Do You Have 6th House Placements In Your Birth Chart? Here's What It Means

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 (i.e. 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 wellbeing 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 M.D. 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.

According to Pelinku, different planets in the 6th house result in different things. If your sun or moon is in your 6th house, for example, you will feel a strong calling to serve others.

"The sun located in this house involves the need to help others get work done. You feel empowered and complete when others are fulfilled," she explains, adding that in contrast, the moon in this house "can inspire you to extend your emotional support to others who need care."

Establishing a balance in caring for your mind, body, and spirit is also highlighted if you have the sun or moon in the 6th house, Pelinku tells mindbodygreen. In this case, she notes, creating rituals that instill serenity and peace in your environment will help you remain rooted and connected. 

And when it comes to the outer planets like Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, having any of them in your 6th house means your daily life will need extra attention, "as it can lead to living on 'auto-pilot,' or leaving things to chance," Pelinku says.

"These planets help you evolve while throwing curveballs in your direction. It’s a signal to help you establish mindfulness and step up to serve humanity instead of enclosing yourself due to the overwhelm," she explains, adding that these placements can lead to incredible innovation, spiritual connection, and evolution breakthroughs—if you pivot your focus to contribute to the greater whole. 

If you look at your birth chart and don't see any planets in your 6th house, that doesn't mean the 6th house is irrelevant to your life.

According to astrologer and author of Rise and Shine: An Astrological Guide to How You Should Up in the World, Christopher Renstrom, even if the house is "empty" of planets, so to speak, the house itself will still have a particular planet ruling over it. "It doesn't matter if a house is empty, you always look to the planet that rules the cusp of the house," he previously told mindbodygreen.

For example, if you were a Gemini rising, your sixth house is under Scorpio, making Pluto the ruling planet of your 6th house (because Pluto rules Scorpio). As another example, a Libra rising's 6th house is Pisces, and since Neptune rules Pisces, Libra risings' 6th house ruler is Neptune.

"Whether or not you have planets in the 6th house, learning how to provide the best care for your body is essential for your overall experience in this life," Pelinku notes, adding, "You can see the changes in your life as you tap into your 6th house energy, as it can also help excavate incredible breakthroughs if you are experiencing delays in your plans."