Though planets rule specific houses they also have houses where they find their joy and are happy. In your own home you are the owner, you have to keep it in order, take command of your servants, feed your guests and train the pets. But should you go to special retreat where all these chores are left at home, and you just simply relax and find yourself whilst being fed and pampered then you are in a place of your Joy.

Finding a planet in a birth chart that is in its house of joy will certainly give what is called accidental dignity. Whenever a planet has accidental dignity it will have the ability to act.

I read a story once about a big old Labrador dog that one day rocked up to this house and found a quiet spot in the home lay there and slept all afternoon. Come evening time he got up wagged his tail and disappeared. This happened several times and eventually the owner of the house  attached a note to the dog’s collar saying, ‘ Hello if you are the owner of this lovely old dog we just wondered if you knew he comes and sleeps in the same quiet spot in our home every afternoon’ The following day the dog appeared at the same time with a note attached to his collar and this was the reply ‘I am the owner of this wonderful old dog, I am also a mother of 2 rowdy boy’s and have just given birth to twins…..please send me your address so that I too can come and sleep in this quiet spot with my dog’ Though the dog had his own home, he found his joy in another place.

As there only 7 planets seen by the naked eye, these are the only planets that have rulership of the signs in traditionally astrology. There are only 7 specific houses one for each planet that are known as the planets houses of joy.

The Moon is the planet that finds her joy in the third house. It is a busy house and the motion of the moon enjoys this. The Sun Joys in the 9^th house and reflects all truth to the third where the Moon assimilates and shares it. Moon in the third house is seldom quiet.

Mercury joy’s in the first house as Mercury is the connection to the mind and reason as well as loquacity that is in the head. The first house is the doorway to incarnation so Mercury is the idea incarnated into the word. Mercury, the mind and thought made flesh.

Venus finds her joy in her own house the 5^th house; this is the house of pleasure and delight. On the other hand she is also ruler of the 12^th so though she is the ruler of smiles, seduction and pleasure this same energy can lead us to our own undoing if we are not careful.

The Sun finds his joy in the 9^th house as he is the visible symbol of God within the cosmos. The 9^th house is the house of knowledge and the Sun shines the knowledge to the third where the Moon receives the knowledge and communicates it. The connection between the 9^th and the 3^rd houses can tell a lot about the way people express their belief and knowledge.

Mars joys in the 6^th house, Mars is a malefic and can hurt, the 6^th rules small animals that can hurt, but Mars is a two edged sword and can be taken up by us to defend ourselves. The 6^th house is the house of all malevolent interventions of the outside world also symbolized by Mars. This sword turned against us can be turned against the troubles and ending them. Mars is the natural of surgery this is a lovely example where the ills of the world can be put right with the scalpel. The sword heals the wrongs of the body.

Jupiter finds his joy in the 11^th house; the 11^th is the most fortunate of houses as it’s on its way to the top. It is the happiest house, house of friendship. It is the house where we get pennies from heaven and the great benefic loves, in this house Jupiter so delights in visiting such a generous friendly house.

Now Saturn finds his joy in the 12^th house of our own undoing, Saturn enjoys the gloomy austere conversation of the 12^th it is very much to his taste. Prison and confinement delight him. But as the 12^th rules our feet, they can lead us astray or we can use the virtues of Saturn, discipline and restraint to guide them on the strait path of no sin.