The 8th and 12th houses are among the most mysterious, intriguing, and endlessly fascinating in astrology.
There are more Google searches for the 8th and 12th houses than for any other houses.
What makes them so mysterious? So appealing? So difficult to grasp? Why do they capture our imagination more than any other houses in astrology?
When we go about houses in a cookie-cutter fashion and equate them with signs, we get something like 8th house = Scorpio and 12th house = Pisces, but this doesn’t tell us much about the deeper function and essence of these houses.
Let’s get a more nuanced understanding of these houses by applying some of the Astro Butterfly frameworks, like the Angle Theory or The Light/Darkness Paradigm.
The Angle Theory
The Angle Theory’s premise is that we can understand the 12 houses – including the 8th and the 12th – by starting with what defines them in the first place: the angles!
The Ascendant is where the horizon was rising when you were born, while the Descendant is its opposite point. That’s why the Ascendant (and the 1st house) describes YOU, while the Descendant (and the 7th house) describes the OTHER.
If the Ascendant and the 1st house represent who you are – your Ego, the incarnation of spirit on Earth – then the 12th house, positioned above the 1st house, represents what lies beyond the Ego: what we cannot see, our blind spots, but also what we can grow and evolve into.
This is the elevated part of the Self, our hidden potential awaiting discovery and integration. It is also the ethereal aspect of the Self – the spirit rather than the body – our higher, transcendent nature.
The 2nd house, in contrast, is positioned just below the 1st house – it is what we ‘stand on’ and what we own. It represents the foundation that supports the Ego, which is why the 2nd house is associated with money, possessions, talents, food, and energy levels.
What about the 8th house? The 8th house is derived from the closest angle, the Descendant.
The Descendant (and the 7th house) is the OTHER – it’s where we engage in relationships and seek equality.
The 6th house, positioned below the 7th house, shows where we feel ‘below’ the other. This is why the 6th house relates to work, service, and effort – it’s where we feel the need to grow, develop, and prove our worth in order to stand as equals with others.
In contrast, the 8th house sits above the Descendant, representing where we feel we’ve contributed more than our fair share in relationships. This is why the 8th house is associated with intimacy and trust – it’s the space where we are ready to move to a deeper level of connection.
However, it can also be the house of entitlement, reflecting expectations of reciprocity or power dynamics within relationships.
This is where we feel the other ‘owes’ us something, hence the connection with shared resources, assets, or inheritance.
It is the house where we seek to delve deeper into the understanding of relationships and human nature, exploring the mysteries and complexities that lie beneath the surface.
The 8th house is what we share, co-own, and co-manage with others in our one-on-one relationships. It’s where we experience one-on-one relationships where there’s intimacy or often a power imbalance.
Examples include when one partner brings in the income, creating a perceived sense of ‘power,’ and the other partner withdraws intimacy as an instinctual response to address the imbalance.
When we understand the houses in relation to the closest angle (are they below the angle or above it?), we gain deeper insights into their function. The Angle Theory theory explains why the 12th house is a Self house – but it represents our higher Self, as it sits above the 1st.
Similarly, this theory explains why the 8th house is a ‘Relationship’ house – since it sits above the 7th (where we are equals), it reveals power dynamics and the ways in which trust, intimacy, and control play out in relationships.
The Light/Darkness Paradigm
The Light/Darkness Paradigm is another lens through which we can make sense of the 12 houses, and we will once again use the 8th and 12th houses as examples.
The premise is based on visibility – is a house ‘visible’? The ‘visible’ houses are those above the horizon (houses 7 to 12), while the ‘hidden’ houses are below the horizon (houses 1 to 6).
This framework was developed using the Sun’s daily cycle as a template to understand the interplay of light and darkness in the houses.
Midday – when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky – corresponds to the Midheaven and the 10th house of career and aspirations. This makes sense, as it represents the highest and most public point we can reach.
In contrast, the 4th house, located at the bottom of the chart, represents midnight – a time of darkness, rest, and retreat, usually spent at home, fully attuned to ourselves. That’s why the 4th house is associated with home, privacy, and our innermost foundation.
If planets in the 10th house tend to be highly visible, planets in the 4th house tend to be much more private and inwardly focused.
Let’s apply this principle to the 8th and 12th houses.
The Ascendant (and the 1st house) corresponds to sunrise, and the Descendant (and the 7th house) to sunset.
The 12th house is the first hour of morning, just after sunrise, where we are literally ‘blinded’ by the light – hence the elusive nature of the 12th house.
The 8th house is just before sunset, when the shadows begin to stretch and deepen.
In fact, the shadow is at its longest after sunrise and before sunset, corresponding to the 12th and 8th houses – houses where things are not always what they seem.
In the 12th house, the shadow has a western orientation, suggesting that what is hidden relates to others (West = Descendant = Other), which is why the 12th house carries themes of karma, subconscious influences, and collective energies.
In the 8th house, the shadow has an eastern orientation (East = Ascendant = Me), meaning it is tied to ourselves. Specifically, the parts of us we keep hidden from others, the truths we are reluctant to share, and the secrets we guard to maintain power, privacy, or control.
The 8th house is sometimes mistaken for a private house. However, when we look at houses through the light/darkness perspective, we see that the 8th house is about shadow, not privacy. It’s the 4th house (the midnight house) – that is the true house of privacy.
The 12th house is often mistaken as an isolated house. We hear ‘12th house’ and we picture someone confined in an asylum. However, in practice, and especially if you have, let’s say, the Moon or the chart ruler in this house, you know that this description doesn’t hit the mark.
People with 12th house placements are often travelers – they journey great distances, both physically and metaphorically (as the 12th house is the final house of the chart), in a quest to find the light – the highest expression of themselves. THAT’s why the 12th house is the house of spirituality.
Here are just a few examples of how we can look at the houses through the frameworks developed by the Astro Butterfly School.
If we want to truly understand the houses, it’s crucial to use frameworks that align with their nature – such as the angles, which define the houses, and the day/night cycle, which is unique to them.
It’s these types of approaches that will help you understand houses at a deep level and truly grasp what differentiates them from signs or planets.
The 12 Houses – A Journey Through The Natal Chart
If these examples spark your interest, you’re invited to join Astro Butterfly’s 1-year program “The 12 Houses – A Journey Through The Natal Chart” where we explore the houses in depth, one house each month.
In addition to these theoretical frameworks, you’ll have access to live and recorded calls, activities, prompts, and discussions designed to elevate your understanding of the houses and the natal chart.
You can learn more about “The 12 Houses – A Journey Through The Natal Chart” – at the link below:
>> The 12 Houses – A Journey Through The Natal Chart