posted September 08, 2013 11:52 PM            

The 7th house is about how we charm/negotiate with others, and the 5th house (and the Sun) is about how we show-off in a ‘look at me’, ’aren’t I great’, and ‘what I have to express is SO important’ type of way.

Here, I’m talking about the carefully assessed bargaining chips we have, that we feel are of the most value when establishing relationships with others. All relationships have a certain amount of 'give and take' involved when it comes to how we contribute resources, time, attention, effort, and ‘stuff', so to speak. The 2nd house, and the Taurus side of Venus, show our ‘advertising’ points, as to how we feel we’re a worthwhile person to get involved with.

I was inspired by a thread on the 2nd house to start a new thread on this topic.

Looking at how opposing houses relate to each other also helps understand what they mean.

The 2nd house is opposite the 8th house of intimacy and other people‘s stuff... The 8th house is what we receive (or at least would like to receive) in the context of close relationships, and other people’s resources (the spouses assets, gifts, inheritances, tax returns, welfare benefit).

The 2nd house refers to how we earn or get things for ourselves. As opposed to having them given to us by others (which happens in the 8th house). The sign, ruler, and planets in our 2nd house, show the qualities and things that make us feel valuable. Especially in terms of how we can use them to barter for what we need in exchange, like money and services.

For instance, Libra or Venus in the 2nd house may indicate someone who feels they can use their artistic side, and perhaps their charm, to earn what they need in terms of resources, things, services, and money. Mars in the 2nd house may indicate someone who feels that they can use their assertiveness and enthusiasm in their ability to earn.

In terms of personal relationships, the 2nd house represents what we have of value to offer others... Certain things, skills, possessions, attitudes, and attributes that function like bargaining chips for us. The 2nd house refers to the stuff we have to offer, and not just material things. But also such intangibles as having a positive attitude, being loyal and reliable, being fun and exciting, easy going, being a good saver, having an interesting circle of friends, or having expertise and knowledge on a particular subject/skill… Along with the fact that we may own a nice house, and have a certain amount of earning potential. The 2nd house shows actual ‘stuff’ that we feel we have to offer, along with the associated attitudes and characteristics that go with these things.

In close relationships the 2nd house shows what we’d like to be able to give the other, in exchange for what we receive via the 8th house.

I have Capricorn on the 2nd house, and I’ve always thought of my loyalty as a strong selling point for myself in personal relationships.

The 2nd house also shows how we attract in a very basic earthy sense… Like honey to the bee. This is the ‘Venus’ side of the 2nd house. The 2nd house rules our attitude towards our body, and whatever physical beauty we may have. So in this sense, the 2nd house shows how we feel about our physical allure, and how we maybe able to attract potential partners with it. The 1st house shows our actual appearance and our spontaneous responses to the outside world, irrespective of whatever values we attach to them… While the 2nd house is our attitude towards what we look like, what we have, and how we behave. The 2nd house is where we attach a value to these things… In terms of what they’re worth, and how we can use them to earn resources, and barter for what we need from others (symbolized by the 8th house opposite the 2nd house).

Since the 2nd house shows how we feel about how we look, an afflicted or difficult 2nd house could potentially show someone who feels unattractive, even if they’re gorgeous. Or it could simply show someone who struggles with their self-esteem, in terms of what the have to offer in the earning or relationship markets. Afflictions to the 2nd house could also show someone who has extreme attitudes about what they’re willing to give in order to gain what they need. They may be rigid, demanding, or greedy in this area. Conversely, they may feel they don’t deserve what they want in exchange for what it is they have to offer. There’s a variety of issues that can crop up with a difficult 2nd house.

A positively aspected, placed, 2nd house could indicate the opposite… Someone who feels confident that what they have to give is enough to earn the resources they want, and attract the admires they desire. They may also have a positive regard for their personal appearance, even if they’re just average looking. Not that this is bad. A person who is comfortable with themselves is attractive just by itself.

