The 5th House is one of the houses that I’ve found the most difficult to reconcile in the Modern view of the 12 Archetypes, compared to the view of the houses in Traditional Hellenistic Astrology.
So, this house is a succedent house that follows after the fourth, and so it has to do with notions of what comes after the fourth house. Traditionally it was associated with children, then in the medieval period it became associated to making children, and the Renaissance cemented this idea of the 5th as the house of sex.
This is consistent with it being the place where Venus has her joy, which was also called the place of good fortune in the Medieval period. So it became associated with pleasures, and then eventually in modern times with creativity.
The connection with creativity can be seen both through the lens of it being a quality associate with children, but also with the Sacral chakra, since a lot of spirituality after the 19th century has become a blend of Eastern traditions.
Valens, in the Second century, associated sex with the seventh house, but aside from that, until the Modern association with Scorpio because it rules the reproductive system in Medical Astrology, it was commonly a part of the 5th house.
Austin Coppock said of people with a strong 5th house that they are “a person who has a very good ability to make things how they want them to be”, which seems very Venusian, but I can also see the Leo association of Modern astrology. After all, Leo is larger than life, it commands a room.
Anyway, whether you look at creation as literally children, or as your art, the 5th house has a vibe of being about things outside your control. Once you birth them they take on a life of their own. That’s the meaning behind it being the place of good luck.
And there is also a sense of legacy in the 5th house that is a lot more tangible than what you see in the 10th house, like if you are a teacher or have apprentices.
But it’s this idea of lineage that determined the theme of the 5th house as children to begin with, as it follows from the part of the lineage that came before you in the 4th. And because of how important it was to have high fertility when everyone in the family helped its livelihood and mortality, especially for infants, was high, you can see why it’d be associated with good fortune.
And once you have an idea of the rationale behind the houses, then you can see how the modern topics come into it regardless of the 12 letter alphabet. The 5th house trines the 1st, so there is also that powerful connection to the Self in there.
And the Self was a big theme of my conversation with the 5th House guest, the incredible spiritual maverick Lily of the Light. We had a long conversation (that went almost twice as long off the air!) about what self-care truly means, and the role that creativity has to play in it.
Who is Lily of the Light?
“What I love about what I do: I get to help people every day, get out of their own way to manifest their best life. Be there and hold space and be supportive as they heal, allowing them to create a beautiful life AND take pride in their business. Being there to see my clients flourish. Growing business while honoring themselves and setting boundaries for self care. Has been some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done, and I couldn’t ask for more. I will be your biggest cheerleader. I want to be so obnoxiously supportive that you think you can do anything you want to manifest and then you DO. Creating space in your life for you to tell your story, and create your own self care”
