The 12 Houses in a Kundli, Explained Simply

What is a house?

A kundli splits the sky into 12 parts. Each part is called a house, or bhava. Each house looks after one area of your life. When a planet sits in a house, that area gets the planet's energy.

For example, Venus is about love and comfort. If Venus sits in your 4th house, which is home, your home life often feels warm and comfortable.

The 12 houses, one by one

1. 1st house, you: your body, your health, how you look and how people see you.
2. 2nd house, money and speech: savings, family, food and the way you talk.
3. 3rd house, courage: brothers and sisters, short trips, and your own bravery.
4. 4th house, home: your mother, your house, vehicles and your peace of mind.
5. 5th house, children and learning: kids, studies, ideas and fun.
6. 6th house, daily work and health: routine, illness, debts and rivals.
7. 7th house, marriage: your husband or wife, partners and agreements.
8. 8th house, sudden change: surprises, endings, hidden things and long life.
9. 9th house, luck: your father, teachers, faith and long journeys.
10. 10th house, career: your work, your name and your place in society.
11. 11th house, gains: income, friends and wishes coming true.
12. 12th house, letting go: spending, sleep, quiet time and faraway places.

Where the houses start

Your 1st house is your lagna, the sign that was rising in the east when you were born. The other houses follow in order. Trunaksh uses whole sign houses, the traditional Indian method. Each house is one full sign. If your lagna is Makar (Capricorn), your 1st house is Makar, your 2nd is Kumbh (Aquarius), and so on.

What if a house is empty?

Most houses in every kundli are empty. That is normal, not bad. An empty house still works. It is run by its lord, the planet that owns the sign in that house. To read an empty house, look at where its lord sits.

For example, if your 7th house is empty and its lord is in your 10th house, marriage and partners are tied to your career.

Houses that often matter most

Astrologers often look at these first:

• 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th: the four "pillars". You, home, marriage and career.
• 5th and 9th: the two "lucky" houses. Learning and good fortune.
• 6th, 8th and 12th: the harder houses. Planets here can make that area take more effort.

How to read your houses

On Trunaksh, open your kundli and tap any house. You will see which sign is there, which planets sit there, and what it means for you in simple words.