Death and Rebirth -The fruits of what we share with others – Sexual Energy – Other People’s Money and Possessions – Emotional Union – Legacies – Losses – Crises – The ‘Occult’.
The Eight House At A Glance
House of Classification: Fused
Opposite House: Second
Natural Ruler: Pluto/Mars
Natural Sign: Scorpio
Core Meaning: Expanding self – awareness through merging with others
Outer Meaning: Other peoples resources legacies, sex, death
The eight house is ominously referred to as the house of death and legacies – a relic from the days of predictive astrology.
Although the link remains, the kind of death involved is no longer seen as physical, but transformational, for the issues at stake in the eight are concerned more with psychological death and resurrection.
On the emotional level, this house signifies our search for security particularly in our close relationships. In part, this is an inheritance from the seventh house, where the seeds of relationship are sown.
But the eight, as the house of other people’s values and resources, opposes the second, the house of our own values and resources.
Consequently, the eight describes how we merge with others both on the practical front – for instance, through joint finances – and on the emotional plane, especially through sex.
Any true merger must involve a loss of individuality for the un ion to transform into something more than its separate parts – witness the temporary loss of ego consciousness experienced during orgasm, which is frequently described as a symbolic death. ( The same is true of the ‘enlightenment experience’ of mysticism, which is why this house is linked with the ‘occult’)
The transformation entailed in eight house experiences can be a source of renewed vigor and security. But if we resist making the adjustment required of this house, our dealings with others can become a battleground of warring passions, power struggles and emotional crises.
Planets in the Eight House:
Planets in this house show how we look for the emotional security through merging with others. Jupiter in the eight, for example, may seek security through a shared interest in religion, metaphysics or mysticism, wealthy partners or, at its most dissolute, through endless sexual encounters.
Reference: Felix Lyle and Bryan Aspland
