Part 1: Balancing the Houses of Life
Long before my interests in Astrology, I took up the habit of studying other people. I have always been able to detach myself from many intense or controversial situations and be amused somewhat by human behavior. As far back as I can remember I had a genuine interest in caring for other people and understanding what made them tick. As psychology is an accepted science in the world, I tried to match up disturbed behavior patterns in others with a psychological origin. I felt an overwhelming need, even as a child, to heal others by getting to the heart of a matter to take away their pain.
I have often heard many times the proclamation of, "Your life is based upon the decisions that you make." I agreed, yes, it must be true. Then I started to think on my own. Did every child with cancer coming into this world make the choice to suffer? I suppose many who believe we are somehow able to choose a suffering prior to this lifetime in order to further our spiritual goals while on Earth, would agree that perhaps those that suffer in this lifetime could be fulfilling their chosen or "karmic" paths. I am not adverse to this theory. Jesus himself suffered for a spiritual growth in this physical world that released so much power through physical sacrifice, that He opened the gates of hell and crossed into the protection of the Father, saving the world from death should they choose him as a gateway. In many of my own physical sufferings, I have found greater insight and have been able to help others with a greater compassion.
As I got older, I wondered on. What of the things we could change? I always trusted my gut instinct to guide me. You know, the spiritual peacefulness that you feel inside when all things are right or the overwhelming aching if things are wrong; the sixth sense as some would call it. However, when you are short on certain life experiences, hind sight is often twenty-twenty. I would learn later in life that it is possible for "gut instincts" to become distorted over-sensitized reactions due to trauma in the chart that throws life completely out of balance. Restoring balance to the chart that has been under trauma, is a must in order for our inner compasses to work properly.
In my mid twenties, when I first truly began studying Astrology, I was amazed at the understanding of house placements, and how the simplicity of understanding the significance of a transiting planet to an astrological house (or subject area) could provide so much guidance in my life. I began to watch the transits of the people closest to me; family and friends. I wondered at how even though some endured similar transits to the same house, each had the subjects manifest in a different way. For example, why did some who had Neptune ( planet of spirituality, illusion and escapism) in the 1st house (self, role in relationships) enjoy a great spiritual awakening, or found Jesus, while others found heroin? While I knew that Neptune was an influence in which spiritualism and escapism both abound, how odd that an influential transit that could bring increased spiritual growth especially in the first house of self which could benefit the individual a great deal in fulfilling their spiritual purpose, could also turn someone into a drug addict? I mean, Jesus and drug addicts side by side felt under the same influence? I further observed those with transits to their relationship sectors behave differently as well. I watched how their own free will would make some stay through a difficult situation of abuse, yet others victimized themselves so much in mild situations of misunderstanding with their partners that they decided to end the relationship. I saw some make great decisions. A friend of mine, was very good at being strong within her relationships and had a gentle stern way of never letting anything get out of hand. She seemed to understand the reasoning of give and take within the relationship. She also understood when it was time to leave the relationship.
It didn't take me long to realize ( and I would learn later as I studied Electional Astrology more in depth) that the reason some made the best decisions they could make in difficult times vs. those who became overly overwhelmed and made less than great decisions, fell in the opposite side of the axis in the zodiac. Those who had become escapist in one way or another with Neptune in the first, were severely lacking the skills found to relate to others as reflected in the house of relationships across the zodiac. Often their parents had provided little support, and their relationships with their partners fell into the same pattern of abuse. Wherever I found the opposite house weighed down with Chaos, I found the bad decision made in the opposite sign and house subject area. There are so many ways that this scenario of imbalance in the chart plays out in our lives: home vs. career, lack of education affecting communication, destructive emotions causing health problems, confinement or jail time affecting daily routines, sedentary lifestyle vs. work and health, children vs. our social lives...the list could go on. Of course, when we look to the planet or planets making aspects to the houses of our charts, we see how these situations are manifesting because of the imbalance or the type of lesson we must face to bring the houses back into balance.
