Readers Ask: Q & A about the 2nd House

Posted by: Donna Cunningham | April 21, 2010

Readers Ask: Q & A about the 2nd House

Yesterday in the comment section, a reader said that by being so willing to answer questions, I was providing continuing education for astrologers. That prompted an idea for what became a recurring feature on Skywriter—a post that consists entirely of your questions and my answers on the current theme we’re exploring together, whatever it might be. Since we’re looking at the 2nd house in our current thread, let’s experiment with that.

What kind of questions should you ask? They should be general questions that would interest students, like these:

What’s the difference between having Aries on the cusp of the 2^nd and having Mars there?
What does it mean if the ruler of the 12^th is in the 2^nd?
If a man has the Moon in the 2^nd, what does that say about his relationship with women?

That sort of thing, phrased in 25 words or less.

UPDATE: The comment section is closed. Read and enjoy the exchange of questions and answers by scrolling down below this article!

Posts in the Astrology and Personal Finances series:

Readers Ask Series: (Readers’ questions and my Answers are in the Comment Sections)

free astrology booklet by Donna Cunningham To continue with this series, sign up for a subscription, and get a FREE EBOOKLET for Skywriter Subscribers Only: Mothers, Daughters, and the Moon, a 50-page excerpt from The Moon in your Life. Read more about it here: New: Free Booklet For Skywriter Subscribers!

If you’re already a subscriber and want a copy, forward the most recent email post to me at moonmave@spiritone.com. To sign up for a subscription, go to the top right hand corner of the blog and click on “Subscribe.” Then send me an email with your subscription confirmation or an email post with a request for the booklet in the subject line.

Posted in Houses of the Horoscope, Natal Chart Analysis, Vocational Astrology | Tags: 2nd house and money, ARTICLES ABOUT ASTROLOGY, astrological education, birth chart, career astrology, Donna Cunningham, second house, skywriter, vocational astrology

Responses

Hi – read the Uranus in 2nd – I have a strong Uranus in the 9th but still recognised a lot of the stuff said there. I have an empty 2nd house (Sag on the cusp) – with Pluto transiting right now, lighting up lots of other natal planets/aspects. Can you say something about what to expect from Pluto in the 2nd? And when the 2nd is empty, where to look for the missing pieces?
By: Natalie on April 21, 2010
at 4:46 am
Hi, Natalie, I’ll have a post later on about Pluto in the 2nd, so will defer that.

When there’s an empty house, you look for the ruler of that house–its sign, house, and aspects. With an empty 2nd, then money making would be secondary in your life to the matters of the house the ruler is in. That would be the major thing you value more than money.

So in this case, with Sagittarius on the 2nd, you’d be looking at Jupiter. For instance, if your Jupiter were in the 12th, then the spiritual quest, service, or on the other hand, self-sabotage would drive you rather than wealth. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
at 7:42 am
- Thanks Donna. Got Jupiter in the 3rd, so I’ll take a look at that. Looking forward to the article on Pluto!
  By: Natalie on April 21, 2010
  at 11:53 pm
Hi Donna – What’s your take on North Node in Libra in the 2nd? Thanks.
By: LB on April 21, 2010
at 8:27 am
- Hi, LB. Well, the North Node in the 2nd (South Node in the 8th) means that it’s an important lesson in this lifetime to be self-supporting rather than rely on the resources of others–to earn a living and manage money. The fact that the North Node is in Libra says that while earning a living, you still need to be considerate of the needs of others, especially of loved ones. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 10:56 am
  - Thanks Donna. That sums it up nicely, and definitely makes sense considering my situation. Now if only transiting Neptune through my 6th would cooperate! LB
    By: LB on April 21, 2010
    at 11:54 am
Donna, can you tell us what you’ve observed over the years about people with multiple retrograde planets in this house natally? Since Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto, are all currently retrograde (albeit in different signs) I figured this question would be somewhat apropos.
By: Desi on April 21, 2010
at 8:31 am
- OH, boy, Desi, we all have our blind spots, and natal retrograde planets is one of mine because I didn’t have one at birth and will never have one by progression even if I live to be 90. The best book on retrograde planets was written by Erin Sullivan, available at http://www.erinsullivan.com.
  
