The Twelve Houses and Their Significance

The 12 houses and their meaning

The sky and the zodiac are divided in 12 sections of 30 degrees called the 12 zodiac signs or 12 constellations, also called the 12 " Rashis ".Due to the rotation of the earth on its axis, the Rashis will ascend (rise) on the sky on the eastern horizon of the earth, becoming visible in the sky, and descend on the western horizon to become invisible again in relationship with a specific location in the earth.At the moment of birth of a person or of the beginning of an event, one of those Rashis will be rising on the eastern horizon.The exact point or degree of the Sign that is rising, which intersects the horizon is called the ascendant or Lagna , and that whole sign is considered as the first house.The following Rashi to rise after that is the 2 nd house, and so on, corresponding each of the consecutive Rashis to the consecutive 12 houses called "Bhavas".This is the most commonly house system used in Vedic astrology, called the "equal sign" house system , even though there are also other house systems used for specific situations, like the "equal bhava" house or the "Sripati" system, not discussed here.Each house corresponds to a specific dimension of experience, a specific area of life.From the 1 st house representing the beginning, the origin, the sprouting of a seed, to the 12 th or last house, representing the end, the dissolution, the return to the source for a new beginning, the 12 houses represent the whole cycle of life and the different levels of experiences that the individual can have.Understanding the relationship between the inherent energy of each rashi and its correspondence to a specific house, plus the influence of the planets on those houses and their interrelationship, is the basis of the chart interpretation.
The 1 st house, (Tanur Bhava)

The first house is also called the Lagna or ascendant.It is the Sign or constellation (and the specific degree within that constellation) that is rising at the eastern horizon at a specific time and location on the earth.Is considered the most important house since it marks the beginning, the origin, the motivational impulse, the contact between the sky and the earth.The ascendant actually represents the position of the earth in referent to the sky at a particular moment.Also by determine the ascendant; all the other houses are determined at the same time, relating the Signs or Rashis with the various houses or areas of life.The 1 st house represents: the Self, the self identity, character, personality, the main energy that impulses the starting of a life or an event, the beginning, the birth and early infancy and its condition, the physical body and its health, strengths or weaknesses and its physical appearance.The condition and strength of the first house and its ruling planet is a very important factor for the general health and vitality of the individual.Within the physical body, it specifically it represents the area of the head, including heir and brain.It also shows important personality trends and how the individual projects himself on a public level, the public appearance.The Sign and the planets placed or aspecting this house as well as the planet ruling the 1 st house and the house it is placed on also has an important effect on the personality, sense of dharma and career propensities.
The 2 nd house, (Dhana bhava)

This house is related to the wealth and prosperity. It represents money, prosperity, accounts, finances, precious and valuable objects like jewels or similar, banks, and treasury.It also represents the mouth and food, the way we eat and drink and what kind of foods one likes, speech, languages and the capacity for verbal communication, the family, family inheritance, money of the family and childhood.Physically it represents the face, mouth, throat, neck and thyroid gland, right eye, teeth, tongue, nose, nails.It also shows inner potentials.
3 rd house, (Bratri Bhava)

This house represents desires, impulses, courage, ambitions, motivations, constant movement or short trips, bothers and sisters (mainly younger) and close friends.It is also the house of expression and communications and is related to artists, musicians, actors, dancers, writers, journalists, the show business, the media and internet.Physically represents physical strength, the upper limbs, arms, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands and the upper chest, lungs and upper breath passages.
The 4 th house, (matri bhava or sukha bhava)

The fourth house represents what is underneath, the earth.It represents the inner life, the mother, motherhood, the earth and Mother Nature, the home, the education, property like houses, land, cattle, real estate and vehicles.It also relates to the emotions, inner intimate feelings and inner happiness.Physically represents the chest area, breast, milk and the heart.Spiritually it is the house of devotion or Bhakti, love, emotional and mental peace and wellbeing.
The 5 th house, ( putra bhava)

This house represents the capacity to have children, the relationship with them and their wellbeing.It also represents the capacity to be creative on a mental level, creative ideas, creative intelligence or buddhi, writing and artistic creativity.It is an auspicious house related with the "Purva punya" or past good karmas or merits and how they can manifest in talents and blessings in this life.It is a house of dharma, related with the sense of righteousness, justice, wisdom, education, the process of learning, studying and teaching, educational institutions, books, writers, libraries, sacred scriptures and Mantras.Spiritually, it is an important house to determine the "Ishta Devata" or the deity or form of God that the person has a natural connection with, coming from past life worship and natural mental tendencies.That house is also related with the capacity to play, games, child-like nature, sports, entertainment and the romanticism in love relationships, recreation or what we like to do.It also relates with good luck, fortune in speculation, gambling or investing.Physically it represents the upper part of the abdomen, the stomach, liver, pancreas, and pregnancies.
The 6 th house, (shatru bhava)

