Welcome back to RavenWerks Astrology 101!

As promised previously, we now have a bit more foundation established on what astrology is and at least identifying the major sections of the natal chart so now we are moving onto… drum roll… the 12 houses. If you haven’t seen our previous Astrology 101 posts as part of this series, you can check them out in our blog under the spirituality section OR click on the links at the bottom of this post.

So now I am going to have you direct your focus to the inner wheel of your natal chart. I will reshow the full visual I made below. If you remember from our last installment, there are 2 “wheels” to your natal chart.

1. The Zodiac wheel is the outer wheel and moves based on the sun’s apparent yearly rotation about our Earth, along the ecliptic. You will see this rotating on the chart.
2. The wheel of Houses is the inner wheel and based on the Earth’s 24-hour rotation about its own axis. This is stationary on the natal chart.

Where the 2 wheels meet or sit (and where planets are) are calculated by the time and location of your birth. If you remember from our last post, you can describe zodiac signs as being in a house AND you can describe celestial bodies as being in a house OR a zodiac. You can say Pisces is in the 12^th house or that Mars is in Pisces or that Mars is in the 12^th house and all three statements could be equally true all at the same time.

So here is where I could get into why mainstream horoscopes based on sun signs are a load of bull that makes a bunch of assumptions BUT that will lead to a very deep, dark rabbit hole so instead let’s focus on the symbolism of the houses.

So, a couple quick things before we break down each house individually. The 12 houses represent different parts of your life or fields of experience. It isn’t an element or an energy like a zodiac or a planet. It is where the energies can/will manifest. Next you will notice that they somewhat follow the path of a human’s development. Lastly, it is worth noting that the 1^st, 4^th, 7^th, and 9^th houses are called the “angular houses” because their cusps are on the 4 special angles mentioned in the last post (ascendant, I.C., descendant, and M.C.) and these houses will affect you more strongly.

What Are the Houses?

1^st House- Self

The first house is a big one! It is all aspects of your personality and how you interact with the world around you. This includes your self-identity, self-image, how we initiate, our personality (duh), self-awareness, and even some of our physical traits. Because the cusp is on the ascendant, the way the whole chart interacts with the outside world is determined strongly by this house. Without going too deep into every single zodiac sign’s relationship with this house, just know that depending on what zodiac sits on the ascendant/in this house, it is said that you can note certain personality and physical traits.

For Example: I am a Leo ascendant. Astrology often associates this with being good natured, ardent, generous, passionate, kind-hearted, high-strung, broad shouldered, large-boned, tall (I am not), thin waist, upright carriage, and having a prominent upper body. Now some of this is more accurate than other bits but you also have to remember that it is all connected and can be altered or influenced by the ruling planets that reside in this house (in my case Jupiter).  

2^nd House-Possessions and Personal Values

The second house has to do with what you value. This can mean money and possessions but also self-worth, self-esteem, and your personal values. The house and home are ruled by the 4^th house so things like your car, clothes and moveable property are not included. Instead, it is more about how you come across wealth/material possessions, your potential for accumulating them, how that is spent, and your attitude towards them. And to clarify, this is your own money.

3^rd House- Communication

This house has to do with all forms of communication and our immediate environment; siblings, neighbors, short journey’s, transportation, thinking patterns, early education (before college when we are developing our communication skills), messages, deliveries, gossip, phone calls, visits, reading, and writing.

4^th House- Home

On the surface level this house is associated with the home, family, land, personal foundations, and your roots. On a deeper level, its cusp is on the I.C. which is representative of all things below the surface of the earth. Because of this it has also been associated with the deeper center of our existence, the end of life and graves. Because it is the root of ourselves, it rules where you go when you die and also your origin. This house has an interesting connection to the concepts of karma, karmic baggage and reincarnation.

5^th House- Creativity

This house is about being yourself and enjoying it. It is about passion and matters of the heart (not to confused with marriage which is considered a separate thing/ a cooperative partnership because these weren’t always for love). This house can be associated with creativity, children, pleasure, personal interests, love affairs, sports, hobbies, speculation, risk taking, teaching, drama, creative self-expression, love given, gambling, romance, and sexual relationships.

