Seventh House: the House of Relationships (Meaning and Astrology)

The 7th house represents one-on-one relationships with others, often in the context of romantic partnerships, though it can also include any close or contractual relationship between two people (such as business partnerships, clients, or close friends). Psychologically, this house can represent that which we disown in ourselves and project (or are attracted to) in others.

The 7th house is known as the house of partnerships, house of marriage, or house of balance. It is one of four angular astrological houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) and contains the point known as the Descendant (DC for short). Since the Ascendant (which sits directly opposite the DC) represents the moment of sunrise, the DC symbolizes the moment of sunset. Here, the shadows formed by the sun’s waning light symbolically speak to the ways that unintegrated qualities of the self can get projected onto others.

Key Concepts

• List of 5 keywords:

  • Romantic relationships

  • Marriage

  • Business partnerships

  • Clients

  • Projections

What Does the 7th House Rule?

The 7th house describes our committed partnerships (romantic and otherwise), and the zodiac sign on the 7th house of a horoscope birth chart can describe the qualities or attributes that we tend to be attracted to in our partners. The ruler of the 7th house can describe our compatibility with close romantic relationship/s or marriage partner/s.

Romantic Relationships

The 7th house rules committed romantic partnerships (as opposed to the more casual romantic or sexual relationships of the 5th house), and any planets here can represent qualities, themes, or lessons that we tend to attract in and through our relationships. The sign on the 7th house can represent qualities we’re drawn to in others.

Business Partners

The 7th house rules business partnerships, contractual relationships, and any work involving one-on-one clients. Planets here can describe the ways that one negotiates relationships with others, how one works through conflict, and the lessons that one can learn through taking on business partnerships.

Projections

This house can describe qualities that we sometimes disavow in ourselves and find attractive in others, whether negative or positive. Over time and through our close relationships, we can learn to recognize those qualities within ourselves and cultivate them so that they become more conscious and embodied.

Transits in the Seventh House

Transits to the 7th house can coincide with new committed partnerships, experiences, or lessons within an existing partnership and also developments in the life of one’s partner. These transits can also reveal the underlying dynamics that get activated in conflicts and disagreements and shed light on the ways one’s relationship is a mirror for one’s own inner growth.

Depending on the planet involved, these transits can either be experienced as the blossoming of new relationships, the strengthening of existing ones through assuming new levels of commitment, or else as the dissolving of bonds that are not meant to stand the test of time. Because planets transiting the 7th house are approaching the horizon and, therefore, the more visible part of the chart, they can also coincide with launching public-facing projects or partnerships.

Planets in the Seventh House

Sun: The Sun in the 7th house suggests one’s concept of self and sense of identity is intimately tied to one’s romantic relationships and that being in a committed partnership is one of the main avenues for growth and self-discovery in this lifetime. The Sun can also represent the qualities of a marital or committed partner.

Moon: The Moon in the 7th house can symbolize that one feels most at home or secure within the context of a soulful and emotionally connected committed relationship. With this placement, it can be difficult to be alone, suggesting the need to learn how to operate independently or achieve a level of emotional independence.

Mercury: Mercury in the 7th house suggests a heightened need for dialogue, feedback, and reflection from others in order to fully understand one’s own thought processes and ideas. In relationships, one may be attracted to witty, intellectual, and communicative partners who will put in the necessary hard work.

Venus: Venus in the 7th house suggests a natural ability to draw in romantic relationships and that one places a high value on committed partnerships or marriage. There may be an innate ability to mediate or negotiate between groups of people.

Mars: Mars in the 7th house may indicate that one experiences challenges and confrontations through their relationships or that their romantic partner embodies a courageous, driven, or aggressive persona. It may also suggest that through one’s committed partnerships (romantic or otherwise), one learns lessons about asserting one’s needs, establishing healthy boundaries, and working through conflict.

Jupiter: Jupiter in the 7th house can portend blessings that come through one’s committed romantic or business relationships and that there are opportunities for success and growth through relationships or marriage. Those you partner with in business and in life can be important conduits for personal expansion.

Saturn: Saturn in the 7th house suggests a serious and dedicated approach to romantic relationships and business partnerships, with a focus on cultivating long-lasting and meaningful commitments. In early life, there may be challenges around intimacy or trust, but over time one can build mature, stable, and enduring partnerships.

Uranus: Uranus in the 7th house can represent an unconventional approach to relationships, with a desire to prioritize freedom, self-expression, and authenticity. There may also be an erratic, unpredictable quality to one’s relationships or an attraction to those who embody this energy.

Neptune: Neptune in the 7th house can impart a heightened sensitivity to others and a tendency to view relationships through rose-colored lenses. With Neptune here, one may be prone to illusion within relationships, with a desire to save or be saved by a relationship. One may also be attracted to artistic, compassionate, and creative people.

Pluto: Pluto in the 7th house can compel one toward intense relationships where the negotiation of complicated underlying power dynamics is a repeated theme. At times, there may be an obsessive or controlling approach to relationships or, conversely, an attraction to those who embody these qualities. Exposing and understanding unconscious dynamics in relationships can be the path toward deep self-understanding.