So yeah, we can evaluate the 2nd house to see what personal ‘selling points’ a person uses to attract admires, and resources, as well has how confident they are in general with these abilities.

Then, along with the 2nd house, we can also evaluate Venus’ position (as ruler of Taurus) in our natal charts to tell us the same information.

Usually, the results will give a full picture person advertises (this is often done in quite a subtle way) what they have to offer in relationships, and how they magnetize what they need from others. When we include both the 2nd house, and Venus, usually there’s a mixture of difficultly and ease shown with regard to these things.

So, everybody, please tell me about your 2nd house and Venus. Put together do you feel they show how you advertise yourself to others? If so how?

Love to hear about it!

posted September 09, 2013 12:00 AM            

I have sn in the 2nd house..
Ouch I bet that suggests 'baggage'.

In a way it's true because I was in love with someone very early in my life and every relationship afterwards was.. uhm... a rebound.

Not sure how this translates in reality, I definitely do not talk about my past relationships..
That's like rule number one, right?

Oh yeah lotis in vedic astrology second house rules the face.
Which could mean the face we show the world?

posted September 09, 2013 01:36 AM            

Since both of you have Cancer on the 2nd house cusp, do you feel that the qualities of Cancer reflect what it is about yourself that would make you a valuable asset to a relationship?

Like, your ability to be caring and understanding, may be seen by yourself as worthwhile characteristics to express to others.

You could also mix the characteristics of the Moon position with this, since with Cancer on the 2nd the Moon would rule the 2nd house.

Kerosene, I know you have Moon in Gemini, so your 2nd house would have a Cancer/Gemini flavor. You'd likely what to show others how you can be caring and understanding, and well as fun and chatty, when presenting your value to others in close relationships.

Also, with Cancer on the 2nd house cusp you may feel that you've learned things from your family background/mother (in a good way or bad way) that give you a good perspective, and skill-set, to offer in relationships. You may have absorbed lots of signals from within your family that've shaped the way you advertise your value to others.

posted September 09, 2013 01:58 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Kerosene:
You don't come across as wounded to me..
Maybe vulnerable!
could be the second house cancer.
then again Im not sure what you do to attract lovers in real life

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Well IRL, I've always had this thought that I will never be good enough, stuff like that. Like I've mentioned before, I've never been in a relationship that's why I've never explored what is it really that I could give to them.

But now, I really don't think about that anymore and just let everything fall in place. I am still trying to boost my self-confidence more, though.

And yeah, you could say I'm vulnerable

@Lotis, thank you so much for your insight! There definitely is that caring part for sure, especially with my Pisces moon. But with its placement in the 9th conjunct MC, I think a right amount of freedom and openness is also something I could offer.

posted September 09, 2013 12:59 PM            

1st question: What would be considered an afflicted 2nd House?

2nd question: If the cusp of the 2nd house falls at a very late degree and most of the house falls into the neighbor sign, how do you define the house ruler and the house qualities (by sign)? For example if the cusp falls on 26 deg Gemini but the rest of the house is in Cancer, would the chart ruler be Mercury or the Moon? Would the 2nd house be expressed through Gemini or through Cancer?

posted September 10, 2013 02:03 AM            

I have Taurus on the 2nd house.

I only have Chiron in the 2nd house.
Venus sits on the 10th house in Aquarius.

posted September 10, 2013 02:19 AM            

quote:

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Lotis White: do you feel that the qualities of Cancer reflect what it is about yourself that would make you a valuable asset to a relationship?

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I didn't know what you meant at first (im dumb lol) but this cleared things up! Any ways, my H2 cusp in in Virgo while most of my H2 is Libra and my Mercury is in Libra (though H3). I don't feel like either, tbh! I feel like I CAN be valuable in a relationship because, I suppose through Virgo, I can analyse and know what a person wants, needs, would like, should have, etc. ...BUT! It can get draining on me to provide that all the time when needed!