6^th House- Service and Health

This house relates to your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing as well as your life’s purpose. Some places it will list this house as having to do with work as well but I find ‘service’ to be more accurate. Work to me means something close to a career which is ruled by the 10^th house. Instead, this house is associated with your physical ability to work, quality of any job or task you perform, volunteer work etc.

7^th House- Marriage and Partnership

It was mentioned earlier that the 5^th house has more to do with love and passion. The 7^th house is the house of marriage, but it is most likely more accurate to call it the house of partnerships (specifically 1 on-1 partnerships) in more modern society. These relationships or partnerships could be marriage, business, contracts, or any cooperative relationship honestly. It also deals with the reverse of those such as divorce, separation, lawsuits, enemies, noncooperation etc. These tend to be different than relationships in the 5^th house because they are more permanent or binding,

8th House- Death and Regeneration and Sexuality and….

This is a fun house to talk about (and my favorite) just because it seems to be all over the place in regard to symbolism and is also very misunderstood. This house rules death, regeneration, taxes, inheritances, wills and legacies, sex (think mattress mambo rather than male/female), occult, joint resources, another’s money and possessions (rather than your own), bankruptcy, losses, personal sacrifice, alimony, and clairvoyance. THAT IS A LOOOOOOOT. You may notice a common thread with everything I just listed is that they have a lot of negative connotations. But really this house is about transformation, going through something negative and then becoming stronger through that struggle.

9^th House- Mental Exploration

I have seen this house listed as the house of philosophy. I think mental exploration encompasses more of its meaning though. It IS associated with philosophy, but it is also associated with religion, law, higher education, ethics, morals, travel, foreign interests, spiritual pursuits, dreams, visions, higher mind, ideas, understanding, wisdom, books, publishing, ceremonies, rituals, and pretty much any other thing you can thing of that has to do with thought. It is less about learning something (like memorizing it) and more about understanding things. It is us trying to find meaning of things and is much more about the abstract whereas the 3^rd house was more about concrete knowledge.

10^th House- Career and Public Life

This house symbolizes success and the gain of intangible “stuff”. It is associated with honor, status, community power, prestige, reputation, professional careers, recognition, personal achievements, social responsibilities, sense of duty, authority figures, and even politics.

11^th House- Hopes, Wishes, and Friends

The 11^th house has to do with the social structures we live in such as community, large groups, friends, social groups, associations, memberships, and humanitarian interests. It also has to do with hopes, goals, ambitions, wishes, liberty, and self-realization.

12^th House- Self-Undoing and Problems

Here is another house that has a bad reputation. There is a mental and physical aspect to this house but at its root, it is associated with problems, separation, our subconscious, and the hidden. If we look at this from the mental angle first it can be associated with the unconscious mind, subconscious memory, habit patterns from the past, mental illness, karmic debts, self-deception, escapism, spiritual realization, limitations, frustration, and self-undoing. A little more tangible, it is also associated with what separates us from normal life such as institutions (hospital, prison etc), confinement, secrets, hidden enemies, and self-sacrifice. I have also seen it associated with sorrow, tribulation, widowhood, grief, funerals, exile, seclusion, bribery, subversion, murder, suicide, kidnapping, and endings. Not going to lie- when typing this all out I can honestly say that I see why this might now be the most loved house.

So that is the (not so) long and short of it. Those are what the houses are associated with. I am not getting into interpreting the chart yet as we still need some more context before we can get there. Basically, what I just gave you is a list of WHAT the planets on your chart can affect. Next, we will start talking about HOW they can be affected. Rather than moving onto the outer wheel of Zodiacs we will talk about the different celestial bodies.

Until next time!

Taylor

CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

Good evening! (Or at least it’s evening for me).

In our previous post about Ostara we touched on one of my absolute favorite things to do: Take a floral milk bath. They are relaxing, fun, and a great way to give yourself some classy spa time on a budget. Self-care is important, especially in finding balance. Remember: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking a little bit of time every week to decompress and recharge yourself is so important to your overall health and effectiveness. There are all sorts of tiny things you can do to fulfill this need for yourself, but if I’m taking extra care with myself, or at certain time of the year (i.e. Ostara) this is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It is ridiculously easy to do, and a relaxing way to add mindfulness to your life. 

