The Eighth House in astrology is classically the domain of Sex, Death, the Occult and Other People’s Money. People with prominent eighth houses in their birth chart have experience in these areas that would scramble the synapses of non-Eighth Housers.
They’re Slytherin. They’re armchair metaphysicians. They are psychic through smell. They’re brilliant in a crisis. In an emergency room environment, the Eighth House person will be a towering force of calm strength and positivity, making cheery small talk to lighten unavoidable waiting times and taking care of must-dos. But you cannot rely on them to behave “normally” in a mundane situation. They’re like the sergeant in The Hurt Locker who was super-chill when defusing a bomb under enemy fire but severely anxious in a mall with muzak. They’re comfortable with what the F.B.I. calls “complex terrain.”
They have all-access passes to places others don’t know are in existence. Their boundaries are borders, heavily guarded.
Everyone Misunderstands The Eighth House in Astrology
Classic Eighth house themes include the ‘chosen loss’ of pregnancy terminations, sex and mercenary work (especially with Venus or Mars in the eighth house), super-acute instincts and sensitivity to power dynamics. This lot don’t need seances or mediums. They’ve got other dimensions on the cognitive equivalent of speed dial. Subconsciously or not, they feel all relationships are transactional, and that true merging only ever occurs with Source Vibe/God/Qi. They’re driven obsessives who can succumb to paranoia, but you can bet it will be well-researched paranoia. Their spook skills are exemplary.
People accuse them of being aloof or taciturn, but half their hobbies are taboo topics and the other half are secrets. Their presence and anti-fragility come from things they’ll never tell you about. At least you know they’ll never leak your private information. They don’t care if people think they’re boring or lead a quiet life. Their specialties include pulling off massive makeovers or transforming things. Eighth House people like people, situations, and companies that are in transformation mode. They’re caustic when around stagnant energy; it’s probably a protective mechanism. Complacency brings out their snark.
Stale Energy Stalls Their Hustle
What makes a prominent Eighth house? Generally, the Sun, Moon + a personal planet there but the person’s ruling planet counts three-fold. If it is a stellium in the eighth house, congratulations. You’re supernatural, wealthy via strange means and most of your romances are paranormal. Just joking. People get spooked at the “death” aspect of the Eighth house, but really, it means that Eighth house people can confront the prospect of their mortality with the same pragmatic composure they bring to any end. They know every ending is a beginning somewhere else and that there are two billion galaxies in the universe.
‘Other People’s Money’ is an archaic term that you can understand more easily as resources gained through other people. Eighth House people are not usually attached to status or the perception of being wealthy, but they’re emotional about money, especially shared $$$ in relationships – always a flashpoint, taxation, and debt. Stale energy stalls their hustle. They need to be actively evolving something to earn. The ‘Sex’ factor doesn’t mean that they’re high-libido, sexually driven people. Of course, they can be. But Eighth House people’s high awareness of sex and power dynamics does not necessarily translate into an active sex life.
Occult Simply Means ‘Concealed’ Or ‘Hidden’
The ‘Occult’ that makes up the classic litany of Eighth House concerns is also misapprehended! Many people think “occult” means scheduled esoteric rituals, particularly involving nudity and giant pentagrams. But the word comes from the Latin “to conceal” and alludes to hidden dimensions that we cannot see. Eighth House people are into learning about the occult the moment they move beyond their early reader books. As kids, they swarmed straight to the 130s section of their local library: parapsychology, religion, astrology, religion, dream analysis, etc.
Thoughts?
Image: Salvador Dali
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This is so true. “headed straight to the 130s” in the library is SO true, and of course my 8H ♋️ moon -Mercury conjunction remembers it like yesterday.
thank you
Sun, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and North Node in the 8th. I’m in my goo stage inside this cocoon I’m in after this Pluto transit I’ve just under gone. 3rd pass knocked everything in place. Can feel it getting better with the Uranus trine… Thank God and thank you for posting this. It means a lot reading work like this.
