The Eleventh House: The House of Good Spirit
This week’s edition of Starlit Journeys will focus on the 11th house of the natal chart. The Hellenistic astrologers called the 11th house the House of Good Spirit and considered it a very favorable house. The life topics classically associated with this house include friends, community, our networks, and our hopes, dreams, and aspirations or expectations for the future. Jupiter the planet of expansion, optimism, prosperity and social connections, is said to have its joy in the 11th house. Meaning, that when Jupiter is located in the 11th house of a natal chart, it’s more effective and comfortable expressing its powerful and harmonious energy in our lives.
Why is this house important?
Our hopes and aspirations for the future drive us forward, fueling our ambition to pursue higher ideals and values—whether personal, professional, or spiritual—and inspiring us to continually improve ourselves and the lives of those around us. Without hope, or something to strive for, we become aimless, apathetic, and eventually die—inwardly, on a spiritual level, as well as outwardly, on a physical level—as we let our health and bodies fall into decline from self-neglect. The controversial German philosopher Nietzsche, once said, “He who has a ‘why’ to live for can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
The 11th house gives us our ‘why’ in life. It provides clues to the driving forces that help us reach the pinnacle of our success, as represented by the 10th house. It also offers the motivation needed to overcome difficulties that might otherwise crush our spirits.
What are these forces? They often relate to the love we have for friends and family, our communities or groups where we feel a strong sense of belonging and shared values, or our dedication to a mission that we identify with deeply—knowing that we are here to fulfill a unique and significant purpose that only we can achieve.
Let’s explore how the 11th house in our chart can provide insight into our relationship with community and groups, as well as our attitudes toward pursuing our dreams. Since there are many approaches to reading a natal chart, we’ll focus on imagining how the energies of each of the seven traditional planets might show up in this house—particularly in the role as a community leader.
Planets in the 11th House
A house in the natal chart provides the life topics and themes that planets use to express themselves. Think of a house as the stage or backdrop that a group of actors and actresses must interact with to tell their story. The setting and props on stage set the tone and mood that inspires the actors to do their best work.
When working with the 11th house, our stage begins to take shape as a place where people gather and come together to seek unity of mind and purpose. The mood is one of hope, dreams, and goals for a better future—both for ourselves as well as for the betterment of society. Whatever planets are present in this house have an active and dynamic stage to champion political, spiritual, and social activism, inspire the masses to set aside differences and find strength in unity, and lead transformative movements that seek to create a more just and harmonious world.
Here are some ideas to help you reflect on how your own planets might express themselves in the 11th house:
Sun
The Sun shines as a natural leader of the community. His strong sense of identity magnetically attracts those that are looking to join an inspiring cause—there is nobility and a flair of dramatics when this planet takes the stage and he is happy to provide a vision that everyone can feel good about supporting. He is the life of the community and the community happily basks in the warmth of his energy.
Moon
The Moon softly steps forward. She sees the pain and suffering of those around her and promptly steps into action to heal the emotional and physical wounds of the people she encounters. Her compassion is palpable to those around her and she quickly becomes the source of comfort in her community. When others are ready to give up hope, she steps up to remind them of their inner strength and the loved ones that are counting on them to courageously pave the way.
Mercury
Mercury brings great organization and youthful energy to the community. He is the spark that motivates everyone to think about possibilities! The things we could do if we learned to work together—to combine our talents and strengths—to use our words to uplift and encourage, rather than weaken each other through divisiveness and primal self-preservation. He is the master of persuasion and a gifted visionary of the future.
Venus
Venus offers the ‘why’ to the meaning of life, the meaning of our suffering, and the truth—“that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire….The salvation of man is through love and in love.” —Man’s Search for Meaning by, Viktor E. Frankl
She is the purest expression of selfless service for the greater good of mankind and the muse of artists, writers, and poets, who tread bravely through the darkest moments of the soul to offer us hope and light so that we might walk our paths in confidence.
Mars
Mars does not hesitate to step forward. In fact, he revels in the face of challenge and conflict. Not because he enjoys a fight or craves blood—but because he is intensely competitive with himself and hungry for opportunities to test his strength of character and inner fortitude. He is decisive and willing to take risks, when others hesitate to make a decision, he steps forward and leads with conviction and accountability. He is not afraid of making mistakes and is a fierce protector of the weak and vulnerable of society. He is the blood that pumps vigorously in the veins of each warrior faced with imaginable horrors.
Jupiter
Larger than life, Jupiter takes the stage and immediately receives applause. He is a skilled orator, capable of inspiring others and invoking a sense of nobility and deep spiritual purpose that quickly draws a large crowd. His energy expands and permeates the group—soon the vision has a life of its own. He is the first to invest generously into the community’s shared vision to ensure its success—to show his faith in its outcome and to support the efforts of his people. He is blindly optimistic and it’s contagious—when his intentions are pure, his charisma can expand and broaden the minds of his followers.
Saturn
Saturn is wise and unshakeable. He has seen communities bond together and fight amongst themselves. He understands the cycles of life and the value in suffering and death. Without suffering and death we would not recognize life and pleasure. There is no greater master of character and no greater teacher in life. He is quiet, always observing, and always patient.
When the community is ready to listen, he offers time-tested methods to help them build the stable foundations necessary to secure their dreams.
Hopefully you found the above summaries inspiring—remember, a planet can express itself in many ways within a house, so don’t hesitate to reflect on your own chart and draw from your personal experience to uncover your unique story. There are no right or wrong interpretations!
Overview
Dense, golden, fields of grain serve as the backdrop to a scene that illustrates a humble community gathered together to bring in a plentiful harvest. Painted in 1565 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Harvesters is the perfect depiction of a healthy community hard at work for the benefit of all and a visual representation of many of the themes represented by the 11th house of the natal chart.
The Harvesters is one of a series of six paintings—five of which survive—commissioned to depict the changing seasons and humanity’s connection to nature. The other four surviving paintings are: The Gloomy Day, Hunters in the Snow, The Return of the Herd, and Haymaking.
The Scene
It is late summer, maybe July or August, and the fields are as thick as the finest Persian carpets. The air is heavy and viscous like fresh maple syrup, the kind of heaviness that begs you to slow down and nap under the cool shade of a noble tree—but the townspeople are excited to gather together!
Their hard work has paid off and they will eat well and rest easy this winter. Nature has generously brought forth her riches in response to the community’s single-minded, dedicated effort to cultivate her treasures. Now is the time to bring in the harvest, fill up the grain houses, and celebrate their prosperity.
One can almost feel the satisfaction, camaraderie, and gratitude when admiring the rich golden colors of the painting and the charming expressions of contentedness on each peasant’s face as they enjoy a humble meal together.
On the surface, they seem to have so little—just a little porridge and bread, plain clothing, and simple hand tools—yet they are surrounded by nature’s abundance.
Ripe pears fall from the tree in the foreground while a man shakes apples from another. In the distance, children cool off with a swim in the community pond, a source of supreme enjoyment. Meanwhile, the harbor teems with fishermen and merchants trading exotic treasures.
Hard work, rest, and recreation are equally portrayed in this modest scene. The community has come together with a shared identity and sense of purpose to lighten the load on the individual.
As stated in Hilary Barrett’s translation of the I Ching for hexagram 45—Gathering Together, “Before you can set out single-mindedly towards a chosen goal, you must gather your people and resources. The stronger your purpose, the more you will be willing to invest; the more you invest, the less likely you are to turn back. Investment and aspiration are two sides of a single coin.”
Everyone has a part to play and there is little that compares to the fulfillment you’ll gain by happily supporting the greater needs of the community.