  I will say this. There are intervals in history when the slower moving planets are all clustered together within a few signs, like they have been for the past decade or longer.
  
  When that is the case, there are certain times of the year when many of the slower moving planets are retrograde because the Sun and other personal planets are all 3-6 signs away from them. At those times of the year, every single person born on the planet has all the slower planets retrograde.
  
  Thus, the question of having many retrograde planets can become not so much an individual one as a generational one. Perhaps it is an era in history when our invidual destiny is closely allied with the destiny of our generation.
  
  The houses the collection of retrograde planets falls into shows the areas of life impacted by the historical, social, and economic climate. Thus, approximately one person in 12 born within a month or two of you would have had that same collection of retrograde planets in that particular house.
  
  An abstruse answer to a complex question. It happens. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:39 pm
What a GREAT idea!!!! I’m really excited to see all the questions that people ask and look forward to learning a bunch of new stuff;-) Thanks again for your continued generosity and insight. I know I’ve got some questions written down somewhere that I’ve been trying to figure out the answers to, so I’ll post them as soon as I find them;-)
By: Samantha Bremer on April 21, 2010
at 10:11 am
Donna: What a great, great idea. Wanting to get your expertise out there in service to those of us who are on a lifetime of leaning, seeking and applying so (like the Velveteen Rabbit) we can become “real”
By: Wanda on April 21, 2010
at 10:16 am
Hi Donna,
I’m a beginner and I really like this idea.
My question is the one you gave as example, that is, what’s the difference between having Aries on the cusp of the 2nd and having Mars there?

Thank you a lot
serena
By: serena334 on April 21, 2010
at 11:03 am
- HI, Serena, great question, even if I did make it up myself. My rule is this: the planet is always stronger than the sign it rules, and Mars is the ruler of Aries. The sign is descriptive, the planet is active–you could say that the sign is like an adjective, whereas the planet is like a verb.
  
  Mars, then, is more likely to take an active role, so that the person with Mars in the 2nd is a real go-getter where making money is concerned, highly competitive, out to out-spend the Joneses, buying the newest, the best, and the biggest. If the career is sales, for instance, this is bound to be the sales leader for the district.
  
  Aries would have some of the same qualities, but since Mars would be elsewhere probably, some of that competitive edge and drive is aimed elsewhere. Hope this helps. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:11 pm
  - Thank you, Donna.
    
    I got it!
    
    serena
    By: serena334 on April 22, 2010
    at 11:57 am
I was going to ask about empty houses, in particular the earth houses – 2nd, 6th & 10th – but you already answered my question. Check the ruler of the sign on the cusp and see what’s up with it! 🙂

Like Natalie I have Sag on the cusp of the 2nd (& Jupiter in the 12th). Not too good at generating wealth which has been problematical for me. Ah well.

Would love to read your take on the Nodes in the Houses and/or synastry.

diane~
By: Diane L on April 21, 2010
at 11:05 am
- Hi, Diane, me too, the ruler of the 2nd in the 12th–material goods not a priority. Nodes in the 2nd, see below. Nodes in general haven’t been a focus for me. Lots of good books on nodes out there. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:15 pm
  - Hi Donna, what if you have the ruler of your empty house 2 in 12 (mercury in my case) (and feel good about the simple life and rather tend your homestead instead of making money) but you have a taurus ascendant (with aries venus in 12 too amongst others), and are desperate to get rid of your financial worries??? How would you go about finding a job that pays the bills but lets you stay true to yourself?
    By: annette on April 23, 2010
    at 2:59 am
  - Mercury, ruler of the 2nd, in the 12th? The 2nd can show profitable sidelines, as we’ll explore in an upcoming post, and here you’d be looking for a Mercury-related sideline, also connected to the 12th. How about writing articles on metaphysical/spiritual topics? Or, selling spiritual/metaphysical products? Donna
    By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
    at 5:50 am
The transit of uranus into 2 will also be an opposition of my natal uranus in 8. What, in general can I expect? I’m assuming there’s a few of us out there who will experience this same natal opposition?

