Discover the 12 Houses of the Horoscope: Must-know Astrology Basics
Every birth chart consists of 12 houses in astrology, representing all possible aspects of human life. These houses are also called Bhava in Jyotish. They cover everything from birth and childhood to youth, old age, and even life after death or salvation.
Each of the 12 houses in astrology holds a multitude of meanings and has specific significance, which are explained below:
The First House in Astrology: is called Lagna or Ascendant. It shows the beginning/starting, birth, risen one, physical body, appearance, and sunrise. Sense of identity, character, innate nature, ideals, principles, knowledge (person need not have taken formal education but knows), fame, strength, vigor, health, happiness/unhappiness, head.
Second House in Astrology: Family, family values, extended family, neighbors, accumulated or stored wealth (all kinds of material assets: jewels, paper assets, money, all other objects of material value), food, speech, ethics, capacity to last in sexual acts or sex drive, 2nd marriage, speech, right eye, face, storage things or places, tendency to accumulate, death trap, loss of vitality, master’s level higher education.
Third House in Astrology: Valor, bravery, drive, initiative, vitality, heroism, firmness and patience, courage, younger brothers/sisters, all kinds of written communication, act of sexual union, aggression, advice of mentor or teacher ( updesh), Spiritual teacher’s initiatory instructions (Diksha), short travel, death of father, fall of righteousness (Dharma), right ear, shoulder and hands, bad/disturbing thoughts that provoke aggression.
Fourth House in Astrology: Mother, land, property, house, home, home-country, vehicles, cattle, lower or underworld (patal), childhood friends, relatives, comforts, heart, purity, chastity, happiness, sense of direction in life, musical instruments, formal education (primary), midnight, Kali Gayatri.
Fifth House in Astrology: Power, following, children, subordinates. Special instruments (yantra), sacred sounds (mantra). Retained knowledge, brilliance of brain, abilities, judgment, wisdom, management, organization, planning, loss or gain of kingdom or position. Emotions, people one is emotionally attached to, stomach. Speculation: intelligent analysis of an uncertain situation. This house is called special wealth as it gives blessings in the form of abilities from good works done in past lives.
Sixth House in Astrology: Service, servants, obstacles, overcoming the obstacles, litigations, fights, opposition, enemies, disease (of external origin), accidents, wounds, ulcers, celibacy, separation in marriage, stepmother, younger siblings of mother.
Seventh House in Astrology: Desire in general, sexuality, sexual partners, sensuality, relationships & marriage, business, business partners, the external door of your personality or interaction with others/world, long travel, things vanishing away or stolen away from native, sunset, death, sexual organs.
Eighth House in Astrology: Debts, loans, unearned wealth, inheritance (wealth of dead people), the wealth of partner, gains via lottery, gambling, occult knowledge (all which is not explicable by present-day “natural laws” or beyond ordinary understanding or called mysterious knowledge like Jyotish, palmistry, tantra, clairvoyance, etc..), hidden places/things, secrecy, secret services, secret groups, secret societies, sins, spying, research, transformation, changes, retirement, death/longevity, information about past and future lives, impediments, struggle, disgrace, failure, setback, disappointments, dissatisfaction, disease, uncertainties, trouble, tension, worries, loss of luck or misfortune, forts, fierce battle, holes, hard work, tapasya, toilet or cleansing places, evil (khar), anus or excretory organs, alternative sex, the break of marriage, severe tensions in marriage.
Ninth House in Astrology: Father, teacher, mentor, guide, boss (in the workplace), luck, religiosity, dharma, righteousness, law meritorious deeds, philanthropy, pilgrimages, responsibility, respect for guru/elders, higher education (bachelors level), long travel, place of worship (temple, church, mosque), global vision. This house is also called special wealth and gives blessings from good works done in the past lives.
Tenth House in Astrology: Achievements, success, career, honor, position or rank in profession, heaven.
Eleventh House in Astrology: Income, gains, benefits, profits, elder siblings, friends, friendship, growth, fulfillment of desires.
Twelfth House in Astrology: End, all rehabilitation centers or healing places (hospitals, jails, clinics, mother’s lap for a baby, bedroom, and bed). Bondage, ashrams, monasteries, hostels, donation, expenditure, losses, sharing, compromise, voluntarily giving up something, charity. Humility or humbleness, commitment, bed pleasures (sexual activities). Foreign land, travel to faraway places, travel in space. Meditation, detachment, renunciation, moksha, liberation or independence, emancipation. Feet, left eye, secret enemies. Your astrologer and your life partner (whom you are committed to and with whom you share everything).
The Significance of Bhavas or Houses in Divisional Charts:
In astrology, the significance and meaning of a house become specific in every divisional chart.
For example, the 4th house of the birth chart shows the following things in different divisional charts:
– In the Dwadasamsa chart (D12), the 4th house indicates the mother and happiness derived from parents.
– In the Chaturthamsa chart (D4), it relates to the home or house.
– In the Navamsa kundali (D9) it is associated with matters of the heart, including marriage and happiness.
– In the Shodashamsha chart (D16), it shows aspects pertaining to vehicles and comforts during travel.
In the Siddhamsa chart (D24), the 4th house shows primary level education.
– In the Dasamsa chart (D10), the 4th house indicates comfort and happiness in work, the office, and the direction of one’s karmas.
-While analyzing the Vimsamsa chart (D20), the 4th house from the Atmakaraka planet, shows the path conducive to the spiritual progress of the soul.
– In the Saptamsa chart (D7), the 4th house reflects happiness derived from children.
