If you’ve ever seen your birth chart, you’ve probably noticed that it’s divided into 12 astrological houses. You may wonder how the house system came to be or why certain houses are associated with certain zodiac signs or traits. Learning about this fascinating history can help you peel back the layers and better understand not only your own chart but astrological practice as a whole.
The Origins of the House System
Astrostyle explains that the Babylonians created the first zodiac wheels around 700 B.C.E. In an archived article available at Hellenistic Astrology, writer James H. Holden mentions that the horoscope house concept developed further in ancient Greece. Beginning with the rising sign, the zodiac wheel was divided into 12 zones, each associated with a specific star sign. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy describes this division in Tetrabiblos, an astrology handbook he published in 140 C.E.
Yet it was not until medieval times that modern house systems began to take shape. After the Roman Empire’s fall, Greek astrology was further studied and modified by Arab astronomers. Advanced mathematics eventually allowed European scholars to resume astrological studies and create sophisticated systems and charts.
The Houses in Modern Western Astrology
Astrostyle lists the 12 horoscope houses and their significance in modern natal charts. A line bisects each natal chart, usually starting with ascendant on the left and connecting to the descendant on the right. This horizontal line divides the wheel into two segments. The first six houses on the bottom half of the wheel represent personal aspects in our lives:
- First house, ruled by Aries: the self, identity, appearances, and beginnings
- Second house, governed by Taurus: Money, physical environments, and work ethic
- Third house, reigned by Gemini: communication, teaching, libraries, neighborhoods, and siblings
- Fourth house, controlled by Cancer: home, privacy, parents, and nurturing
- Fifth house, ruled by Leo: Self-expression, creativity, drama, and play
- Sixth house, governed by Virgo: health, schedules, organization, routines, fitness, and nutrition
Meanwhile, the last six houses on the top half signify how we handle interpersonal concerns:
- Seventh house, ruled by Libra: relationships, partnerships, and contracts
- Eighth house, reigned by Scorpio: mysteries, sexuality, death, transformation, property, and money
- Ninth house, governed by Sagittarius: travel, philosophy, higher education, morals, and ethics
- Tenth house, controlled by Capricorn: public image, fame, career, accolades, authority, and fatherhood
- Eleventh house, ruled by Aquarius: technology, social justice, humanitarianism, invention, and the future
- Twelfth house, ruled by Pisces: Endings, old age, the afterlife, imagination, creativity, hidden things, institutions, and the subconscious
The influence of planets or points in each house impact how its energies play out. For instance, the restraining planet Saturn in a person’s fifth house may cause that individual to struggle with spontaneity, which can impact the ability to have fun and let loose with self-expression and creativity.
Many House Systems Exist
Both Astrodienst and astrologer Jessica Adams document the wide range of house systems. Some examples include the Equal House system, which divides the zodiac wheel into even 30-degree segments, and the Whole Sign House method, devised by Ptolemy and in use since antiquity. The Placidus system, named after an Italian monk and professor, employs a quadrant-based and time-oriented approach by dividing celestial movements instead of physical space or equally measured areas. Some key criticisms include its uneven house sizes and difficulty in use for charting births or events occurring in Arctic regions.
There are several approaches for determining horoscope houses, with astrologers carefully selecting the best methods for their individual practices. In every system, each house is a segment that represents a particular aspect of an individual’s life. Regardless of which system is used, these houses attempt to extrapolate meaning from planetary movements or positions either in the heavens or throughout the zodiac wheel.