Malefic, evil, inauspicious, obstructive, damaging, negative are some of the adjectives that are generally associated with the 6th house, 8th house and 12th house trio.
According to the texts, 6th house stands for the three Rs…Roga, Runa, Ripu. Termed as “Ari bhava”, 6th house is deemed to be the house of disease, enemies and debts. “Randhra Bhava” or the 8th house is associated with dark and difficult areas of life, death, obstructions and bad karmas. 12th house is known as the “Vyaya Bhava” and represents expenses, solitude, surrender, losses and detachment. It is believed that placement, conjunction and aspects of the 6th, 8th and 12th lords in other bhavas and with other planets spoil the significations of the concerned bhavas/planets.
However, the truth that each planet and bhava has a multifaceted persona should always be kept in mind. Depending on which bhava we begin to decipher the chart, the houses and lords tend to change their profiles. And this gives them the facility of representing more than one aspect of the human life. Using this angle of delineation, let’s see how 6th house, 8th house and 12th house and their respective lords modify their meanings in a chart.
6th House – 6th house with its inherent significations is adverse for the lagna but if we shift our interest to the 2nd house, it becomes 5th from it indicating the merits of the immediate family, benefits from assets, comforts of basic education etc. 6th house serves as the link between the past and the future. It being 10th from 9th house (father) shows what support native got from his/her father’s karmas (profession). Since 9th house is also destiny (bhagya), it is indicative of native’s destined karmas. W.r.t future, the 6th house is the 2nd to 5th house of progeny. Accordingly it alters itself to signify the educational foundation, financial assets, and potential of one’s children. Since the growth of children depends initially on parents, the 6th house will hence represent the overall growth and status of the native after the birth of the children. The fructification of accumulated “poorvapunya” (5th house) is also 6th house’s forte. Further 6th house shows whether a native will be able to gain or lose from his karmas (9th from the 10th house). Hence 6th house projects perfectly well how the past and present and future will materialize into a native’s life. Aptly dubbed as “Upachchya”, 6th house blends in hitches & hard work, enemies & aids and impediments & progress.
8th House - Discontinuation, dangers, chronic ailments, agonies, accidents, mode of death are some of the inbuilt significations of the 8th house. Similar to the 6th house the 8th house also bridges the past, present and future. 8th house being 12th from 9th house, represents possessions (materialistic or financial, good or bad) given up by father, are practically counted as legacy, hence 8th house is also the “house of inheritance”. Also 8th house is 10th from 5th house of progeny, what you do with your legacy will pass on to your children. If one enhances his inheritance by good karmas, his/her progeny will enjoy the same and a reduction in legacy by bad karmas will be borne by the progeny. Apart from this, the 8th house becomes the 2nd to “kalatrasthana” 7th house. Now the significations are the assets, attitude and associations (family) of the spouse. Effectively it becomes the “house of marital knot”. For female charts 8th house is deemed as Mangalyasthana. Being 7th from 2nd house and 2nd from 7th house (2nd and 7th house being marakas), the 8th house becomes the “maraka” of “marakas” i.e. house of longevity. Being the extreme of the extremes, it stands for regeneration, reformation and rebirth.
12th house – The “house of ends”, signifies the final stage where the soul tends to break free of the materialistic and worldly bondage and attain “moksha”. However with changing times, the meaning of “moksha” depends upon the soul’s intent, which is not necessarily spiritual or divine. 12th house is 8th from 5th house, indicating that whatever is given up the native will pass on to his/her children. Similarly, 12th house is 4th from 9th house, the comforts, nourishment, parenting that a native had received from his/her father. Combining both it is evident that 12th house also connects the past, present and future, as what is received from past has to be a part of what is left for the future. Now 12th house is also the 6th from 7th house of partnerships & associations. Effectively it indicates if the relationships in one’s life will put efforts & perseverance or obstructions & issues in one’s quest for final emancipation.
A final look at the relationship these houses share with each other, 12th house is the 5th to 8th house which is in turn 3rd from 6th house. The message is clear… work to overcome the three Rs using your efforts, courage, and intellect; get on to win over your deep-set fears and insecurities; transform yourself to create your own desired path to attain the finest and purest goal of your life.
Ritu Bhatnagar