I feeeel like in relationships, I bring more of my Mars, which is Leo/H12. In relationships, I bring PASSION! I wanna have fun, I wanna go out, I wanna watch movies, laugh, and every so often, dig deep because every relationship needs a degree of depth. I can't really think how Virgo qualities reflect what makes me valuable in a relationship other than what I stated above...

posted September 10, 2013 06:22 AM            

Barely a Virgo Sun, a Libra Mercury, and a Libra Mars.

Venus occupies my IV house in Scorpio along with Pluto and Eros.

I guess that surprises me, I seem to alternate between wondering what I have to offer, and feeling like I have a lot to offer. I don't feel like going into all my aspects, but I guess what you are suggesting is that on some level, I can offer my mind, my body, my ego/soul, and my passion and love.

posted September 10, 2013 09:59 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by meyray:
Great article! I have a few questions though, and can someone please answer because I’ve been feeling like threads die instantly after I post in them.

1st question: What would be considered an afflicted 2nd House?

2nd question: If the cusp of the 2nd house falls at a very late degree and most of the house falls into the neighbor sign, how do you define the house ruler and the house qualities (by sign)? For example if the cusp falls on 26 deg Gemini but the rest of the house is in Cancer, would the chart ruler be Mercury or the Moon? Would the 2nd house be expressed through Gemini or through Cancer?

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Hi Meyray,

1.) An afflicted 2nd house is when the ruler of the 2nd house, or planets in the 2nd house, receive squares and oppositions from other planets in your chart. Hard aspects indicate hard work. So people with these in their chart, in connection with the 2nd house, would be challenged with regard to their sense of self-value, ability to earn, or the ability to attract a mate. They'd need to work hard on strengthening and developing confidence and self-assurance in these areas in this life-time.

2.) The ruler of the 2nd house is ALWAYS the ruler of the sign on the 2nd house cusp. So with Gemini on the cusp, Mercury would be the ruler of the 2nd house, and the dominating influence on that area of life. If a large portion of the next sign along falls into the 2nd house (or any house), you can look at that sign and it's ruler as a subordinate influence for the 2nd house... But it would always be less influential then the ruler of the cusp sign (in your case Gemini ruled by Mercury).

posted September 10, 2013 10:44 PM            

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Sun Pisces
Scorpio Rising
Taurus Moon
Venus in Capricorn
Mars In Leo

posted September 11, 2013 03:11 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by 12muddy:
aquarius on the 2sc house cusp. I guess I always value my respect for my partner's freedom and space. I do consider that my strong "selling point".

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posted September 11, 2013 05:01 AM            

Moon falls into 2nd house.

Venus is in Capricorn, but at the end of the 1st house, squared by Pluto, and widely sextile to Jupiter and uranus (5 degrees), which makes the Venus falling onto the exact Jupiter/Uranus-mp

posted September 11, 2013 06:31 AM            

When you think of the 2nd house as a reaction to the 8th house (what we want in close/intimate relationships), the 2nd house shows what we're willing/or able to offer in exchange for our 8th house needs.

The 2nd house is where earn what we need, or give in exchange for what we need. Basically the 2nd house represents the bounty, or ‘wealth’, that we are able to bring to the table in closely involved relationships. Whereas our 8th house represents what we receive from others, what partner is they are able to bring to the table. The 8th house is the house of shared resources and other people’s money/beauty/stuff/worthwhile attributes (especially that of the spouse), and it also represents things we desire from others (the 8th house is the ‘I Desire’ house).

Of course the 2nd house is in charge of a variety of things... Like our earning capacity, how we earn money and resources, our attitudes with regard to money and possessions, how we spend, what we deem worthwhile spending money on (the kinds of things we like to ‘have‘. The 2nd house is the ‘I have‘ house.), our attitudes with regard to our body, how we feel about our attractive qualities (physical, material, and even psychological), and our ability to pull in a mate with these attributes…

To elaborate on this last part… (About looks and self-esteem)

The 2nd house is the Taurus/Venus house, and is associated with how we our evaluate physical beauty, and the general worth of things. The 2nd house is the house where we magnetize others with the power of our attractive attributes (generally things ruled by Taurus)… Physical beauty, money, things we own, our resources, what we’re able to offer that is of value to others. The 2nd house is the house in charge of how we feel about body, and this is where the issue of self-esteem comes into the picture.

