The Sixth House: The House of Health

The Sixth House is commonly referred to as the House of Health. Implicit in maintaining good health is the ability to cope in the face of adversity, and this theme rings truest in the Sixth House. As human beings, we naturally have shortcomings. What will we do with them? How will we react in the face of a personal crisis? Crises, illnesses and reversals of fortune are all part of our Earthly trek. How we confront these situations and deal with the lessons they invariably teach us helps to define the person we become.

Our fears may hold us back, but if we can meet them head-on and come out stronger on the other side, we may learn the valuable lesson of service or what our life’s work should be. Work and service are central to the Sixth House. The focus here is on employment (employers and employees), training, those who serve us (along with those we serve) and those who depend on us. Keeping ourselves strong throughout these efforts is also important here, which is why this house further focuses on health (good and bad), diet, fitness and hygiene.

Essential to the work we do in life is the work we do on our self. Duty, responsibility and personal growth all contribute to the creation of a fully-realized being. We work for others as well as for ourselves; we are at service to those who need us, including our own being. There will be times when crises of health or faith will stand in the way of our best self. At those times, we must endeavor to heal ourselves (again, the focus of this House is on health) so that we can return to the work of realizing our sum potential, of serving our world.

The Sixth House also addresses the daily dealings of life: what will I wear today? Do I need a haircut? Has the dog been fed? These simple matters keep our engines humming and enable us to do the more important work of our choosing. It’s a patchwork quilt: the ability to serve others in health and through work, which is both valuable and fulfilling.

The Sixth House is ruled by Virgo and the planet Mercury.