We continue with an esoteric look at the astrological houses. The 9th house in astrology corresponds to Sagittarius, the 9th sign. Sagittarius is a Mutable Cross, Fire sign. The 9th house will offer an adjustable quality (mutable) to the planets in that house, or a changeable, chameleon character to them. Because of the fire influence, planets in the 9th tend to be active or dynamic in the native’s life. A certain independence or self-reliant quality should also express through 9th house planets due to the influence of fire (Sag is fire sign) on that house.
Sagittarius orients toward big ideas such as that which is higher, wider, or grand in scope and importance. Examples include philosophy, macro interdisciplinary studies, world mythologies, the inner dimensions of consciousness, the spiritual Path, and religion or transcendent ideas of being. As a result of these inner or large considerations from the 9th sign, the 9th house is the house of inner drives and conviction. Planets in the 9th house might support desire for that which is otherworldly or subjectively experienced; they might also demonstrate as intuitive skills in figuring out how to make something happen. (The mutable houses – 3, 6, 9.12 – all manifest figuring things out. The specific phenomena being understood relates to which of these four houses.)
The 9th is also the house of expansive thinking. Planets in this house will be freer in their expression (fire influence), will be enhance the spiritual Path of the native, or the maturing and developing of that person into a better human being.
Planets in this house will likely be used to explore. The 9th house is that of cultures and travel. This has to do with wider scope and other worldly experiences. Another culture is another world. Travel can be physical or conceptual (books, movies, internet, and such). 9th house planets will be involved in some way in learning how other worlds or cultures express. Therefore, learning languages, spiritual or metaphysical traditions and practices, or learning symbolic conveyance of information through mathematics, algorithms and computer coding, or musical notation and theory all fall within the 9th house. Planets there will assist. Saturn or Neptune in opposition, square, or qunincunx could mitigate or thwart one’s confidence and joy in these endeavors. Being an interpreter or linguist or teacher of languages or of spiritual/metaphysical systems, or of comparative world studies or philosophy would be supported by planets in the 9th house.
With the 9th house indicating excursions, the inner landscapes of meditation, of philosophical musings, and of wide-mindedness in general, 9th house planets will enhance these explorations. The sign on the 9th house cusp does as well. The 9th house is one of expansion: of mind, speech, or body.
Sagittarius is future-oriented sign like Aquarius. Its sights are set ahead, the aim might be do-able or be far-fetched but optimistic Sagittarius energy will be directed almost unilaterally toward the desired goal. The 9th house shares these energetics. The planets in the 9th will be employed to accomplish or achieve the goals envisioned. Personal planets there have a tendency to be used to increase the personality (Jupiter ruling), to achieve gratification or to experience the diversity of the world through the couch-potato method. These express both lower Jupiter and Sag. if a more conscious life is being lived, then 9th house planets will foster one’s Path. The planets representing personal aspects will be refined by the energy of aspiration and method which the 9th offers.
In post #3, mention was made of my observation that the 9th and 10th houses cast their energy into the entire chart like sunlight at mid-day. This is significant and should be taken into account when interpreting a horoscope and by the native him/herself. Please see that post to avoid redundancy here.
The three rulers of Sagittarius are: Jupiter – traditional, Earth – esoteric, and Mars – hierarchical.
Jupiter’s influence on the 9th house expresses as much that was written above. Large-mindedness or gratuitous self-satisfaction, big ideas or visions of what is possible, optimism and lightness of being could all grace 9th house planets. One would need to be heedful regarding being grounded, practical, and to think clearly about causes and predictable results before doing or spending or eating. But, with mindfulness in place, Jupiter’s influence on 9th house planets should be generally positive and beneficial.
Earth is used as a ruler of signs only in Esoteric Astrology and only in two signs. They happen to be the polarity of Gemini and Sagittarius. In both cases, Earth is in a high position. In Sagittarius, it rules esoterically. Both of these signs signal human duality: Gemini/the twins, Sag/ half horse half man. More about Gemini when the 3rd house is taken up. I think we are currently living aspects of the call of Earth’s rulership. Living out of accord with Nature (horse), humanity is doomed and takes other species along with it. Living in accord with Nature and the interconnectedness of all life, then humanity will flourish and the world will too. The centaur can live in a raucous, combative way or like Chiron – wise, empathetic, intuitive, and gentle. Planets in the 9th and influenced by Earth esoterically seek to be expressed for their wisdom, their relatedness to life, and in a way that ensure goodness for all.
Earth is also the source of all resources. Planets in the 9th should be understood as that. But, this is the esoteric ruler; so, those planets are resources of the soul/higher nature. If one is living them in only personal ways, they will turn rancid on you or become like a poison.
Some resources have to be mined or grown or somehow processed to free them. We might have to do the same with 9th house planets. If properly accessed, 9th house planets provide direct access to the light within (9th house at the zenith of the chart).
Mars rules Sagittarius hierarchically. This is the highest and purest possible demonstration of both Mars and of a sign in the zodiac. Planets under this influence are calling the native to the vision of no-self, the visionary life lived when that is one’s manner, and to goals envisioned that must be held before us for the betterment of all of life. Greta Thunberg comes to mind for me as an example. Charts can be cast in a wide variety of ways, so I was not looking for corroboration by what is in her 9th, if anything, but more of Greta as an example of fearlessness, truthfulness, standing for the future and the life of Life in that future. We see Mars at its best with her.
Mars influencing planets in the 9th would ask the same of the native: engage one’s denial of habitual patterns that foster degradation of self and others through fearless truth to one’s self. Live the planets in the 9th for the most true manifestation of Being that you can. Live for others. Be daring. Stand for the welfare of the Earth and of others in the ways available to you through the planets in the 9th. Lift the energies of those planets like Atlas lifts the world. Ascend yourself through being heroic for the world in your corner of it through the skills and attributes of the planets in the 9th or the sign on its cusp.
