Think: moneymaking and self-worth.
After learning about the zodiac signs and what the planets mean in astrology, it’s advisable to start wrapping your head around 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. Below, we contextualize the Second House, which is also known as the House of Possessions.
The Second House offers useful intel on how you bring in money, like what you'd like to do as a career; relate to material possessions, like what you want to own versus what you want to rent; cultivate self-worth, like how you take care of yourself; and your values.
Keep reading to get the 411 on the part of your birth chart that informs your values and possessions.
How to Find Your Second 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 side of your natal chart, at the 9 o’clock position.
After the First House, you’ll move counterclockwise one house over to locate your Second House. Take note of the sign that’s on the cusp of your Second House. Say it’s Virgo—the way you go about making money, your values, and your self-worth are all colored by the mutable earth sign’s attention to detail, superior communication skills, and desire to be of service.
You can find your rising sign by inputting the time, date, and location of your birth into a free generator like Cafe Astrology.
Themes of the Second House
Physical and Non-Physical Possessions
With the First House shedding light on your self-image and how you present yourself to the world, the Second House is the next chapter in that story. It expresses what you own—and want to own—literally as well as figuratively. Although it’s referred to as the House of Material Possessions, it covers everything you could take ownership of—from literal objects like a car to your voice and opinions. It covers basic money matters: how you earn a living, your relationship to money, how you invest and deal with debt, and how you budget.
You can also look at the axis a house is on for more info on its themes. The Second House sits across the chart from the Eighth House of Intimate Bonds and Joint Resources, which juxtaposes how you deal with money yourself and how you deal with it in relationships.
Values
It’s also the house of values, so it describes the objects and people in life you value and your aspirations related to this. Perhaps you have cozy, sensual Taurus, ruled by the planet of beauty, as your Second House ruler. This could mean you put a lot of value on self-care, comforting food and pampering experiences, and owning your own home, as the fixed earth sign craves security and stability.
Self-Worth
The Second House also offers insight into your self-worth. How do you value yourself? The first house might cover self-image, but the Second House talks about your self-esteem. What do you believe you’re worthy of? What traits do you value in yourself?
Signs and Planets Associated With the Second House
To get a sense of what the Second House represents in general—for everyone, regardless of their unique natal chart—you can look to the sign associated with it and its natural ruling planet.
The Second House of Income is associated with Taurus, the fixed earth sign and the second sign of the zodiac. This tracks, given Taurus’ innate ability to experience the world through all five senses, pragmatism, and love of the luxurious aspects of life. The Bull is ruled by Venus, the planet of not only relationships but beauty and values, which is the natural ruler of the house. The vibe of the harmony- and comfort-seeking planet very much reflects the themes of the Second House.
What It Means if Your Big Six Are in the Second House
If you check out your chart and find that your sun, moon, Mercury, Mars, and/or Venus falls in the Second House of Income, here’s a quick rundown of what that means:
Sun in the Second House of Income
If you were born with the sun in your Second House, earning your living—and doing so in a way that reflects your values—is central to your identity and sense of self.
Moon in the Second House of Income
When your natal moon—which speaks to your emotional personality and intuition—is in your Second House, how you make a living, your material possessions, and your self-worth are all wrapped up in your core sense of security.
Mercury in the Second House of Income
With the planet of information-gathering in this zone, you’re capable of being a supercommunicator in how you make a living. Technology or travel could be integral to your work.
Venus in the Second House of Income
When the planet of relationships and beauty falls in the Second House, your creative impulses and artistic eye lend themselves to how you make money.
Mars in the Second House of Income
If the fiery planet of action, energy, and sex is in the Second House, you’re a major go-getter when it comes to earning a living. You’re diligent, independent-minded, and might be more inclined than others to take a leap of faith to bring in new work.
What to Expect If a Transit Occurs in the Second 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. When the vitality-bringing sun moves through your Second House, you’ll get a surge of confidence related to bringing in new assets. You could feel more in sync with how you earn a living—or more self-assured when it comes to making changes that will get you there.
At least once a year, you’ll also experience a new moon in your Second House, which presents a lovely opportunity to start a new moneymaking venture or to bolster your self-worth. And six months on, you’ll have a full moon there, which serves as a culmination point of any intention-setting you did during the new moon. For instance, if, at the new moon, you began laying the groundwork to bring in new clients, you could find that by the full moon, you have a whole new roster.
In general, as a planet or luminary moves through the Second House of Income, you have a chance to reflect on your relationship to money, how you’re earning it, and how that game plan currently is—or can better—go hand-in-hand with your values. Even a transit that’s more of an uphill battle—like limitations- and boundaries-ruling Saturn moving through the Second House or an eclipse there—can lead to inner growth related to money, material possessions, and self-worth.