Here, you will learn about what the First House means in astrology and how to interpret it in your birth chart.
The First House in Astrology
Keywords for the 1st House in Astrology
The birth chart is split into 12 different houses, each house with its own meaning. When reading a birth chart, we can think of the planets as what the energy is, zodiac signs as how the energy is portrayed, and the houses as the setting where it plays out. A Cancer Sun in the 5th house (love, pleasure, romance, hobbies, youth) could come off much differently than someone with their Cancer Sun in the 8th house (death, loss, shared resources, debt, taxes).
Before we get into what the first house represents, let’s establish some ground rules. Some astrology apps like Co-star will only list the houses that you have planets in, which can lead people to assume that they don’t have other houses. This is not accurate. It’s important to know that every person on Earth has all 12 houses in their birth charts, even if there are no planets there. There will always be at least one “empty” house in every chart. After all, there are only 10 planets and 12 zodiac signs.
Even empty houses have great significance in your birth chart. You can gain a lot of knowledge about that house topic simply by following its ruler. Take the 7th house for example, the house of the “other.” Say your 7th house was in Gemini, a sign ruled by Mercury. You would then take a look and see what Mercury is up to in your chart to get an idea of how intimate partnerships play out in your life. The house and sign that the ruling planet is in, as well as the aspects it makes, can tell a colorful story of an otherwise empty house.
When I read a birth chart, one of the first things I look at is the ruler of the ascendant (rising sign). Where the planet is located, its aspects, and general condition can tell us quite a lot about the chart-holder’s identity.
And that brings us to the first house. The first house is where your rising sign is. Your ascendant / rising sign is unique to you. Traditionally, people would look at the ascendant in the same way that we talk about sun signs today. That’s because while your sun sign is based off of what time of year you were born, and your moon sign is based on what time of month you were born, your ascendant is based on the literal minute and location of your birth. You’d need to know your birth time to get the exact degree of your ascendant, but it takes about 2 hours for the ascendant to fully change signs. So, you may still be able to figure out what your rising sign is without the exact birth time, as long as you have a general idea of what hour it was.
Beyond being the home of the ascendant, there are a few other things that make the first house so important. Firstly, it is an angular house, along with the 4th house, 7th house, and 10th house. These are the “action” houses of your birth chart. You’ll definitely be able to feel the impact of planets in these houses in your life, whether in your natal chart or in transit. Don’t even talk to me about how Pluto’s been transiting my 1st house since 2008. It’s a rough subject.
Another reason to pay attention to the first house is because it dictates the sequence of the signs in the rest of your houses. We can count from the sign of the first house to figure out where the other houses fall. The astrological order of the zodiac is: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
Say two babies are born on the same day and location during a Pisces moon. One is an Aquarius rising, the other a Scorpio rising. Using the whole sign house system, we can tell that the Aquarius rising baby has their moon in the 2nd house. This is because Pisces is the 2nd sign from Aquarius. Aries would be their 3rd house, Taurus their 4th, etc. The other baby was born a few hours earlier and is a Scorpio rising. In this case, their Pisces moon would fall in their 5th house.
Here you can start to see how truly unique each birth chart is to the individual, all based on the first house.
The First House is the house of identity. As the first house is the start of your chart, we can look at it to understand the very foundation of who you are. The first house encompasses your beginnings, the impression you leave on others, your general approach to the world, and even your physical appearance.
First House placements are often on a journey of self-discovery in one way or another. These people want to embrace their individuality, honor their independence, and understand themselves as much as they can. If you have prominent placements in the first house, your focus is on your growth. You could be extremely self-aware, or go through life circumstances that force you to gain a better understanding of self. The goal here is to maintain a solid sense of identity to carry with you throughout your lifetime.
As a first house stellium myself (that means I have multiple planets in my first house), I can attest that self-exploration has been a core theme throughout my life.