(With my chiron in 2 as well, I’m just a wee bit anxious)

😉
By: kiki on April 21, 2010
at 12:27 pm
- HI, Kiki, expect a post on Uranus transits to the 2nd in coming weeks, but in general, a transiting outer planet is in a house for anywhere from 7-14 years, so over time it begins to act a lot like having that planet in that house natally, many of the same challenges to master. Read the post a few days ago about having natal Uranus in the 2nd.
  
  As for the Uranus opposition to Uranus, this is of course part of the midlife series of transits (transiting Uranus opp. natal Uranus, Pluto square natal Pluto, Neptune square natal Neptune, Saturn opp natal Saturn). In general, Uranus opposing natal Uranus is a time when we learn how to be Uranian without being self-defeating, when Uranian types often come into their own–to me, it was a very heady time.
  
  As Uranus becomes a little more manageable (we’ve paid our dues), the strongly Uranian person often can relax into it and not push so hard to be different/maveric-like, so they can be free without being so hard-edged about it, and they encounter less resistance from others. On the other hand, the person who has suppressed their Uranus for the most part throughout life to be socially acceptable may break out in surprising ways–the guy who buys a red convertable and takes on a trophy wife.
  
  This is slightly far afield from our topic, but how it figures into the 2nd/8th axis would be to cut loose from the safe ways of earning money and go for something riskier that is truer to who they are. Expect some ups and downs early on, like that described in the article on natal Uranus in the 2nd. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:25 pm
  - Thanks so much for your time and insight Donna, I really appreciate it!
    
    I truly understand that concept of a less aggressive expression of Uranus. I think I really took that to the extreme when I became aware of my differences in my early 20s
    Today, approaching that Uranian return I feel it’s a much more…generous thing? Accepting my unusual-ness without feeling the need to foist it on others has become a source of true strength.
    
    I’ll look especially forward to that post!
    
    Pax
    kiki
    By: kiki on April 21, 2010
    at 10:31 pm
Can you comment on Saturn in the second?
By: l on April 21, 2010
at 12:31 pm
- Hi, Liza, Ages ago, someone–I don’t recall who–did an article on Saturn in the 2nd, proving that it did NOT mean your finances would be limited, citing some very famous and rich people that have it. They did, however, suffer from fear of lack, and so they were driven to amass and conserve their wealth.
  
  I’d say that it would create a conservative and somewhat constricted relationship to money management, never taking it for granted and often feeling anxious about it. As is so often true with Saturn’s placement, it can get better as the Saturn cycles continue, e.g. around the 2nd Saturn return, because this caution in managing money tends to pay off. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:36 pm
If the ruler of the 2nd is in the 1st house does that mean you want total control over your money/resources?

And if the ruler of the 2nd was in the 7th would that mean you are willing to let someone else control the money?
By: Susie on April 21, 2010
at 12:43 pm
- HI, Susie, if it’s in the 1st, control is not so much the issue as perhaps a self-consciousness about whether your appearance reflects a good income. It depends on the sign and aspects of the ruler, of course. For instance, let’s say the 2nd house ruler is in Libra. Perhaps there would be a great effort to look stylish and well, even if the income was limited.
  
  With the ruler placed in the 7th, partnership and money would be strongly intertwined and possibly an issue in the relationship. What the connection is and what kind of issue would depend on the planet, it’s sign and aspects. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:41 pm
Aloha Donna Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to ask questions. Your posting on Uranus in the 2nd house described one of my sons to a “t”, and gave me goosebumps.

