The 12 houses in astrology, in plain words
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Signs and planets describe what and how. Houses describe where in life. Your birth chart is split into 12 houses that start at your rising sign, the sign coming up on the eastern horizon when you were born. That is why house positions need an accurate birth time.
The 12 houses at a glance
The Vedic names are the Sanskrit bhava names used in Indian astrology. The meanings overlap closely in both systems.
| House | Vedic name | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tanu | self, body, appearance, first impressions and how you start things |
| 2nd | Dhana | what you own and value, food, speech and early family |
| 3rd | Sahaja | siblings, neighbours, courage, writing, messages and short trips |
| 4th | Sukha | home, mother, roots, inner peace and property |
| 5th | Putra | creativity, play, romance, children and learning |
| 6th | Ari | daily work, routines, service, habits and handling problems |
| 7th | Kalatra | partners, marriage, business partners and one-to-one meetings |
| 8th | Randhra | shared resources, trust, privacy, research and deep change |
| 9th | Dharma | beliefs, higher learning, teachers, long journeys and luck |
| 10th | Karma | career, status, public life and what you achieve |
| 11th | Labha | friends, groups, gains, hopes and wishes |
| 12th | Vyaya | rest, retreat, sleep, spending, foreign lands and spiritual life |
Angular, succedent and cadent houses
The 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses start at the four angles of the chart: the Ascendant, the bottom of the sky, the Descendant and the Midheaven. They are called angular houses, or kendras in Vedic astrology, and planets there are seen as strong. The houses after them are succedent, and the ones before the angles are cadent.
House systems: Placidus or whole sign
There are several ways to divide the sky into houses. Most Western astrologers use Placidus, which splits the time each degree takes to rise, so house sizes vary. Vedic astrology usually uses whole sign houses: the whole rising sign is the 1st house, the next sign the 2nd, and so on.
Our birth chart tool shows Placidus houses on the Western wheel and whole sign houses on the Vedic charts. Near the poles Placidus stops working, so the tool falls back to equal-sized Porphyry houses there.
Empty houses
With 10 to 12 planets and 12 houses, some houses will always be empty. An empty house is not a bad sign. Astrologers then look at the sign on the house cusp and the planet that rules that sign.
Frequently asked questions
What do the 12 houses represent?
Each house covers one area of life, from self and possessions in the 1st and 2nd houses to friends and rest in the 11th and 12th. The table on this page lists all twelve.
Why do I need my birth time for houses?
The houses turn once a day with the Earth. Your rising sign changes about every two hours, so even a short error in the time can move planets into a different house.
Which house system is best?
There is no single right answer. Placidus is the most common in Western astrology and whole sign houses are standard in Vedic astrology. Try both and see which describes you better.
What is the 7th house in astrology?
The 7th house, starting at the Descendant opposite your rising sign, covers partners, marriage and other one-to-one relationships, including business partners.
For reflection and fun, not fate. We explain astrology as a tradition and a tool for reflection. It has not been shown to predict events.