SECRETS OF THE THIRD HOUSE: THE JOY OF ADVENTURE AND PLEASURE
Vedic astrologers usually lump the third house into younger siblings, artistic expression and communication but it has deeper spiritual and psychological depths that are not discussed enough. John Frawley writes of the 3rd house: “Of all the houses of the astrological chart, it is probably the third that arouses the least interest. In most birth-chart readings it will be quietly skated over, as the astrologer can usually find nothing there that warrants closer examination.”
Yet the third house is very profound. It is most connected to Mars and it is where we find our courage to express our self-willed interests and move toward our individuality. It is a kama house or a house of desire where we sometimes exert our raucous sexual energies and fight with our siblings to exert our Martian prowess and exert our ego. It helps form our personal integrity and strength to develop our personality. It allows us to exert our will to shape our world and move forth and conquer and exert our ingenuity. It give us he courage to go forth in the world and communicate, be curious and to dance in the complex world of human development. It is a place where we learn to live in the world.
The significator for the third house is Mars which is connected to courage, siblings and adventure. It is through sibling rivalry and fighting with our brothers and sisters that we learn to exert our own individuality and individuate our egos and become who we are. The third house is a growth house because it tests our courage to fight for who we are and what we believe and to stand up for ourselves and to move forth in the world.
The third house is connected to kama and desire and to fun and hence it is connected to casinos, boudoir, bars, workshops and even the athletic playing field where we go to have a good time. It is a place of raw energy where “boys will be boys.” It is a place where we love games, the joy of writing, the joy of learning of finding new interests and of expanding our Martian search for adventure and fun. It is a place of adolescent fun where we get into trouble satisfying our momentary desires. In a sense it is very immature place but it forces us to test who are in the world and to find our place in the world. When it is afflicted it can bring out selfishness, lust and aggression and the dark side of Mars.
The third house has an important Mercury component where we love to debate, get into arguments, express our individuality in writing. It is a place of creativity where we can explore the beauty of language and the wonder of making words dance and acquire new mastery of expression.
The third house is a place of neighbors and the neighborhood. Sometimes we have to fight for our territory and our rights as I remember all to well when I lived in Sedona and the neighbors would report us if we left our garbage can on the curb an extra day or had too many friends over in the house and created parking problems. Still with a positive 3rd house, we learn and grow from our neighbors and they contribute much to our life by sharing their gifts with us, providing friendship and being there for us in times of need. Mastering the 3rd house of neighbors means turning our enemies into our friends.
The Sun in the 3rd house loves sports and competition and derives great satisfaction by doing and achieving. The Moon in the 3rd house brings emotional restlessness if afflicted and an inability to focus on action as the mind is always wanders. Mars is too strong in the 3rd house and may create major problems with siblings and ruthlessness but love of sports and competition may lead to major clashes of ego. Mercury in the 3rd house brings greatness with communication, great intelligence but may not able to focus as one flits from problem to problem. Jupiter in the 3rd house loses its spiritual and religious imperative and gets lost in partying.
Venus in the third house shows interest in art, creativity, relationships and beauty. With the 3rd house being a desire house and a place of sexual expression, Venus can also get lost here in too much partying and sexual self-indulgence. Venus may create people who are too nice and unable to stand up and fight for themselves and hold their ground.
Saturn in the 3rd house may create people who are too practical and conservative and not able to venture forth with Martian adventure fearing conflict and embarrassment.
Rahu does well in the in the third house where it enhances creativity and gusto for life through play and experimentation. Ketu in the 3rd house brings an urge to present ideas to others in ways that fascinates and creates great influence around them. Politicians often have this placement like Bill Clinton.
The cure for problems with the 3rd house it that we have to nourish it regularly, cleans it, block the chatter and gossip of neighbors and exert our own power and rediscover our sense of adventure. The third teaches us to fight, stand up for what is right and move with courage to to learn, to grow and to be personally happy. There is the great joy of adolescent youth here when Mars expresses itself in the world and this leads to the joy of adventure and pleasure. Like the main character in Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King, who completes an adventure to Africa and comes back a changed man. As he lands in Newfoundland at the airport, he proclaims:
“I felt like running, running, leaping through cool arctic air.”
There is great joy and adventure when Mars lives its archetypal energy of freedom and adventure and that is the secret of the 3rd house.
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Final registration for our Houses class which starts on Sunday. We have 11 students but still one spot left. The course is spread out over three months for holiday and vacation time with 9 classes over 13 weeks. This is not an ordinary class in that we are focusing and new and innovative ways to integrate and evaluate houses and understand them in non-traditional ways. Deep spiritual and psychological insights and practical techniques for prediction. See our updated curriculum. Email questions to swfort@gmail.com or if you need a payment plan, that can be set up also.