This is called the house of difficulties, enemies, debts, obstacles, diseases, hard work and servitude.It also shows the capacity to overcome those obstacles and diseases and the capacity to win over enemies, so it is usually related with doctors and healers, military, policeman, athletes and physical strength, capacity to do big effort and hard work.Usually the placement of the ruler of the 6 th house and planets placed on the 6 th house will show the more difficult areas of life, areas where there may be more opposition and need to do a big effort, and also the parts of the body that can be more prone to diseases, injuries and pains. More specifically it is related to the digestive system and the immune system.Spiritually it relates with Karma Yoga or selfless service and also to the capacity to do a constant and steady effort, necessary for Sadhana or spiritual practices, self discipline and austerities.It is also an important "Artha" house representing the capacity to work hard to attain the material goals.
The 7 th house, (kalatra bhava)

This house relates mainly with marriage, the spouse and other important relationships and partnerships.The 7 th house is the opposite of the ascendant. Therefore it represents what the individual is looking to complement him/herself. Opposites attract.The 7 th house represents the "other person" the opposite but complementary to the self.All maters related to the marriage, sexuality and important partnerships in life are seen in this house.It is a " Kama " house, related with the sexual desires and passions, and the desire or impulse to have committed relationships.This house is also related with trade, commerce, business partners and client kind of relationships, and it also represents traveling and locations other than the one the individual is placed and foreign trade.
The 8 th house, (ayur bhava or mrityu bhava)

This house represents death and longevity.It is a difficult house, related with obstruction to the flow of life, material prosperity and mental wellbeing.It represents the hidden, unknown, mysterious and dark areas of life and the bad or difficult karmas. It also represents the sexual organs and sexual energy, sexual magnetism or attraction.If this house is afflicted it can lead to a short life span or chronic diseases, suffering, tragedies, fear, mental depression, anguish, loss of dear objects or people, financial bankruptcy, crimes, imprisonment or other forms of punishment, sexual aberrations, influence from low astral entities, drug addictions, alcoholism or other forms of mental and physical degradation.On the other hand, if this house is strong and well disposed, it can bring the opposite results, meaning: long life, destruction of enemies and difficulties, knowledge of the mind and its hidden potentials, knowledge of psychology, mathematics and sciences, awakening of psychic powers and paranormal faculties, intuition, knowledge of secrets, esoterical knowledge like astrology and tantra, proficiency in Yoga and the control of the mind and the astral body and attainment of Moksha or spiritual liberation.This house represents the "Kundalini" power.According to the Yogic scriptures, if this energy flows downwards it takes the person to slavery or hell, if it flows upwards, it takes the person to heaven and the attainment of spiritual illumination or liberation from all suffering.Planets placed on the 8 th house and the houses they rule tend to suffer and be areas of difficulties, unless those planets are strong, like in their exaltation or own sign, when they can bring good results.It is basically a difficult house for the material aspects of life, since it represents the withdrawal of the energy from the material plane, but because of that, it has also an important role in the spiritual awakening and evolution.This house relates to intense transformation and purification of the old bad karma, which is so necessary for the spiritual awakening, even though the process is usually painful.Physically it represents the "private parts" the external genital organs and the area of the anus.
The 9 th house, (Dharma bhava)

This is the house of dharma, righteousness, doing good actions, good karma, justice, moral and ethics, wisdom, higher learning, higher values, philosophy, religion, spirituality, the Guru and the relationship with him/her, interest in teaching and spreading knowledge.This is considered the most auspicious house or the house of good luck.Good luck is the result of following Dharma or right actions in the past.Therefore planets placed in this house and the houses they rule will tend to flourish and manifest their best qualities, unless they are debilitated or severely afflicted.The planet ruling the 9 th house is also a benefic planet which will bless the house it is placed or aspecting, if it is not afflicted.The 9 th house is the main house to assess the spiritual inclinations of a person, their philosophical values, spiritual path, religious approach, and the main dharma or mission in life, the kind of path that will be conducing to the greatest benefit or growth.It is also related with pilgrimages, successful travels for spiritual reasons and connections with foreigners.
The 10 th house , (karma bhava)

