Seed Principle: The drudgery of life and what we must do to maintain the things we want is the main principle of the sixth house. Managing our daily routines and sacrificing our momentary happiness for something more worthwhile is the deeper lesson. As the 2nd Artha house, it shows the work and effort we must expend if we are to manifest the things we want.
The body part associated with the sixth house is the intestines. The busy work of extracting and distributing the proper nutrients from our food to the different cells in our body comes from the intestines. It takes a lot of the body’s energy and is known in Ayurveda to be key in our overall health and illness.
Sixth house people: Competitors, those who want some of what we have or who have some of what we want. The bill collector. Distant relatives. Our employees. Those beings we control, including pets.
Activities: Paying bills. Performing menial, unrewarding tasks (whatever that means to the individual). Spending money (non investments). Dieting. Sacrificing happiness in the moment for something bigger (service). Fighting and arguing.
Environment: Accountants’ office, on your knees in the bathroom cleaning the toilet, bathtub and sink. The doctor’s office. Veterinarian office. Service oriented jobs.
Objects: Vacuum cleaner. Cleaning supplies and disinfectant. Soiled diapers. Broom. Medicine.
Planetary Indicators: Saturn and Mars are the main indicators of the sixth house. Saturn indicates menial tasks we must perform. Mars indicates competitors and unpleasantness we must overcome.
Guna / Lesson: Relational Values
General Explanation:
The love and creativity of the fifth house produces many things that we want. Yet, those things require our attention and maintenance day to day. The child we produce in the fifth house brings a lot of work that we must do in the sixth house. Difficulties happen in the sixth house once we start to resent the work we must do in order to maintain the things we have. Those resentments will produce strong opinions, likes and dislikes, etc. It is then we start to make enemies, accumulate debts, health problems, etc. Surmounting the drudgery of and the willingness to do what it takes without the expectation of enjoyment is the highest aim of the sixth house. The things we love the most create the most work. We must be willing to serve the thing we want to grow, rather than resent all the work it takes.
In this way, when the thing we love the most is liberation in truth, the sixth house becomes a great house of service and Karma Yoga.
But there is a lot of ego attachment with sixth house activities because they protect us, especially our physical health. Problems occur with sixth house matters because we want to enjoy everything in life and there is no enjoyment of 6th house matters. It is best to see these tasks as adding value (artha) to the things we love (5th house), then simply perform those duties in service to those aims with no expectation of happiness.
The power of love to expand us beyond our own personal fulfillment or likes and dislikes gets tested in the sixth house, the realm of unpleasantness and servitude. We love that child, but we don’t love changing diapers. We love creating art, but it takes work, money and sacrifice. We would all love to make a living pursuing our hearts desire, but there’s a lot of competition, sacrifice and training involved. When we handle these things with grace, we flourish. When we don’t, we fail ourselves, lose to our enemies, and may bring about disease and health problems as a result. .
Evolutionary Process: “From the neglect of or attachment to our daily physical routines to struggling and battling against others and the hard work we must do to a dignified resignation to serve the higher causes in our life is the Evolutionary process of the sixth house.”
The effects of planets in the sixth house:
The Sun in the sixth house often brings sluggish digestion and may show power struggles with authority figures. In a higher sense, it can show a strong capacity for sacrifice, service and the willingness to face unpleasantness without being overwhelmed.
The Moon in the sixth house shows a difficult mental and emotional outlook. There may be an emotional expectation that life is difficult. This can lead to a lack of enthusiasm, which brings neglect and the tendency to avoid people and situations. However, once understood there may be a high capacity for selfless service here.
Mars in the sixth house is good for surmounting difficulties and defeating enemies. But it may make one very competitive, creating a lot of conflict, with high levels of attachment each victory. Once transformed, a person may work tirelessly to overcome their own personal setbacks and weaknesses, and help others do the same.
Mercury in the sixth house can be very good for organizational skills and keeping all the many details straight. The sixth house has to do with unpleasantness, Mercury is one of the best planets for facing difficulties, as he is neutral and adjustable.
Jupiter in the sixth house often brings high levels of grace that allows us to learn from our mistakes and enemies, and even guide them to higher principles. However, Jupiter is the planet of higher teachings is often bogged down in unpleasantness, unable to expand in the sixth house, unable to rise up.
Venus in the sixth house shows a person will do their best to handle unpleasant situations with grace and care. This includes the enemies produced by such unpleasant circumstances. However, one may be overwhelmed by difficulty, and avoid situations, people and areas of life where they need to compete. They may compensate through indulgence, leading to poor health, etc.
Saturn in the sixth house shows a person will be determined to surmount difficulties and will not give up until the lessons are learned. There may be sluggish digestion, especially gas or lower intestinal problems. Health problems in general may lead to great healing and transformation.
Rahu in the sixth house shows a person will be very engaged in the world of struggles and take it upon themselves to improve through their own efforts. There may be a lot of battles fought and many enemies accumulated. Eventually this may lead to high levels of self-healing and service, but not without many fights and difficulties along the way.
