A horoscope is just a diagram of the heavens exactly as seen from the Earth at any particular time and at any given location. Houses in astrology refer to the ARTIFICIAL way of dividing the heavens as seen from the Earth in 12 parts. Houses are known as the Bhavas in Vedic Astrology. Houses are one of the three essential tools for casting a horoscope other two being placement of planets and signs in the horoscope.
a) From this diagram and keeping in mind the above definition, we can have good idea about houses in astrology. We can only ‘see’ SIX of the TWELVE houses as other SIX houses are ALWAYS BELOW the horizon.
b) Houses 1 to 6 are ALWAYS BELOW the horizon and houses 7 to 12 are ALWAYS ABOVE the horizon.
c) The point which is exactly ON the horizon on EAST at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 1st house and is better known as the Ascendant or Lagna.
d) The point which is exactly over-head at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 10th house or the Medium Coeli or just MC.
e) The point which is exactly ON the horizon on WEST at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 7th house or the Descendant.
f) The point which is exactly OPPOSITE to the over-head point or the 10th house or MC is ALWAYS the starting point of the 4th house or the Imum Coeli or just IC.
g) We can only ‘SEE’ the planets which are placed in the 7th to 12th houses as these houses are ALWAYS ABOVE the horizon. We can never ‘SEE’ the planets which are placed in the 1st to 6th houses as these houses are ALWAYS BELOW the horizon.
h) Due to the ROTATION of the Earth – The planets SEEMS to RISE from the EAST (12th house), reach OVER-HEAD (10th house) and FALL or SET in the WEST (6th house).
With the help of the diagram below we can get further clear idea about houses and rise and fall of planets and how to predict time generally or how to predict the house position of Sun
As Sun ALWAYS rises from the EAST and from the point number (c) of the first diagram we know – “The point which is exactly ON the horizon on EAST at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 1st house and is better known as the Ascendant or Lagna.” On this basis we can say at the time of Sun rise (which is around 5 A.M. to 7 A.M. depending on the time of the year and location of place) Sun is MOVING FROM the FIRST HOUSE into the TWELFTH HOUSE.
As Sun ALWAYS is Over-Head during Noon and from the point number (d) of the first diagram we know – “The point which is exactly over-head at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 10th house or the Medium Coeli or just MC.” On this basis we can say at the time of Sun being Over-Head (which is around 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. depending on the time of the year and location of place) Sun is MOVING FROM the TEHTH HOUSE into the NINTH HOUSE.
As Sun ALWAYS is in WEST during setting and from the point number (e)of the first diagram we know – “The point which is exactly ON the horizon on WEST at ANY location on Earth is ALWAYS the starting point of the 7th house or the Descendant.” On this basis we can say at the time of Sun being setting (which is around 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. depending on the time of the year and location of place) Sun is MOVING FROM the SEVENTH HOUSE into the SIXTH HOUSE.
As Sun ALWAYS is at bottom most position during Mid Night and from the point number (f) of the first diagram we know – “The point which is exactly OPPOSITE to the over-head point or the 10th house or MC is ALWAYS the starting point of the 4th house or the Imum Coeli or just IC.” On this basis we can say at the time of Sun being at Bottom Most position (which is around 11 P.M. to 1 A.M. depending on the time of the year and location of place) Sun is MOVING FROM the FOURTH HOUSE into the THIRD HOUSE. Similarly, other house position of the Sun can also be predicted by knowing the time as mentioned in this diagram.
Lagna Bhava or the first house commences from the point that just rises in the East and the whole area that is yet to rise next below horizon and extends up to 2nd house cusp. The point exactly opposite the East of 1st house cusp is the starting of 7th house. That part of sky which has risen just before birth and extends upwards in the Eastern horizon is the 12th Bhava or house. The top most point in the sky at any given location is the starting point of 10th house or the Midheaven and the opposite point below the earth is called the Nadir or the 4th house.
Thus we can understand from the above statements that the time from approximately two hours before sunrise till the exact time of sunrise, the Sun will be in the 1st house and the time approximately two hours before sunset till the exact time of sunset, Sun will be in 7th house. Similarly, from the time the Sun is exactly overhead at any given location and till approximately two hours after that Sun will be in 10th house.
The 1st, 10th, 7th and 4th house are main pillars of a horoscope. They are called the Angular or Cardinal or Kendra (meaning center in Vedic Astrology) Houses. The next houses to the angles or Kendra viz. 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th are called the Fixed or Succedent or Panapara (meaning material or money related in Vedic Astrology). The remaining four houses viz. 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th are called the Cadent or Mutable or Apoklima (meaning to decline, lessen or expense).
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