Friday, November 30, 2012

Astrological Houses: The Eleventh House in Brief

The Ninth House was concerned with the authority of concepts and ideas already respected by the world, but the Eleventh House is purely concerned with the authority of concepts and ideas that are proposed by you and/or by the people with whom you identify. You are most likely to identify with your friends, so friends fall under the influence of the Eleventh astrological House. You probably socialize and even party with your friends, so both of these ideas are controlled by this house. And socializing with your friends generally makes you feel good about who you are. Associating with people who accept us for who we are right now is another aspect of the Eleventh House.

Many times (though certainly not all the time) our friends are made up of people who either share goals with us or have similar careers or areas of study. Sometimes these friends aren't exactly close friends, but we can gain a lot just from our associations. Because of this, the concepts of clubs, groups, and unions of people with common goals come under the roof of the Eleventh House. From the idea of goals we come to hopes and wishes, both individually and as a group.

The Eleventh House in astrology symbolizes individuals with ideas of their own (by themselves or in groups) trying to perfect their independent viewpoints so they may one day become authorities themselves. It is here we see the connection to both the Ninth and Tenth Houses through the idea of the strong authority figure. In reality, those with independent viewpoints are generally considered eccentrics or geniuses (or both). The Eleventh House contains the same creative spirit as the Fifth House (which is its opposite on the house wheel), but there is an important difference. The creativity expressed by the Eleventh astrological House is not expressed for its own sake. Instead, it is the spirits of invention harnessed for the good of the group. So art may fall under the control of the Fifth House, but invention, especially if that invention benefits a large group of people, is connected to the Eleventh House.

Independent viewpoints lead us to the idea of abstract thought, which becomes a necessary tool to be used when we have the desire to invent something. We must be able to envision that which has never existed before. This process naturally evolves into creative mutations that are only possible if we dare to dream of a future that has not yet come to pass. This, of course, is science in its purest form, so science is linked to this astrological house.

A consideration of science will eventually bring us back to astrology. We come full circle and acknowledge that the Eleventh House rules astrology and its associated ideas. Through our knowledge of what energies are at work inside us and inside those people who are members of the groups we belong to, we may best accomplish our own goals.

The Eleventh House is ruled by the planet Uranus and the sign Aquarius.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Astrological Houses: The Ninth House in Brief

The Ninth House in astrology represents the authority of concepts and ideas that are respected by the world. This is not like the Tenth House (though the two are sometimes confused) since the Tenth House is connected to the idea of power through the personal interaction. When an authority figure from the Tenth astrological House tries to influence us, there are usually several other factors involved which encourage us to take this influence seriously. With the Ninth House, however, authority is only important because we know it can make an impression on others. This causes us to seek out authority for ourselves.

Many things fall under the control of the Ninth House. With concepts and ideas being so strongly connected to this house, it comes as no surprise that the widespread dissemination of knowledge also falls under this heading. This naturally leads us to the ideas of both publishing and broadcasting (in their many forms). You might look at this from a different angle and determine that propaganda and truth are connected to the Ninth House as well. What we know to be true and the concept of propaganda may seem unrelated, but they are really just different ways of spreading information. Of course, information leads us to the ideas of education and teaching.

Consider the idea of authority for a moment and you may find yourself considering the concepts of justice and law. These two things must exist within the framework of the culture that gives rise to their existence. And so we arrive at customs, which have to be considered when creating laws if you want to maintain any semblance of order. Customs leads to the concepts of philosophy and religion, which brings us directly to spiritual values, all of which are under the control of the Ninth House.

But there are even more aspects to the Ninth House. Travel is one of the many ways to expand your knowledge and is basically the opposite of broadcasting. You go and see the world instead of bringing the world to you. While traveling, you will encounter new customs, religions, and philosophies. This could change your perspective, adding another dimension to the Ninth astrological House. Altering your perspective is one way of gaining appreciation and tolerance for those things that make us different from each other. This is the final phase of the Ninth House.

The Ninth House is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is associated with the sign Sagittarius.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Astrological Houses: The Fifth House in Brief

The Fifth House is connected with the creativity that enables you to have an impact on the world around you. But this house is highly influenced by both the Third and Fourth Houses. The knowledge of existing facts and techniques (which was learned from the Third House) is combined with the security of the Fourth House. This enables you to take a chance and bring your own ideas of what should exist in your reality into being. The Fifth House rules imagination, and imagination can result in creations of all kinds. Since creation is associated with the Fifth House, children also become connected to this particular astrological house.

Think about both children and artistic creations for a moment. Both of these things are (or should be) created for their own sake. You create them to satisfy yourself, not for monetary gain or status (in a perfect world, anyway). After you have brought these things into being, you put them out into the world, letting them go. You raise children to be independent enough to exist without you. You put an artistic work out there for the world to see and just let it go. This leads us to the concepts of growing up and performing, which then leads us to the notion of entertainment. All these things ares ruled by the Fifth House of astrology.

But it doesn't stop there. The Fifth House is the house of sports, fun, games, and even romantic love, for all these things are a type of performing in one sense. Of course, these things also contain an element of risk, bringing risk under the umbrella of this far-reaching house. The idea of taking a chance brings us naturally to gambling. And because investing is a more socially respectable form of gambling, it also belongs here.

The Fifth House is ruled by the Sun and the astrological sign of Leo.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Astrological Houses: The Third House in Brief

The Third House is connected to the Fourth House by more than just proximity. The Fourth House represented your home, but the Third House is associated with all the ways that you and your home are connected to the outside world. You could say that the Third House in astrology represents your neighborhood.

The Fourth house is nurturing, but doesn't reflect the reality of the outside world. The Third House, on the other hand, prepares us for experiences that occur outside the home and without a safety net. On occasion, the Third House may represent neighbors, but only if you interact with these neighbors regularly. Most of the time, this house is considered to be the house of relatives because you interact with these people on a regular basis.

Actions ruled by the Third House include short trips to visit relatives, neighbors, and local businesses. The communication of information and techniques that are a result of these trips are also connected to this astrological house. Conversations, reading, and writing are also Third House matters as they reinforce the principle of making connections with the world around you. So the Third House is also considered to be the house of connections.

The Third House rules reading and writing, which leads naturally to the idea of basic education. Teaching and learning are ruled by this house, and the planets and signs in our Third House will reveal how we feel about both education and communication in general.

The Third House is ruled by the planet Mercury and the sign Gemini.