Learn Astrology > Houses & Angles in Your Natal Chart or Horoscope
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In this step 4 of the learn astrology guide to your natal chart, you will discover what houses and angles are and what they mean in your horoscope.
Houses in Astrology
The houses in astrology are twelve divisions of the natal chart or horoscope, numbered from one to twelve, representing the where of astrology. The positions of the planets in the astrological houses in relation to the place of birth, tells us what areas of life these planetary energies will predominatly express themselves.
Angles in Astrology
The four angles in astrology function as orientation points of the houses. The ascendant or ASC, marks the eastern horizon at the moment of birth, and the descendant or DSC, the western. The midheaven or MC, marks the highest point the Sun travels around the natal chart or horoscope and the Imun Coeli or IC, the opposite.
| Glyph | 
Ascendant or Rising Sign
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|---|---|
| Keywords | Self-awareness, appearance, individuality, boundaries, meeting |
The ascendant (ASC) or rising sign is the zodiac sign that was rising over the horizon at the moment of birth. It is positioned on the cusp of the 1st house. It is the sheild or the face a person presents to the world to protect their inner sun-sign. It is what they appear to be to the outside world rather than what they truely are. The ascendant also describes how well someones defined their personal boundaries, the negative signs tend to have weaker ones than the positive ones.
| Glyph | 
Descendant
|
|---|---|
| Keywords | Awareness of others, interaction, relationship urge, commitment, intimacy, cooperation |
The descendant (DES) marks the western horizon at the moment of birth. It is the point on journey around the houses where an individual reaches out to other people and represents relationships; interaction and cooperation. This also includes the capacity for commitment and intimacy and the need to come to terms with being part of a couple.The zodiac sign on the descendant in the natal chart or horoscope reveals how this is achieved.
| Glyph | 
Midheaven
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|---|---|
| Keywords | External self, career, ambition, recognition |
The midheaven or MC, marks the highest point on the horizon at the moment of birth and marks the point on the journey around the houses where someone is packaged for the outside world. The MC symbolizes striving and the pursuit for success and describes how someone pursues recognition therefore is linked to career choices.
| Glyph | 
Imum Coeli
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|---|---|
| Keywords | Home, security, origins, inner self |
The Imum Coeli or IC is opposite of MC. It symbolizes basic security and describes a persons family and home and is also where self-destructive patterns originate.
Houses and The Planets
By looking at which houses the planets lie in the natal chart or horocope, we can see which areas will be the focus of the individuals life. This is not to say that nothing will happen if there are no planets in a house, it's just these areas are less emphasised. The houses say where the energy forces represented by a planet will manifest in ones life. For example with a person having mars in the 4th house. Here a persons strength, as represented by the placement of Mars, will manifest predominantly in the area of life of the home, as represented by the 4th house.
Houses and The Zodiac
The 12 houses in astrology have a natural correspondance to each of the 12 signs of the zodiac and their associated elements, modes, polarities and planetary rulers. The 1st house is a positive cardinal fire house ruled by planet Mars, the 2nd house is a negative fixed earth house rulled by Venus and so on.
How Houses are Calculated
Astrologers use several methods to calculate houses in a natal chart. The division between houses is known as the cusp. In the equal house system, each house takes up a 30 degree segment of a natal chart or horoscope. The MC may fall on the 9th, 10th or 11th house according to when and where the birth took place. In the quadrant system which includes placidus (the system used by Astrology Yard), the house divisions are unequal and can include upto three zodiac signs and the MC always falls on the cusp of the 10th house.
You can learn more about each house in astrology below and from the corresponding pages in this section.
Journey Around the Astrological Houses
The journey around the astrological houses is a journey from beginnings to endings. It starts in the 1st house, at which time something emerges which could be anything from an idea to a person. It then travels anti-clockwise through each house in turn gaining experience and momentum, undergoing a symbolic change until it returns to it's original position, it's energy waning ready for something new to emerge. Truly it is the journey of a human being from birth to death, incorporating all the many wonderful and tragic experiences along the way from childhood, work and play to contact with others, moving to community and finally unity.
William Blake wrote the poem; "From Innocence to Experience". This is the human journey of a child being born, having his life experiences and returning back to where he came from, but no longer with innocence but with all the experience he has reaped along the way. "We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." Little Gidding, T.S.Elliot. This is the journey we all know and have to take. It is the call to adventure, the journey and the return with all the gifts we bring home.
In the; "Lord of The Rings", the classic tale of the hero, the book starts with the innocence of the shire and it ends with our adventurers coming back home to the shire but now as different people with all the experiences and adventures and memories they earnt along the way. This is the human journey and truly it is shown by the trip around the astrological houses.
1st house
The ascendant and the 1st house, is the emergence of something seemingly from nothing. It could be the birth of a baby, with all the hope and dreams and innocence that come with it.
2nd house
The 2nd house and the ascendant are very much to do with the individual and their self expression. In the 2nd house, the person takes form and establishes itself.
3rd house
In the 3rd house, the person develops their mind.
4th house
The 4th house, the lowest point in the houses, related to a persons roots and family. In the 4th house, the person establishes his feelings.
5th house
The first five houses are very much more self-centred. Someone cannot give of themselves until they are established in themselves and know what it is they can do. In the 5th house, this person discovers and hones his unique talents and abilities in the world.
6th house
In the 6th house, the focus of a person turns outwards to serving the community in which they find themselves in, or at the very least towards making a living to get by.
7th house
The descendant, the opposite point to the ascendant, is the beginning of the time when feedback is given from the outside world. The focus of the 7th house, is about relationships. In the 7th house, the person encounters the other.
8th house
In the 8th house, there is transformation through a deep encounter with some one else and their values.
9th house
In the 9th house, the person puts all that he has learned so far into a greater context and searches for an overall meaning to what he has experienced.
10th house
The 10th house is to do with being out in the public eye. In the 10th house, the person stands out in public often through their career.
11th house
In the 11th house, the person becomes involved with groups and friends and shares ideals and visions.
12th house
The 12th house is to do with surrendering to the universality of all things. In the final 12th house, the person withdraws ready for the twilight of his life, yet with all his memories and achievements.
As you can see, the journey around the houses is a journey from self awakening of the individual, having their experiences in the world, to eventually returning all this back into the collective consciousness.