Eighth House: The House o' Sex an' Death

When we're talkin' 'bout the eighth house of a personal horoscope, we can say with full conviction that it's the most hated of all houses. The funny thing is, there ain't actually nuthin' to hate here, 'cept for ourselves and our own limitations, fears, and taboos. This here house hides all the dirty stuff, our rubbish, and our anger, our emotions, relationships, and things we gotta let go of, as well as everything we sweep under the rug, refusin' to deal with. In its final form, it's the house of death, comin' as the end of the road after too many things have been rejected for our body, but also as an unavoidable part of life. It's also called the House of Reincarnation, and its Latin motto mors literally means "death."

• Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
• Ruling Planet: Pluto
• Other People's Money
• Spouse's Money
• Inheritance
• Death
• Sexuality
• Transformation
• Occultism
• Things We Gotta Leave Behind

Areas of Life

The Eighth House is linked to the sign of Scorpio and always talks 'bout hatred and revenge, no matter what form, color, or manifestation we see 'em in our lives. It rules over everything that's dead, buried, and gone. The key secret to it is that it also magically speaks 'bout our conception. To truly grasp the rivers of our eighth house, we gotta fully accept that there ain't no beginnin' without an end and vice versa. Any planet sittin' in our eighth house is a planet we ain't seein' in all its beauty. Even when Mars or Pluto are here, considerin' their strong dignity through this house's connection to Scorpio, they're still prone to bein' rejected and tossed aside, one way or another. One person's gain is another's loss, and this is best seen through the symbolism of the eighth house, 'cause it represents someone else's property and everything we get from those who've left us behind.

This is the house of change, all the bends and bumps in the road, and everything our subconscious has to send our way to protect us from life-threatenin' situations or throw us into 'em. It's a place of danger and fear just as much as it is a place of liberation. Its seeds, cast from the previous seventh house, are strangely linked to relationships. We can see that all the people we've pushed away pile up here and create spasms, discontent, and even more fears, 'cause we ain't allowed for change and acceptance. Like all things taboo, this is where all intimate sexual relationships go, and where we can find all the peculiar preferences, choices hard for others to grasp, and things we're ashamed of. On the flip side, it's the house of committed and deep relationships, those that shine beyond marriage vows, makin' promises for the life yet to come.

The beauty of the eighth house shows up in our ability to transform, break free from our cocoons, and become colorful, flyin' butterflies. It's a place of rebirth we turn to when we're hurt and lost, so carefully evaluate the position of everything hidden there. It'll show us the path of our shadows and what we gotta face to grow, as well as everything we need to address when we're unhappy, or when we got somethin' that needs forgivin', changin', or just acceptin' as it is. It's the place that turns us into better folks, so it's not really a house to hate, but rather to worship.

Eighth House in Aries

With the eighth house in Aries, the main challenge in life is acceptin' the constructive power of anger and conflict. If Mars ain't positioned too well, it talks 'bout a person's tendency to waste their energy on irrelevant matters, mostly showin' up through tricky Mars aspects. Changes'll come pretty naturally, but with a lot of fire and fuss, and they ain't never easy. Instinct needs to be nurtured, and most often, this is the position of folks born with a Virgo ascendant, meanin' they tend to overthink and dismiss their instincts and intuition. The most harm a person can do with such a setup is approach life rationally instead of instinctively. This setup also highlights the fact that all problems with young men, full of energy, leadership, police, or army, need to be sorted out and brought to a level of emotional acceptance and understanding.

Eighth House in Taurus

Taurus is the sign that celebrates life, while the eighth house is the one that tears it down. One of the biggest oppositions in the zodiac is seen in this position, and changes'll come as a slow, tough intervention into life that just has to crumble at some point. There's somethin' in this position that's too different from what a person's original nature desires, and fixin' the disagreements between the personal and the collective can be mighty hard for this person. Joy is found in strange choices, and changes are truly hard to accept. Transformation happens slowly and needs to be savored, otherwise, it won't happen at all. This leads to all sorts of problems with lettin' go of people, circumstances, career ventures, and even physical waste. These are folks who gotta toss used and broken things in the trash and who don't want the energy of broken material treasures to stain their emotional world.

Eighth House in Gemini

With the eighth house in Gemini, changes always go through a person's mental plane, and a superficial approach is almost impossible to accept. This is a typical position for folks born with a Scorpio ascendant, and we'll see that they find it very hard to accept somethin' carefree, lackin' depth and a deep instinct at its core. People with the eighth house in Gemini will avoid small talk, often unaware of how necessary and useful it can be. Rejection of fraternal love or love for a sibling is almost always present, so it needs to be found in their heart and accepted, however and whenever. Changes in life will be strangely effortless when they're big, and usually treated with ease and energy. This is a position that allows for lovin' change, and these dreamers will seek happiness in the oddest places.

Eighth House in Cancer

With the eighth house in Cancer, it's almost impossible to control the inner fears inherited from our elders. This is a typical position for those whose mothers feared pregnancy, perhaps feelin' lost and alone in their state of mind. It's a nurturin' position that makes these folks more sensitive than they might seem, and it's never easy to accept this deep emotional nature that hides within. People born with the eighth house in Cancer tend to ignore emotions, pretendin' they ain't as important as their rational mind, and surround themselves with those who support this theory. This is dangerous simply 'cause it can lead to a general rapid decline in the level of satisfaction they want to achieve. Forgiveness and acceptance, combined with compassion and sensitivity, save these strong-willed folks from breakin' down.

