Natural Sign: Gemini

Ruling Planet: Mercury

Quadrant: 1^st (Bottom Left)

House Type: Cadent Social

Represents: early learning environment, neighborhood, siblings, verbal communication, writing

The Third House governs how we learn and how we share what we learned. It’s associated with the sign Gemini and the planet Mercury (specifically, the more conversational side of Mercury). The Third House shows the social workings of your left brain. We all have to discover, retain, and communicate information in order to navigate life. How else will you find commonalities with other people? And how can you gain new insights without speaking to those who are different from you? How else can you find out about an event in your family or friends circle (birth, marriage, death, etc.)? How can you make it through school? How else do you tell your big brother or sister to stop bullying you? The Third House is all about how we take in what’s around us and use it to connect with people.

This house is most noticeable during your early school years: generally, from the start of kindergarten until the time you graduate from high school. With the Third House, you’re a student. The ways you study, participate, and focus in school are shown in the Third House. It also shows how you interact with teachers and classmates. With Capricorn in the Third House, you’re as studious as studious gets. You were hard-working, possibly at the top of your class. You could’ve made a good class president (if you weren’t one), but you may have been a loner who stuck really closely to the rules. If you have Venus in the Third House, you likely enjoyed school. You got along very well with your classmates and were probably a favorite among your teachers. Pisces in the Third House can bring someone to prefer classes like art and music. Having the sun in the Third House could mean you were well-known or popular in school.

The way you view your neighborhood, neighbors, and siblings—or your place as a neighbor or sibling—is seen in the Third House. These are people who are seen to be frequent sources of information, where you can get a few bits and pieces from each person every day. For example, if you have Gemini in the Third House, you can see your neighbors and siblings as having Gemini traits—definite sources of information, so much that you may need to retreat from them at times. With the Moon in the Third House, you have an emotional connection with siblings and neighbors, whether positive or negative. They can be a source of nurture or moodiness. If you have both Libra and Mercury in the Third House, you could feel that your neighbors are diplomatic and a good source of conversation. In a reverse situation, with Virgo and Venus being residing in the house, you may have logical neighbors whom you love, or you could just love criticizing your siblings.

Most importantly, the Third House is simply about how you, as an individual, communicate. No person has exactly the same way of speaking or writing. Some have quieter voices; others can fill a room with their mouth. Some talk nonstop; others rarely utter a sound. Some write in very long sentences; others’ are short and to the point. With Aquarius Third House, someone whose way of speaking or writing may not make sense to most people. If you add Jupiter, (s)he’ll also talk and/or write a lot, tie communication in with their philosophy, and can have an aptitude for teaching. The downside with this combination is that there’s a tendency to ramble on and on. If a person has Cancer and Mars in the Third House, (s)he can have a protective communication style, or that style can switch back and forth between sensitive and biting.

Next Article: “The Fourth House: Welcome Home”