The Twelve  houses of the horoscope define twelve areas of our life.  The beginning of each of the houses is called the cusp.  Each house has what is called a natural sign and natural ruling planets.  This is the sign and planet which are associated with that house in the natural chart beginning with Aries and ending with Pisces.

The Astrodienst charts show another division of the houses.  This division places the houses in groups that are on the angles, the angular (ang); houses that follow immediately behind each angular house, the succedent (suc) houses, and the third in line, the cadent (cad) houses. There are four each, angular, succedent, and cadent houses. Older books taught that planets in the angular houses were somewhat stronger and planets in the cadent houses were weaker in influence. Now little attention is paid to this idea.

Here are listed the twelve houses with the rulerships, classification and a brief summary of the area of life depicted there:

House	Classification	Natural sign	Planetary Ruler	House Affairs
1st	Angular	Aries	Mars	The Ascendant. Your projected behavior, temperament, health, how you react to those around you, and your appearance.
2nd	Succedent	Taurus	Venus	Your material side. Security, gains, losses, financial condition and your concern about these matters.
3rd	Cadent	Gemini	Mercury	Your mental aptitudes, early childhood, everyday communication, your sibling, and early education.
4th	Angular	Cancer	Moon	Domestic affairs and conditions, the nurturing parent, the home, and the family life. The end of life.
5th	Succedent	Leo	Sun	Love affairs, procreation, your children, creative expression, luck and speculation.
6th	Cadent	Virgo	Mercury	The work environment, the employer and employees, the routine, health issues, hygiene.
7th	Angular	Libra	Venus	Marriage partner, business partners, contracts, joint endeavors.
8th	Succedent	Scorpio	Pluto	Attitude toward life/death, possessions of others, wills and legacies; sex and regeneration.
9th	Cadent	Sagittarius	Jupiter	Religion, philosophy, publishing, higher learning, distant travel, foreign countries.
10th	Angular	Capricorn	Saturn	Reputation, social status, fame or the lack of it, worldly standing, the other parent.
11th	Succedent	Aquarius	Uranus	Friends, clubs, organizations, associations, goals, hopes, and wishes
12th	Cadent	Pisces	Neptune	The subconscious mind, hidden resources, hidden problems, social responsibility.