Natural Sign: Sagittarius

Ruling Planet: Jupiter

Quadrant: 3^rd (Top Right)

House Type: Cadent Spirit

Represents: culture, philosophy, post-secondary education, religion, travel

If there’s one word that ties the features of the Ninth House together, it’s “wisdom.” As the house opposite the Third House, the Ninth House brings us out of the familiar and places us into the abstract. Sagittarius and Jupiter—the sign and planet linked with this house—tell us to broaden our horizons. Here, we realize that there is more going on around us than what is immediately noticeable or seeable. While our city is sleeping, an entirely different city is carrying out its daily tasks. While our neighbors leave their houses, greeting us before the start of the work day, people in a completely different neighborhood are wishing each other a good night. Millions of books written by scholars over centuries of time connect our present with the (even distant) past. And by connecting our past with our present, we allow ourselves to place our possible future into the big picture. That’s what the Ninth House is: not bogging ourselves down with the details and the immediate, but expanding our minds, letting ourselves consider the larger questions, deeper concepts, and our vast and diverse world.

The Ninth House asks us to explore cultures other than our own, and the best way for us to do that is to travel outside of our countries of origin. Whatever you have in this house shows the ways in which you approach foreign cultures, the types of cultures you’re drawn to, the reasons why you like to travel, and even how you feel about traveling by plane or ship. If you have Scorpio in the Ninth House, you can be drawn to cultures that are considered to have “taboo” practices, or you can travel with the intention of developing more depth within yourself. With Capricorn here, you may travel mostly for business, or take best to countries that have remained more traditional in nature. Having Mars here shows that you put the majority of your energy and drive into travelling, staying on the move for months at a time. Having a Ninth House Jupiter makes travel a positive experience for you, and you receive most of your luck while abroad. Venus in Virgo in the Ninth House would give the person a love of visiting other countries (maybe even falling in love while traveling) where politeness, logic, organization, and service are prevalent themes of life.

While the Third House covers education from grade school to high school graduation, the Ninth House rules higher education: universities, colleges, graduate school, etc. Your teachers did their best to imbue you—the child—with the concrete knowledge you needed in order to get through life day by day. Once you’ve finished with secondary school, your professors and mentors flip you over to the abstract side of knowledge. Their hope is that you can use worldly knowledge to mature from merely being the student to becoming the teacher. Whatever is here shows what traits you gain while learning post-high school, as well as what kind of colleges and universities you’re drawn to (or if you’re drawn to them at all). With Aquarius in the Ninth House, you may be more satisfied with distance learning; alternatively, you become more comfortable in your individuality while attending college. Gemini here can seem to be a bit of a paradox: your early school years being more philosophical (as Sagittarius would be on the Third House cusp), while your university years become more focused on the concrete. Gemini in the Ninth House can also mean that being in college makes you more communicative, being involved with everyone and sharing information on everything. Having the Sun here can make you a natural teacher, whereas having Saturn here can make college a tough experience for you. Moon in Cancer is a powerfully nurturing and emotional placement, and with it located in the Ninth House, you can become much more in touch with your emotional side while being a college student. Keep in mind that Ninth House learning can definitely apply outside of formal education, whether you’re learning a language on your own, traveling to a new place, or just getting in touch with nature.

Most broadly, the Ninth House (just like Jupiter’s place in your chart) shows your philosophy, as well as your approach to religion. Your belief system is a crucial part of your journey through life, and this house revolves around how you guide yourself through the world. We all have different experiences and ways of thinking that shape these beliefs, allowing them to be rich in diversity. With Taurus in this house, stability and tangibility may serve as the basis for your beliefs. Cancer in the Ninth House can center your philosophy on nurturing and emotion, while Aries may result in more leadership- or assertiveness-based philosophies. Mercury in the Ninth House can make your overall thought process philosophical, while Pluto here shows that you find your power through your beliefs, religion, and philosophy. Regardless of what’s in your Ninth House, your placements merely show your tendencies. You can always change your belief system whenever you feel you have to.

Next Article: “The Tenth House: Where You’re the Boss”