All About the Third House of Communication in Astrology
Plus, how to find yours.
- The third house is the portion of your birth chart that rules communication, intellect, and technology.
- The third house is also associated with local networks, neighborhoods, and sibling relationships.
- Your communication and thinking style will be influenced by the planets and signs in your third house.
If you’ve ever taken a look at the zodiac wheel, or even your own birth chart, you may have noticed the wheel is divided into 12 sections. These are the “houses” of your chart, and just like the signs and planets in astrology all have their associated themes and qualities, the 12 houses each govern certain areas of our life.
In the case of the third house, this is the portion of your birth chart that rules communication, intellect, technology, and more. It influences the way we think, how we convey those thoughts, and has even more nuance based on which signs and planets are in the third house.
Here, we’re diving into everything you need to know about this part of your birth chart, including how to find your third house, what it means if you have certain planets in the third house, and of course, what to expect when a planet is moving through it.
How to Find Your Third House
In order to find your third house, you’ll need to pull up your birth chart, which will require your birthday, exact birth time, and birthplace. (Here’s how to do that, if you don’t have your chart already!)
From there, take a look at where 9 o’clock on a clock would be. The zodiac sign at this point is your rising sign, and also marks your first house of self and identity. Moving counterclockwise to where 8 o’clock would be, the next portion of your chart is the second house of money, material resources, and self-worth. And next to that? You guessed it—that’s your third house.
The sign that is on the cusp of your third house is the sign that rules the house. If your third house is ruled by Scorpio, for instance, your communication and thinking styles might be a bit more mysterious, sleuthy, intense, or even skeptical.
What the Third House Represents
Communication
The third house is first and foremost the house of communication, governing the way we articulate our thoughts and communicate with others. This includes speaking, but also written communication like texting, social media, etc.
Intellect
The third house is an airy and mental realm, influencing the way our thoughts move, how we process and understand life, and even our own mental faculties. Fittingly, this house is also associated with the learning and skill building of our childhoods.
Technology
Associated with messenger Mercury, the third house rules technology—and all the ways communication and technology intersect. Think messaging, the internet, electronic devices, etc.
Siblings
The third house is closely related to our younger years, past infancy but not yet teenaged. As such, it relates to sibling relationships and our earliest experiences with socializing, communicating, and playing nice with others.
Local community
Finally, as one of the more social parts of the zodiac wheel, the third house ties us to our local communities and networks. It’s associated with local travel, neighborhoods, and the neighbors within them.
Associated Signs and Planets
The 12 houses each have an associated zodiac sign, going in the same order as the zodiac signs themselves. Aries is the first sign of the astrological year, for example, so Aries is associated with the first house. Taurus comes next, and is associated with the second house.
Next up, of course, is loquacious Gemini—and if you know a thing or two about Gemini, it only makes sense that this chatty sign would rule the third house of communication. Gemini definitely has the gift of gab, but is also a highly intelligent and intellectual sign.
Gemini is ruled by Mercury, after all, the planet of communication and information. And that means the third house is associated with all things mercurial as well.
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What Planets in the Third House Mean
Sun in the third house: With the sun in the third house, communication and intellect are strong but changeable. Individuals with this placement might struggle with anxiousness and/or consistency in their personality.
Moon in the third house: The moon in the third house results in someone with deep thoughts and even deeper reflections, placing high importance on mental connection with others. Just watch out for intellectualizing emotions.
Mercury in the third house: Mercury is associated with the third house, so it feels very much at home here. These people are social, witty, chatty, and curious—if not a bit frenetic or flaky.
Venus in the third house: With the planet of love in the third house, intellectual connection, flirting, and variety are of utmost importance. You’ll be attracted to “character-types” who bring excitement or variety to your life.
Mars in the third house: Mars is the planet of action, so when it’s in the third house, individuals may be aggressive communicators. It’s also the planet that rules sex, however, so Mars in the third house is very much giving sapiosexual.
Keep in mind, even if you don’t have any planets in your third house, it will still always have a zodiac sign ruling it, which will further influence the expression of this part of your birth chart.
What to Expect if a Transit Is Occurring in Your Third House
Whenever a planet moves through a particular house in your birth chart, that area of your life will be influenced. So when a planet moves through your third house, it can impact your communication style, how you’re processing thoughts and information, and even your sibling and/or local relationships.
If Venus was transiting your third house, for example, your communication style might take a softer, more loving tone. If it’s Mars, on the other hand, you might find yourself being more combative or contrarian.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the 3rd house represent?
The third house in astrology represents communication, information, intellect, technology, local networks and neighborhoods, sibling connections, and our early childhood learning.
- What zodiac sign rules the 3rd house?
The third house is ruled by Gemini, and by extension, the planet Mercury.
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