How To Use Your Birth Chart's 2nd And 8th Houses For Financial Clarity

The majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The cost of living continues to rise, and job security can be perilous — given this, it makes sense to turn to astrology for some semblance of guidance when it comes to how we might financially fare. While our personal finances are in our control, to an extent, the larger web of the economy also plays a large factor when it comes to the conditions in which our cash takes context. An astrological framework acknowledges both our individual power and the power that lies elsewhere. 

When you want to know more about your financial life, the 2nd House and the 8th House can illuminate this sphere. The two act as mirrors of each other, where the 2nd House tends to revolve around our personal finances, and the 8th House tends to expand past our immediate resources. Looking at each of these houses as both separate and interconnected parts of your chart might be able to provide some financial clarity. 

The 2nd House is known as the House of Money — a house we'd definitely like to spend some time in! This house is ruled by Venus, the goddess most known for her domain over love and beauty. Venus is also, however, the goddess of prosperity. That Venus rules the 2nd House reminds us that money is not the sole conduit to prosperity in life, although insights regarding your personal financials tend to alight here. The 2nd House is also ruled by the fixed Earth sign Taurus, which revels in stability and comfort. 

Taurus also points to our material foundations here on Earth. Consider the fact that our class backgrounds can have a considerable effect on our finances throughout life, even just day-to-day. Our access to money (or lack of access) can dramatically shape the choices we made. Thus, the 2nd House speaks to our financial foundations — how money has shaped, or will shape, our lives, as well as the nature of our connection to money and how it influences the way we see ourselves. Check your natal chart to see if you have any placements in the 2nd House. Should you have a fixed sign in your 2nd House, either Scorpio, Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius, this energy might mesh well with the energy of the 2nd House. These signs prioritize stable resources and often work hard to achieve them. 

The 8th House is, however, slightly less straightforward than the 2nd House. Known as the House of Shared Resources, the 8th House sheds light on the more intricate areas of our finances, including agreements such as alimony following a divorce, money inherited from family members, and taxes, which are collected from the individual for the betterment of our social environment. Where the 2nd House could show you what your personal relationship with money looks like, including the ways in which you work for your financial resources, the 8th House can show you the broader impact of your personal finances. 

Mars, the God of War, rules the 8th House, along with the fixed water sign of Scorpio, where Scorpio represents transformation. But, being the House of Shared Resources, there is much more to the 8th House than our shared connections to cash; sex and loss are also explored here, representative of the lifecycle itself, where we each take part. When it comes to money matters, the 8th House can thus show us what checks and balances might exist in our lives — where others might help us expand, and where we might help them expand, as well as the boundaries of that expansion. As such, balance and equity come into question, where any signs present in this house might ask you to weigh the qualities that are associated with it and let go of those that are heavier to hold onto than they're worth.