In ancient Hellenistic astrology, the 11th house is known as ‘the place of good spirit’ and that is opposite to ‘the place of good fortune’, which is the fifth house. The 11th house is said to be where Jupiter rejoices. In terms of significations, we have ‘friends’, ‘groups’, ‘alliances’, and also ‘hopes’ or ‘wishes’.
It’s a succedent house, and Chris Brennan suggested that based on his research in the very early texts, that’s a large part of the reason why the 11th house signifies ‘hopes’. The planets in the 11th are rising up towards the 10th house of career and legacy and dare I say mission and vocation.
Another description I have heard, which makes more sense to me, is that since the 10th was the house of the king, the 11th is the house of its advisers.
Modern astrology has lost some of the sense of material success and money that this house originally signified (Jupiter was the ancient planet of money), but we can see this link in how the 11th is a house of clubs and associations, of groups of people working together.
This last interpretation is key to the association that Modern Astrology makes between houses and signs, where Aquarius becomes the sign of the 11th house. In Traditional astrology this would make no sense since it’s the joy of Jupiter and Saturn is the malefic of the same sect, which is the diurnal sect.
The 11th house is relational, since it has a trine to the 7th but also being in the top of the sky it has a similar sense of reputation as the 10th. Planets in the 11th affect the way people think about you, but also how you think about people. Which in turn affects the things that are possible for you. I think it also influences the way you think about the idea of friendship.
Austin Coppock would also read audiences in what’s going on with the 11th. He suggests you will see gains from one’s professional action as a secondary signification. If you don’t have placements in the 11th house, the 11th house ruler would also count for how he uses the 11th as one of the financial indicators for timing.
Most of the succedent houses have some unsavoury significations, but the 11th differs because it makes a superior sextile to the Rising sign. So it could be seen as the 3rd best house in the Zodiac after the 1st and 10th, which are angular. Of course the 4th and 7th are also angles, so they have that power, but the sextile to the 1st bumps it up in terms of favourability of the aspect, and it’s also in a trine to the 7th house.
There’s two ways we can read this dependency on others that is part of the 11th. The first is well, the very fact it’s about dependency on others. You benefit because you know the right person, or you’re part of the right network. But, contrary to what my mother would like to believe, you don’t have to be born in the right circumstances. The quality of who you are will also impact the networks you build. And that, of course, goes beyond astrology.
Typically with the 11th you have people who vibe with you either intellectually or on a spirit-type level. And in my opinion, if you believe in the law of attraction then the frequency of the sign you have in this house will be what attracts these people. Friendship can be seen as a connection in spirit, so it’s not a surprise the ancient astrologers saw the joy of Jupiter here, compared to Venus which is more embodied having her joy in the 5th.
One way to read the succedent houses is to read them as resources. That’s not to mean that you have to use people, but in the spirit of the Three of Cups in the Tarot, and the Three of Pentacles too. People you can lean on to help you lift yourself up to your highest potential.
Finally, Chris Brennan made a point on his podcast that sometimes transits will reflect other people in our life that are important to us in different ways and what’s going on in their lives and how that affects us. So that also is worth bearing in mind when we think about how the people around us affect us.
Meet Amandine de Gasperi
Amandine is a life coach who specialises in helping the “gifted child” who hasn’t quite found their stride yet and look at their circumstances wondering “Is this really my life?” with creating a life that’s truly worth waking up for. She’s not just your average life coach—she’s your biggest cheerleader, supporter, and guide. She understands the challenges and struggles you may face because she has personally overcome anxiety and depression. And nothing brings her more joy than helping incredible women rise above their limitations and create lives that are pure magic. She guides her clients through unearthing their inner strength, cultivating sustainable habits, and unleashing their full potential.
And she’s my friend IRL, and co-conspirator behind Girlfriends’ Night In, as you’ll hear in the episode.
