The first of the social houses, the seventh house is opposed to the first house literally and in emphasis: in the first house we put our energies into the world; in the seventh the world puts energy back into us. The purpose of the seventh house is to bring about greater self-awareness through relating to what we experience as being outside of ourselves. This may in fact be energy within us that we have rejected out of fear or the need to experience it more objectively or externally. This is called projection, and we seek projected parts of ourselves in our intimate relationships.

Thus the seventh house rules intimate one-to-one relationships of all kinds (including marriage, business and counseling relationships), open enemies and conflicts, lawsuits and the lower courts. Planets in the seventh house indicate areas in our lives that need relationships to bring them out, and the houses ruled by seventh house planets are those "areas." Many planets here indicate many needs that we are looking for others to fill. In this case many relationships (or more than one marriage) is probable, as it’s unlikely that one individual would fill all those needs. Individuals with so much projected energy feel a void in their lives, and may encourage others to be dependent, or even pick fights rather than be alone.

The seventh house is that one-twelfth sector of the local sky just above the western horizon (see above picture) occupied by planets in the two hours just before they set.

You are very open and responsive to the needs of others, and you have to take in their feelings whether you want to or not. You choose partners that are sensitive and emotional types, but they'll tend to be unstable if your moon is weakened by sign or aspect. Your feelings go through a lot of changes in regard to your partners, yet they mean a lot to you. They're a primary source of strength, and you look to them for support and encouragement. In fact, you may feel that its difficult for you to get in touch with your own feelings other than within the context of a relationship. Often there's an early marriage with this placement of the Moon, and both partners are closely dependent on each other.

If the Moon is within 12° of the descendant (seventh house cusp), then it is conjunct the descendant and much of the foregoing is even more strongly emphasized. If the Moon is in the sixth house AND within 4° or 5° of the descendant, then it is said to be on the "dark side" of the seventh house, and its influence will be felt in the seventh as well as in the sixth house. The closer a sixth house Moon is to the descendant, the more it will be interpreted as though it were in the seventh house; when less than 3° from the descendant, a sixth house Moon expresses itself primarily -- and eventually entirely -- in the seventh house.