Looking at the condition of the 2nd house can help gauge how we feel about our looks in general… Our we comfortable with our appearance? do we have issues regarding our looks, and ability to attract worthwhile mate? (Remember we look at Venus for this part too! Venus and the 2nd house both contribute to our ‘attractiveness‘ self-esteem.)

Positive synastry involving the 2nd house can really help in relationships. Even if a person has a difficult 2nd house natally, if someone comes along and makes positive aspects to the 2nd house ruler, positive aspects to planets in the 2nd house, or the puts well aspecting planets into their 2nd house (overlays), they can really help increase this persons sense of self-esteem, and make them feel ‘beautiful’ and appreciated. Just because someone has a messed up 2nd house, doesn’t mean that can’t find someone who’ll help alleviate this.

The 2nd house and being self-assured… (Confidence from things other then looks).
This part may really help people to understand what the 2nd house means for them.

The 2nd house shows the kinds of things that make feel accomplished and grounded in the world… Established, secure, and able purchase what we need to survive. When we feel we have what we need to pay our way, or attract what we need in life, it gives us a feeling of self-assurance.

We can look at the signs and planets connected to the 2nd house to see what we need in our lives in order to feel firmly grounded in our sense of security. If we are able to be accomplished in these areas we’ll gain a sense of confidence from this.. The feeling that we ‘have’ what it takes to get whatever we need.

If a person has Libra on the 2nd they’ll feel secure like this when they’re able to master the art of charming others and keep harmony in relationships. If a person has Virgo on the 2nd they’ll gain this type of confidence when they’re able to be organized and keep their bodies healthy. If a person has Pisces would gain confidence from being able to empathize with others, and tune into the general vibe of what’s going on around them.

The 2nd house shows what you need to master in order to feel accomplished, safe, and confident in our security. When we feel confident like this we are naturally more attractive to others.

Which brings me to my next point… People are attractive for way for then just their looks!

As mentioned before, the 2nd house represents our personal wealth, or the bounty that we have to offer in exchange for what we need. Usually we think of this as money or stuff, but our ‘wealth’ consists of a lot more then just money, and material possessions… Our ‘personal wealth’ can also refer to knowledge and expertise in some area, and the set of values/priorities we bring to a relationship…

About our values/priorities, these are the things we deem worth spending money, resources, time, and effort on… As in, what kind of effort we see as a valuable contribution to a relationship. Obviously, if our set of values and priorities match with our partner expectations this can be seen as a massive asset by them. Agreement here can save a lot of arguments. Sharing similar values on what’s important when prioritizing how time, effort, and resources are spent, can really help smooth the way in relationships. Also, what is valued in a relationship varies from person to person. It’s subjective. The 2nd house is the house where we assign value to what we consider beautiful, and worthwhile, and this is different for each person.

Positive synastry with the 2nd house can show how and where we’ll have this type of agreement. A partner with a positive influence on our 2nd house, will show how they’ll appreciate our priorities, and values.

And, we can look at the 8th house to see what we expect from our partner in close intimate relationships… The kind of attention we’d like to receive from them, and how we’d like to be supported. We can look at our partner’s 8th house to see what they desire in this way. We can look at our 2nd house to see the kind of attention and effort that we have to offer in a relationship, and we can look at our partner’s 2nd house to see what they’d emphasize making their contribution in a relationship.

something excellent, the part may help you further understand what I’m getting about the 2nd house, and what we have to offer.

It sound unromantic, but we need to put time and effort into a relationship the same way we do with a job. At work we get paid for showing up and putting effort into our duties. In relationships we are rewarded for the same… Putting in effort, spending time with our partner, and ‘being there’ for them…

The 2nd house is not concerned with how we flirt, show favoritism, wax poetic, or express what’s ‘n our heart’ to our partner (that’s the 5th house)… The 2nd house is more like our pragmatic assessment of how we need to ‘be there’ for a partner. It’s how we show we’re committed to maintaining a close union.

