The Second House in Astrology
(& what planetary placements within it mean!)
What is the Second House?
In astrology, the second house, which is also called house of value, is all about possessions, money, material things, earnings and expenditures. It signifies the way someone attracts or repels money, and also the way that he/she/they chooses to spend it.
Mercury in the Second House
You have a very practical mind and intelligence, seeing the obvious, most logical answer to any predicament often well before others. You don’t like to be put on the spot or pushed into talking or coming to a conclusion. Studies are similar–you need to work at your own pace.
You can be quite one-track minded at times, not very happy with multi-tasking, and often quite fixed in your opinions. Sensual stimuli is more relevant to you than abstract concepts.
Venus in the Second House
Tangible expressions of love and affection are important to you. Your tastes are usually “simply extravagant”, well-defined, strong, and something you are proud of. Some might feel you have a talent for finding items of value and good taste. You are attracted to items of quality. You may use generosity for your own benefit–in other words, you might give gifts with expectation of reward. Some of you might be hedonistic and overly attached to winning admiration from a partner, at the expense of discovering true love. Your neck and upper chest are erogenous zones, and your voice is unusually attractive.
You generally don’t jump into a new relationship. If you do, your feelings grow gradually. A partner who makes you feel safe and secure is ideal for you. Once committed, your love is long lasting and sincere. You have strong values and others will find it hard to sway you in this area. Sensual, the world of touch and smell is most appealing to you. Complex or mysterious partners are not as intriguing to you as simple and genuine ones.
When it comes to money, you can be generous and frivolous in your spending habits one day, and frugal the next. You can be quite afraid of being in debt, and you need to feel that the bills are paid in order to feel secure and safe. This is likely also true of savings, as you fear being without.
Still, there are times when you can spend impulsively, on a whim, and this is likely when you are feeling emotionally frustrated. You might also hold onto people quite tightly. Vanity can be an issue. You are often looking for admiration, and you can be quite dependent on others for positive feedback until you learn to develop your own feelings of self-worth. You’re not as emotionally responsive as most people. You tend to hold back and wait before expressing yourself, and when you do it is with deliberation.
*You are likely to be a great collector of things – a real pack rat in fact – for your belongings give you a sense of security and continuity with the past, which is important to you. Antiques or things with sentimental value from your past are especially dear to you.
You may also cling rather tightly to both money and possessions, keeping them “in the family” rather than sharing freely with those outside of your immediate circle.
You are likely to be a hard worker, although you appreciate the process and might be slower than some as you focus on the method and tend to each step deliberately and carefully. You love to produce things of practical value. With making money and acquiring possessions, you are ambitious but you might be impatient or impulsive when it comes to spending. You can be quite possessive, both of material things and of people.
You like a physical challenge, and your physical abilities and energy make up a strong part of your sense of self-worth. Working independently is most appealing, or you value things most when you have achieved something on your own. The world of the five senses is most important to you on sensual and sexual levels. You have a hearty appetite with strong stamina. You defend your values fervently.
Sample from the KidZone report: “This child with Mars in the second house will be of the slow and steady variety. He/she will not like to be rushed. However, the attention span will be good and this child will plod through and produce good, solid results.
This child will be very interested in amassing as much as possible. When these children see something that they want, they will want it very much. And they will work hard to get it. He/she will probably be great at saving pocket money, and will then buy their goodies independently. This child may insist on having complete control over their spending power. They need to be taught early on to reject a sudden impulse to just go and get whatever it is that they want.
The “solid and steady” tag does not apply to acquiring assets. It should be suggested that this child think things through, and to decide whether they truly do want something. Any interference will be met with disdain, because he/she will have very set views. But because of the compulsive nature of Mars, these kids are quite likely to be careless with money. This impulsiveness to “own” can become a big problem. This child will have a very strong sense of ownership and anyone who challenges this will stir up a real anger. This is a lesson better learned while young.
These children may not be absolutely selfish, but they will want to share only on their own terms, not because they have to. If a brother or sister takes something without asking, this youngster will really blow up. And there will be real fireworks if someone damages something of theirs. He/she may be careless, but no one else can be! This will particularly apply to personal belongings. Help this child to learn to be less possessive. A possessive attitude can cause toys and belongings to bring more pain than pleasure, keeping him/her from fully enjoying them.”
Jupiter in the Second House
Others might think you are lucky with money, gifts, or personal possessions. In fact, you are extremely resourceful. You take great pleasure in comfort and the world of the five senses. Sometimes this position points to over-indulgence in these things. A strong self-image or feelings of self-worth contribute to success.
Saturn in the Second House
Traditional astrology interprets Saturn’s presence in the second house to mean a lack of or difficulty in getting real world possessions like money, cars, etc. Moving away from this fatalistic approach, we will try to personalize the meaning of Saturn in the second house for an individual. From a personality standpoint, the second house reflects your attitude to real world possessions.
With Saturn in the second house, you might be unduly pessimistic about your own ability to get possessions. Avoid the pessimism. Then again, you might be overly cautious in the way you invest your finances. I’ll give you an example to illustrate this point.
Saturn in the second house people are more likely to invest their hard earned money in low-risk treasury bonds than in the higher risk stock market. This may be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. Your investments will remain rock solid over the years, but will not grow as much if you had been more of a risk-taker! Given this risk aversion, isn’t it easy to spot why past astrologers might have taken that as an inability to gain wealth or possession? It’s not so much an inability as simply an attitude. Awareness of this attitude can be your strength.
Uranus in the Second House
Your attitude to real world possessions differs from most. You may look at money and cars as a means to an end. If you find that they support the quirky lifestyle that your heart desires then you are all right with having some of your own. You may decide though that these things tie you down to one place and hence subvert your freedom of movement. If this happens then you are likely to shy away from acquiring worldly possessions. The possessions you desire are often ones that help you lead the “free” lifestyle you desire. You may value money in the bank if money can buy you the freedom you crave.
You may prefer not to attach too much value to money, but if this is overdone, there can be quite a few problems in life concerning money and ownership. You might make money through artistic pursuits but must avoid the potential pitfalls of putting too much faith in ideas that don’t have enough grounding in reality. Financial advice is important to obtain. You may have developed a non-materialistic personal philosophy. This might work well for you, but it could also lead to impractical attitudes and money problems.
When it comes to making money, you tend to act on hunches and intuition. You might have faith that you will come into money one day, or daydream a lot about being wealthy. The trick is to have faith in your own self-worth. If you frequently have money problems, you might want to examine whether you truly are not attached to material things, or if it stems from undervaluing your own worth or value.
When Neptune is in good condition in the second house, there can be a sense that you are wealthy no matter what you actually have, and this faith can bring you exactly what you need. If Neptune is challenged, you may be glossing over practical details and money can too easily slip through your fingers. You might be especially generous, but avoid situations where you get the short end of the stick financially speaking if they lead to feelings of resentment.
Pluto in the Second House
When it comes to building your resources, your instincts are powerful. It’s not very easy for you to let go of things, as you attach much sentimental value to your possessions. Or, you might hold on to things because you fear poverty or because you fear the feeling of helplessness and wanting. Some with this placement feel a powerful need for control over their money and possessions. You could be driven to make money.
Others taking something from you without asking, even right in front of you, could be especially irritating to you. It’s not about being stingy–you simply have a strong sense of ownership and prefer that you are asked. You may experience some form of loss in your life that leads to lessons of change–you learn that strength, worth, value, and wealth come from within.
With finances, you are excellent at strategy and planning. You can spot a good deal or objects of value instinctively. Your advice on these matters can be invaluable to others.