Eighth House in Leo

If the eighth house is in Leo, there's no easy way to accept authority. Not only will a person need a change of personal image and surroundings, but they'll also see all their own ego-related problems in other folks. If they ain't pickin' up on the childish behavior and efforts of others, it simply means they ain't on the right track. There's almost always somethin' wrong with their perception of success. To truly grow and transform into successful and strong individuals, full of life, they gotta raise their level of respect for others and themselves to endless heights. The challenge here lies in their ability to respect those who ain't deep, practical, and responsible, as they deem necessary. Once they see that the smile on their face is directly related to the respect they nurture for their own inner child, their perception will change, and they'll be ready to lead, dominate, and shine their warm light on other folks.

Eighth House in Virgo

The sign of Virgo rarely has a clue what hedonism is, and seems to have a need to analyze everything in detail, suckin' all the colors out of creative things in life. The main problem is that without details, there'd be no functionality, and to ground any grand idea, we gotta be practical enough to commit ourselves to the details. Resistance to practical, everyday matters, linked to this natal position, leads to all sorts of health-related problems. A person gotta realize that the only way to find pleasure in the material world is through the material world, and it'll be dismissed as unimportant compared to their incredible mental dominance. True intelligence is hidden in our body, our daily routine, and our physiology. Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo and the Earth element, so any mental effort gotta have an ultimate goal in its manifestation in the real world. Everything else will look like a clump of empty words if no substance is provided through practicality and grounding.

Eighth House in Libra

The eighth house in Libra has a truly strange position, 'cause it seems to be linked to folks who wanna be alone. While our natural need is to have someone to love, yearnin' for perfect harmony, this obviously ain't true for all representatives of the zodiac. Even if these dreamy individuals might wish for a fairytale end, their acceptance of unity will be shaky and unstable. They gotta develop a personal approach to partnership, marriage, and everything related to other people, from scratch, as if their life is marked by inconsistent relationships and parents who weren't as functional together as they were apart. As those who lack tact and wanna be independent, they find themselves in strangely satisfying relationships before marriage, but eventually have trouble dealin' with the institution of marriage. The key here, obviously, lies in their deep, intimate world and their awareness of the difference between marriage and commitment.

Eighth House in Scorpio

This is a position that easily gathers all the rubbish in one spot. They got a deeply ingrained knowledge of the ends and beginnings of everything in life, while these folks accept the whole cycle of life and death differently than some other folks in their life. The fears they carry within 'em go to extremes, from panic to absolute bravery, and they ain't easy to keep in a certain state for long. On one hand, they're incredibly ready to face any challenge that comes their way, but they'll instantly give in to mass hysteria, and you'll have no idea how it's connected to the same person they were just a little while ago. If Mars and Pluto provide strong support, we'll see that these folks have an almost magical ability to withstand danger, stay calm in the toughest situations, as if their whole energy body is always ready for anything. Depending on the Moon's position, their waters will be clear, and their emotional state calm.

Eighth House in Sagittarius

When the eighth house is located in Sagittarius, there's somethin' odd about this person's beliefs. Everything they expect to work out won't, and vice versa, as if the whole Universe exists to teach 'em 'bout the relativity of all things. While they're protected from danger by somethin' as benevolent as a Jupiter-ruled sign, they'll also find it hard to accept all the questions, teachings, and philosophical approaches related to Jupiter. As long as they feel their whole life has a grand purpose, they'll be alright, but this state fades pretty quickly and pushes 'em into new actions, choices, and changes in their life path that happen too often for the rest of the world to understand why. All the negative things that happen will be a blessing in disguise, and all the positive ones – the opposite. To understand that their whole life is upside down, they'll have to separate themselves from ordinary folks and realize how different they are. If they lose faith, everything can be lost in an instant.

Eighth House in Capricorn

If the eighth house is located in Capricorn, responsibility seems to hold no value for the person. This can lead to all sorts of difficult circumstances if Saturn faces challenges, and there ain't enough rest and calm experiences in their life. The pressure caused by Saturn is always there to push us to evolve, but in such a position, this pressure can sometimes be extremely strong, and liberation is desired above all else. The main problem is that this is held at an unconscious level, and the person just sees tough circumstances that create pressure without seein' their role in avoidin' 'em. There's always a side of their family tree that's hard to understand, while they lack structure and a healthy daily routine, especially in sleep and rest patterns. If this position is approached with tenderness and understanding, with confidence and willpower, there's no reason not to find a way out of the endless cycles that create family problems.

Eighth House in Aquarius

We all know 'bout the positive sides of the sign of Aquarius, especially those of us who love astrology or dedicate our existence to it. People with the eighth house in Aquarius tend to only see the negative sides of this sign and can't handle stress, change, the movement of civilization, and fast talks that seem to have no foundation. This position talks 'bout an inability to open up to progress and the new, and while the value of memories is incredibly important, lettin' 'em go can be even more pleasant for a person with such a setup. Once they realize the value of solitude and freedom, there won't be so many unrealistic expectations of other people, and the mental pressure they create for themselves will gradually fade away. Friendships need to be nurtured, but also allowed to change, grow, and bring with 'em all the challenges of interpersonal relationships.

Eighth House in Pisces

When the eighth house begins in the sign of Pisces, dreamland is the most distant place for a person. This can mean either that they're too rational in their daily circumstances to value their dreams, or that all their efforts to materialize their desires fail. The fear of failure and betrayal is strong with this setup, and they'll heavily judge and have their opinions 'bout the lies comin' from other folks. It's typical for these folks to break off some relationships due to mistrust or disappointment, as their faith fades, and even stronger fears begin to appear. They gotta carefully watch their boundaries and maintain the integrity and cherishedness of their membrane from the outside world. When they accept their mission and unveil their true talents, everything around 'em falls into place, and they achieve the state of happiness and faith they yearn for.