Secrets of the Second House: The Gate of Hades in Astrology

The Hellenistic astrologers called the second house of the natal chart the Gate of Hades. When I first came across the name of this house, my mind immediately conjured up images of fire and brimstone and suffering, and of course, demons and devils of all sorts. Then I pulled up my natal chart, and with dismay, realized I had two planets located in my second house. With renewed interest in this part of my chart, and a little concern that I had planets in a house that sounded dismal and tragic, I set to work researching the house’s symbolism and its context. Through a deeper understanding of this house, I’ve learned to appreciate it’s wisdom and warnings which help us successfully navigate this sensitive area of our lives.

The Gate of Hades

At a surface level, the second house is said to represent money, our possessions, our means of living and our attitude towards money, as well as our sense of self-worth and personal values. It is said to represent our fears of financial loss and poverty, our sense of security, lending money to others, collecting donations, and our hopes and expectations for financial increases and wealth. While money has been called the root of all evils, I found myself questioning why the ancient astrologers would have associated such a critical area of our lives with the underworld. After all, we have to earn and interact with money to support our existence in this world and it’s natural and completely understandable to feel anxious about losing our possessions and ability to earn income.

In Greek mythology, the Gate of Hades was the entrance to the Underworld or a boundary between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. Hades, the Land of Shadows, was a place where the dead, or shades, were imprisoned and the living were prevented from entering. Shades were thought of as spectral remnants of people who had died. Unlike the vibrant and active souls of the living, shades were often depicted as formless, pale, and shadowy to symbolize their separation from the living world. This theme of separation and formlessness also resonates with the symbolism of the number two, or Dyad, in Pythagorean philosophy, where it represents opposition and duality. In various Greek and Roman myths, shades played a role in illustrating the nature of the afterlife and the consequences of one’s actions in life.

The god of the Underworld was named Hades by the Greeks and Plouton by the Romans. The name “Hades” means “the unseen one” while Pluto, or Plouton, “wealth” because of the god’s association with the inexhaustible wealth of minerals and gems hidden deep within the mines of the earth. Hades was said to be a pitiless master of the dead and was said to own a special helmet that could make the wearer invisible – the Helm of Darkness. Our soul’s journey begins in the First House, The Helm, where we take command of our metaphorical ship as the Sun rises above the Ascendant. It then continues by descending below the horizon, moving away from the light and life force of the Ascendant. In the Second House, we venture into the realm of the hidden and invisible where great riches and wealth can be found if we learn to carefully mine and master these treasures. Successful navigation of the second house requires courage, discipline, a healthy relationship to the material world, and a firm understanding of our desires, values, and priorities.

In the Second House, we venture into the realm of the hidden and invisible where great riches and wealth can be found if we learn to carefully mine and master these treasures.

The Pomegranate Seed

When we’re born into the world, we arrive completely helpless and reliant upon others to care for us, feed us, and protect us. All of our resources are provided and we are completely dependent upon receiving from and responding to the support of others. As we grow, we begin to separate our identities from our caretakers and differentiate ourselves. One way we may do this is by attaching and anchoring ourselves to the material world through possessions and things. Our desires drive us to pursue and claim things that support the image or ideal we’re striving to become and in the process, can become the source of unhappiness, disappointment, and dependency. Rather than liberating ourselves from insecurities and fears, we risk becoming ensnared by unhealthy desires for wealth and the power it brings, ultimately trapping ourselves in material baggage.

The myth of Persephone is the story of a young goddess who is abducted by the god Hades and taken into the underworld to become his wife. According to the story, anyone who eats the food of the Underworld is unable to return to the land of the living. The story hints that there is a way for Persephone to escape from the Underworld if she can resist temptation and her physical desires and abstain from eating the food of the underworld. Unfortunately, she is tempted by Hades to eat a pomegranate seed, and by breaking her fast, was infinitely bound to the Underworld and its ruler. In ancient cultures, pomegranate seeds were often associated with the duality of life and death, the marriage bond, fertility, rebirth and renewal, and abundance and prosperity.

Although this story may seem harsh, its lesson aligns with one of the core teachings in Buddhism: the concept of non-attachment. The Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh taught that clinging to possessions and wealth can lead to suffering. Instead, he encouraged letting go of attachment to material things and to share what we have with others to deepen our sense of connection with the community and find true freedom and happiness.

Our desires drive us to pursue and claim things that support the image or ideal we’re striving to become and in the process, can become the source of unhappiness, disappointment, and dependency.

The Escape Plan

So what can we learn from these stories and principles when interpreting the rich symbolism and meanings of the second house? If we recognize the First House as representing the active spark of life—the dynamic yang energy that drives our soul towards its intended destination—then the Second House naturally follows as the realm where responsive and receptive yin energy grants us access to the hidden depths of both material and spiritual resources. The second hexagram of the I Ching is Kun, The Responding, which represents the qualities of nurturing, receptive, earth energy. The first two hexagrams of the I Ching, Qian – The Initiating and Kun – The Responding, work together harmoniously for the completion of Creation. By examining the interplay of these two energies, we can adopt a healthier mindset towards the resources and possessions we inherit in life.

The Underworld represents the source of material riches found deep inside the earth, but was primarily a place to hold and imprison the souls of the dead. When material wealth and possessions support and complement the creative, life-affirming energy of our spirit—rather than becoming the focus of our constant pursuit—our souls remain free and illuminated, allowing us to pursue our goals.

The ancient astrologers named the second house the Gate of Hades to warn of the dangers of allowing unrealistic expectations for money and possessions distract us from spiritual pursuits, the development of virtues and character, and the actualization of our soul. The Greek philosopher Seneca is quoted as saying, “Wealth is the slave of a wise man and the master of a fool” and “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”

Wealth, possessions, and resources are not the root of all evil – they are unable to create or accomplish anything on their own. It is only when we allow the pure, creative energy initiated in our first house, become subservient to the desires and material attachments of the second house, that we become trapped and imprisoned by our own desires.

When material wealth and possessions support and complement the creative, life-affirming energy of our spirit—rather than becoming the focus of our constant pursuit—our souls remain free and illuminated, allowing us to pursue our goals.

The Wrap-Up

While the Second House carries a warning, I find comfort in knowing that its outcome reflects our values and priorities, allowing us to align our external wealth with our inner purpose and cultivate a balanced, fulfilling relationship with our material and spiritual resources.

We’ll explore practical ways to interpret the second house in a follow-up article. Planetary energy, the zodiac sign of the house, and its planetary ruler all provide clues to help us successfully navigate the material world. By understanding these elements, we can gain deeper insights into how our values and resources shape our lives and enhance our personal growth, happiness, and sense of fulfillment.

Keywords

finances, possessions, income, riches, hopes and expectations for financial gains, livelihood, fears of financial lack, shaded, money, resources, wealth and poverty, earning, saving, and spending habits, substance and acquisitions, giving and receiving, hidden resources, the unseen or invisible, our desire to accumulate money, possessions, or power