* Interpretive Guidelines for Understanding House Placements :-
I have found the following four guidelines to be extraordinarily reliable in understanding birth charts and the individuals' lives reflected in these charts.
a) The houses show where one's attention is drawn. The more planets in a house. the more attention must be paid to that field of experience in one's life.
b) The houses show where one most naturally focuses one’s energies. One expresses the enemy of a planet in the activities and experiences related to the house in which it is located.
EXAMPLE: Venus in the 4th house. One most naturally expresses the emotional and love energy of Venus in private surroundings and in experiences related to domestic, family. or parental matters. The urge for pleasure and social comfort is most easily expressed in one‘s private life and in one's own home.
c) The house placement of a planet shows where one most immediately confronts the dimension of experience symbolized by that planet.
EXAMPLE: Venus in the 4th house. One most immediately confronts the experience of love and emotional sharing through private activities, establishing a family, or pursuing soul development.
d) The house placement of a planet shows where one naturally seeks to fulfill the needs symbolized by that planet.
EXAMPLE: Mercury in the 7th house. One seeks to fulfill one’s intellectual and communication needs through close relationships and in various partnerships.
* Interpretive Guidelines for Each Planets House Position :-
Using the following guidelines in a one-to-one in-person dialogue (rather than in a traditional one-sided astrological “'reading") will enable both people to experience a surprising joint session of discovery.
Whatever house the SUN is in, it is there that one most immediately experiences one's essential self and creative essence. This field of experience vitalizes the person and is essential to one’s sense of well-being.
Whatever house the MOON is in. it is there that one looks for emotional fulfillment, emotional security, and a sense of comfort. In this field of experience. one will most immediately experience a sense of belonging and a more stable and clear self-image.
Whatever house MERCURY is in, it is there that one most immediately experiences the meaning of real communication; in this field of experience, the intellect is constantly active. One may need a regular exchange of mental energy with other people in order to achieve clarity in this area of life.
Whatever house VENUS is in, it is theme that one looks for pleasure, contentment, and happiness. It is in this field of experience that one can sham one’s self and one’s affectionate feelings, and can develop a deeper sense of appreciation for others, as well as a feeling of being appreciated by others.
Whatever house MARS is in, it is there that one can tune in most immediately to one's assertiveness, courage. and capacity for initiative. It is this field of experience that is crucial to maintaining one's physical energy and health; ideally, activities in this area of life give one energy and stimulate one to rekindle the motivation to strive.
Whatever house JUPITER is in, it is there that one can most immediately experience faith, trust, and hope for the future. In this field of experience one can most easily develop an optimistic awareness of one's capacity for growth and self-improvement.
Whatever house SATURN is in, it is there that one can experience stability, structure, deep satisfaction, and meaning in life. In this area of life, one must work and take on responsibility, and accept pressure as a necessary molding of one’s character. This house invariably represents a field of experience that is especially important to the person.
Whatever house URANUS is in. it is there that one can most immediately experience one's uniqueness, originality. genius. objectivity, and need for excitement. In this area of life, one expresses oneself freely and intuitively, inventively and experimentally. Also, in this house one can tune into issues that concern society at large and contribute to positive changes in the world.
Whatever house NEPTUNE is in, it is there that one can experience most directly the reality of the non-material, the mystical, the transcendent. and the inspiring. It is there that one can most readily tap into a steam of imagination, as well as where one will habitually try to escape from routine. oppressive, uninspiring conditions. This house can in some cases give you a clue to what type of experiences can help you to spiritualize and refine your life. It is also the house where one may idealize things excessively.
Whatever house PLUTO is in, it is there that one experiences thorough transformation in one’s attitudes and in the expression of what had been deeply compulsive habit patterns. One usually has a particularly deep and thorough approach in this field of experience, and confronting this area of life honestly and bluntly can contribute toward the evolution of one's consciousness.
* A Crucial Point for Interpretive Houses :-
One should note that planets that are conjunct a house cusp within 6° on either side of the cusp, should be regarded as strongly in that particular house. For example. if one’s 5th house cusp is 24° Sagittarius and one has Venus at 18° of Sagittarius, Venus is conjunct the 5th cusp. Although most traditional astrologers would interpret that placement exclusively as a 4th house Venus, this old approach assumes that houses are discrete little boxes of life activity that abruptly start and finish. However, experience teaches that the houses are fields of experience like fields of energy-that slowly develop, peak, and then drop off in strength.
Perhaps the most important application of this interpretive guideline is the proper understanding of conjunctions to the horizon line of the chart-that is. when a planet is conjunct either the Ascendant or Descendant. I cannot count the number of times I have heard people say, often in a confused tone of voice. things like: “I have e um house Mars, but it acts like a first house planet"; or, “I don’t have anything in the 7th house, although Saturn is in the 6th only 4° from the 7th cusp. and a 7th house Saturn would make sense if you look at my life.” One might say here that. if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. it probably is a duck. These people do have a first house Mars and a 7th house Saturn!
Any planet which conjuncts the Ascendant or Descendant within 6° should be considered a fist or a seventh house planet. That planet therefore represents a dimension of experience that is profoundly important. and sometimes even dominant. in the individual’s entire outlook on life. Likewise, any planet conjunct the Midheaven (also called the MC. which is the tenth house cusp in most house systems) or its opposite point. the IC, also has an important impact on motivation, reputation, security. parental influence. and so on-all of the tenth and fourth house matters. This will be true even if the planet is apparently in the third or ninth house, so long as it is within 6° of the MC or IC .
* Interpretive Guidelines for the Sign on the House Cusps :-
The signs on the succedent and cadent house cusps are parts of an interrelated system that can provide insight in much the same way that the signs on the four angular house cusps [1. 4. 7, 10) can. However. the signs on the non-angular cusps are not as prominent or noticeable in the personality (unless they contain planets). and should not be over-emphasized in interpretation. In general, one can rely on the following guidelines for practical chart interpretation. always keeping in mind that a house cusp near the beginning or end of a sign may in fact fall in a different sign if a different house system is used or if the birth time is even a few minutes from accurate! This is yet another reason to be cautious and moderate in using the signs on the cusps in interpretation. In general. it is best to focus on the houses where planets are located, rather than attributing too much importance to empty houses or signs on cusps as isolated interpretive factors.
a) The sign on a cusp shows the approach to and attitude toward the field of experience symbolized by that house.
EXAMPLES: Libra on the 6th house cusp. One approaches in a balanced way the process of learning through experience in all material affairs. The person with Libra on the 6th cusp quickly senses and attempts to harmonize any discord in the work situation or in one's own health.
Taurus on the 11th house cusp. One approaches the search for social and intellectual security by maintaining steadiness and a firm grip on reality. One feels more intellectually secure through the knowledge that a physical, tangible reality does exist. Socially. one seeks security through steadfast loyalty shared with others.
b) The sign on a cusp shows the qualities of experience related to that house’s field of experience and the specific energies activated by that scope of activity.
EXAMPLE: Pisces on the 2nd house cusp. One's experience with material security often can take on an elusive or confusing quality. No matter how practice] the person may be otherwise, the experience of having secure material resources always contains some element of idealism or doubt. Seemingly, the person is learning to let go of a sense of control in this area.
