How Astrology Affects Our Health: The Houses - The First House
Introduction
In Astrology, the houses tell us much about ourselves, the outer and inner worlds, and the cosmos. As each celestial body moves through the houses, we are granted access to new terrain. Because the universe operates as a spiral, we can see and acknowledge patterns, but no pattern is exactly like the last, or any in the future. There are symbols and signals, but will they ever look the same? No. Just as we humans… Even a brother and sister born to the same parents, with the same DNA, could act and feel completely different. Through the lens of an astrologer, this is because each natal chart is different.
When we are born, our soul chooses a blueprint. This blueprint stays the same throughout our entire human experience. What changes is the movement of the planets throughout the history of our lives. For example, each time Saturn returns to the placement it occupied at the time of our birth, we face opportunities for deeper accountability for our habits and behaviors that have led to stress, fatigue, and burnout in our lives. Our Saturn return only happens once every 29.5 years. With placements that occur once every couple of decades to several decades, we’re looking at grand changes.
As you look at the houses within your chart, you can watch as the planets move, and take charge of your health by becoming aware of these upcoming influences. Each planet or orbital body is a gateway to the cosmos within your unique soul blueprint. Because we are made of stardust, there is no separation between us and the stars/planets. These influences can trigger opportunities for us to fine-tune our exercise regimen, our diet, and how we balance rest and play. They can also present us doorways for evolution, leading us out of stagnation or autopilot routines.
In this blog series, I am going to cover each house one-by-one and how they influence and/or govern our health. This will give you a deep dive into what each house has to offer, so you can better understand what each of these cosmic stargates can offer you, from a different perspective, focused on your health. With the discussion of each house, I will personalize it even further, so you can know how each planet weaves itself within each house. Because every planet comes with its own personal energies, the effects within each house are different. Let’s jump into the First House.
The First House - The House of the Self - Ruler = Aries
The First House is all about identity and self-expression. This is the “I am” of the astrology wheel. Because the First House is ruled by Aries, it is charged with high-energy that is fearless in what it takes on. Aries is a cardinal fire sign, rooting the First House in passion, charisma, and confidence - often named as the trailblazer of the zodiac. Aries is governed by Mars, the planet of war, action, desire, and aggression. If you have placements in the First House, they are to teach you how to fully embody your power and confidence. The First House doesn’t allow space for living your life apologetically. It demands ownership.
Aries rules the head and mind. This includes the eyes, face, upper jaw, thalamus, and most importantly, the adrenals. I want to spend some time speaking on how Aries influences the adrenals specifically. Aries rules the adrenal glands because of their role in the stress response (fight or flight), which is managed by the brain. Even though the adrenals sit on top of the kidneys, they are driven by adrenaline. If you are stuck in fight-or-flight, adrenaline is coursing through your body, depleting your energy and power.
Aries also governs the “spark” or hormonal signal that prompts the kidneys into action.
The adrenal glands are controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, both located in the head. When Aries is overactive (leading to stress or anger), it activates the HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal) axis, pushing the adrenals to release cortisol and adrenaline, which subsequently affect the kidneys. In the Aries-Libra axis (Aries and Libra mirror each other in the zodiac wheel), Aries represents the "Fire" (adrenal output/stress) and Libra represents the "Water" (kidney filtration/balance). While the adrenals sit on the kidneys, Aries controls the energy that triggers the adrenal medulla (adrenaline) and cortex (aldosterone), which then signal the kidneys to hold onto water and sodium.
This is why it is so important for us to master our thoughts and emotions. When we let our minds take the wheel with no boundaries, it often “defaults” to old programs we used when we were children. If you experienced trauma when you were a child (which most of us have), when we run these default programs, it keeps our bodies in a high-stress state, and our bodies believe we are still in the past, because our mind is sending signals leading our body to believe that. Bringing our awareness into the present moment is key. As we bring ourselves into the present moment, we can utilize the Aries energy to catapult us into forward action, creating a healthy future instead of staying stuck in the past. Calming our adrenals and bringing our body into harmony.
Take a quick glance at your natal chart.
Do you have any of these placements in your first house?
If you would like a free copy of your natal chart, click here.
