The Sixth House in Traditional Astrology: The Mundane Maintenance Required to Achieve at Minimum Non-Decayment

Photo by Samantha Hammer

A product image I took for (work) + of my beautiful (cat) Manly= #6H

The first rule of the Sixth House- is to brush your teeth, do your chores, and get a job. 

(This isn’t just my Saturn ruled Moon in the 6H talking either!….)

In traditional astrology, the sixth house is regarded as a domain of service, health, and routine. Here, significations shift from the creative, indulgent splendor of the fifth house to the more grounded concerns of daily life and routine. We see in the sixth house the physical quality of health in that life created in the fifth. This house holds our approach to work and how we engage in service to ourselves, others, and even pets.

Service is a crucial key term for explaining the core of the Sixth House, as it encompasses health and integrity to the physical.  In Hellenistic tradition, the sixth house was associated with the greek word diakonia, the concept of ‘kinds of service’. This reflects various forms of labor and devotion, including not only one's professional endeavors but also personal sacrifices that contribute to the well-being of others. The notion of one’s integrities of service here is broader and more philosophical, intertwining with the idea of living by one's higher ideals and duties.

Health is regarded as a service here because your physical well-being requires literal maintenance by you to upkeep. Habits, routines, and cleanliness reflect the state of one’s inner condition.  You really must brush your teeth in order for them to not rot and decay out of your skull. It’s a gross example, but it truly embodies so many points and themes at play here. The Sixth House underscores the interconnectedness of personal and external service. If one neglects their duties to upkeep their minimal physical well-being, they are more likely to be unable to extend care to others, whether a pet or another person.