The twelve bhavas
The houses (bhavas) divide the chart into twelve areas of life. The first house is set by the Lagna — the sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth.
Whole-sign houses
The most traditional Vedic approach, and the one our calculators use, is the whole-sign system: the entire Lagna sign is the first house, the next sign is the second house, and so on. Some astrologers also use the Sripati or Bhava Chalit system, which can move a planet near a sign boundary into a neighbouring house.
| House | Main significations |
|---|---|
| 1 | Self, body, personality |
| 2 | Wealth, family, speech |
| 3 | Courage, siblings, communication |
| 4 | Home, mother, inner peace |
| 5 | Children, intellect, creativity |
| 6 | Health, service, obstacles |
| 7 | Partnership, marriage, business |
| 8 | Longevity, transformation, hidden matters |
| 9 | Dharma, fortune, teachers |
| 10 | Career, status, action |
| 11 | Gains, friends, aspirations |
| 12 | Loss, expenses, liberation |
House groupings
- Kendras (angles) — 1, 4, 7, 10: the pillars of the chart.
- Trikonas (trines) — 1, 5, 9: houses of dharma and fortune.
- Dusthanas — 6, 8, 12: houses of difficulty and transformation.
- Upachayas — 3, 6, 10, 11: houses that are said to improve with time and effort.