Second House

Your earned income is the main element found in the second house. It is money that is personal to you and not shared with a friend, spouse, or even with a bank (such as from a mortgage or credit card). Indeed, shared money would come under the eighth house which is found opposite—180 degrees away—from the second house on the horoscope wheel.

Your style of earning, spending, saving, and, to some degree, investing is covered here as well as your most valuable possessions, including financial gains or losses. Your sense of financial security would be indicated by this house.

If you find this house, or any other house of your horoscope, is empty (meaning there is no planet in this house in your chart), this is normal and nothing to be concerned about. There are eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto plus the brilliant star, the Sun, and Earth’s satellite, the moon. These heavenly bodies add up to 10 in all, so it stands to reason that some of the 12 houses of the horoscope would not have any heavenly bodies inside. The sign on the cusp of each of the houses is important—look to the ruling planet of that sign and see how it is communicating with other planets (if at all).

You may read in astrological texts that the second house rules the confidence you have in yourself and how much you “value” yourself. I don’t agree this interpretation. I have never found that the second house has anything to do with your confidence, estimated value, or belief in yourself. Having money can bring a sense of security, but in my opinion, confidence in one’s abilities and future is not centered in this house—that is a first house function. Money is stored energy—the work (energy) you do for someone  transforms into income when you are paid.

A look at your credit card statement shows what you value most in life by how you direct your spending. For example, as a young graduate, you may purchase inexpensive furniture for your first apartment, and perhaps you’ll spend on take-out food, concerts, clubs, and clothes. You may also make regular payments on a student loan.

When you marry and have children, you will likely have fewer charges for expensive entertainment and dinners out. Money is more likely to be directed toward your rent or mortgage and, when children arrive, on child care, their education, and their other needs. Retired couples may spend more for travel and charity destinations. These are generalities and do not account for those who were wealthy to begin with, but even so, how you spend, save, and invest says a great deal about you, your priorities, and what you value in life.

My point is: The value you give yourself, in my opinion, has never been reflected by the second house as some astrological texts report. Rather, this house reveals your changing priorities that you make as you mature.

The natural rulers of the second house are Venus, a planet associated with money as well as love and beauty, and the sign of Taurus.