All 52 chapters
  1. Part 1 · The sky and the chart
  2. The sky above us
  3. Time and place of birth
  4. Two zodiacs
  5. How a chart is drawn
  6. Part 2 · The building blocks
  7. The 9 planets
  8. The 12 signs
  9. The 27 nakshatras
  10. The 12 houses
  11. The lagnas
  12. Part 3 · How planets work together
  13. How planets interact
  14. Friends, dispositors, exchanges
  15. House lords
  16. Reading one placement
  17. Part 4 · Strength and condition
  18. Dignity in depth
  19. A planet's mood
  20. Planetary strength
  21. Ashtakavarga in depth
  22. Part 5 · Patterns: yogas and doshas
  23. Yogas
  24. Doshas
  25. Part 6 · The nakshatras up close
  26. Reading a nakshatra
  27. Tara Bala
  28. Part 7 · Divisional charts
  29. Divisional charts
  30. Navamsa in depth
  31. Part 8 · Timing
  32. Dashas
  33. Transits
  34. The annual chart (Tajika)
  35. Part 9 · Relationships
  36. Compatibility
  37. Marriage in depth
  38. Part 10 · Advanced systems
  39. Special points
  40. Jaimini astrology
  41. Arudha padas
  42. KP astrology
  43. Nadi astrology
  44. Part 11 · Choosing the moment
  45. Panchanga
  46. Muhurta
  47. Prashna (horary)
  48. Part 12 · Life areas
  49. Career, money and business
  50. Travel, abroad, spirituality
  51. Health and longevity
  52. Karma and past lives
  53. Remedies
  54. Rectifying a birth time
  55. Part 13 · Western astrology
  56. Western astrology basics
  57. Aspects and chart shapes
  58. Western prediction
  59. Synastry
  60. Horary and electional
  61. Part 14 · The wider world
  62. Mundane astrology and eclipses
  63. Astrocartography and branches
  64. Part 15 · Putting it all together
  65. How it all fits
  66. How AstroMatch4u scores a chart
  67. Using astrology well
Part 3How planets work together
CHAPTER 12

House lords

Who is in charge of each house?

Every house holds a sign, and every sign has a ruling planet. So every house has a lord: the planet that rules the sign on it. To read a house, you ask two questions, not one: what is sitting in the house? and where did its lord go? A strong, well-placed lord can deliver the house's results even when the house itself is empty, and a weak lord can hold back a house full of planets.

a shop and its owner. The shop is the house. You look at what is on the shelves, but you also check where the owner is and whether they are having a good day.

Pick a rising sign below and watch every house change owner. Because the rulers are fixed to the signs, knowing just your rising sign tells you the lord of all twelve houses.

Choose a rising sign: each house shows its sign and, in pink, its lord.

A worked example: for Aries rising, the 10th house (career) holds Capricorn, and Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. So "how is my career?" becomes "where is Saturn, and how strong is it?"

QuestionCareerthe 10th house
HoldsCapricornfor Aries rising
Ruled bySaturnthe 10th lord
Then askWhere is Saturn?its house, sign and strength

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