Astrology Intro: Bringing Us Closer To God (Pt 5)

This is part 5 of an ongoing series of articles. If you haven't already, please read part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.

In part 5 of our series on astrology, we're going to continue with the house evaluations of our native. In part 4 we reviewed the first house only, since it was was the busiest house in our native's chart. The Sun, Mercury, and Venus were all placed in the first house in Leo, which is ruled by the Sun, and that sign was also receiving Jupiter's aspect. We reviewed entries in James Kelleher's book Path of Light Vol 1 to see potential "positive" and "negative" evaluations of what it would mean for each of those planets to be in those houses, and based on the strength of the placement of those planets, made some quick judgments on how the aspects of life that fall under the first house would be affected.

As a helpful reference, I'm going to copy some tables into this article that we will continue to use. This first table summarizes the strength of the placements of the planets:

These next two tables are useful for quick references while trying to find out the placements of planets and / or placements in houses:

Through my own investigations into astrology, I enjoyed a perspective that I was taught that the progression through the twelve houses take one from birth to death. It gives a simple way to look at the twelve houses that is good for beginners. For those who already have a spiritual underpinning to what they are trying to learn, they may choose to think of it as going from start of life to spiritual liberation. Obviously, a wheel turns over and spins again, and we can also use that analogy with astrology in our own lives as well - so it may not just be birth to death, but from the start of a cycle of learning or growth to the end of one. For our review here, in addition to just going through the general meanings of the twelve houses, we will look at it from the perspective of the cycle of birth to death with an extra metaphysical "tinge" since it will align with the way we do our ceremonies while at the same time being the best for a beginner's perspective. We will continue to use James Kelleher's book as a reference and much of the language here will be taken from it as well since I find it such a good resource for beginners.

The Second House

Moving on from the first house being the awakening of the self or the "I AM" presence, the second house pertains to the necessities for carrying on life and that "I AM" presence. The second house may be associated with material possessions for the sustenance of the self. This could be very basic things like food and shelter, while also taking on the meaning of things related to one's society such as culture such as clothing or money. In this sense, it may not only reveal what the native physically has in these regards, but their mental and psychological disposition towards these things as well.

Another way of interpreting the second house is through the lens of sustenance being gained through family. Indeed, in our lives as humans sustenance just after the initial awakening to self-awareness normally depends on one's family, or at least someone who is raising us. As Kelleher states in his book, "this house represents the first step of the egocentric self on the path towards enlightenment". We start our engagement with the external world and the need for self-sustaining (the realm of the ego), become attached, and learn to survive and engage with others in a way that forms our first "family."

In our native's chart, the second house is Virgo, and its ruler is Mercury, and Mercury is placed in the first house.

The Ruler of the Second House Placed in the Twelve Houses

First House

Positive: If the lord of the second house is placed in the first house, the person will be healthy and prosperous. He will have an ability to benefit from real estate. He will make personal efforts to improve his financial condition. He will also be a passionate person and a good speaker.

Negative: If the ruler of the second house is afflicted in the first house, the person will have problems earning money by his own effort. He will also have problems in his relationship with his family of origin, and might be fickle romantically. He might eat an imbalanced diet, poor quality food, or suffer from an eating disorder. He could also have difficult expressing himself verbally or might speak harshly.

So what we're seeing in some of these evaluations is in a sense a way of blending the things of two houses together. Here, the second and first houses, with the lord of the second being in the first. So, if the lord of the second is well-placed "the person will be healthy and prosperous." The first house has to do with the self, and health, and the second with the means to sustain, which is related to being prosperous. "He will make personal efforts to improve his financial condition" brings together the self ("personal efforts" / first house) with "financial condition" (money for self-sustenance, second house).

On a side note, I haven't touched on this but in Vedic astrology they also relate houses to parts of the body, starting with the head in the first house and (for the most part) going down to the feet in the twelfth. The second house would be related to the mouth / throat, which is where being a good speaker comes from. Honestly, this example is a little bland because we can find ways to relate the first house to almost any aspect of a native's life, so I'll do this again with another house that gives us a more clear example.

Since our native has no planets in his or her second house, the only thing that we have to go off of to determine how the significations of the second house will express themselves throughout life is by the ruler of the second. And in this case, Mercury in our native's chart benefits from Jupiter's aspect and being conjoined Venus which are ultimately balanced out by being conjoined the Sun and being retrograde. So in this case, our native may experience some of the positive and some of the negative in relatively equal amounts.

The Third House

The third house expands on the conceptualization of the need to sustain the self, and its abstraction into family, to further develop the idea of "others." For many people raised in a family the most relatable early relationship with others would be brothers and sisters. Regardless of whether one has siblings, this house is the start of communication with the recognition of "others" going beyond the level of the help needed by infant humans by their caretakers, to actually being able to communicate and develop more complex bonds.

This is also the first house that deals with the spark of the intellect. This comes not only through the communication aspect and information gained through that, but as the house of small tasks and errands it shows the qualities of intellect needed to do work. Here we may also find other ways in which a native may gather information such as through interests and hobbies. It can also be considered a creative house in the sense that it relates to the ears, language, and ideas (through communication) so for some natives it may relate to creative endeavors such as musical ability or drawing or painting.

