The 2nd House (Dhana)

What the 2nd house signifies

The 2nd house is Dhana bhava, the house of wealth, and some texts also call it Kutumba, the house of the family. It covers savings and accumulated resources, the family one is born into, speech, food and the values a person holds on to.

Where the 1st house is the self, the 2nd is what the self gathers and keeps. It tends to show how a person speaks, how they eat, and whether money stays or slips away.

Natural sign and its lord

In the natural zodiac the 2nd house is Taurus, ruled by Venus. Taurus is steady, patient and attached to comfort and beauty, which suits a house of stored wealth, good food and pleasant speech. In a real chart, read the sign that falls on the 2nd house and its own lord.

The karaka of the 2nd house

Jupiter is the karaka of the 2nd house. As the planet of wisdom and expansion, Jupiter signifies wealth gathered through right means and speech that carries knowledge. A strong Jupiter is traditionally read as support for the family and for steady savings.

A Maraka house

The 2nd house is counted with the 7th as a Maraka house. This label is used by astrologers in timing techniques related to longevity, together with many other factors. On its own it is not a cause for concern, and in everyday reading the 2nd house is simply the house of family and resources.

The 2nd is also the 12th from the 3rd and the 11th from the 4th, so classical texts see it as a place where effort and comfort turn into stored value.

The nine planets in the 2nd house

Tendencies only, changed by sign and aspects.

• Sun: dignified, authoritative speech and pride in the family name
• Moon: gentle speech and savings that rise and fall
• Mars: frank, forceful speech and wealth earned through effort
• Mercury: a clever tongue and skill with numbers and trade
• Jupiter: wise speech and a supportive, cultured family
• Venus: sweet speech, love of good food and fine things
• Saturn: measured speech and wealth built slowly over time
• Rahu: unconventional speech or income from unusual sources
• Ketu: few words, simple tastes and detachment from possessions

The 2nd lord in each house

Where the 2nd lord sits shows how money and family matters tend to flow.

• In the 1st: wealth through personal effort and a strong voice
• In the 2nd: steady savings and close family ties
• In the 3rd: earnings through communication, skills and siblings
• In the 4th: wealth linked with property, home and mother
• In the 5th: income through intelligence, learning or creativity
• In the 6th: earnings through service, with care needed around debts
• In the 7th: resources connected with spouse and partnerships
• In the 8th: inheritance or shared funds, with ups and downs
• In the 9th: wealth through dharma, father or teachers
• In the 10th: income tied closely to career and status
• In the 11th: a classical sign of good gains and wide networks
• In the 12th: spending on travel, charity or distant places

How to read the 2nd house in a chart

Read the 2nd and 11th houses together, since one holds wealth and the other brings gains.

• Judge the 2nd lord's sign and dignity first
• Check Jupiter's strength as the karaka of wealth
• Note benefic or malefic aspects on the house for speech and family
• Look at the 2nd from the Moon as well as from the Lagna