Your insights are so clear, direct and to the point! My question about the 2nd is what would be the effect of having one’s 9th house, 10th house, and 7th house rulers all within the 2nd house. Would there be an overemphasis on self-worth, earning money, or creating a value system? Meleanna
By: Meleanna on April 21, 2010
at 12:54 pm
- HI, Meleanna. The more planets in the 2nd, the more energy goes into generating an income and the more important an issue it becomes, on the one hand, and on the other, the more potential ways of earning an income. The 9th house ruler in the 2nd might show a potential for earning money through such 9th house enterprises as teaching, travel, or publishing. And so on, for rulers of other houses. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:45 pm
Hi Donna tks for this opportunity! Tau in the cusp of the 2th house and Mars, ruller of the asc there in Gem, it is why in a moment you feel secure and safe and the next day everything dissapeared? As it is stationary sometimes i want to kick him! 🙂
By: Rosario on April 21, 2010
at 1:21 pm
- Hello, Rosario. It’s possibly because Mars is in Gemini, and while Taurus on the 2nd cusp was to stay solid and secure and never changing where money is concerned, Mars in Gemini gets bored with routine easily and wants to keep on learning and having adventures, so it frequently wants to start something new and untried. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:52 pm
Hi Donna, I’d like to pose one of your suggested questions, What’s the difference between having Aries on the cusp of the 2nd and having Mars there?
By: Cathy on April 21, 2010
at 1:30 pm
- See above, Cathy, already answered. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:30 pm
What a wonderful forum and learning opportunity!

What about Chiron in the 2nd? Is that important to the chart analysis? Could it describe a wound to self esteem?

Also, do you consider if the Part of Fortune tenants the 2nd house?

I realize this adds layers, but would be interested in comments on these points….
By: Judy on April 21, 2010
at 1:34 pm
- Chiron isn’t really my thing–you might want to check out Joyce Mason of The Radical Virgo.
  
  Part of Fortune in the 2nd sounds good–I’d be happy to trade you for it. The sign it’s in and any aspects to it would modify it and give you more information on the ways you could earn money. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:25 pm
Hi Donna,

Very kind of you to freely educate us and I am greatful for your kindness and love!

What about moon in aquarius in 2nd ?

only earth in chart

and uranus in 7th in mutural reception?

wheew….I dont wish it on anybody!

Thank you in advance, &

Many Blessig to you dear Lady!
By: JA on April 21, 2010
at 1:41 pm
- HI, JA, again, this is the sort of question–set of questions, really–it would be hard to sort out without seeing the chart as a whole, and I’m not doing individual charts any more. All I can say is that the mutual reception is a double association between the Moon and Uranus that creates a sort of natural connection that can help to relieve any strain. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:23 pm
Hello Donna. Having this wonderfull opportunity to ask, I’d like to know what would be the meaning of an UNASPECTED 2nd house ruler (let it be Venus as 2nd ruler, placed in 6th house Virgo, for example)?
Thank you!
By: Rozamunda on April 21, 2010
at 2:24 pm
- Hmmm. Good question, Rozamunda. First, I’d want to know if it truly was unaspected or if it maybe aspected the Ascendant or Midheaven. Those aspects are called outlets, for they give us another route for expressing that planet.
  
  Truly unaspected planets can be difficult because it is hard for them to find a natual expression. I find it somewhat helpful, though, that a planet that rules the 2nd–one of the three career houses–is placed in the 6th, another of the career houses. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:56 pm
  - Thank you Donna.
    Yes, taking into accout just major aspects, even with Asc and Mc – truly unaspected….
    However, there’s a sesquisquare between 2nd h ruler Venus in 6th and Mars, which is placed in the 2nd.
    And semisextile from Venus to Sun in 5th.
    Don’t know if you even consider such minor aspects??
    By: Rozamunda on April 21, 2010
    at 11:11 pm
  - Well, Rozamunda, though they are each minor aspects, the fact that there are three of them does help, especially the connection between Venus, the second house ruler to Mars in the 2nd. Donna
    By: Donna Cunningham on April 22, 2010
    at 2:02 am
About the 2nd House:

With Jupiter conjoined with the Moon, both in Sagittarius in the 2nd, one would expect bountiful and renewable resources, right? But this person has experienced financial volatility for decades, bouncing between high living and stretches of abject poverty. Would you attribute this mostly to a Jupiter retrograde? Saturn (also in the 2nd) opposite Venus in the 8th? Is there a stabilizing force somewhere in the chart to help this 2nd house configuration find a little more financial balance?
By: Liz on April 21, 2010
at 2:29 pm
- Liz, this sounds like a question that cannot be resolved without reviewing the whole chart–a very complex set of factors in the 2nd & 8th, and thus beyond what we are doing in this post. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 5:58 pm
Here’s one: What does it mean if the ruler of the 2nd aspects a planet in that very same house? I don’t know if that question makes sense.

And thanks for the opportunity to learn as well.
By: Eme Kah on April 21, 2010
at 3:01 pm
- HI, Eme, it sounds like it would make the ruler and the planet it aspects in the 2nd stronger–and the psychology of money for that indivual more complicated, but you wouldn’t know the actual patterns that get acted out about money without knowing the signs, planets, and aspects involved. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:01 pm
  - Thanks, Donna. I never thought about it that way until you volunteered to answer general questions. How about the 2nd house and questions of self-worth as opposed to money?
    By: Eme Kah on April 22, 2010
    at 2:18 pm
  - Don’t get me started, Eme. One of my students made the unfortunate error of asking me that question yesterday. I told her, “the only way the 2nd house tells you about your self-esteem is if your self-esteem is dependent on how much money you have.”
    
    To me, self-esteem is a function of the Sun, along with self-worth, self-confidence, the sense of self, and other self words. Where the Sun is–the house, sign, and aspects–show the things that make up our identity, and our success or lack thereof has a huge effect on our self-esteem.
    
    I think that the reason so many astrologers prefer to talk about the 2nd as self-esteem or values and rarely mention money is because so many of us have serious money issues ourselves, and so we find it really hard to deal with our client’s money difficulties.
    
    Astrologers who can’t comfortably look at money in the chart are not going to be effective at helping the multitudes of people who are having terrible financial problems during this recession or whatever they’re calling it these days.
    
    That, in a nutshell, is why this series is unfolding on Skywriter right now. Donna
    By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
    at 6:29 am
What does it say about the 2nd house with Pisces on the cusp with an Aries Moon in that house? Neptune is in the 9th house conj. So.Node.
By: Hildy Maze on April 21, 2010
at 3:35 pm
- HI, Hildy, a very mixed and hazy picture. On the one hand, to have Pisces on the 2nd, Neptune in the 9th says that the person is deeply involved with a spiritual path and thus more inclined to follow those studies than to pursue money for its own sake.
  
  On the other hand, Aries Moon in the 2nd could be much like what I described about Mars in the 2nd in an earlier comment…a real dynamo in earning potential, but driven by the need for financial security since it’s the Moon.
  
  The two conflicting urges are quite a puzzle and dilemma for the person to sort out, probably a lifelong process, but would come into sharper focus at times when the two planets are highlighted by transit. (In particular at midlife, when transiting Neptune squares natal Neptune.) Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:07 pm
How can we interpret the second house, assuming it is empty, if the house ruler is unaspected (no major aspects) and/or out-of-orb by declination?
By: Teri on April 21, 2010
at 3:55 pm
- When the 2nd house is empty, even by itself, we can assume that making money is not a strong drive for the person, that their energies are actively involved in other areas of life. If you add to that an unaspected ruler, it only reconfirms the supposition that amassing material wealth or goods is not what the person is here for this time around. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:53 pm
Here’s one – is the meaning of the 2nd house limited to money and financial resources, or can it have other meanings, as well? I’m curious, because back in the Stone Age, there was no such thing as money and finance, but there were still planets moving through people’s second houses, whether they knew it or not.
By: Margaret on April 21, 2010
at 4:17 pm
- Back in the stone age, people still had possessions and things of value–skins of animals they hunted, baskets they wove–that they probably exchanged with others for goods, food, etc. If you had a dozen horses or sheep, you were considered wealthy.
  