In our native's chart, the third house is Libra, and Libra is ruled by Venus, and Venus is placed in the first house, or the ascendant.

The Ruler of the Third House Placed in the Twelve Houses

First House

Positive: If the ruler of the third house is placed in the first house, the person will be busy, inquisitive, and versatile. He will be charming, talented, and might have abilities in music, writing, or literature. His daily activities will include plenty of errands, telephone conversations, and short tasks. He will be passionate, courageous, ambitious, successful and prosperous. He will tend to be lean and tall. He will have a good relationship with his siblings and his siblings will become successful and prosperous.

Negative: If the ruler of the third house is afflicted in the first house, the person will have a difficult time learning, reading and communicating. He will find it difficult to process information and might be impatient or disorganized. He could also have a short attention span and tend to be fickle. He will be passionate, but may not be able to channel his desires constructively. This is also a difficult placement for his relationship with his siblings. This person might also be dishonest, deceptive, or manipulative.

Another note to make here is that as times change, some descriptions may as well. For example, in the description James used "His daily activities will include plenty of errands, telephone conversations"; telephone conversations may not be very frequent these days, but texting and emails may be, so keeping an eye out for things like that is part of discerning what's going on in our charts.

In our native's chart, Venus was pretty even strength. It has Jupiter's aspect, but is conjoined by the Sun. Mercury is also there with it which brings in some different energies although not necessarily beneficial or harmful. Our native may be somewhere between these two descriptions.

But that's not all! Because Saturn is placed in the third house, and this malefic influence could bring some challenges.

Planets in the Third House

Saturn in the Third House.

Positive: When Saturn is placed in the third house, the person will be a careful, responsible, and deliberate communicator. He will tend to live a long, healthy life. He will be meticulous and organized, executing all his tasks and errands. He will also have wisdom born of fortitude and patience. He will work very hard in life and will achieve success in his career, usually later in life. This position of Saturn also causes the person to link business or practical agendas with travel. His next younger brother will be patient, persevering, reserved, and responsible. The sibling will also come into his own in his mid-thirties.

Negative: When a difficult Saturn is placed in the third house, the person will be jealous by nature. He might be the youngest of the family, but could have many problems regarding his siblings. One of the siblings will have a difficult life involving many obstructions and pressures, or might have health problems. The person will also have problems in communications. He will be ungrateful and generally unhappy. He could have a tendency to be selfish and could possibly have a difficult time in old age.

Saturn is actually exalted in Libra, so this is a very good placement for it, especially since it doesn't have anything else negatively affecting it. And I also kind did a head fake here by mentioning that Saturn as a malefic influence may bring challenges. It's nuance such as we have here which gives astrology such depth. Saturn is a malefic, but a strong Saturn with a good placement can bring out the best features of Saturn to let them shine in the areas it touches. In our native's case, the description here would weigh more towards the positive.

So, between the ruler, Venus, with its so-so placement and Saturn with a strong placement, we may find that our native generally does well in areas related to the third house.

Fourth House

The fourth house can be considered a milestone of the culmination of consciousness developed in the first house. It graduates from awareness, to the need to sustain, to the introduction of others and intelligence, and then we arrive in the fourth house where we start to build our foundations upon these very basic ideas of what it means to be. The most obvious signification when it comes to foundations is our home. In another aspect, it can be related to security, as good foundations are supposed to provide. And in this sense, it can relate to other fixed aspects of our material wealth such as property and vehicles.

The fourth house can also be considered the house of the Mother. For most people it is our mothers that provide us with the foundation for safety and security that we need in our lives. Generally speaking, this foundation and domestic environment aspect of the fourth house can be expanded in our western culture to relate to our extended family such as friends, and school which for many is a home away from home. Keep in mind, this is the school, the classroom, and the family aspect that is gained out of it, as  opposed to the intellect or intelligence that comes from education, which may be represented in other houses.

It is also the first of the three moksha houses, which are houses of spiritual nature. It can be a subtle house, as foundations frequently are overlooked, although they provide the most significant aspect of security; but this also provides a foundation for consciousness. It can show how a native may find happiness or have inner faith.

In our native's chart, the fourth house is in the sign of Scorpio, which is ruled by Mars, and Mars is placed in Scorpio. So we have another ruler of the house placed in the house it rules over.

The Ruler of the Fourth House Placed in the Twelve Houses

Fourth House

Positive: If the ruler of the fourth house is placed in the fourth house, the person will have a strong, healthy mother who lives a long time. He will be stable and secure and generally happy in life. This placement allows the person to own land and houses and have general material security. He will also own good cars, which will be well-maintained. He will go to a good school and easily gain admission to the university of his choice. His spouse will be successful at a profession that will be characterized by the planets ruling and occupying the fourth house. If the fourth lord is Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus or Saturn, then this placement produces a Mahapurusha Yoga, causing the positive significations of the planet to dominate the chart. This planet's energy will not only manifest in the personality of the horoscope of the owner, but also in his mother's personality and the career of his spouse. If the planet is Saturn, for example, then the person will have a strong sense of responsibility. His mother might also have that quality. His spouse, however, could work at a job that requires organizational or management skills, and will be quite successful.

