The Eighth House in Astrology

The Eighth House Meaning

The twelve houses of astrology are a wheel that represents twelve parts of human life. Depending on the time and location of your birth, your astrological signs and planets will be in different houses, indicating the part of your life that sign has the strongest effect on. Astrological scholar Isabel M. Hickey describes the Eighth House as the house of “generation, degeneration, or regeneration.” In layman’s terms, this is the house of lovemaking and death – those two phenomena (two of the most influential in human life) often go hand in hand in astrology. This is also the house that rules other people’s money, such as inheritance, joint finances, or investments. In our culture, all three of these are extremely touchy, even taboo subjects, so the Eighth House can seem scary, but understanding it will be extremely helpful in dealing with these difficult topics.

The Eighth House in Aries

Self-assured Aries is confident that she knows best in all the fields that the Eighth House rules – lovemaking, death, and other people’s money. You are often giving people advice about these subjects, whether they ask for it or not. You’re not afraid of the taboos surrounding them, even when other people tell you it’s crude to talk about them – you’re a big believer in being open. While you give advice wonderfully, you don’t take it so well, and can become offended when other people try to give you advice the way you gave it to them.

The Eighth House in Taurus

Taurus rules a lot of physical comforts, so it’s no surprise that, when it appears in the Eighth House, it shows an excellent hand with money. You’re great at investing, and were probably pretty excited even when you were a kid setting up your first savings account. Budgeting just makes you happy! You’re great at saving (especially saving up for that luxurious thing you want) but aren’t so good at using your money to make sweeping changes, since you’re very comfortable where you are. It’s also a sensual sign, and if you’re in a relationship with someone who has Taurus in their Eight House, you’re sure to be constantly pampered, spoiled, and have a great love life.

The Eighth House in Gemini

Gemini’s intellectual side is great at dealing with complicated issues, and your curiosity about life leads you to want to frankly explore difficult topics. You would do well to have a little more sensitivity – you’re the type of person who would burst out with a question like “how did she die?” or “how much money do you make?” without first evaluating how tactful it is in the current situation. It sometimes surprises you when people are put off by this. There’s nothing wrong with being open, and of course, you’re free to share your own “darker” experiences, but don’t be surprised when other people don’t feel quite the same way.

The Eighth House in Cancer

You tend to clam up when it comes to lovemaking, death, and money – you just don’t feel comfortable sharing the details with everyone. You have a very traditional approach, and prefer to keep these issues within the household. However, you can be self-centred here – because you’re so wrapped up in keeping what you feel to be private matters hidden, you don’t always realize when reaching out to other people would be genuinely helpful, nor are you always conscious of when outsiders are reaching to you for help. You’re sensitive to the needs of people within your circle, but not always to those outside it.

The Eighth House in Leo

You like to be in control. You feel especially strongly about the importance of being in control of your finances, and being in control sometimes means choosing to throw your money into the wind. You have a very strong ego, which you would do well to sometimes tone down, especially when you’re dealing with sensitive topics. You may feel like you’re totally justified in showing off, but you don’t always realize that you’re making people uncomfortable, especially people who may be going through hard times. You can tone down your pride without losing a drop of your self-respect.

The Eighth House in Virgo

Cautious Virgos take money very seriously – if you have the chance to make someone with Virgo in their Eighth House the executor of your will, do it! They’ll make sure that everything is sorted out and no detail goes astray. If this is you, you’re definitely not the impulsive type and don’t like to rush into big purchases, or one-night stands, or any type of situations that you deem unsafe. You’re very discerning, and your love life can really suffer if you allow your critical tendencies to make it into the bedroom. You may think you’re just being open and up-front, but you may leave your partner feeling inadequate, or even more confused about what you want from them.

The Eighth House in Libra

Libras are well-suited to cooperation, and you have a natural sensitivity to dealing with difficult issues. You can be sympathetic while not enabling self-pity, and you expect and need the same from the people around you. It is crucial that you build strong relationships with whom you can openly talk about fears or worries, in order to prevent anxiety from building up behind your smiling face. If you don’t have these close relationships, it is unlikely anyone will ever notice if you’re in a state of discomfort, because you’re so good at keeping up a good front. For you, lovemaking is a great team-building experience – getting physical early in a relationship is a great way to build bonds with your partner. You’re not a big believer in waiting until some unspecified moment of romantic enlightenment.

The Eighth House in Scorpio

Scorpio is the sign that rules the Eighth House, and themes of degeneration and regeneration are near and dear to your heart. If that sounds weird to you, you’re probably not a Scorpio. You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the difficult issues of human life, and so you aren’t afraid of them when they come knocking. You have a strong religious or philosophical framework, which you have carefully considered and tested, that gives you strength in the face of fear, especially the fear of death. Some people may find you morbid, but you prefer to think of yourself as endlessly pragmatic, especially because your faith in your individual intellectual framework is so strong.

The Eighth House in Sagittarius

Sagittarius’s appearance in the Eighth House indicates a special interest in philosophical and religious approaches to death and lovemaking. While Scorpios carefully construct a unique framework, you are more likely to be constantly changing opinions, as you learn more about the world and the variety of perspectives in it. However, your optimistic faith in the basic goodness of the world remains. Sagittarius is also a harbinger of good luck – you’re the type of person who might get a million-dollar inheritance from a long-lost uncle.

The Eighth House in Capricorn

When Capricorn appears in the Eighth House, it comes with a preoccupation surrounding age and death. Capricorns often feel strongly about the importance of leaving a legacy, either in the form of a host of children or in a memorable impact on the world. You may fear growing old, and so can be irresponsible (especially with finances), or on the other hand, you might cling so tightly onto your budget that you deny yourself any kind of fun. You can have a very strong lovemaking drive, but you also sometimes get so caught up in thinking and planning that you don’t feel like you can relax and enjoy a physical relationship.

