The 1st House, also known as the House of Self, is the House of the ascendant personality. It represents the ascending sign on the eastern horizon which heralds one’s birth. By interpreting the 1st House in terms of dawns and first beginnings, one can easily come to the conclusion that the House of Self is all about making fresh starts. However, these first beginnings are also focused on the subject/self. It’s about self-discovery and discovering who you are as person. It’s also about figuring out what you will become in the future. In other words, the First House aims for the realization of the subject’s ultimate potential. Becoming a true and unique individual is one of the most important tasks any person needs to undertake in the course of their lives and this act is realized through the First House.

The peculiar qualities which a person possesses is often called “personality.” This is what the First House addresses, but it also affects a person’s general approach to life. It represents the sum total of one’s own being, and it represents who we are to the world. Both the inner aspects as well as the outer aspects of our personality are governed by the First House through our face and physical body.

Aside from its focus on individuality however, the First House also rules the human being’s childhood. Every experience that we’ve had as children all the way to our emergence in the world are considered here, because who we are at the very start will ultimately shape what we will become for the rest of our lives.

In sum, the First House’s domain is the person who is in the process of becoming. It addresses not only our internal experiences, but our personality and presentation to the world as well. It is the house which governs our essential qualities, our disposition towards life, our demeanour and our basic sensibilities. The First House is all about a person’s inner experiences and his or her our outer body.

The First House is aligned with Aries and the planet Mars.