The fifth astrological house can be viewed as the house of pleasure and creative expression. It governs over our hobbies, children, creative outlets, and what we do to receive pleasure,which can include anything from, art, sex, parties,
gambling, drama and collecting. This house is ruled by the fifth constellation, Leo and therefore, the Sun. Being a Succedent house to the fourth house of emotional rooting; there is a sense of security in this house that this ‘thing’ belongs to us. Good or bad. Where the fourth house can represent a more external foundation of familial ties, this house is very unique to us as ‘the individual’. It is synonymous to the Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakra energy centers (see blog posts below if you are unfamiliar), but generally, -it embodies the Ego’s need for expression and the Inner Child’s need for play.
The frequency of creation is bringing something into the world. For something to be created it first has to be conceived. This can be a person, energy, idea or art. This is why this house is also known for its association with children. The gift of a child is one of the most powerful creations brought on by the self. BUT it is not for the ‘self’, which is a huge distinction in healthy parenting. The impact of narcissistic or emotionally abusive parenting styles can live in this house wreaking havok on one’s ability to express themselves and find the innocence in pleasure. This is all dependent on more specific astrological placements. Also commonly seen are problems formulating ideas into action and the necessary motivation associated with it because of the themes of Ego and willpower brought on by the Sun. Being ruled by fire, this house breathes the vitality into our lives.
More often than not, it is the fourth house that is the invisible force leaking the energy from this house. If you grew up through situations where you needed to minimize achievements or hide your authenticity, that fire inside of you does not immediately go away, it gets internalized. And through internalizing this,depending on the person, this fire can go out or transform into anger, obsession, or confusion. Truth be told, if it doesn’t come from our family or peers, society eventually puts a kibosh on our innate creative expression.
The scar of rejection can infiltrate this house making it the farthest thing from “pleasure”. The culprit is the ostracizing cycle of criticism where the biggest critics are the ones fearing criticism themselves. Family members and peers deflect their own perceived shortcomings onto others and what a shame it is for that squandering to leave an impacting force on the victim, but it does and is picked up here. Self-esteem can devastate someone’s perception of their own mental intelligence, and that is why intelligence is sometimes thrown into this house. Bruised self-esteem can lead to one questioning their ability to motivate, have the energy for the deration of a project, and reach success. It doesn’t reflect the actual capability of the person but their own perceived ability to create something meaningful and express themselves all while risking that vulnerability of ridicule now buried within. Reflect on your own relationship with expressing yourself. Do you feel that you are able to express yourself through some outlet in your life or do you feel restricted?
Aside from creativity this house is equally known for being the house of ‘fun‘ and through gaining awareness you might have come across what your own relationship with fun is. How do you actually have fun and receive joy? Is your idea of fun being alone? Is it through risk-taking like gambling or adultery? Do you feel you need to be productive in order to receive joy? When we neglect the inner child that lives inside of us long enough, it throws a tantrum. This tantrum could come in the form of escaping, numbing or even obsessive compulsions. However, it is never too late to bring that inner-child back into existence. What did you enjoy doing as a child? No matter your experience, if we reflect hard enough there are certain elements we had a greater affinity towards whether it was something in nature, a game you used to make up, performances you put on, telling stories, drawing, etc. Whatever that was, try to bring some form of it into your current life. Everyone can locate the deep-seated passion that at one time beamed from within. It might not feel natural at first and that is also ok. At this part of the zodiac wheel we really just want to shine. Another way to access this energy is to be spontaneous. Break free of whatever mold you find yourself in. Embrace spontaneity. Allowing yourself to have time for play also allows you to experience the present moment and truly is nourishment for the soul.
Things that hold us back from experiencing the joy this house has to offer is comparing our lives to others, getting let down and lost in our own expectations of how things should be and not being able to let go of a sense of control so we can just enjoy. This house fosters an openness where creation is effortless and passion is rewarded with pleasure.
The zodiac sign on the cusp of this house (the sign where the house begins) will give this house more of a defining ‘personality’-if you will. Many astrologers use this house to predict the characteristics of the native’s child (first born more specifically) and fertility. Any planets you have in this house will also influence how this area manifests itself into your life. More in-depth astrology would involve analyzing the transits of the planets located in this house and also where the “ruling” planet (Sun) and sign of the house (Leo) are in your individual chart.
To find this information- create your Natal Chart at www.astro-charts.com
