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Here's Everything To Know About The Second House In Astrology — Including What Yours Means
If you've ever taken a look at your astrological birth chart, you may have noticed it's divided up into 12 equal sections. These sections are called the "houses" in astrology, and they each relate to different themes and areas of your life.
In the case of the second house, this is the house to pay attention to if you want clues on how to make more money, achieve material security, or even boost your self-worth.
Here's the lowdown on the second house, plus how to understand yours.
What is the 2nd house?
- Zodiac sign: Taurus
- Ruling planet: Venus
- Key themes: Money, material resources, financial stability, investments, values, self-worth
As a refresher, there are 12 astrological houses that relate to different themes, each representing specific areas of our life. Your birth chart begins with the first house of self, which is determined by your rising sign. The houses then move counterclockwise around the zodiac wheel and into broader themes of family, relationships, community, and beyond.
The second house is all about your sense of stability in the material world. It influences how you make money in the world, as well as how you interact with your immediate environment.
"It's a very physical and material realm that governs the five senses," the AstroTwins previously wrote for mindbodygreen, adding that the second house is also associated with values, self-esteem, self-worth, income, and even how we can feel at home in our bodies and environments.
Finances & material security
First and foremost, the second house rules money. If you want to know how to best make money in your life, you'll want to understand what signs or planets are in your second house.
As we move away from the first house of self and identity, we start to understand our personal preferences, wants and needs, and desires. The second house focuses on these preferences and also deals with investments and assets, not just physical belongings.
This house is ultimately all about feeling secure in a material sense—it is associated with Taurus, after all.
Self-worth & values
The second house is also closely related to self-worth and values, and that makes sense, considering self-worth and values can directly influence our material success based on what we desire—and what we feel we deserve.
The energy of the second house is grounded and stabilizing, encouraging us to get comfortable with who we are so we can know exactly what we deserve, and of course, so we don't put up with less than we deserve.
Sensuality & practicality
Your second house can give you insight into what brings you pleasure, as well as how you can make practical, value-driven decisions. It's all about finding that happy medium.
Understanding your second house
In order to understand your second house, you'll need to know exactly what time you were born—yes, down to the minute. That's because you need your exact birth time to know where your first house begins.
Here's our full guide to birth charts if you need to pull yours up.
Once you've got it, take a look at where nine o'clock on a clock would be. That's your first house of self, and it should show your rising sign right above it. The house directly to the right, then, is your second house, and in most cases, it will be ruled by the sign that comes right after your rising sign.
Planets in the second house
As you take a look at your second house, look for any planets there. It's best to consult a professional astrologer for a full explanation of your second house because there are so many different ways the planets can interact depending on your whole chart.
That said, here are some general themes for each planet to keep in mind:
- Sun in the second house: Ego, expression, creativity, passion, leadership
- Moon in the second house: Intuition, emotional needs and desires, nurturing
- Mercury in the second house: Communication, information, technology, thought patterns
- Venus in the second house: Relationships, pleasure, fashion, money, diplomacy
- Mars in the second house: Aggression, action, instincts, motivation
- Jupiter in the second house: Growth, luck, higher learning and education, expansion
- Saturn in the second house: Challenges, discipline, karma, boundaries
- Uranus in the second house: Radical change, revolution, originality, innovation
- Neptune in the second house: Dreams, spirituality, the subconscious, healing
- Pluto in the second house: Transformation, death and rebirth, the unconscious, power
- North node: Destiny, purpose, life's biggest lessons
- South node: Past life karma, the mastery you bring to this lifetime
If you have Saturn in the second house, for example, you might run into financial setbacks throughout your life but ultimately overcome them in the end. Or take Jupiter in the second house as another example: You might find you have good financial luck or even excel at making money in higher education.
What if you don't have planets in the second house?
If you don't have any planets in your second house, have no fear! That does not mean you're never going to make money or achieve financial success.
In fact, having an "empty" second house could mean you have more leeway to make money however you like, or you might be more flexible when it comes to your values.
Not to mention, when a planet "transits" or moves through any one of your houses, that house will be activated. Even if you don't have a planet in your second house, there will still be a sign ruling it.
For example, if Libra sits over your second house, it'll get revved up during Libra season, when the moon is in Libra, when Mercury is in Libra, etc.
Understanding the themes of the planets can help you understand how the transit will influence you (i.e., watching out for money troubles when Saturn is moving through your second house, or opportunities for financial growth when Jupiter is there).
Signs in the second house
As aforementioned, the sign over your second house is important, even if you don't have planets there. According to astrologer Kayse Budd, M.D., in fact, the sign on your second house cusp (where the second house begins) can reveal something about how to make a living.
"This sign's energy plays a key role in how a person is karmically destined to make money," she previously wrote for mindbodygreen, adding, "If you have Cancer there, for example, you are meant to make money in a way that incorporates Cancerian themes like emotions, caregiving, nurturance, empathy, food, homes, families, and/or women and children."
Here are some keywords to think about, depending on which sign rules your second house:
- Aries: Self-starter, independent, energetic, bold
- Taurus: Grounded, practical, value-driven, tradition
- Gemini: Communication, variety, technology, curiosity
- Cancer: Nurturing, caretaking, emotional comfort and security
- Leo: Drama, passion, creativity, romance
- Virgo: Service, health, refining, organization
- Libra: Relationships, diplomacy, balance, justice
- Scorpio: Power, sex, intrigue, taboo
- Sagittarius: Travel, adventure, higher education, expansion
- Capricorn: Diligence, structure, ambition, achievement
- Aquarius: Ingenuity, community, social justice, innovation
- Pisces: Spirituality, healing, intuition, compassion
The takeaway
The second house is all about money and resources, practicality and pleasure, and of course, our values and sense of self-worth. If you have one or more planets in this house on your chart, don't be surprised if those themes are driving forces in your life, especially when it comes to your finances.