Where are the Cusps?
Cusps are the lines that radiate out from the center of the wheel and intersect the astrological signs.
House cusps
Where are the Houses?
The houses are contained between the cusps and can vary in size.
The 1st house
Reading the Houses
- In the example below, the 1st house is in Capricorn. The astrological sign Capricorn covers the point where the 1st house cusp intersects the sign.
- The 2nd house is in Aquarius. The astrological sign Aquarius covers the point where the 2nd house cusp intersects the sign.
The line which forms the 1st house cusp is also called the ascendant.
Capricorn Ascendant
Astrological signs always contain 30 degrees.
Find Your Rulers
- Each astrological sign has a symbol, or glyph, associated with it. Each astrological sign also has a planet that rules it.
Glyph → Sign → Ruler
This chart shows the glyphs, corresponding signs, and associated “modern” ruler:
Glyphs, signs and rulers
- In the chart below you can see that the 3rd house is in Aries.
- Mars is the ruler of Aries, so Mars is the ruler of the 3rd house.
- Mars is placed in Leo in the 7th house so this person has the ruler of the 3rd in the 7th house.
Ruler of the 3rd House in the 7th House
Modern and Traditional House Rulers
Aquarius, Pisces, and Scorpio each have two rulers — a traditional ruler and a modern ruler.
- Aquarius’s traditional ruler is Saturn. The modern ruler is Uranus.
- Pisces’s traditional ruler is Jupiter. The modern ruler is Neptune.
- Scorpio’s traditional ruler is Mars. The modern ruler is Pluto.
- Some astrologers only look to the traditional ruler, some use both the modern and traditional rulers, some use only the modern ruler — it’s up to you.
Mars
rules the 3rd house in Aries and is the traditional ruler of the 10th
house in Scorpio: Ruler of the 3rd House in the 7th House and Ruler of
the 10th House in the 7th House.
Interception
- Aquarius covers the 2nd house cusp, therefore Uranus is the ruler of the 2nd house.
- The sign Pisces is completely contained within the 2nd house; it does not touch the 2nd or 3rd house cusp:
Pisces
Intercepted in the 2nd House. This 2nd house example has 2 rulers and 2
co-rulers: Saturn and Uranus are the rulers of the cusp in Aquarius
while Jupiter and Neptune rule the Pisces interception.
- In the chart above Saturn and Uranus are the primary rulers of the 2nd house and most important, while Jupiter and Neptune as co-rulers of the 2nd house are of secondary importance.
Double Cusps
- In this example Gemini covers the 5th and 6th house cusps, so Mercury rules the 5th and 6th house.
Gemini 5th and 6th house
Houses that share a sign are linked together in interpretation as are houses that share a ruler.
