Planets in the Houses Explained: A Revealing Astrology Guide

If you have become intrigued by horoscopes lately, the chances are that you have also probably come across planets and houses of the zodiac.

Perhaps you have seen articles talking about, or something similar to, Venus in First House, Saturn in 12th House, Mars in 7th House, etc., and have started to wonder what all this means.

Well, as you begin to delve deeper into astrology, you will discover that there is a lot more to this ancient practice besides how sun signs influence personality traits.

Planets and houses are only two of the many moving pieces that make up the astrological birth chart. In this revealing guide, you will learn more about these two components to get insights into cosmic forces that shape your life and influence you as a person.

What Do Planets Represent In Astrology?

In astrology, planets represent basic human drives that are inherent in each individual. There are ten planets in the natal chart, which is essentially a snapshot of the alignment of constellations and celestial bodies when you were born.

Although considered a star and satellite in the astronomical sense, the sun and moon are considered planets in the context of astrology. The former planetary force represents your core self, leadership qualities, health, and vitality. On the other hand, the moon governs emotions, memories, maternal instinct, and intuition.

The sun and moon are also known as luminaries. Together with Mercury, Venus, and Mars, they form the inner planets. This group of celestial bodies moves relatively fast from one zodiac sign to the next. Therefore, they affect short term issues of human existence.

For example, Mercury, also known as “messenger of the gods,” affects how we communicate and think, whereas Venus is the ruler of love, romance, and pleasure. In contrast, Mars is the planet of action, aggression, and sexual drive.

Next in line are Jupiter and Saturn. These two celestial giants are often called the social, transpersonal, or transcendence planets. They influence interpersonal areas of our lives. For instance, Jupiter carries inspiring energy that encourages us to broaden our horizons. It represents optimism, good luck, abundance, growth, travel, business, and the pursuit of higher education.

Saturn, on the other hand, is the planet of discipline and achievement. It governs qualities like focus, precision, dedication, hard work, and overcoming challenges.

Lastly, your birth chart will also comprise three outer planets, which move slowly through the zodiac, influencing the grander scheme of things and society as a whole.

Uranus embodies ingenuity, innovation, going against the status quo, or marching to the beat of your own drum. Then there is Neptune, the other-worldly planet that represents dreams, illusions, fantasy, idealism, and artistry.

The last planet in your natal chart is transformative Pluto, ruler of the underworld, associated with the energies of death and rebirth, light and dark, endings and beginnings.

To understand how the planets affect us, we have to consider their placement in the birth chart. Their energy plays out differently depending on what sign and zodiac house they are in at any given time.

What Are The Houses In Astrology?

The astrological birth chart takes the form of a circle divided into a dozen sectors known as the 12 houses of the zodiac.

These should not be confused with horoscope signs named after constellations where the sun happened to be at the time of your birth.

The houses are a way of dividing the celestial sphere or map of the heavens as seen from earth. A quick look at any birth chart reveals the position of planets across these segments.

There can be multiple planetary forces in a single house (sometimes up to four) while others remain empty, which is normal.

Unlike zodiac signs that carry modes of life energy, houses represent particular areas of life experience. It could be your career, health, finances, and so on. Here is a quick rundown of what the 12 houses of the zodiac represent in astrology.

1st House of Self

The sign on the cusp of this House is your rising star or ascendant. It appears on the eastern horizon at the time anyone takes their first breath. Whatever planets or zodiac signs that lie here affect how people perceive you and your personality. The reason for that is because the 1st House governs self-image, physical appearance, and approach to life. It also represents beginnings, fresh starts, and new initiatives.

2nd House of Value and Resources

The second House covers aspects relating to earthly possessions, money, wealth, and your attitude towards material things. As the ruler of value, it is also associated with your sense of self-worth.

3rd House of Communication

The third House rules how we express ourselves. That includes how we communicate with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues.

4th House of Family & Home

Sitting at the bottom section of the birth chart, the fourth House fittingly represents home, family, and roots. On this segment, you will learn about anything that makes you feel grounded. Think of it as the foundation of your natal chart.

5th House of Pleasure

The zone of joy and bliss, your 5th House is all about fun. It is related to creative energy, children, or any recreational activities you do to keep yourself happy.

6th House of Health

The Sixth House is the domain of physical wellness, diet, exercise, and healthy living. It is the last personal House and also covers service and duty to others.

7th House of Balance & Partnership

Marking the first interpersonal House, this segment governs relationships or how we relate to other people. It helps us understand the kind of partnerships we form, be it in marriage, business deals, or contracts.

8th House of Transformation & Carnal Desires

The 8th House is shrouded in mystery. It represents transformation, death, and rebirth. If you have planets in this House, they will also affect your sex life.

9th House of Purpose & Philosophy

The 9th House covers what fits as the ideal life purpose for you. It is quite philosophical. Planets in this segment will influence your belief system and the pursuit of knowledge.

10th House of Social Status

The cusp of the midheaven is where your 10th House starts, right at the very top of the natal chart. It clues in astrologers about the kind of social status that you desire. The 10th House speaks of ambitions, motivations, career choices, notoriety, and achievements.

11th House of Friendship

When trying to find out what the cosmos say about your sense of belonging and community, we look at the 11th House. It represents the network of friends and social groups you are likely to develop.

12th House of Subconscious

As the last interpersonal planet and final life experience sphere of the zodiac, the 12th House aptly stands for endings. It is also the realm of sacrifice. It is a very mystical place, often referred to as the darkness before dawn. The twelfth House rules the subconscious mind as well, thus often associated with dreams, imagination, creativity, the arts, secrets, and mysteries.

How To Interpret Planets & Houses On The Birth Chart?

Once you determine where the planets fall in your birth chart, you can interpret where the energy they carry will manifest. For example, Venus (the goddess of love) in 2nd House (the domain of material objects) indicates an individual drawn to financially stable lovers.

By interpreting what each planet means, the House it is in, and the corresponding zodiac sign, astrologers can reveal gifts and obstacles you will potentially face in your lifetime.

Final Word

Sometimes astrology can throw around technical terms that leave you confused.

However, Houses, planets, and zodiac signs do not have to be difficult to understand. An easy way to differentiate these three aspects of your birth chart is to think of them as components of a theatrical production.

Planets are the characters that play out the scenes, the horoscope sign represents the costumes (traits) they wear, whereas Houses are the stages that happen to be different areas of your life.

Now that you know what the 12 houses of the zodiac are all about and the significance of planets in astrology, make sure to explore what hidden secrets lie in your birth chart. You can create one using our free natal chart generator here.