The 10th house corresponds to the sign Capricorn, a Cardinal Cross, Earth sign. This house is related to achievements and achieving, that which one does or is recognized for, and a sense of authority or ability. This is classically the house of profession or vocation because these are things that one achieves in, is probably capable of accomplishing as a goal or project, and attributes that one can bring to such endeavors.

The rulers of Capricorn given in Esoteric Astrology by Master DK through Alice Bailey are Saturn – traditionally, Saturn – esoterically, and Venus – hierarchically. If any of these planets inhabit the 10th house, they are dignified. Planets in a house that rule the sign archetypally correspondent to that house are are considered dignified. This idea comes from traditional astrology and carries through esoteric astrology. The term “dignified” is evocative and implies that the native can live those particular planet’s qualities and attributes in a dignified or wise manner.

Planets in the 10th house will be used to accomplish goals, to complete projects, to achieve recognition, or will embody that which one is recognized for or does skillfully.

Aren’t all planets in the horoscope used to accomplish goals or indicate skills thus being recognized for them? Yes, to some extent, but there is a blatant or visible feature to the 10th house (and the 9th). This is due to the house’s location in the chart as well as to Capricorn its archetypal sign. The upper half of the Wheel is the daytime of the chart; the bottom half is the night. The 10th house cusp is analogous to high-noon, the zenith of the daytime. The 4th house cusp follows suit and represents midnight. (These designations are not indicators of time per se but rather of energetics emitted by a chart.) Due to this “high-noon visibility,” if planets are in the 9th or 10th houses, they are energetically bright and cast their light and qualities into the rest of the chart like the sun does at mid-day. As such, the attributes and skills or the demeanor of any planet in the 10th is easy to see. Other people notice them and the native usually does, too, which might or might not generate pride.

The second reason that planets in the 10th might stand out is due to Capricorn which has the hallmark of scaling obstacles and getting to the top. Capricorn represents “the mount of achievement,” mountains (cardinal earth), and the heights of realization and/or initiation spiritually. The mountain goat, primary symbol for Capricorn, encapsulates these ideas.

Traditional Saturn represents time and limitation, structure and boundaries, cause and result, practicality and response-ability, plus the usefulness of understanding these considerations rather than being imprisoned by them and their effects. For example, concepts of time and it as an enforcer of demand are man-made. Before the wind-up or weighted clock were invented in the 1700’s, a sundial, the position of the sun or celestial bodies in the sky was how time was reckoned. People worked from sun-up to sun-down, months were charted by the phases of the moon, and the seasons created a year. One was rarely late because the construct of precise time was still undreamt. Similarly, when I was young, early or late was measured by the quarter hour; when my children were young it was considered by the increments of a quarter hour which was calculated on the round face of a watch or clock. Now, time is measured by digital seconds. Humanity has created restrictions and demands that are self-constructed by an imagined sense of time which is out of sinc with Nature’s cycles and biological rhythms. Unhealthful stress to body, mind, emotions, and the world result. The influence of traditional Saturn on the 10th house is analogous. One has to be mindful not to live 10th house planets as limiting or restricting due the feedback loop of cause-result. For example, if one’s Moon is in the 10th, comfort or ease might be a strong preference, but this leads to a mediocre life, one of no challenge, little creative spark, i.e. boring and familiar. What will be noticed by others or stand out in one’s personality is lack of gumption plus an overall complacency. Whereas, the Moon can be lived as a set of strengths precisely because they are familiar. We’ve developed those strengths over lifetimes! The Moon’s attributes are easy to us; might as well live them and use them as producers of benefit.

The visible feature of 10th house planets is saying, “This creates that.” Seed and fruit. This earth-qualified house reminds us of the fertility of all thoughts, words, and actions that stream from the planets in the 10th or others aspected by planets in the 10th. Lastly, the native is to realize self-imposition (shoulds) that are manifestations of planets in the 10th as well as self-imagined boundaries. These produce cause-result loops as well. Planets lived in ways that produce happiness and well-being for others will produce the same for the native. The same cause-result relation works for benefit or detriment.

This type of analysis is a very productive personal process. Saturn’s revelations include a disinterest in personal story or excuse. Saturn simply shows the mathematical equation of this to that. What the native does with that self-illumination is one’s choice and – again – traditional Saturn. If common sense and right choice are implemented, the result will be incremental freedom, better health in body and mind due to right responsibility.

Esoteric Saturn ups the ante through the recognition of one’s role in the whole: of a family, community, one’s contribution through work, society, or the world at large. These are the environments where one’s spiritual Path manifests. With spiritual evolution in mind (of oneself and humanity) each moment is a Saturnian mentor, each situation is the result of myriad previous causes that have come together into the structure of place, time, circumstance, and people involved. Planets in the 10th house are to be lived as thoughtfully as possible because – in truth- it is one’s duty to the greater good to do so. The influence of the esoteric or hierarchical ruler of any house point away from the personality and toward that which is possible because it is within you.