  Do you recall a film decades ago called “The Gods must be Crazy?” It was about a stone-age type aboriginal tribe where all goods where shared, no real individual possessions. A soda bottle fell down into the village from a passing airplane, and all manner of consequences ensued, escalating to violence over who would own the bottle. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:12 pm
  - What a great answer, Donna! I do remember The Gods Must Be Crazy – wonderful film – and this makes perfect sense. It would also apply to one of those rare folks in the present-day U.S. who also live mainly through barter (I hear there are some, though there can’t be very many). Wouldn’t it be interesting to study the horoscope of someone like that!
    By: Margaret on April 22, 2010
    at 1:26 pm
  - LOL!! Well, you could always study mine. Back when I lived in NYC, I often did marvellous trades for my services with the many talented people there. MY critieria for a good trade was this: both parties had to secretly believe they got the best end of the deal. It didn’t seem to work very well when I moved here. Donna
    By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
    at 6:21 am
I like all the questions you suggested in your post.
But the one I’ll go with is this:

If a WOman has the Moon in the 2nd, what does that say about her relationship with men, and with other women?
By: Sea on April 21, 2010
at 5:02 pm
- Hi, Sea. It doesn’t speak to her relationships with men so much. But with the Moon in the 2nd, there’s a strong tendency to engage with other women around financial resources, and a need to sort out the question of financial dependency vs. self-sufficiency.
  
  It may have begun with a powerful impact of the mother, how she managed money, and the role model she presented in terms of money. She may have used money to keep her children tied to her emotionally. Exactly what she did with money would depend greatly on the Moon’s sign and aspects. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:19 pm
If the cusp of the 2nd house is at 29 degrees of a sign, should it be considered as that sign or the next? i.e.: 29 degrees of Virgo, or 0 degrees Libra?
By: Donna on April 21, 2010
at 5:20 pm
- That depends on whether the birth time is accurate or not, and which house system you use. Very iffy. I’d say pay attention to the sign that occupies the majority of that house and especially to any planets in that sign and house, for they are highly descriptive of how the person operates in matters of finance. Donna also
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 21, 2010
  at 6:58 pm
what about a second house in same sign as the first house , because of an interception…(cancer)?
By: Louise on April 21, 2010
at 7:24 pm
- HI, Louise, I had a browse through the Aries Press Table of houses, and this appears to be quite common with certain signs, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo among them, and having to do with the tilt of axis of the earth. That means that the width of the 1st house is rather narrow, and thus any transits through the 1st are (mercifully) short, while the transits through the 2nd are longer.
  
  When the same planet rules two successive houses, as it does here, that planet gains in importance. The ruler of the 1st is especially important and is called the ruler of the chart, and to have it rule the second as well, gives the sign, house, and aspects of that planet double significance…becoming an indication of how you present yourself and what you value more than money. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 22, 2010
  at 1:41 am
If you have a loaded 2nd house, (Cancer Sun located near the end of the 1st & therefore also interpreted in 2nd) pLus, Mercury 5, Uranus 6, Mars 15 and Venus 17 degrees (LEO)
Is that mitigated or expand being opposed by an 8th house AQR Chiron at 16 degrees?

I keep earning w/o effort and giving away or losing money but I never care about that – which seems very weird for all my readings say the ‘gaining’ is very important to me. Is Chiiron to blame for this disconnect?
By: ej runyon on April 21, 2010
at 7:28 pm
- It sounds more like the Mercury-Uranus conjunction, which would make material possessions less important to you than a stready flow of interesting new ideas and things to do. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 22, 2010
  at 1:44 am
  - Hi, Folks, we’re having quite a good interchange here. I’ve mentioned the importance of the ruler of the 2nd house a number of times here, and coincidentally, there is an article on AstroDispatch this morning by AstroFix about what the 2nd house ruler means in each of the 12 houses. You can see it at http://astrofix.net for 4-21-10. Donna
    By: Donna Cunningham on April 22, 2010
    at 2:09 am
My question is, what about Pluto in the 2nd house?