The signs and planets associated with our 2nd house show how (our style) we’ll give to a partner and pay attention to their personal needs, and the types of things/resources/effort we’ll offer to a partner (what we’ll offer the partner in exchange for them giving to us, and paying attention to our needs in the 8th house)… This includes intangibles like our attitude, how we treat our partner, and our style of providing for our partner mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Hi Zander916, here’s a way to interpret your natal 2nd house, with regards to it being opposite the 8th.

With Scorpio on the 2nd house cusp your likely to want to show how you can appreciate your partner at psychological level, as well as a physical one. You may put effort into trying to understand what makes them tick, and make efforts to respect their privacy, while still moving closer at a steady pace. You may make efforts to express you intensity to your partner in order to express your commitment to sticking with them. Your may also have something of an ‘all or nothing attitude’ with regard to this. If Pluto is in Libra, you’ll also what to show your partner a willingness to ‘be fair’ and compromise, as well as an easygoing, agreeable attitude. If your Pluto were in Virgo, you’d show your support by focusing on their practical day to day needs as a way of showing how much you’re invested in the relationship.

posted September 11, 2013 06:50 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Rankin8:
Interesting.

I have Taurus on the 2nd house.

I only have Chiron in the 2nd house.
Venus sits on the 10th house in Aquarius.

What does that mean?

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Having money, nice things, and looking good, would give you a feeling of confidence and security. This sense of security is also boosted by feeling free to be unique, and having supportive friends...

posted September 11, 2013 07:01 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Swift Freeze:
I guess I have a pretty packed 2nd house.

Barely a Virgo Sun, a Libra Mercury, and a Libra Mars.

Venus occupies my IV house in Scorpio along with Pluto and Eros.

I guess that surprises me, I seem to alternate between wondering what I have to offer, and feeling like I have a lot to offer. I don't feel like going into all my aspects, but I guess what you are suggesting is that on some level, I can offer my mind, my body, my ego/soul, and my passion and love.

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posted September 11, 2013 07:12 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Lyrica:
Sag on the 2nd House Cusp and Venus in Capricorn-I am not a spendthrift or lucky with money.

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How's your Jupiter doing?

Your chart shows you'd gain a sense of confidence and security from knowing where you stand in the grand scheme of things, from developing your social skills, and maintaining a nice appearance.

posted September 11, 2013 08:27 AM            

People have told me they're shocked how much I've had to endure and that I come out stronger. Emotionally, I'm not one to run off at the first fight. I also respect people's privacy, especially if they confide in me with something personal (as badly as I want to know, I won't pry... they'll tell me when they're ready). We'll talk somewhere private and I'll take my time for them. When I ask what's wrong, I really want to know. I'm usually the listener/helper.

My Virgo Venus is conjunct Juno exact and yes, it's true, when I'm interested in someone, I know pretty quickly if this is someone I can see myself with long-term. I do worry and overthink a lot... if they feel that way about me. I've definitely made sacrifices for the guy in relationships and I did it willingly.

posted September 11, 2013 01:33 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Lotis White:
How's your Jupiter doing?

Your chart shows you'd gain a sense of confidence and security from knowing where you stand in the grand scheme of things, from developing your social skills, and maintaining a nice appearance.

You'd likely express your moral convictions, agreeable nature, warmth, and reasonableness, when wanting expressing your investment to a close relationship. With Venus being in Capricorn, loyalty and a mature attitude would be among the things you have to offer a partner as well.

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Jupiter in Pisces, Jupiter trine Neptune, Moon sextile Jupiter, Venus sextile Jupiter, Mars sesquiquadrate Jupiter. Loyalty and maturity with a partner does sound like me.I do like to maintain a nice appearance but it doesn't rule my self worth. Very interesting stuff.

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Sun Pisces
Scorpio Rising
Taurus Moon
Venus in Capricorn
Mars In Leo