Managing stress is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Stress can also lead to higher risk of stroke and heart attack. It may not seem like a cool or dramatic way to take care of yourself, but stress management is more important now than ever in today’s perpetually fast paced world. Baths in general to me are a good way to help me slow down because it’s all about the process, the soak; the whole point is to slow down and focus on doing nothing except being.  

A few quick tips to add to the experience: 

• Get yourself some candles: Even the dingiest room looks like a palace in candlelight. Turn your lights off and light some candles. If you have scented ones, great. But scentless dollar tree ones work just fine. If you are going the scented route, I try to stay on season. It helps focus your energy (i.e. Ostara= florals like primrose or jasmine, dogwood, rosewood, and vervain. Incense works great too to add to your ambiance if you go the dollar store unscented candle route.  
• Grab a glass: of something, anything. Some ladies like wine, and that works. Honestly for me though, I like my water really hot so I tend to stick to cold beverages to avoid light-headedness and accidents. If I really need to relax, then sure, a glass of red will do. But nothing is worse than putting all this prep work in, getting in the tub, and deciding you’re thirsty. Water, Juice, whatever it may be- you’ll thank me later. 
• Music: this is a tip especially if you live with roommates or in a loud place. It’s hard to relax, unwind, or meditate when you can hear your roommate’s comedy tv show, or the dryer thumping down the hall, or your siblings or spouse shouting. Again, this comes down to personal musical preference but some of my favorite ambiance music includes Celtic instrumentals & nature soundtracks if I want things that have no words. Another personal favorite is to turn on some Etta James or Andrea Bocelli if I’m feeling up to vocals.  
• Find a space heater: This one isn’t a necessity at all, just a preference. It can still very much be chilly in March, and while the bath feels great, eventually I must get out… to a frigid bathroom. The best way to avoid this is to turn an oscillating space heater on to a low setting. Helps take the edge off.  

Let’s Begin.

To make this floral soaking milk bath you will need: 

• Several Bowls 
• 1 Cup Oats (not quick oats) 
• 1 Tbsp carrier oil of choice (I prefer jojoba) 
• ½ Cup Celtic Sea Salt 
• 1 Tbsp Dried Nettle herb 
• 2 Drops jasmine essential oils 
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil 
• 2 Tbsp native spring flowers (I like chamomile, primroses, or cornflowers) 
• Cotton bags (small). 

To make:  

1. Clear your workspace, focusing on your intentions as you do so. Try to stay relaxed and comfortable. 

2. In a medium bowl combine Sea Salt and Oats. 

3. In a separate small bowl, combine essential oils with carrier oil. Add this to the oat/salt mixture. It is important to mix this thoroughly to avoid the risk of skin irritation. 

4. Add your remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.  

5. Fill clean cotton bags and cinch tightly.  

To use:  

1. Let your cotton bag soak in hot bathwater for 5 minutes. Remember, this is all about the process. Take your time drawing your bath and getting the temperature where you want it.  

2. Squeeze gently to release oat milk and essential oils more effectively.  

3. The cotton, potpourri filled bag can also be used as an exfoliating scrub. Focus on dry ares for extra moisture. 

4. Bags can be emptied, washed, dryed and reused.  

Twist your hair up out of the way, grab a hand towel as a pillow & Soak. Enjoy the aromas, breathe deep, meditate and just let it all go. Whatever is bothering you, whatever bad thing happened today, however hard the winter was- let it go. Take a few minutes genuinely for yourself, get out when you feel like it, and not before. Wrap up in a soft robe or big fluffy towel. Take the time to treat your body by applying lotion or an oil, you deserve it. Flush the negative and the weight down the drain with your bathwater and close your ceremony by rinsing your tub and blowing out your candles.  

You just completed a mindful self-care ritual. Super simple. Not nearly as hocus-pocus as a lot of people will try to make it sound. You can also always play with the florals/ oils as well (try cedarwood or tonka bean in the winter- you’ll thank me later).  

