The twelve houses of the chart

The twelve houses divide a birth chart by the daily rotation of the earth rather than by the zodiac, and each governs an area of life: the first house the self and body, the fourth the home and roots, the seventh partnership and open enemies, the tenth vocation and standing, and so on around the wheel. A planet's meaning in a chart depends heavily on which house it falls in.

The house scheme is Hellenistic in origin and is tied to the horizon and meridian of the moment and place of birth, which is why an accurate time and location matter so much more for the houses than for the signs.