The 6th house is the part of your birth chart that deals with daily routines, health, service, and even pets. It comes after the 5th house of expression and creativity, and before the 7th house of partnership, making this house all about honing in and refining your life, before the rest of the chart comes in to deal with external themes like relationships, society, and work.
As intuitive astrologer Lumi Pelinku tells mindbodygreen, “People often overlook this house as it rules the mundane part of our life story. However, learning this part of your birth chart is crucial as it explains the nature of your health and wellness.”
She adds that people with prominent 6th house placements (ie the sun or moon in the 6th house) are typically busy and constantly on the go. “There is a high chance that you are an avid multitasker and have to develop sound practice in finishing what you start,” she explains.
However, the 6th house can be a bit fretful, with Pelinku noting that when a series of planets are occupied in this house, it can lead to nervousness, which will require you to learn to calm the mind and still the body for peace in your life. “Movement is needed to feel in your element, but balancing your well-being will help you feel more anchored in the body,” she says.
And as the AstroTwins previously explained to mindbodygreen, 6th house themes also include organization, fitness, self-care, diet/exercise, natural living, and being of service to other people and the planet.
To that end, while the 10th house (or midheaven) tends to be the house to look to for career insights, holistic psychiatrist and astrologer Kayse Budd MD previously wrote for mindbodygreen that the sign and planetary ruler of your 6th house shows where and how you can be of notable karmic service.
For example, if Gemini resides over your 6th house, its ruler Mercury is also ruling your 6th house, so you might be of service through using communication, information, or technology.
Pelinku adds that your 6th house ruler can also reveal what you can do to help optimize your life through intention and organization.