Ketu in the sixth house shows one who would rather avoid the unpleasant circumstances in life, preferring to relax and surrender into the larger, universal themes. There’s likely conditioning around unpleasant circumstances. Although there is skill in managing them, there is little reward.
Vedic Astrology: Sixth House – Creative Sacrifice – Video
I have mars saturn rahu
I am almost through my Venus dasha. Three more years two go. I have Venus in the 6th. The best part of it was in the beginning as for as finances are concern during the Venus Venus. It was also when I started using drugs. I never touch a drug before it started the reason I bring that up is because I was in my early 20’s. I have no regrets about it in fact it was the best part of my Venus Venus dasha. Venus Sun, both in the 6th in my birth chart, I live in the building I helped reconstruct from the ground up. Venus Moon dasha, Scorpio moon, I worked and lived in a different builting an old run down Hotel. I after work I would hang out with drug dealers that lived in the building. I actually work for them. At the end of my Venus Moon dasha I was lost on the streets doing what ever I wanted. Durning Venus Mars dasha my dad and mom tried helping me and I took advantage of them with no remorse. Even after my dad had a heart attack. During Venus Rahu dasha I started to take control of my life. I put down the heavy drugs but I started drinking all day long everyday. I had two jobs and was usually drunk all day long even at work. Then my dad lost his wife so I decided to move in with him for emotional support. That didn’t go well at all. One thing lead to another and I was using heavy drugs and drinking all the time. Plus I had some enemies so I didn’t go anywhere with out a loaded shot gun. I saw ghost as well and felt like something evil lived in the place I was staying at with my dad. I finally decided to go rehab. I failed bad in rehab. During my Venus Jupiter dasha I started off good I got back in to building reconstruction. I started making decent money. But I got back into drugs again. This time I took it way to far. I did creepy things think because I was making me lots of money. Not killing people your anything like that. Just basically gitting payed to help a friend go out the way he wanted to. He was dying and he didn’t won’t to die in a hospit. So he paided me a lot of money to watch over him because he couldn’t hardly move. He had gang green and pressure wounds that where be on severe. I don’t know how he lived as long as he did. Also durning my Venus Jupiter dasha I a cat came into my life and I love her more then all the stuff in the world. Durning my Venus Saturn Dasha my life became on real. It was hell most of the time but it is also the same time period I learned about Vedic Astrology. I got a job and got married of course Saturn was transiting Libra at the time. But I am a Leo rising so it lasted about a year and a half. I wish I got to know her better but I was not keeping my promises. The whole Venus Saturn dasha I lived with my mom she was going through a Saturn Venus dasha and my sister moved in with us for a while right when her Saturn Venus dasha started. I couldn’t hold a job down. I gained a powerful enemy. I saw violent things go down. I was on some much drugs I thought people where out to kill me. I got away with out paying rent for two years. I got arrested and finally I was homeless. Just me and my cat. Now I am in a Venus Mercury dasha it started off with me living in the streets to my dad helping me. I had to give up my cat for adoption. That was the most painful thing I ever did. I ask them if they could hold her until I get my feet on the ground. They said no. They said they would call me if they had to put her down. So with my dads help I relocated and found a job. A month later the adoption agency let me know they would have to put her down. So they said if I have a place for her I could have her back. I had to spent just about all my money to save her and now she lives with me again. Now I have two jobs that I am not used to but I have been moving up in them. I was born in a Mercury Venus Dasha. I kind of feel like I am going through a rebirth. Next is Venus Ketu they are both in my 6th house in Capricorn. My Ketu dasha period was so tough to deal with I got in touch with my artistic side to deal with my feeling of worthlessness. I because quite an artist. Also I had two dreams, durning my Ketu dasha, that seemed vary real a big man in a dark room pick me up by the kneck and said horrible things to me while he was chocking me. Is that a Ketu thing?
The 6th house is also called the prarabdha karma , is it not ? Does it mean that the planets in the house would work towards something on the same account.
How should we see or read this .
Thank you for your insights.
Namaste,
Sun, Neptune and Mercury in the 6th, is this why my life has been and continues to be difficult?
I cannot abide people ‘sh**ting on me, is this part of 6th house stuff? is my opinion that they are behaving this way towards me just the way I see it…no it isn’t, sorry to answer a question I asked but some friends ask me how I can put up with so much rubbish from those who say they are my ‘friends’ yet treat me poorly…
My moon, Jupiter, and Ketu are in the 6the house. Based on your descriptions of each, Am I doomed?
No it depends on the strength of the planets located there
Very intuitive. Very relevant. Impressive interp. Embracing sacrifice and daily, gradual efforts (as opposed to all at once) in all areas, is a key lesson for heavy 6th house. Long time astrologer and student of astrology and psychology. With moon and mars in 6. And a yod between venus, north node and mars. Mars at the apex and mars/pluto, the north node ruler. And mars in aspect to the sun.
Wow. Mars and Venus in 6th house for me. Both of which are true. Right now Mars is in transit, and I am having to do service oriented tasks for my own benefit. I love the way you bring in the bigger picture of evolution into astrology Sam. Thank you for these articles.
Really interesting. As always…