This house represents our actions and main work in this life.It is the house where we can assess matters related to the success or failure in career, natural vocation and talents, name, fame, prestige, honor and recognition in our work.It represents the position and power that a person has in the society, related with his work achievements.The 10 th house is the highest position in the sky at the moment of birth, so it represents our direction and goals in life, the personal mission or work that we are supposed to do in this life.Is an "Artha" house, related with prosperity and material security.The 10 th house is considered the strongest "Kendra" or angular house, being an important "pillar" in supporting the strength of the chart as a whole.Planets placed on the 10 th house tend to be very important, strong and externally visible and manifested in the life of a person, and tend to make the person ambitious, out-going and achievement oriented.The nature of those planes and the house they rule will be important influential factors to determine the career and profession a person does in life.
The 11 th house, (labha bhava)

This is called the house of Gain.It is a " Kama " house, related with the aspirations and desires and the capacity to fulfill them.It relates with abundance, money, income and possession of the desired objects.Planets placed in the 11 th house tend to give good results and the houses they rule prosper and develop their potentials.Planets in this house and the connection they make with other houses show the means of income of the native, their main way to make money or gain, and can also be an important factor in determine the profession and work of a person, together with the 10 th house and the ascendant.It is also related with the social environment of the person, groups of people, the close friends and siblings, mainly the elder siblings.
The 12 th house, ( vyaya bhava)

This is called the house of loss, detachment, letting go, surrender and renouncing.It is the last of the houses, so, it represents the endings, the dissolution, the moment when the individuality is lost and everything returns back to the source.It represents isolation, seclusion, and liberation from the material attachments.It represents what we have to detach from in this life and our main source of expenses or material loss.If this house and its ruler are afflicted it can cause material loss, separation, feeling of loneliness, depression, mental sorrow, isolation, imprisonment, hospitalization, addictions, lack of success in undertakings, loss of dear objects and people.On the other hand, this is the most important house from the spiritual point of view.It is the house of "Moksha" or attainment of liberation from the cycle of births and deaths, pain and material attachments, to return to the source where the soul came from, the God consciousness.This house represents the opposite to materialism. It is the moment when the material dissolves and returns to the origin, the spirit, the pure consciousness.This house is related with monks, people who search for God and enlightenment, the capacity to detach from the material illusion to become one with the divine.It relates to non-profit organizations, actions done without any expectations for material reward, charity, giving, generosity, desire to be in secluded places out of the worldly noise, ashrams and monasteries, places of prayer and meditation, spiritual and mystical experiences.This house is related to "loosing oneself", loosing the individuality or the "ego" to find the oneness with God.But if this house is severely afflicted and there are other indications of weakness of the mind in the chart, it can lead a person to desire to loose his ego and personality trough unhealthy and un-spiritual methods like addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, being subjugated or enslaved by other people, loss of will power and weakness of personality.Planets placed on the 12 th house tend to loose their strength and capacity to express their energy in the material level, even though they can be vary favorable for the spiritual practices or for success in foreign countries.Important planets like the Ascendant lord, the Moon or the sun on the 12 th house can bring a sense of dissatisfaction with life, a feeling that something is missing or a sense of not belonging to, which can create a feeling if loneliness or isolation, but this is also a strong call to search for the real source of happiness, which is on the Divine.It really shows an advanced Soul who is ready to move into a higher spiritual realization. Once established on a spiritual path and finding inner peace, they can also be successful in other activities of life.If those planets represent people, like parents, children, spouse, etcetera, their placement on the 12 th house will tend to create a separation or loss of them or will indicate that this people may have some personal difficulties.This house is also relates with the "bed conforts" so it is related with the capacity to sleep well or not, and the sexual enjoyments or difficulties.The 12 th house also represents exile, far away places, foreign countries, foreign people, long distance travel, foreign trade, imports-exports, tourism, travel agencies and like; places of isolation and seclusion, like hospitals, jails, monasteries, living in the nature, out of the noise of the cities, are also ruled by the 12 th house.Physically it represents the feet.
Types of housesThe 12 houses or Bhavas are classified in several groups:
The Dharma houses Houses

1, 5 and 9 are the Dharma houses.Those houses are related with the sense of duty, mission in life, the way the soul progresses in the spiritual evolution, the philosophy of life, religion, spirituality, type of worship, spiritual teachers and learning, honesty and moral values.Those are considered the most auspicious houses, since following dharma or duty brings "good luck" due to good karma.These houses show the good karma from the past and how it affects this present life.Planets placed on those houses as well as the houses they rule tend to prosper and be favorable to the native and also indicate the way the person progresses spiritually in life and creates good karma for the future.
The Artha houses Houses

