The Houses of the Planets are simply their habitations in which they are most comfortable and joyous. Their Houses agree with their nature and therefore the Planet is comfortable and therefore benevolent. Since this Planet is comfortable, he is also strong and powerful and therefore his influence is greater then the Planets that are not in their proper Houses. The House is considered an Essential Dignity and only Accidental Dignities or Debilities may augment the power of the Essential influence of the Planet its House. The Detriments of the Planets will also be discussed. Furthermore I deem it important to state why each House is given to each of the specific Planets starting with the two most powerful, the Luminaries.
The Sun and the Moon only have one House association with them (whereas the others have two); these being of Leo and Cancer. The Sun is given Leo because he is of the Nature of Heat and Dryness and therefore when the Sun enters into the Sign of Leo, his Nature is most expressed and powerful, thus Leo is his place of strength and ability. The same applies unto the Moon, who has her House in Cancer because it is most agreeable to her nature and quality. She is happy in this position as a fish is in water. In both of these placements the Sun and the Moon have their strength and therefore they have been given these two Signs as their House. The reason that both Luminaries only have one House is because each luminary rules over each half of the day, being either Diurnal (the day time) or Nocturnal (the night time). Being as the Sun rules over the day, it is thus Diurnal and therefore is allotted only the Sign of Leo because it cannot have a night House, the same with regards to the Moon and Cancer. Furthermore, the Sun has his Detriment in Aquarius because that is the Opposite sign unto his Home Sign, Leo. The Moon has her Detriment in Capricorn because that is the sign opposing hers (Cancer). All of the other Houses are based after the Houses of the Sun and Moon.
Saturn is given the House of Capricorn and Aquarius because he is of the Nature of Cold and Dry. He is also furthest from the Sun and therefore he receives the opposite Signs unto the Luminaries, those being Leo and Cancer. For Capricorn is in opposition to Cancer and Aquarius in opposition to Leo and therefore Saturn and the Sun are powerful enemies, especially because Saturn is most dignified in Aquarius than Capricorn. This is also the reason why Saturn is called the greater Malevolent, because of his placement in opposition to the Sun and Moon, the chief significators of life and growth. Therefore he is the Planet of death, corruption and decay. Also, Capricorn is the night House of Saturn because he is in opposition to the Cancer, who is the night House of the Moon. Aquarius, as Capricorn is thus the diurnal House of Saturn because he is in opposition to Leo, who is the day House of the Sun. Furthermore, the Detriment of Saturn is Leo and Cancer because these Signs are opposite unto his and therefore he is most debilitated in this placement.
Jupiter, having placement under Saturn (in the term of the Heavenly Spheres as well as visually in the sky) is given the Signs which follow on either side of him, being of Sagittarius and Pisces. Since these two Signs are Trine that of the Houses of the Luminaries, Jupiter is considered the greater Benevolent because he aids and assists life, a lover of life. Sagittarius is considered the day House of Jupiter and that is because the Suns House, Leo, being the diurnal Sign of the Sun, makes his Trine unto Sagittarius. Pisces is the night House of Jupiter because Cancer, the night House of the Moon, makes a trine unto Pisces and therefore makes him nocturnal. Furthermore Jupiter has his Detriment in the Sign of Gemini and Virgo because Gemini and Virgo are the opposite Signs unto his Houses of Sagittarius and Pisces.
Mars, being under or inferior to Jupiter is thus given the Signs which are both beside those of Jupiter's in the same manner as Jupiter took those beside Saturn's. These two Signs are that of Aries and Scorpio. These two Signs both square those of the Luminaries and therefore Mars is referred to as the lesser Malevolent being as a square is a lesser malevolency then the opposition, as that created by Saturn. Aries squaring Cancer is thus considered the diurnal House of Mars and Scorpio squaring Leo is thus given the nocturnal House of Mars because of its relation to the Moon. Furthermore Mars hath his Detriment in the Signs of Libra and Taurus because they are opposite Signs unto his Houses.
Venus is under Mars (and the Sun) and therefore given the Houses of both Taurus and Libra which are, as aforementioned, the Signs which are under that of Mars' House. Both of these Signs are thus sextile to that of the Luminaries and therefore Venus is considered the lesser Benevolent because a sextile is a lesser aspect to that of a trine and therefore not as helpful to support life as that of Jupiter. Taurus is the nocturnal House of Venus because of its sextile to Cancer and therefore takes on the nocturnal quality. Libra is the diurnal House of Venus because of its sextile to Leo, being a diurnal Sign as aforementioned and therefore attributed as such. Venus furthermore has her Detriment in the Signs of Aries and Scorpio, being the opposite Signs to her Houses of Libra and Taurus.
Finally we come to Mercury who is the last of the Planets in which to have a House, because of its proximity under Venus it is given both Signs which are beside hers; those being of Gemini and Virgo. There is no aspect between these two Signs and the signs of Leo and Cancer and therefore it is said that Mercury has no benevolency or malevolency and is thus easily influenced by the other Planets. Mercury is the aid to the other Planets. Gemini is considered the diurnal House of Mercury and Virgo the nocturnal House. Finally Mercury has his Detriment in Sagittarius and Pisces because, as aforementioned, they are opposite to his own Houses.
Furthermore it should be noted that diurnal Planets are more comfortable in diurnal Houses and nocturnal Planets in nocturnal Houses. With regard to the ranking of House in dignity is it given a 5 (or +5) which is the highest and most fortunate ranking and therefore illustrates that the House is the most beneficial Essential Dignity a Planet can have. The contrary is also true for that of Detriment, being ranked a 5 (-5) because it is opposite to that of the Houses and therefore the worst Essential Dignity (except for that of Peregrination which has none).