I think you mentioned saving Pluto in the Second house for later. Will that be a separate article? If so, I will just wait.
By: Susie on April 22, 2010
at 5:10 am
- Not to worry, Susie, we’ll get there and probably soon. It’s a full article akin to the ones on Neptune and Uranus in the 2nd–a miniseries. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 22, 2010
  at 6:08 am
Thanks Donna. The upcoming conj. of Uranus/Jupiter will lend some clarification!!!
By: Hildy Maze on April 22, 2010
at 5:24 am
Hi Donna, what a fantastic Q&A here!

I was wondering what your take is on planets approaching a cusp. Say if you have a planet in the 1st house, but it’s just a couple of degrees from the 2nd house cusp (assuming an accurate birth time), would you interpret that as a 1st house planet, a 2nd house planet or a 1st/2nd house planet?

Some astrologers push it into the next house, others don’t and I’m never too sure.
By: Mandi Lockley on April 22, 2010
at 6:53 am
- HI, Mandi. Your recent article about Chiron’s move into Pisces is exquisite! (Folks, see it at http://mandilockley.blogspot.com)
  
  The whole question about house systems and the different cusps depending on which system has never been resolved except by arbitrarily settling on a system. (I use Placidus and have never been tempted to change, based on observing clients.) Add to that how iffy birth times can be, and you’d be wise to be a bit flexible. For me, the question is only resolved by questioning the client as to which house a planet that’s close to the cusp actually works for, by describing what the two houses represent. I do so when a planet is within 5 degrees of the cusp.
  
  The odd thing is that such planets often seem to work for both houses–or even to combine them. A planet that straddles the cusp of the 2nd/3rd for instance might show up in a person who earns money in Mercury-related ways. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:00 am
Hi Donna- I have Geminii on 1st & 2nd cusps with Moon 8 degrees Cancer in 2nd house, opposite Venus 0 degrees Cap & Jupiter 13 degrees Cap. in 8th square Neptune 15 degrees. Libra in the 5th- I am worried about the coming T square’s and my Venus in the 8th (which activates my second house
By: Liberty on April 22, 2010
at 9:42 am
- Hi, Liberty, I’m retired and don’t do chart sessions any more and don’t comment extensively on individual charts on the blog either. There are many articles that you may find helpful in the category “A Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit: at the top right hand corner of the blog. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:06 am
Hi Donna… I thank you for your generous teachings.

My 1st question regarding second house is this:
What if your ascendant is Libra, so every house has the opposite archetypal sign ruling it. Then you have the south node in the 2nd in Scorpio, and the north node in Taurus in the 8th. Do you go with the house or the sign?

2nd question: what if the only planet in the 2nd is mercury in scorpio, and mercury is square the ruler of the 2nd (Pluto in Leo) in the 11th?
By: Regine on April 22, 2010
at 11:19 am
- Too many questions and too detailed about your own chart, Regine. You’d have to look elsewhere for archetypal interpretations–this is an archetype-free zone. My approach is to simply pay attention to the sign and planets on the 2nd house and piece the puzzle together step by step. Then do likewise for the 8th. I have a new post about Pluto/Scorpio in the 2nd today that may shed some light on your questions. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:10 am
Please tell me some POSITIVE manifestations of Saturn transiting the 2nd. This is coming up for me and I want to set a positive intention for the energies 🙂

P.S. Donna, as a healer, have you ever heard of Planetary tuning forks? I just saw a video on YouTube that mentioned them (which I reposted on my blog).
By: Ellen Simonetti on April 22, 2010
at 11:21 am
- Hi, Ellen, at some point in this series, I will have articles about Saturn and other slower-moving planets as 2nd house transits. I will just say briefly that it’s all about the usual lessons of Saturn. Some of them might be:
  
  If you’ve overspent and not managed money well for a number of years, it will be a time when you need to hunker down and pay off your debts.
  
  If you’re already in your 50s, it will be a time to start getting serious about providing for yourself in your old age.
  
