Astrology is like movement. It takes place in time, forever moving, forever changing. The natal chart is itself a still picture of the heavens at the moment of your birth but it is forever subject to the eternal motion of the planets. We have the power to take that moment which is uniquely ours and use those energies to transform ourselves and those around us.

What I love about astrology is that there is always so much to discover. I still look at my birth chart with awe, as if seeing it for the first time. So many things come to light as life goes on and each astrologer will look at a natal chart from a different point of view. Some will see energy. Some will see house placements. Some will see signs. Some will see planetary aspects. Some will just get a feeling. To me, astrology is a navigational tool, much as a mariner would use a compass or an astrolabe.

Perhaps I feel that way because I have what is called “Neptune rising.” There are 12 houses in the Zodiac. Each one represents a different aspect of the development of the individual. The sign ruling the first house is called the ascendant, or rising sign. And any planet dwelling in the first house is said to be a rising planet. It is by the nature of the first house that we are born. Where our first impulse comes. How other people first see us. Our personality. First impressions. The way we immediately approach life. With “Neptune rising,” or Neptune dwelling in the first house, I get a feel for things. I react rather than act. I navigate through life. In contrast, a person with Mars rising, or Aries ruling the first house, would enter fighting. Act rather than react. Their first impulse would be to “go for it.”

In the Zodiac, houses one through six deal with the development of the self. Houses seven through twelve deal with our relationship to others.

The sixth house

The sixth house, one of my favorites, is the final house of the development of the self. If this development is not completed, we cannot move into the seventh house where me meet the “Other.” Traditionally the sixth house rules such things as health, service, work, and apprenticeship. You may think of these areas of life as mundane, but it is in the domain of the sixth house where we build our boundaries by accepting our limitations. It is only through accepting these limitations that we can move into relationship. After all, do we really see another person as they truly are? Who among us knows where “I” end and “You” begin?

The sign of Virgo rules the archetypal sixth house. And so I have really come to appreciate Virgos because of the clarity of their self-image. It is stunning. Watch a Virgo woman put on her make up; choose jewelry to match the impeccable outfit she wears. This strong sense of boundary is the path for the Virgo. Sometimes Virgos are considered critical. But think of “critical” as “discriminating.” Think of critical as making clear choices. Setting boundaries. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in its appreciation of detail. Now I’m sure there will be those of you who think “But I have a Virgo friend who is so sloppy!” For these Virgos the path becomes even clearer. Their task is present and immediate. Boundaries.

The Seventh House

Once we enter into the seventh house, we are in the realm of relationship, and the sign of Libra. Librans are always thinking “We.” They need to be around “Others.” So the seventh house of the zodiac, which is archetypally ruled by the sign of Libra, is where we read the partner. What type of partner do we seek? How do we relate to that person, and what does that person look like? What is their personality type? The seventh house will hold the key to this information.

Please note that each chart is so complex and there are combinations of many influences that determine our experience of life. I will stop here for now with my thoughts on the houses of the Zodiac.

For now, just think about yourself for a minute and wonder what your first house might be like? What kind of an impression do you make? How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you? Then think about the seventh house, and the kind of people you are attracted to. Now think about your sixth house, and how far along you are in accepting your own limitations. We all have them; just a thought for those of you who are beginning your journey into astrology.

For more information, please email Regine Urbach at ClearDestiny@totallywholistic.com

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