Deciphering Birth Chart Stelliums

A stellium occurs when a person has three or more planets in the same zodiac sign or house in a birth chart. Stelliums tend to amplify and bring attention to specific areas of life. This especially applies to house stelliums.

1st House Stellium: People with 1st House stelliums could naturally attract a lot of attention and be thrusted into the spotlight regardless of wanting it or now. This is because having a stellium here puts the focus on you, your identity, your appearance, and your sense of self. You might be quite attracted to self-help or self-improvement methods and at some point, you could face an identity crisis.

Strengths: Strong sense of self and self-awareness.

Shadow Side: Being too selfish and self-centered.

2nd House Stellium: This house governs finances, material resources, how you make money, and personal values. People with 2nd House stelliums could find themselves very focused on attaining financial security and stability, even to the point of their detriment. They are often gifted with innate wisdom on how to spend and manage their money. If benefics (Venus & Jupiter) are placed here, they could naturally attract financial abundance and have a strong sense of self-worth. They could also have fixed principles and values which they prefer to adhere to strictly.

Strengths: Wise, resourceful, principled.

Shadow Side: Excessive materialism, risk-aversion.

3rd House Stellium: Those who have a third house stellium are often blessed with strong communication and/or writing skills, being that this is the house that rules communication and the mind. School/studying could be major areas of focus throughout their lives. However, they could be guilty of wanting to absorb facts and tidbits of knowledge but shying away from diving deeper into specific topics or areas of study, which we see more of with 9th House stelliums. The third house also speaks to our relationships and connections within our local community/immediate environment, so having one in a relocated chart could be a major indicator of integrating well in one's local environment.

Strengths: Knowledgable, motivated, connected.

Shadow Side: Overthinking, having varied interests but not truly mastering or diving deep into any of them.

4th House Stellium: Having a 4th House stellium often indicates a major focus on home, family, domestic life, ancestry, and setting roots. Having multiple planets in this house could give us clues about a person's childhood and the kind of environment they grew up in. Having malefics (Mars & Saturn) or Chrion placed here often points to a challenging, conflict-ridden childhood. A 4th House stellium in a relocated chart could mean that the person decides to settle down here and start a family, or simply build a life with someone else.

Strengths: Empathetic, patient, and understanding.

Shadow Side: Difficulty letting go of the past, holding onto negative emotions, could get stuck in their comfort zone.

5th House Stellium: The fifth house is all about anything that has to do with creation-creative hobbies and passions, performing arts, children, as well as risk/pleasure activities and our vices, all of which come from the expression of our personal desires. People with 5th House stelliums tend to be quite creative, talented, and attracted to the arts in some way. They may also be characterized as those who truly live life to the fullest. When we see a 5th House stellium in a relocated chart, it could indicate that this person's creativity gets "activated" or that this location is one to be enjoyed.

Strengths: Creative, fun, lively.

Shadow Side: They could have a propensity for addiction, and can be irresponsible.

6th House Stellium: The 6th House in astrology rules our daily routine, work, health, and acts of service. It is the most mundane and physically tangible area of life, as it is the opposite of the 12th House, which rules all things spiritual and metaphysical. Those with 6th House stelliums tend to be hardworking and action-oriented, with a strong desire to exceed expectations. I also find that many 6th House stellium people work as healers, therapists, or life coaches, due to their innate need to serve others. They need to learn to balance their routine-oriented, practical side with their more spiritual side. In a relocated chart, a 6th House stellium could point to working a lot, being very career-focused, and establishing a healthier routine/lifestyle.

Strengths: Hardworking, organized, giving.

Shadow Side: Lacking spontaneity, overworking.

7th House Stellium: Relationships with others, specifically 1-1 relationships are likely major life themes. The development of your identity is often intertwined with interactions you have had with others. You could learn a lot of important life lessons from your partnerships (romantic, businesses, one on one friendships), especially if you have malefics (Mars & Saturn) or Chiron placed here.

Strengths: Collaborative, considerate, open.

Shadow Side: Codependency, attaching your identity to your relationships.

8th House Stellium: You are probably more comfortable with the “darker” side of life than most people. Introspection and emotional depth are major themes here. This house is also heavily associated with transformation, making you versatile and able to thrive better in unstable environments and situations better than most. Having this stellium in a relocated chart could indicate feeling more introverted.

Strengths: Strong, powerful, resilient.

Shadow Side: Brooding, depressive, chaotic.

9th House Stellium: Travel, wisdom, higher learning, belief systems, and expansion are all 9th House themes. People with 9th House stelliums are often eager to learn and grow. They treat life itself as a journey and learning experience. Being that this house is a Sagittarius house by default, these people also tend to be major truth-seekers, on a constant hunt to understand and uncover hidden meanings and motives behind why the world is the way it is. Because of this, they could develop a reputation of being “conspiracy theorists” or even be motivated to go into politics and/or activism to attempt to change or influence the system. Finally, travel is seen as a way to expand their mind and consciousness. This is a major birth chart indicator of moving or living abroad.

Strengths: Intelligent, worldly, eager to learn.

Shadow Side: Dogmatic, overly-opinionated, reckless.

10th House Stellium: Career, public image, and legacy are central to the 10th House. People with 10th House stelliums typically wish to influence and leave an impact on others in some way. If the sun or moon is placed here, there’s a high chance the person draws a lot of their self-worth from their career success. Recognition and gaining exposure are quite likely for people who have this stellium.

Strengths: Confident, determined, motivated.

Shadow Side: Shallow, overly-competitive, and can struggle with self-worth issues.

11th House Stellium: I like to call the 11th House the house of our “chosen community,” because it is in this way that it differs from the third house, which governs our local immediate communities. The 11th House is all about our social networks, whom we choose to associate with, as well as our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. The idea is that through these networks, we could achieve something great. Those with 11th House stelliums are usually people who like to dream big and value their social connections in a way that could be hard for some people to understand. There is often an assumption made about these people that they must have big friend groups. This is not necessarily true, however. These could be people who immerse themselves in a variety of social circles, and who have made long-lasting connections. They could be especially drawn to online networking, being that this house is associated with Aquarius, a sign that is said to have an affinity for technology. Overall, they tend to be goal-oriented, reliable, and drawn to people from all walks of life.

Strengths: Connected, goal-oriented, reliable.

Shadow Side: Misunderstood, can easily feel lonely, needs to learn how to be more comfortable with being alone.

12th House Stellium: Much like the 8th House, the 12th House has a lot of emotional depth to it. It represents the people and things society tends to want to ignore or pass off as unimportant. It is the house of the unseen, the unconscious mind, mental health, spirituality, endings, isolation, and imprisonment. 12th housers are typically deep thinkers with a broader understanding of life. They understand that there is so much more to life than what meets the eye. Some of them may find that they are deeply in-tune with the spiritual realm. Some could struggle with depression and isolation if and when they retreat into their own little world for too long.

Strengths: Empathetic, compassionate, deep.

Shadow Side: Isolated, disconnected, depressive.