The esoteric ruler is associated with the true or pure Soul by Master DK. We are to understand that Soul is not simply a glorified personality or the better half of oneself. Soul, pure, true and from its own plane of majesty and wisdom, is a state of detached knowing that is simultaneously emapathically ever sensitive to the energies and conditions of others and the world. As such, planets in an esoteric ruling role want to offer a disinterest in the insular concerns or healing processes of one’s personal life. These planets want you to demonstrate the richness and riches within you. The 10th house, itself, emphasizes the “riches” idea. So, then, planets in the 10th are gems, or mines, or fields of merit. In Buddhist terms, they are adornments; but such finery was never displayed for looks. Merit or adornments are testament to goodness, generosity, and refinement processes of heart-mind that are well in motion within one. Planets in the 10th are to be lived as riches given, resources offered freely, and as merit that will generate new circumstance in which one can give again. In this case, “freely” does not imply without remuneration but rather free flowing, without hesitation or reservation. One will find that as one lives 10th house planets in this way, more of their abundant qualities and attributes will arise within one or be offered to one. We open the floodgate of them which hearkens to the sea-goat, an earlier symbol of Capricorn.

Esoteric Saturn is neutrality, an equanimity that is at ease, accepting, willing to work hard if that is required, and willing to let all involved realize what others need to in their own way. All planets can be lived with their particular letting go, their specific acceptance. This is part of walking the Walk. Find the wisdom of impartiality regarding planets in the 10th as well as in the planets aspected by them.

Venus rules Capricorn hierarchically, thus influences the 10th house. It is interesting to note that Venus’ rulership starts with Taurus, the first earth sign, and completes with Capricorn, the last earth sign. Along the way, it rules Libra. Two cardinal signs and one fixed. Cardinality is associated with the expression of Life itself, the drive of inner essence to express and know the full range of its expression. Due to this, the cardinal signs are visceral: Aries – get out there and do it, Cancer – the wrenching experience of birth and birth’s change of everything, Libra – relating (which pulls every string and pushes every button so that we learn every being’s necessity to the whole of life); Capricorn – physical life is demanding and hard. The fool tries to control the uncontrollable, the wise one understands that the soft overcomes the hard (Tao te Ching).

The highest expression of planet and sign is offered through the hierarchical level of rulership. In a sense, the hierarchical level flips the planet, top-down that is, and asks similar of the native if a hierarchical ruler is in its sign in one’s chart. But, in this series of articles, we are talking about houses, not signs. The influence of the hierarchical ruler on the house is present, but it is like the sky inviting us to levitate. If one can, that’s cool; but otherwise, we watch the birds and clouds and imagine.

I also think that the hierarchical rulers somehow all display the wisdom of emptiness while pointing out the illusory nature of our perceptions of physical dimensional living. Venus illustrate this.

• Common Venus is picky about almost everything sensed or desired or gotten. She represents that human desire nature is fickle and finicky. She’s a temptress, cunning, and will get what she wants. We are and will too. Desire is the hub of our ego whether we realize that or not. Desire might be to bring compassion into the world or to get fat on pizza. Either way, we discover that aspiration and motivation also are fickle because they are within the spectrum of desire.
• Esoteric Venus refines its earlier self-focus as well as what the self focuses upon. These are replaced with appreciation and a sense of the value of each part to the whole, thus relation/rapport/resonance/cooperation/and collaboration. These are Venus making dependence, connection, and oneness visible. Just as atoms unite to produce molecules and chemicals combine to produce material objects, we are urged from within to unite, combine, congregate, and delight in life lived together. Pettiness is eradicated in unity and the acceptance, tolerance, and joy that wholeness reveals.
• Hierarchical Venus is a dakini in flight, weightless, and free from any concept of limitation or gravity. Common Venus is attraction thus is gravity but hierarchical Venus is emptiness and its wisdom. Concepts, desires, and dimensional reality are recognized as more than perceptions and also less. Venus, which has meant me and mine, me and you, and then we, now means non-dual. From the top-down, Venus perceives nothing to be desired, nothing to be refined, nor anything out of unity. All is perfect as it is. Pettiness has been turned inside-out to reveal perfection – Perfect Wisdom.

What does this imply regarding the 10th house? Empty. Empty the sense of self that is represented by any planet in the 10th. Empty the habits of consciousness that those planets lunarly repeat. Empty concepts related to goals, achieving, accomplishing, or that shoulds of any kind so that the flow of responsiveness and the ability to respond are one’s relation with life.

10th house uninhabited? Every house is lived by everyone, planets or no planets. You would ponder the house on the cusp in relation to Saturn, Saturn, and Venus.