The house conditions all celestial objects that occupy that house to specific aspects of life. It forces planets, their "copies" in places of aspects, signs (and through them, their rulers), and even fixed stars to manifest in particular sphere of life. We call it the house determines the planet/the sign/the fixed star.
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Strength of House Determination
You have already observed that a house determines a planet more effectively than the ruler of an empty sign. Moreover, a house determines a planet or a sign on the cusp much more strongly than when they are at the end of that house.
Therefore, we speak of the strength of house determination in natal astrology. Astrological houses, with varying degrees of strength, condition planets to manifest in a specified area of life—some planets are strongly inclined to play their accidental role, while others are only slightly so. A planet in the horoscope, taking its roles from different houses, may play a central role as a wife, a secondary role in finance, and a very rare role in travel.
Types of the House Rulership
The position of a planet in a house determines its central role. We'll refer to this as house rulership by position.
N.B.: Remember that through the opposition aspect, a planet also assumes the role of the opposite house. Thus, a planet in the second house will primarily represent finances and, secondarily, the death of the native. We'll call this accidental house rulership.
The house determines the empty sign on the cusp. Since the sign shares a common nature with its ruler, and everything that happens to a sign reflects on its ruler, the house also determines the ruler of the empty sign, although less effectively than the planet that occupies that house. We'll denote this with the familiar term—house rulership—and call such a ruler the ruler of the cusp.
The planet's close aspect to the house cusp creates the “planetary copy” on the house cusp. Thus, the house determines that copy (i.e., the planetary aspect) to specific affairs, and the aspecting planet becomes connected to that house through its aspect to the cusp.
For instance, if Mars closely aspects the cusp of the 8th house, it is determined by the 8th house but not so effectively as by the 10th house, which it rules, and not so effectively as by the 11th house it occupies.
Remember that aspects have varying degrees of strength—they place the planet's “copies” of different sizes on the zodiacal circle. For instance, for a planet with a small orb (like Mars), casting a weak sextile to the eighth house cusp to take on a significant rulership of that house, it must cast its aspect within a few degrees of the cusp. The planet sometimes casts almost the exact aspect of the house cusp. In that case, its rulership of the house will be no less effective than the rulership by sign. We'll call this type of rulership rulership by aspect.
If the planet rules the sign of the cusp by exaltation, it takes on the role of that house. We'll call this rulership by exaltation. But this is less effective than the role given by the house rulership. For instance, if the 9th house cusp is in Aries, the Sun will be the ruler of the house by exaltation. The Sun will signify long journeys but less effectively than Mars—the primary ruler of that house.
The rulers of the signs following the one on the cusp are less conditioned to manifest in house affairs than the ruler of the house. However, remember that if the house cusp is in 29 Leo, and Virgo occupies the remaining part of the house, then Mercury becomes as effective ruler of the house as the Sun. We will call the rulers of the following signs co-rulers of the house.
Each planet manifests itself through its dispositor. It applies to the ruler of the cusp. If the house cusp is in Leo, then the Sun is the primary ruler of the house. But if the Sun is in Taurus, it primarily manifests through Venus and operates in the environment signified by Venus. Thus, Venus becomes the secondary ruler of the house. However, Venus will govern the house much less than the Sun.
We cannot apply this logic further down the chain of dispositors. We cannot say that Mars becomes the tertiary ruler of the house if the secondary ruler is in Aries. The influence of planets in this chain diminishes exponentially. The influence of the secondary ruler is significantly weaker than that of the primary ruler. And the impact of the tertiary ruler is negligible, and we never consider it.
A planet may take the accidental role of the house not only through its cusp (via close aspect or rulership of that cusp) but also through a planet in that house.
The dispositor of a planet in a house will have a relationship with the house through that planet. For example, if Mercury is in the third house, it signifies the native's siblings. Its dispositor, Saturn, is in the tenth house. The tenth house relative to siblings is their 8th, indicating life-threatening situations. It is the environment in which the sibling regularly manifests in the native's life. In other words, in the primary direction, Saturn will have several roles:
- It will show the native's work relative to the 10th house.
- It will also show a life-threatening situation for the sibling relative to the 3rd house.
So, when in the primary direction, it comes to the ASC or to the planet that rules both the 10th and 3rd houses, we will consider its primary role first and check if the solar return chart proves it. If not, we will recheck the secondary role via the solar return chart. But if in the primary direction, it comes to the significator of the 3rd house, it will only manifest its secondary role relative to siblings.
We'll call this type of connection a rulership by disposition. Similarly, Saturn may cast a close aspect to the planet in the third house and link itself to that house through that aspect.
N.B.: Please note. Sometimes, a house simultaneously determines a planet in several ways, making the planets more conditioned by this house. For example, the ruler of the house occupies that house. Then, it will manifest itself more prominently in the house's affairs than other planets in the same house. Or the house may have a whole stellium of planets—the further the planet is from the cusp, the less it is associated with it. But it may turn out that the farthest planet in the stellium is the ruler of the stellium itself. In that case, it will be the leading planet.
Coincidence of the Planet's and the House's Natures
When assessing the strength of a house's determination, it is essential to remember that a planet may have a common nature with the house. For example, the Sun, the universal significator of fame and recognition, has much in common with the 10th house of fame and recognition. Mars, the ruler of wars and conflicts, has much in common with the 7th house of war and conflicts, and so on.
A planet determined by the house and sharing a common nature gains an additional connection to that house.
Thus, if the natural ruler of riches, Jupiter, is the ruler of the 2nd house of money, it is more likely to indicate money than a planet inside the 2nd house in primary directions. It also means that Jupiter in Pisces in the 2nd house will bring more money into the native's life than Mercury in Gemini in the same house.
A similar situation occurs when a planet, acting against the house (according to its celestial state), also happens to have a nature opposite to it. For example, a debilitated Mercury in the 7th house creates relationship obstacles. But a debilitated Saturn, the natural ruler of loneliness, will do much more effectively.
Terrestrial State Assessment Example
To see the assessment of the celestial state in practice, read this article "Terrestrial State Assessment Example."