Categorization of the 12 Houses of Astrology in Groups: Quadrants, Trines, Upchaya, Panaphara, Apoklima, Trik, and Trishday.
♦ The first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses in astrology are called Quadrants, they are Shri Vishnu Sthana. They show effort. The 10th house is considered the strongest quadrant in any birth chart, then comes the 7th house, then the 4th house. Among quadrants, the first house is the weakest of all.
♦ The first, fifth, and ninth houses in astrology are called Trines, they are Lakshmi Sthana. They show the blessings of mother Laxmi. The 9th house is considered the strongest trine in any birth chart, then comes the 5th house, then the 1st house. Among trines, the first house is the weakest of all.
Quadrant and trine house lords, when forming yoga, form auspicious yogas called Laxmi Narayan yogas in Vedic astrology. The ascendant, or 1st house, is both a quadrant and a trine; hence, it is very auspicious.
♦ The third, sixth, tenth and eleventh houses are called Upachaya in Jyotish. They show growth
Watch Astrology Video Lesson on Upachaya.
♦ The second, fifth, eighth and 11th houses are called Panaphara houses in astrology. They are 2nd houses from the 4 quadrant houses.
♦ The third, sixth, ninth and twelfth houses are called Apoklima houses in astrology.
♦ The sixth, eighth and twelfth houses are called Trik Bhavas in Jyotish. These are malefic houses and show difficult and undesirable things in life
♦ The third, sixth and Eleventh houses are called Trishday Bhava in Vedic Astrology. They are functionally malefic houses.
Bhava Karaka of 12 Houses in Astrology: Significator of Houses
Every house in Astrology has at least one fundamental significator or called Bhava Karaka. The Bhava Karaka planet has a fundamental role to play for the house and the things related to the subject matter of the house.
This planet can be present in any house in the horoscope.
The Bhava Karaka or significator planets for the 12 houses in Astrology are as follows:
1st house: Sun
2nd house: Jupiter
3rd house: Mars
4th house: Mars, Moon and Venus
5th house: Jupiter
6th house: Saturn and Mars
7th house: Venus
8th house: Saturn
9th house: Sun, Jupiter
10th house: Sun, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury
11th house: Jupiter
12th house: Saturn
Video Lesson: Bhava Karaka: Planets as significator of 12 Houses from Phaladeepika/भाव कारक ग्रह (फलदीपिका ):
Why are the 3rd, 6th, and 11th houses in astrology called functional malefic houses ?
It is so because, via these houses, crossing the line of rationality & morality and committing Sin is easy. We can lose control and, hence can do offense.
-The 3rd house is Dushikya Sthana. It is the house of courage and first strike. Based on some undesirable feelings, this house can trigger an individual to react strongly and aggressively.
When can take the ill-calculated risk, via the 3rd house. In doing so, we can jeopardize ourselves and others by being unnecessarily bold.
It is also the house of sensuous physical relationships. The sign Gemini is in the 3rd house for Kaal Purusha and it represents the physical union between man & woman in a pure sense. So when, lust overpowers one’s ethics & morality, and when one loses control, one may not know. One can commit sin!
-The 6th house is Shatru sthana. It is for handling enmity & opposition and obstacles. We use this house to completely overcome an enemy or opposition. In anger, when we transform into a ruthless beast, we may not know. We can commit sin!
-The 11th house represents gains and fulfillment of our desires. So when we make our gains the supreme goal, then we give up Dharma and become inconsiderate for others. We can commit sin!
Hence, Jyotish teaches us to handle these circumstances with caution!
Yogakaraka Planet and Badhak houses in Horoscopes:
Yogakaraka is a planet that simultaneously lords a quadrant and a trine in a birth chart. In Jyotish, these two types of house lords form Laxmi Narayan Yoga (an auspicious yoga).
So, because of this special ability to own two auspicious houses, a single planet can give fabulous results, hence the name Yogakaraka.
Yogakaraka planets for various Lagnas are:
-Taurus: Saturn, lording 9th & 10th houses
-Cancer: Mars, lording 5th & 10th houses
-Leo: Mars, lording 4th & 9th houses
-Libra: Saturn, lording 4th & 5th houses
– Aquarius: Venus, lording 4th & 9th houses
Note: unfortunately every Lagna does not have a Yoga karaka planet.
Badhaka means trouble and obstacles.
Every birth chart has 1 house, as badhaka in astrology. The agenda of Badhak is to give us severe problems in our lives. For different Ascendants the Badhaka houses are.
1. For Char Rashi (moveable signs in the ascendant: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn ): The 11th house is Badhaka sthana in astrology
2. Concerning Sthir Rashi (fixed signs in the ascendant: Taurus, Leo, Scorpion, and Aquarius ): The 9th house is Badhaka sthana in Jyotish.
3. For Dwi Swabhav Rashi (dual signs in the ascendant: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces), the 7th house is Badhaka sthana in astrology.
Badhakesh is the lord of the Badhak house in astrology.
Considering this information, the Yogakaraka planets for Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius are also Badhak, hence having some blemishes as well.
However, for Cancer and Libra Ascendants, Mars and Saturn do not have any such blemish, therefore, they are purely beneficial. Further, they both do not have Kendradhipati Dosha as well.
Hence, a well-placed & strong Mars is very auspicious for Cancer Lagna and a well-placed & strong Saturn is very promising for Libra Ascendant.
Learn about all the 9 Planets and Their Characteristics in Astrology: A Complete Guide