The 12 Bhavas (Houses)

The houses (Bhavas) divide the chart into twelve life areas, counted from the ascendant (Lagna). A planet’s house placement shows where its energy acts; the house lords link different areas of life together.

Houses group into kendras (1, 4, 7, 10 — angular, action), trikonas (1, 5, 9 — fortune, dharma), dusthanas (6, 8, 12 — difficulty, transformation) and upachayas (3, 6, 10, 11 — growth over time).

The twelve houses

1st — Tanu

Self, body, appearance, vitality, overall direction.

2nd — Dhana

Wealth, family, speech, food, accumulated resources.

3rd — Sahaja

Courage, siblings, communication, short journeys, effort.

4th — Sukha

Home, mother, property, vehicles, inner peace.

5th — Putra

Children, creativity, intelligence, romance, past merit.

6th — Ari

Health, enemies, debts, service, daily work.

7th — Yuvati

Marriage, partnerships, business, dealings with others.

8th — Ayur

Longevity, transformation, inheritance, the occult.

9th — Dharma

Fortune, father, guru, higher learning, beliefs.

10th — Karma

Career, status, reputation, public role, authority.

11th — Labha

Gains, income, friends, networks, fulfilment of desires.

12th — Vyaya

Loss, expenses, foreign lands, sleep, liberation (moksha).