Houses

As promised, let's continue to break down astro charts by taking a look at the house meanings. ​

ach house in a natal chart represents different areas of our lives.  In traditional astrology they're often referred to as places. The planets are all around us and the earth (and our place of birth) are at the center of the wheel.  The place of your Rising or Ascendant occupies the 1st house of the natal chart wheel.  This is because from the perspective of your position on the planet, the Ascendant is in the east, at the dawn of your arrival.  The Ascendant sets the starting point for the entire chart layout. 

Pro tip: This is the main reason why your birth time and birth place are necessary to give more accurate and relevant readings for a chart.  

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reviously, we've discussed how the planets are *what* traits we are looking at. Next, the signs are *how* that planet is expressing itself. The next layer is that of the houses, which is *where* that planet resides, where it's most active, or the areas of life it impacts or works from. 
Let's look at an example.  We know that Venus is the planet of love, possessions and values.  You also know that Gemini is the sign of verbal expression, adaptability and intellect (yeah, we skipped sun sign stuff but I'm sure you know these). Say we are looking at a chart with Gemini ruling their 5th house of romance and creativity, and Venus was in that sign and house when a person was born. 

Putting the pieces together: This person's experiences with relationships, love, wealth and values (Venus as *what*) is one that expresses itself by verbalizing, thinking out loud, looking at both sides of things.  They are adaptable and flexible in their partnerships and finances (Gemini as *how), and their attachment to these concepts often revolve around or affect their creative abilities and leisure time (5th house as *where*). They may come into money through means of creative writing, through ventures involving children, or maybe they value a partner who's communicative about things they both find pleasurable.  

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here are many different variations and combinations we see in charts every day.  So you see why astrologers really prefer to have a birth time, and you see why I say there's so much more depth than just our sun signs. 
We haven't covered details about *how*, being sign stuff.  I've left that off because it's been so overdone.  But what makes Gemini so adaptable and intellectual?  Why is the 5th house about creativity and fun? Why does Venus behave differently when she's in a different place? What happens when planets face-off in a chart? 


It takes time to unpack all of these things.  Before we get to aspects in astrology, I'll elaborate more on the modes and elements.  
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