Understanding the 8th house

This article discusses the definitions or Keywords I have seen used to describe the 8th House of Astrology throughout my time as an astrologer. Recently, I've been evaluating my 8th house transits and want to share some insights that may help you understand the 8th house and what it can represent in your natal chart or when transits move through it. 

When I began working with astrology in 2016, astrologers often referred to it as the house of Mystery, Secrets and Taboo things. Today, when I search the 8th house, I find definitions like this: “equal-opportunity house, sex, death and rebirth.” The last two concepts overlap with 12th-house themes. More frequently, I have even seen the 8th house referred to as the house of transformation—any cheat sheets I’ve made for clients have always referred to it as the house of Personal Growth and Transformation.

First, let's discuss the OG definition: “Mystery, Secrets and Taboo things.” This definition in popular astrology, especially in the early 2000s (and earlier, but I was just a kid in the 90s), directed people to think about the 8th house as where sexual insights lie. “Curious about someone's fetish or secret life? Look at their 8th house!” This is a slight over-exaggeration of the 8th house themes. At its core, this house directs people to think about topics that could be unknown. Unclear or make the native more mysterious to other people. When looking at a natal chart with this definition of the 8th house, yes, we can gain insights into what people may like to keep private or what is likely to be influencing them subconsciously - hence, “mystery and secrets.” Diving into this interpretation can help the native self-reflect. This style of interpretation can mislead outsiders trying to interpret a chart by overexaggerating themes or relating them only to sexuality and dramatic secrets.


The benefit of self-reflection leads us to the modern-day popular definition of the 8th house- Transformation! Through reflecting on these more profound ideas of what subconscious or private thoughts influence the native, the individual can reach a point where their perspective transforms and achieve a milestone in their personal growth! The issue I have seen with defining the 8th house in this way is that most people need assistance to recognize opportunities for personal growth or need to be encouraged to point out how things are changing and transforming - it is human nature to be a little pessimistic and self-deprecating when it comes to change. I have found that the assistance of an Astrologer or therapist helps people align with the 8th house’s definition of personal growth and transformation. 

Through my eight years of working with clients, I have come up with some new keywords that help my clients identify and accept what they are going through when the 8th house is activated. These new keywords are: 

1. Discomfort
2.  Chaos
3.  Surrender 

In Chris Brennan's Hellenistic Astrology course, he examines the 8th house as a house of other people's money, relating to debt or money that is inherited - yet another perspective of the 8th house that I saw less discussed in popular modern astrology. Knowing this, I began to think about other 8th house themes as relating to “the other,” such as the people's baggage or trauma that we have become attached to through our relationships or other people's opinions and values - it can be argued that we keep secrets due to fear of judgment from other people's values and points of view. The original key terms of mystery, secrets, and taboo also relate to the unknown reality and fear of other people's opinions or the influence of others. This is what led me to my new keywords.

When the 8th house is activated, it can bring a sense of discomfort. It creeps in slowly, and you can often dismiss these feelings and not recognize that some of your reactions at the time could be coming from feeling uncomfortable or dealing with energies and influences that do not actually belong to you but are coming from the influence of others. Discomfort can manifest differently for people; it may be general restlessness, anxiety, being asked to take accountability, being asked to forgive, or needing to step out of one's comfort zone at the request of others. 

When looking ahead at the transits, you can pinpoint a heightened period of discomfort when your 8th house is activated strongly. When your 8th house is activated, evaluate if your immediate reactions belong to you or are a result of past experiences and outside influences. By doing these things, you will be working with the energy of the 8th house to acknowledge your boundaries and influences and open your mind to how you can transcend those issues and end up having an experience that supports your Personal Growth. A Life Coach once told me that discomfort is a signal of growth, which is why I find it appropriate for the 8th house’s definition.  

In your chart, the sign and planets in the 8th house can reveal common triggers or a sense of otherness. For example, an 8th house ruled by Libra may mean your relationships or material world can be strongly influenced by others. A big lesson for you is to stick to your gut and find your own understanding of your relationships and your aesthetic. Being willing to not make decisions out of people pleasing others as well. If Mars were in your 8th house, you might be influenced by aggressive people in your past, causing you to doubt yourself or act out of a trauma response to your past experiences with aggression. 

When influenced by the energy of others, there is a lack of control and chaos. You may feel more chaotic because your mind is asking you to be concerned about things that are not coming from you. The best thing to do when an 8th house activation shows up this way is to check in with yourself, remind yourself of your values and needs, and try to point out where the external influence is coming in. For example, my most recent 8th house activation had me freaking out because a situation occurred, and my recurring thought was, “My mom would have yelled at me if I did that to her.” Because I was aware of the 8th house’s activation at the time, I took a step back - 
I was looking at my real-time situation through the lens of my mother, not even who she is today but the version of herself 18 years ago. What good was that doing me? I had to draw my understanding of the situation back to the people who were actually involved and what I could do that was in my control (in this case, apologize, show support, and let go of this reaction because of past influence).

When things that are out of your control occur, the final thing to do is surrender. In my personal example above, I had to put the situation's results into the universe's hands and not assume an outcome. I also had to surrender those old feelings about my mom's reactions and ask the universe to help me not react that way in the future. 

Surrender and Chaos are terms that can be associated with the 12th house. While reflecting on the definitions of the 8th house and noticing the multiple overlaps - I couldn't help but think that modern/popular astrologers simplified the definition of the 8th house’s influence to Mystery, Secrets, and  Taboo things so they would have fewer arguments and doubt from audiences. The truth is the 8th house and 12th house work together in harmony. They are 120 degrees apart from eachother, creating a trine, a harmonious aspect. The experiences you have when your 8th house is activated support your ultimate growth when the same planet activates the 12th house. In your natal chart, the 8th and 12th house placements can help you understand a great story of your personal growth journey and your connection to spiritual concepts and your higher power. 

    
To review, the 8th house of an astrology chart can represent various things, including mystery, secrets, taboo, personal growth, transformation, discomfort, chaos, and surrender. Each individual's 8th house can have unique triggers and lessons that they need to work with to achieve personal growth. While the 8th house is often associated with uncomfortable and challenging experiences, embracing and working with its energy can lead to profound transformation and growth. With the help of an astrologer or therapist, individuals can learn to navigate the complex energies of the 8th house, recognize their boundaries, and gain insights into their subconscious and private thoughts, creating opportunities for self-reflection and personal growth.

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