The houses are 12 numbered sections of a horoscope that concern themselves with specific areas of your life.  In a sense the houses represent the worlds greatest cataloging system. Anything you can think of can be assigned to one of the houses by a qualified astrologer. In the houses of a horoscope you will find the planets. Each planet must apply its energy to the house in which it is found and it must do this in the manner of the sign in which it is located. Below is a very brief description of the meaning of the houses.

Whatever began at the ascendant will be carried to the top of the chart. This will represent its highest achievement. This point is called the midheaven or M.C. which stands for Medium Coeli and is the second most powerful point in the chart. The top of the chart represents the aim in life, accomplishments, status, honor and reputation of what began at the ascendant. From there the planets begin their descent through the horoscope and will soon be in a position where they disappear from our view as they cross the descendant in the west. The descendant is opposite the ascendant and represents the opposite of you, which is of course others. All others. Because it is the opposite of you it is also what you lack in yourself and need to be complete. As such it represents your partners, both business and personal. Ever hear the phrase "opposites attract?"  As far as a horoscope is concerned they most certainly do. From this point the planets set until they reach the bottom of the horoscope achieving the next major step in their journey around the horoscope. This bottom point is called the Nadir or IC which stands for Imum Coeli and concerns itself with your roots and foundations. This is the sector dealing with your home and all that it implies such as family and domesticity.  It is also the opposite of the midheaven which represents achievement. It therefor represents the end of those achievements and the very beginnings of new ones. Here is the home and family, land, roots and foundations and beginnings and endings. The planets will then continue their travels and start the journey over again at the ascendant. The Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Nadir are called the cardinal points and are by far the most powerful and important points in every horoscope. But there are not four points or houses, there are twelve houses. Our astrology class will tell you why there are twelve and will teach you the meaning of each of them in great detail.

On a very simplistic level, if Venus the planet of love and beauty was located in your sixth house then you would love (Venus) the things associated with it. Things like your work and coworkers. You would probably enjoy taking classes that improved your job skills and could make important friends and meet your lovers on the job. You would probably take steps to beautify your work environment by decorating your job space and would have a flair for stylish clothing and a deep love of pets which are all sixth house matters. So, as you can see, learning to read a horoscope is not particularly difficult and is something that anyone can learn.

The Houses of The Horoscope

Imagine that you are standing in the center of the horoscope and all the stars are moving in a clock-wise motion around you due to the daily rotation of the earth. Everything is rising in the east at the ascendant, coming to the top of the chart and then setting in the west at the descendant.  In each twenty four hour day every planet will complete one revolution around the horoscope because the earth will have completed one rotation. Everything around you is born or comes into being as it rises above the horizon. This point is called the ascendant and is the most powerful point in a horoscope as it concerns itself directly with you.