The 12 Houses in Astrology: What Each House Rules in Your Birth Chart

The Second House governs your relationship with money, possessions, and what you truly value. It reveals how you earn, how you spend, and what makes you feel secure. Deeper down, it reflects your sense of self-worth—the resources that are internal, not just financial. Jupiter here often signals natural abundance; Pluto can mean intense power struggles around money.

Ruled by Venus (Greek: Aphrodite), born from sea foam when Kronos castrated Uranus—beauty born from chaos. Here Venus expresses somatically: through touch, taste, and material comfort.

Rules: Money, values, material security, self-worth

The Third House rules how you think, speak, and process information. It governs early education, short trips, siblings, and your immediate environment. Planets here shape your communication style: Mercury makes you articulate and curious, Mars can make speech sharp or argumentative, Neptune may create poetic but sometimes unclear communication.

Ruled by Mercury (Greek: Hermes), the winged messenger who moves between Olympus and Hades—bridging conscious and unconscious. The inventor of the alphabet and the trickster of the gods.

Rules: Communication, siblings, local travel, learning

The Fifth House is where you play. It rules creative expression, romantic affairs (not committed partnerships—that’s the 7th), children, hobbies, and anything you do purely for the joy of it. Venus here heightens artistic talent and romantic magnetism; Uranus brings unconventional creative expression and sudden love affairs.

Ruled by the Sun (Greek: Helios/Apollo)—Apollo was the god of light, prophecy, music, and healing. The Mesopotamian Shamash was the all-seeing judge who upheld cosmic law.

Rules: Creativity, romance, children, joy, self-expression

The Sixth House governs your daily habits, physical health, and work routines (not career—that’s the 10th). It’s about how you maintain your body, serve others, and structure your everyday life. Mars here drives intense work ethic but risks burnout; Neptune can manifest as mysterious health issues or healing gifts.

Mercury’s night house (Virgo)—here the mind turns analytical rather than social. This is Mercury as editor, not writer; surgeon, not warrior.

Rules: Health, daily routines, work environment, service

The Eighth House is where things get deep. It governs shared finances, inheritance, taxes, and sexual intimacy. Psychologically, it rules transformation, power dynamics, and everything hidden beneath the surface—including the occult and tarot itself. Venus here merges love with intensity; the Sun here creates someone who transforms through crisis and emerges stronger.

Pluto (Greek: Hades), lord of the underworld and ruler of all that lies beneath the surface. Before Pluto’s discovery, Mars ruled this house through Scorpio—strategic, hidden, and intense.

Rules: Death, rebirth, shared resources, intimacy, the occult

The Ninth House expands your horizons. It rules long-distance travel, higher education, philosophy, religion, and your search for meaning. Where the Third House is local knowledge, the Ninth is wisdom gained through broader experience. Mercury here creates the eternal student and teacher; Saturn may limit travel but deepens philosophical rigor.

Ruled by Jupiter (Greek: Zeus), king of the gods and bestower of gifts. Jupiter expands everything it touches and governs the search for meaning, justice, and truth.

Rules: Higher education, travel, philosophy, religion, law

The Eleventh House rules your social networks, friendships, group activities, and long-term aspirations. It governs the communities you belong to and the causes you care about. Planets here shape your relationship with collective identity. The Moon here finds emotional security through friendships; Mars drives passionate activism or leadership in group settings.

Uranus (Greek: Ouranos), the primordial sky god—literally “heaven.” Uranus shatters structures that Saturn builds, creating space for innovation. Before its discovery, Saturn co-ruled this house.

Rules: Friends, groups, hopes, humanitarian causes, technology

The Twelfth House is the most mysterious. It rules the subconscious mind, dreams, karma, past lives, isolation, and self-undoing. Planets here operate behind the scenes—powerful but hidden. This is the house of spiritual transcendence and everything you can’t see. Venus here loves secretly or sacrificially; Mercury processes information through dreams and intuition rather than logic.

Neptune (Greek: Poseidon), god of the sea and the unseen depths. Neptune dissolves boundaries between self and other, matter and spirit. Jupiter co-ruled before Neptune’s discovery, lending a spiritual-expansion quality.

Rules: Subconscious, karma, solitude, hidden enemies, spirituality