The twelve houses of a chart describe the main areas of life. The first house is the self; the rest unfold around it like a clock. In Jyotish each house has a natural sign (kalapurusha) and a natural ruler, but the actual chart may place different signs in each house depending on the rising sign (lagna).
1. Body, personality and first impressions.
2. Family, wealth, speech and early life.
3. Courage, siblings, short journeys and communication.
4. Home, mother, vehicles and happiness.
5. Children, intelligence, past merit and speculation.
6. Illness, enemies, debts and service.
7. Marriage, partnerships and business.
8. Longevity, hidden matters, inheritance and transformation.
9. Fortune, father, higher learning and dharma.
10. Career, status, honour and government.
11. Gains, elder siblings, friends and hopes.
12. Loss, foreign places, spirituality and liberation.
The lord of a house, planets placed in it, and aspects to it decide how that area of life functions.