Mindful Heart Astrology – Sixth House

My Health, Service, and Work

The Sixth House of the horoscope relates to the areas of life concerned with Health, Service, Work and ‘day-to-day’ tasks and responsibilities. This is an ‘earth’ house so the activities that occur here are practical and relate to the underlying structure of one’s daily life. Naturally ruled by the sign of Virgo, some related concepts include areas of service and devotion, refinement (improvement), analysis, discernment and systems. Mercury is the planetary ruler drawing in the elements of skills, craftsmanship, intellect, ‘busy-ness’ and those things which require hands-on attention in one’s daily routine.

On the surface, the direct relationship of ‘Health’ and ‘Work’ may not be obvious, however there is a significant connection. The better one feels, the greater their energy and the more fully they can apply themselves to any endeavor.

Elements of Wellness, Well-being, and Routine

Health is the foundation of our personal well-being and the healthier one is, the better equipped they are to effectively work and provide service to others. Therefore, matters around health, both good and poor, are represented here, including such things as one’s diet, nutrition, personal fitness and hygiene. Each of these elements can represent part of a regimen or a daily routine, both personally and related to the area of in which one is engaged. In addition to physical wellness, emotional well-being and personal development are related to this domain.

Highlighting Your Work in the World

Within the 6^th house, ‘Work’ is defined as what you do for a living…your job. This is considered differently than ‘career’ which is reflected by the 10^th house. Here, we include things that are part of a job description, as well as one’s employer, co-workers, or employees, and any training that might be undertaken to ensure one has the skills to fulfill the responsibilities of the job. To illustrate the difference, one’s career (10^th House) might be ‘IT Professional’, but the daily job description may be for a ‘Computer Programmer’ reflecting the daily tasks and routines of the role.

This is also where methods and systems come in, they provide the frame work to keep things running smoothly. Any structure used to keep one on track (work or personal) falls within this domain, including schedules, calendars, ‘to-do’ lists, all of which create a foundation to help manage the many aspects of daily life and individual responsibility. Quality of work also comes into play here and the final product is influenced through analyzing what needs to be done, discerning the relative priority of the work, refining and perfecting the quality of the product or service, the skill required to execute the result, and the efficiency with which the work is carried out. In brief, its what you do, how you do it, and how well it is done.

How We Serve

When it comes to the area of ‘Service’, the 6^th House deals with the people we serve as well as those who serve us. For example, this house is the domain of small and domestic animals, or pets. Pets, like cats and dogs, are often thought of as being part of the 5^th house since, in many cases, they are thought of as ‘furry children’.  However, their attachment to the 6^th has early origins.

Before the days of ‘pets’, both cats and dogs had some role at the homestead, within the house or family, which would have been considered a form of work or service. Cats were originally domesticated to control the rodent populations within ancient cities and towns. In the case of dogs, their original domesticated roles related to herding and hunting. Today there are many examples of both cats and dogs involved in programs that assist in the emotional well-being of senior citizens, and in the emerging practice of pet therapy. The example of ‘therapeutic pets’ is a great 6^th house illustration, drawing together the areas of work, health and service.

Sixth House Signs and Planets

Within the natal chart, the sign on the cusp of the 6^th house indicates the nature of the work one enjoys the most and the type of work in environment where they are the most at ease. The sign of Cancer suggests the possibility of jobs related to safety and personal protection, or those that require the care and nurturing of others. Sagittarius might indicate a role of teaching or training, perhaps also indicating the individual is happiest in jobs that allow for freedom of moment or cover a wide territory.

The planets that reside in this house provide clues as to one’s approach to work. For example, Saturn in the 6^th suggests a dependable and reliable individual with a strong work ethic, and someone who takes the responsibilities of the job very seriously. This placement can also show up for an individual who is very comfortable in a position of authority. Mars in this house indicates a rather full-on approach directed towards getting things done well and to a high standard. This placement can demonstrate a lot of drive and initiative and also reflect someone who may be quite demanding of others. To gain further insight, you might check on which sign and planets are connected with your own 6^th house, and consider how they manifest for you.

A Good Time to Think About Health and Wellness Routines

With the Sun now in Virgo it’s a good time to consider the 6^th house areas of our lives and analyze where we are relative to health, work, service and routine. Some of us consider an improvement to fitness and embark upon a new exercise program, or perhaps modify diet and nutrition.  Others consider habits and daily routine, taking note of what is not working particularly well and deciding where some improvement is needed.

Analyzing one’s job situation is also a possibility, and perhaps that is one of the reasons so many job seekers hit the market in September? Others consider this a time to clean out the closets, donating clothes that haven’t been worn in ages. Remember, the 6^th house is practical and therefore a specific ‘task’ might be in order. So, I invite you to consider one area of the 6^th house where you would like to see some improvement, then choose one thing you can do to make a positive difference in your daily life, and then do it. Good luck!