Sixth House: the House of Health (Meaning and Astrology)

The 6th house represents our daily work, routines, and the kinds of work environments we might be drawn to. It speaks to our obligations, duties, and the ways that we manage our responsibilities at work alongside the needs of our physical health. It can describe our relationship to our bodies and what supports or drains our sense of well-being.

The 6th house is one of four cadent astrological houses (3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th) that follow succedent houses. Traditionally, planets in cadent houses were considered to have less wattage or power than planets placed in angular or succedent houses. Known as the house of health and work, the 6th house can be seen as the place on our birth chart that describes the necessary work that supports and sustains the creative ideas birthed in the 5th.

Key Concepts

In traditional astrology horoscopes, Mars is said to have its “joy” (meaning that it functions especially well) in the 6th house. Because the 6th house rules over illness, trials, and conditions of subservience, Mars, as a planet of war, rejoices here because Mars has the courage, stamina, and willpower to rise to the challenges and pressures presented by this house.

• List of 5 keywords:

  • Physical Health

  • Daily Work

  • Illness

  • Pets

  • Routines

What Does the 6th House Rule?

The 6th house describes the conditions of our daily work environments, our daily routines, and any challenges around maintaining our well-being and physical health in the face of other life responsibilities.

Physical Health

The 6th house reminds us of our inherent vulnerabilities as mortal beings with corporeal forms: we are prone to stress, burnout, illness, accidents, and exhaustion and must cope with these possibilities in the face of our daily responsibilities. The planetary ruler of this house and the planets situated here can describe any potential challenges we may face and the ways we can best support our health.

Daily Work

The 6th house can describe the type of work we are drawn to, the conditions of our employment, or those who work for us. As a house that describes our daily grind, it is associated with the mundane daily work that builds toward a larger goal or purpose and the work which supports our livelihoods.

Routines

The focus of the 6th house is on daily life and the routines and habits that support our well-being, including our diet, exercise, and self-care activities. Planets in the 6th house represent the qualities and activities that we can incorporate into our daily lives in order to enhance our sense of vitality.

Transits in the Sixth House

Transits to the 6th house can impact the nature of one’s daily work, the conditions of employment, shifts in one’s daily routines, or matters related to one’s physical health. These can initiate changes to the way one relates to their body via new health regimens or exercise routines or the way that one’s daily schedule shifts to reflect a changing work environment or position.

Depending on the planet involved, transits can either be felt as a growing capacity to take on greater levels of responsibility (at work or through new health routines) or else as a period of stress brought on by increased demands on one’s time, energy, and physical capacity.

Planets in the Sixth House

Sun: The Sun in the 6th house signifies that the locus of one’s identity manifests through the daily commitments to one’s work, daily routines, and responsibilities. There may be a strong work ethic and a serious resolve to conquer perceived limitations around one’s capacity to achieve, whether at work or within the health and fitness areas of life.

Moon: The Moon in the 6th house suggests that consistent daily routines bring a sense of emotional security and stability and that focusing on accomplishing one’s daily responsibilities brings a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It may also suggest a tendency toward health issues brought on by stress and a need to focus on self-care strategies to manage one’s mental and physical well-being.

Mercury: Mercury in the 6th house suggests that the mind is detail-oriented, analytical, and interested in productivity and efficiency. There may be a heightened focus on matters related to one’s work, a talent for organizing and planning, and a tendency to overwork the mind with a proneness to worry or anxiety.

Venus: Venus in the 6th house, where Mars rejoices, signifies a desire to fight for one’s values, possibly through service-oriented professions or through the ardent pursuit of one’s desires. It can also signify a desire for a job involving the arts, beauty, or justice.

Mars: Mars in the 6th house imparts stamina and a strong resolve to persevere through conflicts, challenges, and stressful situations. In work, one may be motivated to fight for important causes. Depending on the zodiac sign and aspects, there may be challenges to one’s physical health that are exacerbated by overwork or expending too much energy.

Jupiter: Jupiter in the 6th house can infuse a sense of abundance into one’s daily work life and an ease around finding satisfying employment or reliable employees. There can be the sense that one’s daily work supports one’s larger goals and that one’s job is a channel that expands one’s understanding of the world and one’s own capacity for accomplishment.

Saturn: Saturn in the 6th house can indicate a strong sense of discipline and a capacity for hard work, which can be implemented for slow and steady growth. The feeling of duty or obligation can compel one to work toward bettering themselves or the world through their work and daily routines. If there are health issues, they may require consistent attention and discipline over time.

Uranus: Uranus in the 6th house can represent a resistance to creating daily habits and routines and a desire for novelty and variety within one’s daily life. In work, one may prefer to work independently as an entrepreneur, freelancer, or in a position that affords a great deal of freedom.

Neptune: Neptune in the 6th house may indicate that attending to the responsibilities of daily life presents challenges to one’s desire to connect to the imaginative or ethereal realms. As a result, one’s work may involve creative or humanitarian pursuits. It also suggests a highly sensitive physical body, a proneness to mysterious or difficult-to-diagnose conditions, or a need to moderate one’s intake of substances.

Pluto: Pluto in the 6th house can point to conflicts within the workplace involving power struggles and disagreements. It can symbolize the need to discover one’s inner power and meaning through one’s work and, sometimes, a need to moderate obsessive tendencies around working too hard that can affect the quality of one’s health.