Note: Venus R, been thinking of shaving my eye brows a lot lately and receding my own hair line, kind of like a Clingon or something.
Spot on for me.
I have Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and my north node in the 8th house. What does it all mean?? I am definitely keenly aware of my mortality and obsessed with finances, but this is bad, I think? And totally into “the occult.” (Taurus sun, Libra Moon, Cap rising btw). If anyone has a good site or book to do more research on this, LMK.
These are fantastic 8th house placements! I don’t know a book but my Astral DNA report delineates the Sun, Moon, Nodes, planets etc by the house if that would help?
I’ve got a Saturn yod in Cancer in my 8th house. Not quite sure what it means, but guess all will be revealed in divine timing.
“straight to the 130s”
I feel… so exposed
I just learned I have an 8th house stellium and this article is cracking me up with its accuracy. It is so spot on lol
Sun,mercury,venus,Saturn in 8th house here 😆
ok shallow but also how hot was Jeremy Renner in the Hurt Locker, for all those reasons.
Must see this movie. Don’t know amything about Hurt Locker but I’m looking to watch something tonight so thanks.
too much being an a-hole. Stick with twitter if there are too many sentences for you to cope with 🙂
Sun, mercury, Venus, mars, Uranus, and Neptune, 8th house Capricorn.
moon, Jupiter, Pluto, 6th house Scorpio
I have Sun, Mars, jupiter and north node in the eight house
Scorpio Stellium here; Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Moon, and Sun. Also have a Yod
Sun, moon, venus, mars and mercury in the Eighth House… oh my word
Oh my gosh, I would love to have someone give me some extra insight. I just realized that I was born the day of a Venus Cazimi in 1981. I’m an Aries Sun. The Cazimi is in my 8th house with the Sun, Venus, and mars. 👀 Aries ruling planet of mars…
Sun and moon conjunct in my 8th house. Is it safe to say I have a heavy Scorpio influence in this way?
If this relates: I know someone who has sun, moon and mars exactly conjunct in their aqua 8th house. Also mercury nearby. Cancer rising. They are now a gynaecological surgeon, originally in obstetrics and always with a practice centred wholly around the needs and empowerment of women. This person is deeply fascinated and invested in the unique forces at play in bio reproduction and beyond.
So, not Scorpio as such, but has a very intense but detached focus and is vested in offering transparency, independence and freedom of choices when it comes to, well, reproduction. It’s supported by their ruling planet (the moon – ‘mother’) tight with sun (identity) and mars (action, cutting, incl surgery) in the aqua (cool detachment, radical independence, technology) 8th (what lies beneath)
Sun, Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Pisces 8th house. Good lord.
Sun, Mercury and Chiron in the 8th–this interpretation is so nuanced and unique from others on the internet. Thank you, I feel so seen!!!
I have in Scorpio Venus, Saturn, and Pluto. With Mars in Libra all in the 8th house. I’m also a Pisces ascendant. I hope this house and placements brings me wealth and prosperity so I can help others do the same.
Scorpio sun Venus mars mercury and Uranus. All in the 8th. I’ve lost all my immediate family (mother, father , brother) all fairly young had a pretty major legal thing early in life. Have never been a surface only person need to understand everything and can read someone without words, I know this because when the words come it what I was thinking. All this to say. You kinda nailed it! I don’t think having a stellium here is bad just that one has to pay attention to the hidden aspects to help the light shine in on the slow to grow parts of our being. The things we know but choose not to present to the world just yet. Learning from the uncontrolled ways things seem happen in our lives, this placement seems to give us more of that and all of it is an opportunity to transform despite the pain it brings. C’mon 8th bring it otherwise I’d be board!
I am a Leo Stellium all in 4 personal and all in the 8th house. 😅 My struggle is showing up and not. 🤣 🤣 🤣 Like I know I am a queen and I want them to know and at the same time not. 🤣
I return to this post again, and again. It is the SINGLE MOST accurate description of what it is like to be an 8th house person. You nail the exoteric & estoteric aspects but in a pragmatic and accessible language (also with a wit that is tres 8th house.) I wish I could mail a copy of this to every online astrologer and astro-social-media persona. Yours with gratitude and respect, C (a Cancer Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Part of Fortune and Vulcan in a mostly ruled by Gemini) 8th house stellium, person.
