The 1st House in Astrology: How the Big Three Shape Personality and Life Experiences

Welcome to the zodiac adventure wheel!

It all starts here at the first house, where we become a “self” as our spirits find home in our bodies. This is the birthplace of our identities as individuals. Here we begin the voyage of discovery, bravely blazing trails to discover where we belong in the world.

Like Aries, the first zodiac sign, the 1st house shows where we are brave and dazzling, and at times a little entitled. But hey, why not aim for the best? The 1st house is anything but a jaded space. There’s a combative quality to the first house which can be aggressive, demanding, and diva-like. But you’re a newbie here and not always aware of when you’re in survival mode and when you’re safe.

The meaning of the 1st house in astrology

The 1st house covers all the firsts: the first impression you make, how you take initiative and start things, and any sort of beginning. As one of the three “fire houses” along with the 5th and the 9th, sparks ignite easily, but they don’t always catch on. Here’s where we start things but don’t always finish them. Attention spans can be short in this novelty-obsessed zone!

The 1st house is numero uno of the four angular houses, along with the 4th, 7th, and 10th houses. Like the NSEW points on a compass, these houses start each of the four quadrants of the zodiac wheel, setting us off in clear, new directions. Angular houses are a lot like the [cardinal] zodiac signs. They give us the courage to initiate—in this case through forming our identities and figuring out how we’d like to be seen by other people.

1st House: Self, identity, the body

The sign on the cusp, or starting edge of the 1st house—located at the 9 o’clock point on the zodiac wheel—has a special name: the ascendant or rising sign. Whatever zodiac sign was positioned at this point when you were born determines your ascendant, which is one of the “big three” of astrology: Your [Sun], [moon], and [rising signs].

Your rising sign reveals how you want to be seen in the world, or as astrologer Steven Forrest describes it, “the mask you wear.” Fittingly, the eyes are ruled by the first house, along with the rest of the head and the adrenals. What do people think when they first see you? Whatever identity you cultivate for yourself is directed by your 1st house. Your physical body is ruled by the first house, particularly your appearance. [Discover more about your rising sign here!]

What are the houses in astrology?

The zodiac wheel is a 360-degree circle, divided into 12 segments, or houses. Each house represents a different essential aspect of our lives. In the Movie of You, the houses are like the different sets or stages where the planets (actors) play out their roles (given by the zodiac signs).

You must know your time of birth to accurately determine the houses in your chart. If it wasn’t recorded on your birth certificate, you may have to work with an approximation, as in “My mom says it was sometime right around 4:30.” Or find an astrologer who does rectified charts. This intuitive, investigative reading can suss out what your closest birth time may be.

If you use the Placidus method (which we prefer and recommend), you may notice that the houses of your chart are different sizes. This takes into account the Earth’s tilt. The further from the equator you were born, the more unequal your houses will be in size.

How do you know which planets are in your first house?

Each house is like a movie set of your life where different types of action are taking place. When a planet is in that house, it’s like an actor on that set. To find out if you were born with planets in your 1st house, run a [free birth chart] here on our site. Then, look to see if there are any planet glyphs occupying that segment.

What if my 1st house is empty, has no planets in it?

Empty houses still play a role—and we think of them like blank canvases where you might even have a little more freedom to say what goes. In some ways, this might even be a relief!

But no house will ever stay empty for long. The moon transits (orbits) through all 12 houses in the span of a month. The Sun visits each throughout one year. When a planet transits through a house, it lights it up with its energy. That area of your life will feel the influence!

For example, if abundant Jupiter is in your 2nd house of finances, you could be a high earner and a big spender. Transformational Pluto there could bring a job change or reveal a hidden or spiritual approach to making bank.