2, 6, and 10 are the Artha houses. Artha relates to the material and physical support of life.They relate to the prosperity, wealth, work, material success and recognition.The 2 nd house relates mostly with wealth in general, family wealth or wealth that comes without an effort.The 6 th house represents the capacity to do an effort and work hard to get what you need, and the possible obstacles in life and capacity to overcome them.The 10 th house represents the success in career, status or position in society, name and fame.
The Kama Houses Houses

3, 7 and 11 are the Kama houses, related to the desires and the possibility to fulfill them.The 3 rd house relates mainly with personal ambitions and motivations.The 7 th house represents mainly the sexual desire and attraction to the opposite sex and the desire to have close committed relationships and partnerships.The 11 th house relates more with the desire for money, gain and possession of the desired objects. It also relates with the desire to enjoy friendship and social relationships.
The Moksha houses Houses

4, 8 and 12 th are the Moksha housesThose houses relate with the liberation from the material bondage, and from the creation of Karma and attachment.Moksha is the highest goal of life, the return to the source from where the soul came from, to attain absolute illumination and freedom.That requires detaching and letting go the material world and thoughts for the full immersion into the spiritual consciousness.The 4 th house relates with the path of devotion or Bhakti, surrender of the heart (opening of the heart chakra) and sublimation of the emotions to God and the experience of cosmic love.The 8 th house relates to the destruction of the spiritual ignorance and purification from previous "papas" or bad karmas and awakening of the Kundalini energy, the spiritual power which brings the capacity to control and have mastery over the mind and conquer death.The 12 th house represents the complete surrender of the Ego and sense of individuality to God, detachment from the material possessions; it is the path of renunciation, seclusion, monkhood and surrender.

The Kendra housesHouses

1, 4, 7, and 10 are the Kendra or "angular" houses.They represent the strength of the chart and life as a whole, and give the capacity to achieve the desired goalsPlanets placed in those houses are strong and have a capacity to express their energy fully.Benefic planets placed here are very supportive and add to the longevity and success in life, while malefics can cause a great deal of difficulties.The 10 th house is considered the strongest and planets placed here tend to dominate the whole chart and can sometimes be even more predominant than the ascendant on their effect in life and personality.
The trikona housesHouses

1, 5, and 9 are the trikona or trine houses.They correspond to the Dharma houses and are the houses of good luck, success, wisdom and knowledge.Planets no this houses prosper and benefics placed here bring good luck and good opportunities in life due to past and present good actions and moral character.
The Upachaya housesHouses

3, 6, 11 and 10 are the upachaya houses or "houses of growth"Planets placed in those houses tend to grow and improve over time.The malefic planets placed here (specially on 3,6 and 11) are a great help to overcome all sort of difficulties in life.
The Dushtana housesHouses

6, 8 and 12 are the dushtana houses, or houses of suffering and difficulties.The 3 rd house is also be considered as a dushtana, but with a milder effect (the 3 rd is the 8 th from the 8 th )Those houses are adverse for the material prosperity and well being and planets placed in those houses and the houses they rule tend to suffer, be obstructed and be sources of pain in life.The people or parts of the body that the planets placed on those houses represent, will tend to be a source of pain.If the planets paced here are exalted or in own house it is actually beneficial and give the capacity to endure, or overcome pain and difficulties.The 6 th house relates with obstacles, diseases, accidents, enemies, and debt.The 8 th house relates with obstruction, death, darkness or depression.The 12 th house relates to loss, separation, endings.In spite of that, they are also important houses for spiritual growth and if they are strong and well disposed the represent the capacity to practice Yoga and liberate from pain.
The Panapara housesHouses

2,5,8 and 11 are the Panapara or "succedent" houses.Those houses correspond in meaning to the fixed signs, related with stability, preservation, income and material security.Planets placed on these houses are considered moderate in strength.The 8 th house can bring wealth trough inheritances or wills but it is also a dushtana house, capable of bringing negative results as well.
The Apoklima housesHouses

3,6,9 and 12 are called the Apoklima or cadent houses.Planets placed on these houses are considered weak or not very powerful.Those houses correspond in meaning to the dual signs.Among them, the 9 th house is the best since it is also a dharma house and planets placed here are strong and tend to bring god luck.The 12 th house is considered the weakest one and planets placed here have difficulty to express their energy in the material concrete level, but they can be good for the spiritual advancement.
The Maraka houses

The 2 nd and 7 th house are called the Maraka or "killer" houses, and have the capacity to cause death or disease.Usually the death o a person is during the Maha Dasha or Antar dasha and/or transits of a planet placed or associated with those houses or the ruler of those houses.The ruler of the 8 th , 12 th and 3 rd houses or planets placed on those houses are also capable of causing death.