This article is a beginner friendly guide to the basics of astrology, consisting of the different astrological houses and zodiac signs. Understanding the houses and the signs is the very basis of astrology, allowing you to have a first understanding of astrology and your own birth chart. The astrological house system is divided into twelve different houses or segments, each correlating to a specific area of life. The zodiac also consists of twelve different zodiac signs, each corresponding to their own astrological house. There are 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), yet we only really recognize 13 zodiac constellations. This means that although all zodiacs are constellations, not all constellations are zodiac constellations. The reason for this is that these zodiac constellations happened to be aligned in such way where it makes the Sun appear to pass through them during the year.

Now why someone is considered a Libra and someone else is considered a Virgo, is because that was the constellation the Sun occupied at the time of their birth. So you are always considered to be one of the twelve zodiac signs, however we are just talking about your Sun sign here. As we know, there are 8 planets in our solar system and thus each individual also has a particular zodiac sign in each of these other planets. That’s because all of the planets also move along the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the linear path that the Sun describes across the sky. The constellations on that path are what’s called “the zodiac” and they extend a few degrees either above or below the ecliptic line. Furthermore, because every person has a certain zodiac sign in a particular planet, the qualities of the planet along with the energies of that zodiac constellation influence the person's personality, behaviour and life path. Ultimately it's the blending of all these planets in certain houses and signs, along with the astronomical aspects made during the time of birth, that make up and determine ones personal features and life purpose. 

 

The houses in astrology

There are twelve houses in astrology of which each correlates to a specific life domain. As I have mentioned in the first section of this article, each house is also related to a specific zodiac sign. Therefore all of the astrological houses will also carry the qualities of the zodiac sign the house represents.  I will now shortly sum up the signification and characteristics of each one of the twelve houses followed by all the twelve zodiac signs.

 

The 1^st house: the self, physical appearance, self-identity, personality, personal characteristics, basic ego, temperament, the way we present ourselves to others, noticeable qualities, our body language, fame, destiny, bravery, fighting abilities

The 2^nd house: values, possessions, money, own material wealth, materialistic things, earnings and savings, banking, spending habits, the throat, speech, the things one orally consumes, family lineage, fame, make-up (anything you put on the face), early childhood, stability and security, natural talents

The 3^rd house: local community, short and long distance travel (for self purpose), communication, media, journalism, performing arts, creativity, roads, transportation, (younger) siblings, neighbours, sports, athletic abilities, courage, hands and shoulders, writing and publishing, teaching, moving away from home, father-in-law, (immature)intelligence

The 4^th house: mother, home, homeland, happiness, emotions, emotional stability, vehicles, houses, real estate, ancestors, ancestral property, relatives, divine knowledge, schools, clothing, furniture, antique, architecture, all things stored

The 5^th house: romance, dating, creative self-expression, media, arts, creativity, stage performance, cinema, theatres, sports, games, fun and play, children, true intelligence, education, politics, speculation, family’s hoarding assets

The 6^th house: enemies, obstacles, daily (work) routine, work space, mentors at work, service, health, health condition, medicine, health-care workers, diseases, wellness, nutrition, disputes, divorces, debts, accidents, stepmother, mistress, family investments

The 7^th house: spouse, marriage, business, personal and business relationships, the public, mass fame, career, sexual life, sexual organs, vacation homes, comfort, physical appearance of spouse, negotiation, enemies of the family, obstacles of the family, second child

The 8^th house: mysticism, occult knowledge, sexual practices, transformation, death, death and rebirth, recycling of the soul, inheritance, money through other people, insurance, taxes, debt, conspiracy, scandals, mistress, enlightenment, kundalini awakening, psychology, psychological issues

The 9^th house: higher knowledge, higher mind, righteousness, far distance travel, pilgrimage, spiritual gurus, religion, spirituality, philosophy, religious texts, PhD education, higher education, luck, adventure, aspirations, ideals, grandchildren, father, skills of the spouse, travelling for career, karma of spiritual life

The 10^th house: work environment, public image, public life, public reputation, social status, recognition, fame, honour, parental figures, government, government jobs, authority, promotion, discipline, structure, career achievements, success, subordinates, morals and values received from family

The 11^th house: goals and wishes, gains of life, hope, large sums of money, earned wealth, large network circles, large organizations, networking, friendship, elder siblings, rewards, achievements, recognition, spouse of firstborn child, exotic animals, gains through karma, collective consciousness, charity

The 12^th house: spiritual enlightenment, spirituality, the subconscious mind, one consciousness, God, foreign countries, foreign travel, foreign settlement, divination, spiritual practices, isolation, isolated locations, the invisible, psychological fears, dreams, secrets, shadow aspects, loss of ego, detachment, imagination, separation, addiction, stepfather, intuition, psychic ability