Negative: If the ruler of the fourth house is afflicted in the fourth house, the person will probably still own a house, but will have many problems related to the house. The same is true for vehicles. The person will have a strong mother, but might have problems in his relationship with her. Similarly, his mother could have her own problems that will be characterized by the afflicting planet, the houses it owns, and the house in which it is placed. Afflictions to the fourth lord placed in the fourth house also disturb peace of mind and make it more difficult to achieve happiness.

Although our native's lord of the fourth (Mars) is happy at home, its conjunction with malefic Ketu and exchange of aspects with Rahu put it in a challenging position. They would most likely experience some of the "good" and the "bad" but it might be a little bit more on the challenging end.

Now, let's look at what Kelleher has to say about Mars and Ketu being placed in the fourth house.

Planets in the Fourth House

Mars in the Fourth House

Positive: Mars in the fourth house is a great indication of vitality and energy when it is positively placed. The person will be quite active and busy, right up to the end of life. He will also spend much time taking care of the domestic scene, doing projects around the home. He will enjoy the whole idea of "do-it-yourself" home improvement. This idea can extend to the environment in general, causing the person to work for environmental causes. He will be ambitious and enterprising in his profession due to a drive to create a secure material foundation. As a result, he will be successful professionally. His mother will be an assertive, ambitious, or physically-fit person. His spouse will also be quite ambitious and may have leadership abilities. This position of Mars will make the person driven to acquire property, and lucky with real estate.

Negative: An afflicted Mars in the fourth house disturbs happiness and peace of mind. The person will probably have domestic disputes and arguments. He could be defensive or insecure. He will also have problems with land and houses. This position suggests problems in his relationship with his mother and with other women as well. The mother can have a tendency to manifest physical problems involving surgery, accidents, or injuries. The father might also have problems too, especially during the person's eighth year of life. The family or origin might be dysfunctional in some way. This is also a placement which suggests the need to be careful in automobiles, and if it is serious afflicted, could produce car accidents. 

Ketu in the Fourth House

Positive: When a benefic Ketu is placed in the fourth house, the person will be spiritually oriented, creative, or compassionate. He might come with an artistic or spiritual family. His mother will be intuitive, and will have a very uncommon personality. She will not be a public person, but will prefer to stay "behind the scenes." The person will have nice homes that are designed to create a soothing, spiritually uplifting feeling. He might use Feng Shui or Vastu to create a more spiritual environment or he might live in a place with an oriental motif or a Japanese garden. He will like staying at ashrams and retreats. He will attend an alternative educational institution. The end of life will be spent in solitude or spiritual retreat.

Negative: A negative Ketu in the fourth house does not augur well for happiness in life. The person will probably be chronically dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction will be projected onto the mother, family, home, car and the environment in general. His mother might be undependable, evasive, and manipulative, or she might suffer from hard to diagnose health problems. She might also be depressed or feel like she is unrecognized or invisible. The person will have many changes of residence, and will not have a solid sense of security. He might also quit school before his education is completed. Homes will be the source of losses and disappointments. The person will have also have troubles with automobiles and might hitchhike at times. The domestic life will also be colored by emotional loss and sadness. As a result, marriage and family life will be difficult.

So the fourth house is another busy one for our native. Ketu is actually a co-ruler of Scorpio, which means it is at home here as well, although not all schools of thought take this rulership seriously into equations. Mars and Ketu do both have weak placements here based on our evaluation, so this would tend to lean towards the negative if we were going strictly by the numbers we came up with. However, once you get a feel for astrology nuance comes more into play, and I'd say that although it is the conjunction of two malefics along with Rahu's aspect as primary influences on the fourth house, considering that those two malefics are lords of the sign/house and Rahu's aspect is a guarantee wherever Ketu is, this isn't as bad as it seems. I personally feel like our native here would be more balanced between the two than strictly in the "negative" column that we came up with based on the numbers.

Understanding the Evaluation

We went over the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th house of our native in this article. After our last article going over the first house, we can start to see how these evaluations play out. We go through each of the houses and evaluate the strength of its leader to see how that may affect the areas of life that the house signifies, and also any planets that may be placed in it. Then, we can make some educated guesses at what type of experience the native may be having. When we are using astrology to know ourselves better, we can look at these evaluations and start to pick out the parts that we feel describe our experience in life to understand how these stellar factors may be influencing us. And through meditating on these meanings and patterns, we may start to gain an greater understanding of nature, ourselves, and in turn.

This was another long evaluation. For our native, we've actually already gone through six of the nine planetary placements in houses, meaning there are only three houses left with planets placed in them. That means some of the rest of the evaluations will go quicker, but it doesn't necessarily mean we have less to go on. It could just mean that the significations of those houses play a less significant role for the individual. We'll probably complete this entire evaluations over two more articles, so come back for part 6 when we'll evaluate a few more houses on our way to taking in the full chart!