Wow. I just finished reading that just now too. What are the odds?
Wow thank you! Mars-Uranus-Pluto here lol.
You said it!
Multiple taurean here. Had Uranus transiting my 8th house ( where i have a taurus mars-Venus conjunct) for past 7 years. It started in aries, and with what i then called an allergy to men. I have allways had a very healthy erotic appetite ( truly taurean in that sense) Suddenly not. A couple of
shocking erotic encounters, strange and nice, but quite detached really. One beautiful love story with a scorpio, and nothing more. Sex has seemed much less interresting. For seven years now!!… that is a long time. Almost no sex for 7 years. Now it is entering my 9th house. House og my sun and Mercur. Time for a change i thinkI have sun moon mercury saturn and Pluto in scorpio in my 8th house I’m also 29th degree aquarius rising
Spot on.
I have an 8th house scorpio stellium (sun, moon, mercury, venus and pluto). Pisces rising.
I am an artist (illustrator ,musician, poet, singer and song-writer) I’m a bookkeeper, a secret keeper, a tax preparer, a basketball coach. I study psychology and astrology. I read minds and tarot cards. I’m a witch and a healer. I am transforming and transformative.
Woah… I have the exact same placements as you!! I haven’t yet found comfort with it as you seem to have.
Bookkeeper is the career for the 8th house! We find it very rewarding.
I have 5 sons, three have 8th house stelliums, one with most personal planets actually in Scorpio. It’s a puzzle, with the 8th house being so prominent in my offspring, and I wonder what this implies.
I have my Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Lilith in the 8th house, does this mean just this is the most prominent aspect in my life that I should focus on?
Yeah all this is dead on for sure. I have Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto in 8th house in Libra/Virgo…Virgo Sun and Aquarius rising…I feel like I’ve had a crash course in manipulating energy…I’ve also had very interesting experiences with partners in relationships and have always been put in situations that I have no control over whether that be involving money sex/ relationships although I can see the truth in all my experiences I had no control over my circumstances other than my perspective about it and whether or not I allowed my energy to be drained due to worry and fear about money, sex and relationships…People find me that are stuck and stagnant in life so I can help them heal no matter where I’m at…it’s been this way all my life and over the past 6 years I’ve really gotten very comfortable with it…I guess I was always comfortable with it for the most part but when I realized the power that I have, I came to understand all the transformation that I was going through all my life…
Oh wow this resonates. I didn’t realize it was because of the eighth house. I thought this would be where I shine, and maybe it could be, but I also found to have uncontrollable experiences and the things you listed.
I wonder what the purpose is?
mine is mostly in Aries w a bit of Pisces. Should I balance with libra/Virgo for a better outcome (for lack of better words)?
👋🏻 Sun & Mars in 8th house (Virgo – Aqua Rising) : YUP
my Neptune in 12th House Cap aides this, as does Pluto in Scorpio
We have a very similar chart! Swap birthdays?
I have my moon, Jupiter (the expander) and Uranus in the 8th house. I am Aries rising so my chart ruler is Mars. Needless to say I have helped a lot of people cross over…mostly relatives on hospice, etc. My life is full of sudden gains and losses. Very intense circumstances. I am intuitive. I tend to attract lots of Scorpios or people with strong Scorpio placements. I also have a stellium in my 10th house in my Sun, Mercury, Venus and Black Moon Lilith.
Sun Moon Merc Venus Mars Neptune 8th house Scorpio…Havent met 1 person yet that has more in this house than me. Ruler of my chart is Mars and my Sun in Sag is above all the other planets Neptune in Sag too, which I believe saved me from being a lunatic. I was also born on a black moon. My Lilith is also here but in Sag… Jupiter is in my 10th and Pluto in 7th with Uranus SN Cancer NN CAP. Saturn 3rd Chiron Ari 1st. I am a Medium. I study Astrology and practice Tarot, Numerology, Crystallomancy and Candle Magic.
