About the 8th House
The Eighth House marks where the Sun declines in the late afternoon, or where prepares to “enter” the underworld during the nighttime hours.
Consequently, the Eighth House represented going down into the shadows, figuratively and literally. It’s the shadowy places of our unconscious, the stuff we prefer not to see about ourselves. And the place of taboos, criminals and the other underworld denizens.
Plus, of course, it’s a house of death, since the dead travel down to the underworld too.
It’s also the House that follows the Seventh House, so it contains what belongs to the Seventh (aka, the 2nd from the 7th). That’s the money that belongs to others — to the spouse, the bank, collectors, and the like.
8th House Astrology Keywords
People: Doctors, psychologists, bankers, criminals
Places: Banks, emergency rooms, psychiatric offices
Things: Debt, insurance, loans, shared resources, other people’s money, (taxes, inheritance, partner’s money, investments), shadow/disowned psychology, things that are taboo or forbidden, death
Modern & Hellenistic Astrology’s Planetary and Zodiac Correlations
There is often confusion as you go deeper into the symbolism of the Astrological houses for there are a plethora of approaches to interpreting them. Modern Astrologers commonly refer to the “Natural House System” opposed to the ancient Hellenistic Astrological approach of using what are called the “Planetary Joys”. To learn more about the nuances and details of the Twelve Astrological Houses click here.
Natural House (Traditional): Mars
Natural House (Modern): Pluto
Natural House Zodiac Sign (Modern): Scorpio
Planetary Joy (Hellenistic): None
Ancient name (Hellenistic): Idle or Gate of Hades (descending into the Underworld) / “Inactive”
Mode/Quadrant: Succedent (second)
Sample Questions Answered by the 8th House
- How much do I depend on other people for money and self-worth?
- How do I face my “shadow self” and other deep psychological issues?
- How do I handle transformation?