This is part three in my mini-series on mundane astrology. Here are the links to the other articles:

Learning the Basics of Mundane Astrology

The Meaning of the Planets in Mundane Astrology

The Meaning of the Signs in Mundane Astrology

The houses are a critical part of mundane astrology as they describe the topics and areas of life that are activated by planetary transits and aspects.

Below, you’ll find a list of the meaning of the houses in mundane astrology. I have compiled these meanings from a few different sources, including this great article by Deborah Houlding, as well as H.S. Green’s Mundane or National Astrology, Raphael’s Mundane Astrology, and numerous other articles and blog posts that I’ve read over the years.

First House

The nation as a whole. General conditions of health and wealth – or the reverse.

Just as the first house in natal astrology represents the native – their person and personality – the first house in mundane astrology represents the basic identity of the nation. Any planets here give insight into how the nation sees itself and what the people are like. The ruler of the first and its location in the chart shows the topics that have played a key role in shaping the nation’s identity and sense of self. If the ruler of the first is dignified, it indicates a generally prosperous nation. If debilitated, it indicates a troubled nation.

Second House

National wealth, banks, stock exchange, markets and trade.

The second house shows the nation’s wealth. It is both the physical wealth of the nation as well as the general wealth of the people. This house also represents financial institutions of all kinds: banks, stock exchanges, financial markets and the federal reserve. It shows both physical wealth like natural resources, and wealth from commerce and trade. The ruler of the second shows sources of national wealth and how wealthy (or not) the nation will be. 

Third House

Telecommunications, transportation, roads, rail, pipelines; news and media, post office, neighbouring nations.

The third house is communication of all kinds, including physical infrastructure such as telecoms, internet, roads, highways and railways, and the postal service. It is also the nation’s media: newspapers, publishing, books, magazines, internet sites and all other forms of media. The third house shows the nation’s trade and commerce, because the exchange of money and services is a form of communication. (Note that the third shows the actual exchange of goods and services, and is different from the second house – that shows the wealth from commercial activity.) Finally, the third house also governs neighbouring nations, which would the those who share borders (both land and sea) with the nation. 

Fourth House

Land, crops, natural resources, buildings, weather, the people.

The fourth house is the actual physical land and structures of the nation, from landforms and natural resources to buildings and human-built infrastructure. The fourth house is also weather; planets close to the fourth house cusp can influence the nation’s weather. The fourth also represents the people, as it stands opposite the tenth which is the government.

Fifth House

Arts, entertainment, sports, children and the birth rate, high society, ambassadors.

This house speaks to what the nation does for fun – all of its sports, arts and artists, and entertainment industries are ruled by this house. The fifth house also signifies children and the national birth rate. The fifth can represent ambassadors of the nation and the nation’s high society. 

Sixth House

Public health, epidemics, military, civil service, workers and employees, labour unions.

Just as the sixth house is related to health in natal astrology, the sixth in mundane concerns matters of public health and epidemics. It also rules workers and labour of all kinds, including unions, associations, the civil service and other worker groups. The sixth is also related to the nation’s military and military actions. 

Seventh House

Foreign affairs, relations with other countries, marriage and divorce rates.

The seventh house is about partnerships and in mundane astrology, that means the partnerships that a nation has with other nations and other bodies on an international level. This house speaks to foreign affairs and related policies, and also includes both friendly and hostile foreign affairs. The seventh also governs the nation’s marriage and divorce rates.

Eighth House

Death duties, public mortality and the national death rate, financial relations with foreign countries.

The eighth house represents death and all the topics surrounding death: public mortality and the national death rate, how the nation treats its dead, and funeral homes and services. The eighth also governs financial relations with other nations. This would include international trade deals and other financial partnerships, as well as debts and payments to or from other nations. 

Ninth House

Shipping, sea and air traffic, religion and churches, law courts, universities, labs, international and academic communications.

The ninth house governs similar topics as in natal astrology, just on a national level: the nation’s universities and higher education, academia, law courts, judges and judicial matters, scientific labs and other research centres, and national religions, churches and clergy. The ninth also rules sea and air traffic (compared to the third, which governs roads and rail), and international shipping and trade lines.

Tenth House

Government, royalty, national reputation.

The tenth house is the federal government as a whole, standing in opposition to the fourth which is the people. It would also represent the royalty, if that is applicable to the nation. (For exampe in Canada, the tenth house governs the federal government as well as the British Crown.) The tenth house is also the nation’s reputation on both a national and international level. This is the place where the nation is most visible, so it concerns the public image of the nation.

Eleventh House

Parliament, legislatures, city councils, legislation, friends of the nation.

The eleventh house rules everything to do with legislation: the actual legislative bills as well as the bodies involved in passing legislation, like the Cabinet, House of Commons, Senate, etc. This house also rules the governing bodies at lower levels of government, like city councils and state/provincial governments. The eleventh is also friends of the nations – which may or may not also be nation’s that would fall into the seventh house of foreign affairs.

Twelfth House

Prisons, hospitals, asylums, long-term care homes, secret enemies of the country, espionage, secret societies.

Everything hidden is included in the twelfth house: both people and groups that operate under the radar, like spies and espionage activities, as well as secret societies, cults, gangs and criminal groups. The twelfth house is also institutions and places where people are hidden away, like prisons, hospitals, asylums and long-term care homes.