House Joy

A planetary joy is a house where a planet rejoices, expressing its nature with unusual ease. It is an accidental dignity, a strength that comes from place in the chart rather than from the sign a planet occupies, close in spirit to the essential dignities but tied to the houses instead. Each of the seven classical planets has one house of joy. Mercury rejoices in the first house, the Moon in the third, Venus in the fifth, Mars in the sixth, the Sun in the ninth, Jupiter in the eleventh, and Saturn in the twelfth. In every case the concerns of the house suit the planet placed there, as Venus, the planet of pleasure, is at home in the fifth house of play and romance. A planet in its house of joy works from a comfortable base, its qualities coming through clearly and without strain. It is a subtler support than domicile or exaltation, yet a real one, adding a note of ease to whatever else the placement carries.