I have my sun, Mercury, Saturn, Mars, Neptune and Uranus all in the 8th house all in Capricorn I just learned this a couple days ago and would love to have you look at my chart
I have the same cap stellium as you and my name is also Savannah! Woah.
I have six planets in the eight house too.
in scorpio. The sun, mars, pluto, jupiter and mercury sorry five planets
Belinda Gonzalez, I also have 6 planets in the eight house. I have always been surrounded by death but I never saw it as the end. Even as a child I got giddy at a funeral. I’m a pro at endings and new beginnings. Don’t try to fool me! I research everything and I analyze everything! Reinvent,restore,repurpose, reuse. The strangest thing is the automatic writing. The messages are usually a universal message. The information is given to me all at once. Not linear. Does this make sense?
I have Sun Mercury Venus Mars Uranus & Pluto all in Scorpio in my 8th house
A lot of this is dead on. Cancer rising moon in 8th house of Aquarius. Have been into Astrology since I was 12.
Sun, Moon, Venus, & Jupiter in 8th Leo. Pluto & South Node in Scorpio
I have Aries Sun/Venus/Saturn in the 8H together with Pisces SN which is also in the 8H. I have Pluto conjunct IC and my IC is located at 29 deg. in Scorpio. My Chiron is at 0 deg. in Scorpio. I have Virgo Rising at 0 deg. and it’s conjunct my Virgo Lilith which is at 1 deg. I have Virgo Mars in my ASC too. I have Moon conjunct Neptune in Capricorn in my 5H. My Mercury is at 0 deg. in Taurus in the 9H and is square my Moon and Neptune.
When/where we’re you born lol you’re very similar to me…. I was April 4 1997. Aries sun saturn Venus in 8th house but I’m Leo rising. IC 28 deg Scorpio. Mars conjunct Lilith 1st house Virgo.
Hi Ehlie, very cool chart placements. I have similar…
I have Cancer Vertex in my 8th house, sagittarius moon and pluto in first, aquarius uranus and neptune in 3rd
I have Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury in Virgo/8th House. Leo Venus in the 7th. This article was very interesting and I’m learning a little more about stelliums as I go along. But yes, very secretive. Not intentionally (sometimes), but I just don’t like to put everything out there. I smiled when it said, we’re “…brilliant in a crisis. In an emergency room environment…” because I am an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) RN, studying to practice nursing anesthesia. Thanks for the info!!
I have Mars, Jupiter and Chiron in 8th house and I loved reading this. Yes I NEED People and situations that are morphing, and me myself had kind of a mental breakdown, where I cut contact with all my friends and family and moved abroad to reinvent myself. Then I came back and started from the beginning as 2.0 or More like a whole New person.
I classify myself as an extremophilic flower because I thrive and Bloom under extreme conditions but can’t handle everyday life. I’ve been in contact with death and birth a lot for my age and some times I feel like I’m the one on the boat on Styx that take People to the other side of the river. And yes I am some times magnetic to some lost entities and yes I like sex.
I am dating a beautiful deeply spiritual man from India. He got my birth date and did the Vedic Astrology which governs much of Indian matchmaking. He didn’t get back to me and I left it until Monday when i asked him what he found. He was evasive and said nothing good or bad. So I like the Scorpio with eight water signs that I am did some digging. I found an Indian astrologu site and went for it…. and found that we were a terrible match based on the fact that my Saturn in the Eighth house (along with Venus and my sun) was Maglick Dosa one of the most inauspicious charts in Vedic astrology for marriage. In India people avoid marriage with people who have these in their charts. The thing is reading about it I found it really resonated in terms of all the shitty relationships I found myself in and all the anger I displayed and the abuse I suffered and inability to be loved and love without manipulations barriers and being a bitch to deflect intimacy was explained by this charting. But how to release it? How can we change the astrological vibration and how can I reflect to him he wont die when he is with me as the Maglick says will happen if you marry someone with this house pairing.
are you sure he is telling you the truth? i believe you may be non-indian, indian men tend to create random stories for not committing to someone their fucked moms won’t approve of. just a thought, woman to woman
Thank oyu so much for your care much appreciated. No I am pretty sure he is telling the truth. Trusting in the universe with this one!
