surely a metaphor. Here we engage deeply with another person, letting down our guard, or not, depending on which Planet/s are here. Our experience in this House is often of an underworld journey, where we experience death and regeneration. We might remind ourselves that the word ‘mortgage’ is a French legal term meaning ‘death contract’!

HOUSE IX
The 9th House is where we seek adventure; it is a House of long distance, showing how we respond to the unknown, the international, the unfamiliar and the far-away. If the Moon is here we might at some point make our home abroad, but Saturn in this house might suggest ‘fear of flying’, both literally and metaphorically. Further education also belongs here, along with philosophy, morality, religion and beliefs in general, all of the things which engage us with the bigger questions of life and stretch our understanding of the world.

HOUSE X
The 10th House shows our public profile, our professional work as well as what we are famous for in public life. Whatever planets are here, we usually seek respect for those skills and talents, striving to create some kind of solid achievement in those terms. It also suggests the notion of responsibility and management, and how we feel about being in charge, as well as our relationship to authority figures. Chiron here might suggest the professional therapist and someone who follows an alternative style of career path. Venus here may point to a career in fashion, art or design.

HOUSE XI
The 11th House connects us to wider society in the form of groups and collectives, committees and councils. It is the house of friendship and fellowship, support and allies, shared ideals and ideologies, and how we feel and behave within the groups we find ourselves in. Jupiter here may be the life and soul of the party, the Sun may take on the role of group leader and Mercury may prefer networking via mobile phone.