Astrology is a many-layered, complex thing. To some degree, everyone has an idea of astrology. You may know your Sun Sign as indicated by the day you were born, or your Rising Sign as indicated by the hour you were born.

　　But astrology is more than just signs and planets. It’s also made up of houses. Never heard of the astrological houses? Let’s take a look!

　　

What are the Astrological Houses?

Just as there are 12 signs of the zodiac, there are also 12 houses that each sign rules. Each house has its own special function and sometimes people study their houses so they can predict which parts of their life will come into focus and the best way for them to take action.

　　Just like the zodiac signs are divided into smaller groups of Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable to further define commonalities such as who are the natural leaders (Cardinal), who are the most able to be flexible and open-minded (Mutable) and who are the most likely to stick to their guns (Fixed), so too are the astrological house grouped.

　　When you get your birth chart, looking at the groupings of houses and the signs or planets found in them, the more you can learn about your unique personality!

　　1st, 5th, and 9th Houses – The Life Houses – representing how you feel overall about and engage with your life.

　　2nd, 6th, and 10th Houses – The Career Houses – representing how you approach your work, your values and how you deal with money.

　　3rd, 7th, and 11th Houses – The Relationship Houses – How you communicate with others, make friends and how to find what you need from others to feel fulfilled.

　　4th, 8th, and 12th Houses – The Intuition Houses – representing how you feel about home, family, dreams, secrets and the subconscious.

　　The houses and their signs are as follows:

　　1st House: The House of Self ruled by Aries (this is also where the Rising Sign is based).

　　2nd House: The House of Money and Material Value ruled by Taurus.

　　3rd House: The House of Communication ruled by Gemini.

　　4th House: The House of Emotions ruled by Cancer.

　　5th House: The House of Creativity ruled by Leo.

　　6th House: The House of Work and Duty ruled by Virgo

　　7th House: The House of Relationships ruled by Libra.

　　8th House: The House of Transformation ruled by Scorpio.

　　9th House: The House of Travel and Higher Learning ruled by Sagittarius.

　　10th House: The House of Career and Reputation ruled by Capricorn.

　　11th House: The House of Friendship and Ideals ruled by Aquarius.

　　12th House: The House of the Subconscious ruled by Pisces.

　　Not sure where your houses are? Get a free Birth Chart Reading now!

　　

What are the Intuitive Houses?

The 4th, 8th, and 12th houses are part of the trine that is the intuitive houses. They are ruled by Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, all the Water signs.

　　Of all the elements in astrology, Water is known for its depth and ability to penetrate beneath the surface. Cancer is the Cardinal Water sign, Scorpio is the Fixed Water sign and Pisces is the Mutable Water sign.Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable, all of these signs are known for their psychic ability, intuition, and emotional depth.

　　People with a lot of water in their birth chart tend to be very sensitive and possess strong psychic abilities.

　　

The 4th House

Ruled by the sensitive crab, Cancer, this is the house that rules our emotions. Here, we feel our nurturing side, our desire to understand our emotions, and the urge to connect with others on an emotional level. It is a good idea to check which sign and planet is in your 4th house so you can understand your emotional reactions better and gain greater insight into how they guide you. (Note: You will not necessarily have a planet in every single house).

　　

The 8th House

Ruled by the intense sign of Scorpio, the 8th house is quite intimidating to some people. It rules the hidden part of ourselves, the sides that we don’t want others to see, and which we may even hide from ourselves. It also represents sex, death, and all things taboo.

　　It represents the darker side of Scorpio, but it is also the most powerful house for transformation as we strive to be better within ourselves. Knowing what sign/planets you have in the 8th house can help you understand your shadow side and how you can integrate it into your personality in order to feel more whole.

　　

The 12th House

Ruled by watery Pisces, the 12th House is the most mysterious house of all. It governs our subconscious. It is the house of dreams and intuition. Everything ethereal and other-worldly belongs in this house. It is the house of imagination, but also the house of escapism.

　　When you understand what sign/planets you have in the 12th house, you can understand the deepest part of yourself better and also understand why you act the way you do at a level that is difficult to understand with your conscious mind.

　　

The Moon

The Moon is feminine, powerful, and intuitive. When she makes her rounds through the signs every few days, we feel the energy she is impacting on these signs.

　　So, when the Moon is in Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, there is a focus on our emotions and intuition. This focus is usually directed to a certain house which depends on your sign. If you would like to know which sign the Moon is in on any given day, check out your Daily Horoscope.

　　For example, the Moon in Cancer often brings strong emotional energy and more vivid dreams. The Moon is at home in Cancer and when these two meet, our psychic abilities and intuition are strengthened. This makes it a good time to explore our emotions further or train our own intuitive gifts (especially with crystals such as selenite and moonstone).

　　

Conclusion

The houses are a fascinating aspect of astrology and it benefits us to understand more about them. The intuitive houses ruled by the Water signs can help us flex our psychic muscles, so if this is an area you would like to develop, it’s always good to check what sign/planets are in those houses in your chart and also where the Moon is currently at.

　　Remember, when you work with the universal energies and understand how they personally impact you, you can understand yourself at a deeper level and tap into parts of yourself you may not have even known existed.

　　Related article: What your 1st, 5th and 9th Houses Reveal About You