Relocate, look at relocation charts
Female with Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Pluto, Lilith, NN, and Psyche in Leo-8th. Neptune in Scorpio-10th. Jup/Sat. conjunct in Cap-1st. Venus in Cancer-7th. In this world but not comfortable about it.
My moon, Uranus and Jupiter are all in the 8th house and all in Sag. This hit the nail on the head.
Interesting. Ive a comment about the death aspect you mention above.You state that they ” can confront the prospect of their mortality”.. As a uber 8th person.. Sag ascendant rising Jupiter with 8th house sun mercury Jupiter and Uranus.. does that make me stellium?..anyway.. Im older and wander a little..my life has been exciting is an understatement but the main thing I attribute to my 8th house learning is that I die every 9 years or so and completely remake myself. Im in the start of another adventure now. Im like the cat with 9 lives..Everything is going or has gone.. this time is simpler, I keep my body, my name and my money, but in the past Ive even changed these..Ive created confusion from the day I was born.I think you choose to be born into a strong 8th house because there are certainly lessons. Good article, thanks.
Been experimenting with house systems on and off for some months. Now using whole sign system which puts Taurus stellium in 8th instead of 7th and Sun in 7th instead of 6th. Moon and Pluto in 11th instead of 10th. Neptune/Saturn in 1st instead of 12th. Whole sign is making a whole lot more sense in regard to lived experience. Ceres now in 9th. Food for thought.
Stellium in the Eight House –Sun in Virgo, Uranus in Leo, Pluto in Virgo, and N. Node in Leo. You can imagine how I was as a child. ps. Pisces moon.
Wow! I have my ruling planet Taurus there plus my moon, too! But maybe, when I was little, the people around me, suppressed me because you know we were heavily were into church, no t.v., no radio, no nothing, just studying the Bible all Saturday and going all day on Sundays so, everything was a sin. I was like hostage in my own house, with my own people. I couldn’t have any friends. Nothing. So I didn’t develop my own personality until now, I’m rediscovering myself.
Both my sun and moon are in the 8th in Taurus. I am going through a rediscovering phase too!
It all rings true to me. I’ve got the Sun and 4 other planets here.
Reading grimoires and casting spells at 10 yrs old, I was a real baby witch – to the horror of everyone around me. 😀
Fuqing screaming inside–8th house north node in Aqua–everything is so on
With all my Scorp placements (Sun, Moon, Merc, Uranus), in the 12th house no less – I feel like a bonafide 8th house person. … but my 8th contains my NN (Leo) (which is square my Sun). Mars rising in Sag just keeps it on the up-up-up!
I don’t go very far outside my inner circle to broadcast with my physic knowledge or secret desire to be an undertaker/Private Investigator/ Erotic novelist. I feel like this is something I should understand better.
I’m finding this post and the comments very soothing. I don’t have any 8th housers in real life. It’s lonely! Thanks everyone. <3<3<3
A couple of weeks ago I heard about a death doula who runs courses in Byron. Death doula?! I would be SO GREAT at that! I’m in!
Byron, as in bay? Cool, I’m in Adelaide. I love reading the comments too. I’ve had a stressful week and on the way home from work today the song You’ll never walk alone came on the radio- we played that at my mums funeral, I swear I could feel her presence. Only planet in 8th house is Neptune in Sagittarius at 29 degrees. Still learning this stuff but have been interested since I was a teenager
Aqua dgaf. Scorpio literally only gaf. Smashy
Me in a hand basket
As always very refreshing to turn the page and roll with the dice.