  If you need to make an investment in your future (e.g. going back to school for a solid career change, or buying a house), then finances may be tight, but you’re getting yourself on solid ground.
  
  If you’ve been a good money manager and worked hard for years to save and build soundly, it’s likely to be a time of reaping the rewards.
  
  One of my mottoes is, take care of Saturn and Saturn will take care of you.
  
  I’ve heard of the forks but haven’t experienced them. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:16 am
Dear Donna,

Great what you’ve done here. I was wondering about how the saturn-uranus opposition in the 2nd-8th axis would develop.

Regards,

Syd
By: Syd on April 22, 2010
at 11:47 am
- Update: See the article I posted on May 2nd about the Uranus-Saturn opposition transiting the 2nd./8th house axis. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:17 am
Thank you dear Donna, again and again for all that you offer us and share with us !
My question : can the second house, due to its link with Taurus and the throat, describe talents or qualities for singing ? Or would you ascribe this to the planet venus ? Or to the ruler of the second house ?
By: charlotte guiraud on April 22, 2010
at 1:25 pm
Thank you Donna. This is a great forum to learn more about the 2nd house. Great idea.

What do you consider to be minor influences as opposed to major influences? I have Scorpio on the 2nd with Neptune, Moon, and Jupiter. There’s a Yod pointing to Neptune, with a total of 13 aspects bouncing off the planets located in the 2nd. It looks like an air traffic controllers nightmare. My question is whether there are certain things that “carry more weight” when you evaluate the planets located in a house. In other words, what’s more influential and what’s less?
By: Terri on April 22, 2010
at 1:48 pm
- Hmm. An air traffic controller’s nightmare–what a great metaphor! I’d say you have to evaluate each piece separately and then together. Consider which of the planets is dominant, in terms of aspects and other indicators of strength (check out the series of tests on this blog and definitely do the ones for Neptune and Pluto/Scorpio). It sounds like Neptune is probably dominant. There are lots of articles about Neptune here, but pay special attention to the Neptune/Career ones. I’d also recommend the series of articles about stelliums, because that’s what’s going on there. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:25 am
Hi again Donna, here is my Q: Having only the sun in the 2nd (tau) and Leo in the 5th, means that the person indentify herself with hers posesions?
By: Rosario on April 22, 2010
at 5:51 pm
- Hi, Rosario, yes, anyone with the Sun in the 2nd –and even to a certain extent, Sun in Taurus –would tend to identify themselves with their possessions, and thus have some difficulty with self-worth if their income is low. With some work on finding their true self–and astrology does help with that–self-worth can take on a broader view.
  
  Another thing about a 2nd house Sun (or Leo on the 2nd) is that the person is their own best resource, better and more solid than money, as that comes and goes. So a 2nd house Sun is quite a resourceful person. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:45 am
I have one! 🙂 How about if the 2nd (and 8th) houses are intercepted, and if there are planets in the intercepted sign? Also, what if the signs of the intercepted houses are Cancer/Capricorn or Leo/Aquarius, since the Sun and Moon only have one sign (Leo and Cancer respectively) that they express their energy in. Does a person like this have to wait for transits or progressions to deal with those issues?
By: AarTiana on April 22, 2010
at 10:49 pm
- Hi, AarTiana, that’s an awfully complex question, and I’d have to look at the chart to answer it. I don’t make too much of intercepted houses, because the interceptions depend on which house system you use. I give both signs that fall into that house–the sign on the cusp and the intercepted sign–a place in the full expression of the house, but most importantly any planets in that house. Transits are likely to bring out the energies of the intercepted sign. Donna
  By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
  at 6:54 am
Hi, Folks, It’s been fun fielding your questions about the 2nd house, but I’m closing off the comment section now so that I can get on with writing the other articles in this series. I have about a dozen more article ideas in my notebook, and I’m sure the ones that get written will answer more of your questions.

This has been such a sucessful experiement that I will open up for questions from time to time. The next one I can forsee doing is for your questions about the 6th house.

You’re the best, folks! Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on April 23, 2010
at 6:59 am