Unlocking The Archetype - Part 4
The first three posts talked about how The Archetype serves as a guide to our individual behavior, but it can also tell us about our relationships with others. I’ve mentioned in multiple previous posts that I’ve been taught that the angular houses represent the goals of life: You (1) and a partner (7) coming together to build a shared home (4) and future (10). I’ve also mentioned that the individual’s personality is not just the Ascendant, but a combination of the 1st (you), 5th (what and who you love), and 9th (your philosophy) houses. These two concepts are based on what I’ve been taught about The Archetype and how we “cross over” into the field of other people.
They also provide another layer to derivations and can help us understand how houses can symbolize many things that sometimes appear unrelated. For more background, you can read my previous post here: A Brief Tutorial on Derivated Houses.
Let’s start with the angles. If we split the circle in 2 halves, we now have a left & a right side. Since the Ascendant is on left, this represents “our” half while the 7th house on the right represents the “other.” When we split the circle across the middle, like a horizon line, we have the top half representing outer-directed behavior that culminates in our future (10th house), and the bottom half representing inner-directed behavior that is rooted in our home and family situation (4th house).
So how do we relate to other people and how do they relate to us? Through the intermediate houses.
This brings us to the concept of the personality consisting of houses 1, 5, & 9 in The Archetype. With Aries on the Ascendant, we have Leo on the 5th and Sagittarius on the 9th. Did you notice they are the different quadrupicities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) of the same element and in trine, indicating an easy flow of energy? It represents identification because we automatically understand our element and its goals. In the case of fire, the goal is freedom. When we bring the attributes together, the ideal is to be independent and courageous in how you approach life (Aries); loyal, cheerful, and faithful to what and who you love (Leo); and seek truth with an open and expansive mind (Sagittarius). When you consider the planets ruling these signs, we can integrate the concepts of action (Mars), volition (Sun), and ethics (Jupiter).
When we look at where the 5th and 9th houses are in relation to the 1st (You), you can see they’re on the side of the “other,” but one is below, or inner-directed (our interests) and one is above, or outer-directed (our philosophy). Notice that if we consider these two houses from the “other’s” point of view, they represent their 3rd house (Sagittarius) and their 11th house (Leo). We do this by using the 7th house as the Ascendant or house #1 of the other person and counting around the houses in the same counterclockwise direction. The interpretation is that partnerships should be based on shared interests and knowledge is gained through communication with others.
If we start from the 7th house, they “cross over” to you through their 5th and 9th houses which is your 3rd and 11th, represented by the air triad of Libra, Aquarius, Gemini. You can think of it as the ideal partner to fire is diplomatic (Libra), non-judgemental/not clingy (Aquarius), and curious about you and your interests (Gemini).
If we do the same exercise with the 4/10 axis, we introduce the concept of time. The 4th house is below the horizon and represents our “roots.” It’s our parents, our heritage, and our past, but survival depends on building a future, which is the realm of the opposite house, the 10th.
Starting with our 4th, survival of the family lineage requries a healthy sex drive (8th) and faith in the future (12th). It makes sense then that the water triad rules these houses as they represent instinct and emotional connection.
Notice our 8th and 12th houses become the 2nd and 6th of the others. From our perspective, any healthy partnership involves sharing resources (their 2nd) and their implied or explicit agreement to work towards a mutual goal (6th). With a spouse, it can be read as shared values to foster intimacy (2nd) and good health of the partner (6th). In a business relationship, it can be more about their financial resources (2nd) and their daily efforts (6th).
When we look to the 10th house, it represents our standing in the world, our career, and of course, our future. We need a solid foundation to build up life and here we utilize our 2nd and 6th houses in the form of our resources (2nd) and sustained daily effort to acquire skills (6th), both ideally developed over time. These houses are represented by the earth triad in The Archetype, the element driven to achieve security in the material world.
When we work the other way and use the 7th as the Ascendant of the others, these houses become their 4th, 8th, and 12th houses, indicating that your ability to build a future requires a partner that shares the same “foundation” (4th), is willing to share resources (8th) and has a healthy mindset (12th). From their point of view, your success provides stability (4th), builds intimacy (8th), and alleviates fear of the future (12th).