The Eighth House in Aquarius

Your unconventional attitude comes through here – when it comes to money, you’re likely to play the stock market or even gamble, and when it comes to lovemaking, you never get tired of trying new things. You can be self-indulgent and get yourself into trouble by not thinking these topics through all the way, but you can also be an enormous help to your more straight-laced friends, because you remind them that there’s more than one way to do things, and help them open their eyes up to a world of possibilities.

The Eighth House in Pisces

Pisces is a sign that’s always prone to worry, and when it appears in a house so full of worry-inducing topics, it can be a recipe for severe anxiety. In addition to seeking counselling when your nerves are out of control, you should practice mindfulness, and allow yourself to be willing to surrender to divine providence. You likely have an optimistic and spiritual side, but it can be difficult to reconcile what you believe about the world with what you fear about it. Intentionally cultivate gratitude, and remind yourself of the world’s goodness, and you will find your levels of anxiety decreasing.

Pluto in the Eighth House

Pluto rules the Eighth House, and the darkness of this planet echoes the dark topics that the house deals with. Pluto represents the gateway between this life and the next (this solar system and the next, if you want to get scientific). If Pluto appears in your Eighth House, you probably have a secret fascination with all things dark and mysterious, and find death to be a fascinating prospect. However, don’t let this macabre streak get in the way of your enjoying life on this side of the gateway.

The Sun in the Eighth House

You live for intense, life-shaking experiences. Extreme sports are one option, deciding to pick up your whole life and move across the world is another, just for example. You don’t have much time for picky details, and would rather live life in the fullest for every available moment. You stare death in the face and laugh at it – what fear can it hold for you when you live every moment like it’s your last anyway? However, you still take life seriously – you’re not a crazy liver because you don’t care about life, but because you care about it so deeply.

The Moon in the Eighth House

You feel emotions strongly and can tend towards thinking about things in a very dark or nihilistic way. You attach a lot of emotion to every dollar you earn, every experience in bed you have, and every person who comes and goes from the world, whether you knew them or not. As long as you don’t allow yourself to slip into depression, these strong emotions can be a positive thing, as you encourage other people to take the world seriously and seek to make changes for the better.

Saturn in the Eighth House

Saturn’s tendency to get locked up in your own head can lead to difficulties expressing lovemaking feelings. Your attitude towards lovemaking can be unbalanced, either strongly negative, with powerful feelings of shame attached to any desire you feel is “wrong,” or on the other hand, way too open without a sense of good humour, which can be off-putting to people who may feel like they’re being used for lovemaking. Saturn’s “staying power” traditionally indicates a long life, and you become very skilled at handling financial problems through hard work.

Uranus in the Eighth House

Because Uranus represents rebellion and a devil-may-care attitude, it can be a warning sign when it appears in the Eighth House. You may get yourself in a lot of trouble. Sudden, accidental death is a very real risk. However, this is within your control – the risk can absolutely be mitigated by taking control of your impulses towards reckless behaviour, especially when you are being overrun by your emotions and temper.

Mars in the Eighth House

Mars can indicate strife, so in an emotionally charged house like the Eighth, there can be a real danger. You may not think you’re touchy or sensitive about subjects like money, but other people certainly think you are. You can get into a lot of fights if you’re not careful, especially with your partner, who may feel like you’re trying to control them, even if that isn’t your intention. You have an extremely strong lovemaking drive, and may be inclined to try to solve your problems with lovemaking.

Jupiter in the Eighth House

Depending on the other planets and signs that have strong influences in your chart, Jupiter’s appearance in the Eighth House can be either a sign of strong intuition for money and a lucky streak, or it can mean that you rely on that good luck, and your charisma’s positive effects on others, and never really build a solid foundation. You have a strong lovemaking drive and aren’t afraid of it, and integrate intercourse very healthily into your relationships.

Venus in the Eighth House

When it comes to lovemaking, it’s no surprise that the planet named after the goddess of love indicates an extremely passionate and sensual love life. You feel deeply for your romantic partners, sometimes to the point of being overly possessive or slightly stalkery – don’t let your feelings block out the signals they might be sending. You are lucky in money and won’t have to struggle much with it throughout your life as a whole – there will be rough patches, as there are for everyone, but you will be lifted out of them with good fortune, lucky opportunities, or even surprise inheritances.

Mercury in the Eighth House

The natural puzzle-solving nature of Mercury deals well with difficult topics by turning them into problems to be solved. You cope with difficult times by questioning “why?” – why did they happen, why are people reacting the way they are, why do you feel the way you do? You aren’t afraid of probing difficult subjects, and you can make people very uncomfortable with your constant questioning if you aren’t careful. This attitude also makes you a great financial advisor, as you can cut right to the core of problems people are having with money.

Neptune in the Eighth House

Neptune often represents a deep gulf between the physical and spiritual world, so lovemaking and death are of little concern to those with Neptune in the Eighth House. After all, those are both matters tied to the physical world, which is a world you are little concerned about. Sharing this attitude with others can be extremely soothing, especially to those in mourning, as long as you don’t phrase it in a way that diminishes the validity of their sadness. The separation between physical and spiritual is not something that comes to everyone as easily as it comes to you.

Final Thoughts

The Eighth House can be a scary one to deal with because it concerns such heavy subjects. It gets a seriously bad reputation in the astrological community, but just because it looks dark and scary, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to ignore it. In fact, by ignoring it, you just open yourself up to some of the dangers associated with these taboo topics. Read carefully and think hard about the issues at hand. How can you use your horoscope to help you overcome the struggles that this house represents? Like this post, and share it if you know someone else who needs help with any of these issues.

About the author

Kathy Freeman

Learn more about Kathy Freeman