What a house is
A house (bhava) is a division of the chart that stands for one area of life. In whole-sign charts the first house is the sign of the Lagna and the others follow in order. A planet placed in a house colours that area, and the planet that rules the sign of that house, called the house lord, shows where its results are directed.
The twelve houses
- 1st: the self, the body, temperament and the general direction of life.
- 2nd: wealth, speech, food and family.
- 3rd: courage, effort, skills, younger siblings and short journeys.
- 4th: home, mother, property, vehicles and inner peace.
- 5th: intellect, children, creativity, education and past merit.
- 6th: work, service, debts, health problems and rivals.
- 7th: marriage, partnership and dealings with the public.
- 8th: upheaval, inheritance, research and hidden matters.
- 9th: fortune, father, teachers, belief and long journeys.
- 10th: career, public standing and action in the world.
- 11th: gains, networks, ambitions and elder siblings.
- 12th: expenses, retreat, sleep, foreign places and letting go.
Classical groupings
Kendra (1, 4, 7, 10) are the angular houses, the pillars of the chart and the places where planets act most visibly. Trikona (1, 5, 9) are the houses of fortune and merit. A link between a kendra lord and a trikona lord is the classical basis of Raja Yoga. Dusthana (6, 8, 12) are the houses of difficulty and effort. Upachaya (3, 6, 10, 11) are the houses that improve with time, which is why malefic planets there are often treated kindly.
How to read one house
- Note the sign on the house and its lord.
- Find which house the lord sits in and whether it is strong or weak.
- List any planets inside the house and whether they are friendly to it.
- Check the same house in the Navamsa or the relevant divisional chart.
- Look at which Dasha is running, since that shows when the house is activated.
The "Graha positions" section of the calculator prints a table of every house with its sign, lord, the house where the lord is placed and the planets inside, so you can follow these steps directly on your own chart.
Jyotish is a traditional interpretive system rather than a science. Use this guide for learning and reflection, not as professional advice.
Next: Vimshottari Dasha explained.