The hardest thing with this is to be intentional. To slow down, focus on what you are doing, let nothing rush you, and don’t multi-task. Put down your phone. You can live without instagram or facebook or even a paper book for forty-five minutes. You are focusing on you. I get it, I love to read too, but that’s not the purpose here.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

Food is something I am incredibly passionate about. And I’m sure you will see this as our physical space comes to life in the next few years.  Food is a powerful thing to me, It can bring all kinds of different people together and share all different kinds of feelings. Food can warm your heart, give comfort & take you back to your childhood. So I try to share a little of my passion for food with other people. Like everything else in life, my relationship with food has ebbed and flowed over the years. All the way from a childhood in the kitchen with my mom and grandma to culinary school and major stadium kitchens to a career shift where I drifted away from my love of cooking, through a medical diagnoses that changed my life because it completely altered how I ate and how I cooked; food has always been an adventure for me. 

 
For a while, I gave up on cooking. With a sudden diagnosis of Systemic Lupus and Fibro Myalgia, I hit a point where I felt like I was hearing the phrase “you can’t have that.” a lot. and it destroyed my love of food for a long time. Everything I loved was on a list of foods to avoid as I was put on a low sugar, low carb, no red meat anti-inflammatory diet. Cooking was no longer fun, it was frustrating, and depressing, and a constant challenge. BUT after all the crazy dieting, and structural changes, I noticed that nothing was really changing. I wasn’t getting any better, my symptoms weren’t changing. I was still spending a crazy amount of time in doctor’s offices or in pain. So, I shifted gears again. I tracked down a rheumatologist, and spoke with a nutritionist and dietician. And again, my lifestyle changed. It became about moderation and regular exercise instead of keto/paleo/ low sugar or whatever else it was they had been trying to throw at me before. It reaffirmed my personal beliefs in nutrition. It allowed me enough wiggle room to begin to enjoy cooking again. I cannot stress enough how strongly I believe that there are no such things as bad foods…

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

But it did allow me to educate myself a bit more thoroughly on balanced nutrition. On tracking your macro nutrients- which is incredibly important to finding balance. On the importance of having balance in your gut bacteria; and on the fact that no 2 people’s diets should really ever be the same. There is power in food science. and if you’re like me and not only have congenital terminal illnesses and therefore don’t want to spend the rest of your life on a slew of narcotic pain killers and steroids, then it is an amazingly liberating feeling to be able to take back some of your control simply by altering or supplementing your nutrition without giving up all of the things you love.  
 
I became incredibly passionate about nutrition and focused on nutrition for people with chronic illnesses. I have seen a complete shift in my attitude about food and in my overall health and happiness. This is one area of our community I am most excited to build: a place to share information, along with practical people recipes. 

I’m hoping that what I share will resonate with some of you, and even more so surprise you- both in its results but also with its simplicity. Eating well doesn’t have to be the mystery that the modern world makes it seem, and in the coming months I cannot wait to dive into more diverse and specific topics within the food/ nutrition/dietary sphere. 
 
And no, I’m not about to try and sell you some bizarre dietary supplement, vitamin or convince you to go vegan, keto, vegetarian, pescatarian or anything else. I still eat bread- yes, bread with GLUTEN in it. That word that has all of a sudden become evil in the 21st century after 2000 years of it being a building block of society. I will also never give up my cheesecake. EVER. you can pry it out of my cold dead fingers. I still enjoy sitting in my grandfather’s old chair with a glass of Scotch from time to time. I will still share cake recipes, and book reviews, and all the bread recipes you can take. But I also want to create a space to teach people about true nutrition: Balance. Little tips and tricks you can use to make eating more intelligently a heck of a lot easier. I want to break down definitions and make dietary and culinary jargon less scary for people. I want to share (dare I say it) HERBAL remedies. I strongly believe in a blend of true food nutrition, regular exercise, modern medicine (when used correctly), and old school herbology (yes, some homeopathic treatments really do work; its called grandma’s kitchen wisdom for a reason folks). 
 
This section of our community will be a place to learn and talk about shifting food paradigms on the most basic levels, and too hopefully remove many of the stigma’s surrounding certain food choices.  

 
I really hope you’ll join me on this next exciting journey, and that hopefully it will benefit someone else as much as it has helped me.  
 
Happy learning! 
Mikaela