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When you first dive into learning about your birth chart, the mere visual — all the lines, symbols, numbers, and pie slices — can feel pretty intimidating. But as you break down each piece of what might initially feel like an impossible puzzle, you begin to understand just how much multilayered, nuanced, intriguing intel each unique chart has to offer — and you’re all the more fired up to dive in. And once you’ve learned about the signs and the planets, a next beneficial step is to learn about the 12 houses of the zodiac. The houses, which denote the location of the luminaries and the planets in a chart, each represent a different area of life.
The first house offers valuable insight into how you present yourself to the world. Here, what you need to know about the sector of your chart dedicated to self-image and identity.
How to Find Your First House
On every natal chart, there are four crucial “angles”: the rising or ascendant, the Imum Coeli (IC) or cusp of the fourth house of home life, the Descendant (DC) which is the cusp of the seventh house of partnership, and the Midheaven (MC), the cusp of the tenth house of career. The first house begins with the best-known of these angles — the ascendant, which falls on the left hand side of your natal chart, at the 9 o'clock position.
Your ascendant or rising sign rules — and therefore characterizes — your first house of self. So, for instance, if your rising sign is the fixed fire sign Leo, your first house is ruled by Leo, and you likely show up in the world in a very Leonine, confident, spotlight-loving, glass-half-full way.
Themes of the First House
The ascendant or rising sign is literally the sign that was ascending on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth. Anything rising tends to bring to mind a fresh start, a new chapter, a beginning, all imagery that comes to mind with the first house. This is the part of the birth chart that speaks to early childhood — your first days on Earth as a little one and early life experiences, attitudes, and experiences that inform your unique perspective.
The first house offers insight into how you experience new situations, contend with beginnings, and respond to being seen.
It’s also the house of self-image, identity, personality, your physical body, how you see yourself, and how you present yourself. It covers your physical appearance, so look to the sign that rules this house to inform how you wear your hair, wardrobe choices, and how you make a first impression. Overall, the way others perceive you at first blush is likely in line with the traits of the zodiac sign that rules your first house. For instance, if your sun sign is grounded, pragmatic, slow-paced Taurus and your ascendant (and therefore first house ruler) is fiery Aries, you may come off as passionate, competitive, and impulsive — aka not Taurean at all.
The first house — the sign that rules it and any planets or luminaries there — also offers insight into how you experience new situations, contend with beginnings, and respond to being seen.
You can also look at the axis a house is on for more info on its themes. The first house sits across the chart from the seventh house of partnership, highlighting the relationship between your sense of self and how you show up as part of a pair. How you get to know, care for, and love yourself inevitably affects how you get to know, care for, and love another — and vice-versa.
Signs and Planets Associated with the First House
In your unique birth chart, your rising sign rules your first house. But to get a sense of what the first house represents in general, you can look to the sign associated with it and its natural ruling planet.
The first house of self is associated with Aries, the cardinal fire sign and the very first sign of the zodiac. This tracks, as the sign of the Ram is often referred to as the baby of the zodiac, and the first house covers your earliest days of life. And Mars, the planet of action, energy, sex drive, aggression, and anger, is the natural ruler of the house. The vibe of the assertive, dynamic planet goes hand-in-hand with the self-focused sector of the chart.
What It Means If One — or More — of Your Big Six Are in the First House
If you check out your chart and find that your sun, moon, Mercury, Mars, and/or Venus falls in the first house of self, here’s a quick rundown of what that means:
Sun in the First House of Self
If you were born with the sun in your first house, you feel like how you see yourself is in tune with how you present yourself to others. In fact, nurturing your self-image is a major theme for you.
Moon in the First House of Self
When your natal moon — which speaks to your emotional personality and intuition — is in your first house of self, you can’t help but wear your heart on your sleeve. And it’s probably tough for you to hide how you feel, because it’s usually painted all over your face.
Mercury in the First House of Self
With the planet of information-gathering in this zone, you come off as highly, well, mercurial. Your mental energy runs high, you love to talk, and you might even be a bit restless and changeable.
Venus in the First House of Self
When the planet of relationships and beauty falls in the first house of self, you’re naturally charming, people-oriented, magnetic, and likable.
Mars in the First House of Self
If the fiery planet of action, energy, and sex is in the first house, you come off as a fiery go-getter. You might be particularly assertive — maybe even aggressive — and commanding.
What to Expect If a Transit Is Occurring in the First House
As the planets and luminaries move through the sky above and interact with one another, they also affect you based on your natal chart. So while you should definitely celebrate your sun sign season — it’s your birthday season after all! — you’ll also likely shine when the sun moves through the sign of your ascendant, which rules your first house of self.
And at least once a year, you’ll also experience a new moon and a full moon in your first house, which will mark the beginning and the ending of a particularly dramatic emotional cycle, perhaps involving your sense of self and your one-on-one relationships.
In general, as a planet or luminary moves through the first house of self, you’ll be granted an opportunity to bolster your identity, self-awareness, confidence, and personal brand. Even a more challenging transit — like taskmaster Saturn moving through the first house or an eclipse — can offer a more realistic, eye-opening perspective on how you’re presenting yourself and what you need to do moving forward to show up for yourself in order to reach your full potential.
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