I am not discrediting the importance of the transiting planets relationship to our natal planets. After all, in Astrology, there are many ways to put a magnifying glass to detail. Humor me for a moment, while I show an example metaphorically with numbers. Suppose you need to serve four place settings for dinner at a traditional dinner table that seats eight. You do know that others may join the group, but you are only certain of the four places needed. There are different ways in which you could divide the number four. You could sit three on one side of the table, and one on the other. You could arrange two on one side, one at the head and one at the other. You realize all of the possibilities, but in order for the conversation to flow smoothly, you find the simplest way is just to seat two on each side. That way if any guest are to join, the foundation for a successful conversation over dinner is already in place. In Astrology, there are many possibilities, but without the recognition of maintaining balance, we cannot begin to understand how to achieve the best outcomes.
I do realize that there are many other transits affecting the natal chart that add criteria to situations that both minimize and maximize the importance of details in certain situations and will discuss their weight in the houses in the next article. However, the beauty is this: If we use the house system as a guide to develop balance before heavy hitting planets and angles come forward in the future, I do believe that we are better able to evolve spiritually and emotionally in our time here. Depending on the severity of the transit, we may even save lives by balancing the areas of our charts in advance, so that we not only make better decisions for ourselves, but also for others.
How do we begin to find that balance? Look to the houses of astrological wheel which describe various subjects in our lives. Then look at the house on the opposite side and ask yourself if you find a balance in your priorities and actions of the two.
Below is a list of each house paired with it's opposite house that creates an axis on the zodiac wheel:
House 1: Relationship to self, self needs and wants, self discovery and growth. House 7: Long term relationships with others such as parents and both marriage and business partnerships
House 2: Personal resources such as money and self-worth. Anything of value that you own. House 8: Joint resources with others such as property and real-estate, joint income. Also covers monies that involve others such as taxes, debt, child-support payments. Sex and intimacy are covered here as well as great change such as death.
House 3: All communication to include speech, writing, technology, learning, etc. Short term trips and involvement within one's community is denoted here. House 9: Considered an avenue to higher consciousness, this house covers education of academic and spiritual values, legal issues, and long distance travel.
House 4: This house is said to promote balance in all other houses. It contains our home and families. Our familial values reside here, as well as the ability to stay grounded in one's own value system. It is believed that if this house is out of balance, then all other houses will remain unbalanced, until the issues are resolved here. House 10: This house contains society's view of you, your career and status in life. It provides your personal reputation based on these experiences.
House 5: Your inner child is housed here along with your creativity, your own children, and romantic opportunities. This is the house of fun and games to include gambling and chance opportunities. House 11: Your hopes and dreams are contained here as well as the groups of people you are in contact with in life. These could be groups of friends or acquaintances. Parties, networking and contacts in areas that cover a broad spectrum of people are housed here.
House 6: Probably one of the most important houses in the zodiac. This house covers your physical health, the work of your hands, and service to others. It contains the business of day-to-day life such as your job ( not career, but the actual activities on the job) and running errands. Anything you do that keeps you physically busy falls to this house. House 12: This is the house of secrets and behind the scenes activities. Hospitalization and confinement, as well as imprisonment fall in this area. The deepest psychological processes are housed here as well as the dark side of our deepest fears. At the same time, this house represents a deeper spiritual understanding, perhaps because it covers the quietness and aloneness of deep psychological meditation and contemplation of the choices we have made in life. Patterns of self-undoing and depression are found here as well as hidden illnesses, and disease of the body and emotions.
After a careful examination of which house on it's axis is stronger or weaker, take into consideration the actions that you could initiate to even out the activities in both houses. For example, if you find that you are spending too much time with your 10th house of career, find a way to add more activities towards your family life, or simply re-visit the needs of your family members. I am confident that once you identify any areas of unbalance, that even in the harshest of life situations that you face, you will have the strength of a solid foundation to provide more additional resources than ever before.
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