The zodiac sign of your first house can shape how this plays out. An Aries rising with first house placements may present as bold, competitive, and impulsive in the way they express their identity. On the other hand, a Capricorn rising with first house placements could come across as more reserved, but committed to achieving success in accordance with their personal standards.
As always, remember that these are archetypical descriptions and each birth chart will differ based on what other factors are at play.
As with all things, there are strengths and weaknesses that can be found in the first house. Positive expressions of first house placements can include self-awareness, introspection, confidence, and independence. Negative expressions of the first house could show up as someone egotistical, arrogant, or distrusting of others. Many First Houser’s feel that they’re at their best when they’re able to go at it alone.
Planets in the First House
Sun
Moon
Venus
Mercury
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
How To Interpret Your First House in Astrology
Now that you understand what the First House in astrology means and why it is important, you can look to your own birth chart to see what your First House says about you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you are beginning to interpret your first house:
1. What is my rising sign? What meaning does that zodiac sign have?
This first step is simple enough. Start by learning what the zodiac sign of your first house means, and think about how those traits are tied into your sense of identity, beginnings, and general approach to the world. So if you are a Sagittarius rising, reflect on how the qualities of freedom, adventure, optimism, and truth relate to how you portray yourself to the world.
2. What is that sign’s ruling planet? What meaning does that planet have?
Each zodiac sign has a ruling planet. As mentioned previously, the ruling planet of your rising sign is called your “chart ruler,” and thus carries great importance in your natal chart.
There are a couple of different methods for understanding sign rulership. Traditionally, only 5 planets and the luminaries (sun and moon) were considered – Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. In modern astrology, the planets of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are also incorporated and assigned co-rulership to the zodiac signs. I am partial to traditional astrology myself so I don’t usually use the outer planets as sign rulers, but there is no right or wrong method to use.
In traditional astrology, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, the moon rules Cancer, the sun rules Leo, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces, and Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. Everything is the same in modern astrology except Uranus rules Aquarius, Pluto rules Scorpio, and Neptune rules Pisces.
Regardless of which method you choose, you can use the governing planet to better understand the characteristics of your rising sign. So if you are a Taurus rising, reflect on the traits associated with Venus. Think of what beauty, pleasure, love, and aesthetics mean to you. This is the energy that is guiding your ascendant.
3. What house and sign is my ruling planet in?
Now that we know what your chart ruler is, let’s find out where it’s located in your chart. Start with the house theme, then the zodiac sign it’s in.
Let’s say you’re a Capricorn rising, with Saturn in Pisces in the third house. You will first need to understand what the third house represents, and then what Pisces represents. Mix those definitions together with the meaning of Saturn, and you should have a clearer idea of what is influencing your First House / ascendant traits.
Taking this example, the third house in astrology represents self-expression, writing, thinking, communication, siblings, and short-distance travel. Pisces can represent empathy, intuition, and dreams. Thus, we could conclude that a Cap rising with this Saturn placement would have a more open, compassionate, imaginative flair to their Capricorn traits, compared with the seriousness typically associated with the Capricorn zodiac sign. We could also expect to see these traits become most apparent in the way you think and communicate, especially those within your immediate environment. The potential outcomes of this are many and depend on the rest of the birth chart, but one way we could see this placement pan out is someone who is a spiritual teacher, or perhaps a fantasy author.
4. What is the condition of my ruling planet?
This step is for those who are more advanced in astrology. Not all planets are created equal in the birth chart. Some get a little extra help based on their position, and some have a harder time completing their mission. Interpreting the planet’s essential dignity and the aspects the planet is involved in can give you a lot more context on how that planet operates. If your ruling planet is in fall, or is encountering a lot of squares or oppositions, the energy could feel less easily accessible to you at times.
5. Are there any other planets in my first house?
Lastly, look to see if there are any other planets in your first house. All of these planets are important and can influence the energy of your first house, but especially the planets that are closest to your ascendant degree. Take note of the meanings associated with these planets, and any aspects those planets are making as well.
Now you know how to understand the First House in your birth chart! Leave a comment with your First House placements!
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