All About the Tenth House in Astrology

All About the Tenth House in Astrology - The Dark Pixie Astrology


​The tenth house in astrology is where we're striving. It comes after the big-thinking ninth house, where we explore what's possible, and tries to ground this energy by being practical and making plans for those big ideas. This prepares for the eleventh house, where we focus on the future and make changes.

10th House Astrology & Your Natal Chart

Astrology charts have 12 houses, and each link to different parts of life. Your natal chart is a snapshot of the locations of the planets, other bodies, and houses in the Zodiac at the moment you're born and from the location you're born at. Each of your natal houses connects to different parts of your life and personality.

The 10th house is ruled by Saturn, the disciplinarian. The 10th house gets that disciplined, productive, practical energy, and it's where we have to do things the right way and for the right reasons, Saturn-style. Since it's connected to Saturn, it can also show where we bloom late.

At-a-Glance 10th House Keywords:

  • career and goals
  • life path and direction
  • disciplined
  • authority
  • maturity
  • ethical
  • responsibilities

10th House in Astrology: Career and Goals

The tenth house in astrology is best known as the house of career and goals. This is one of the professional houses (along with the second house = money and sixth house = work), and the tenth house often directly ties into the career you have and goals you pursue.

This is where we strive to achieve and succeed. It's where we make progress, get recognition, hit our stride, and hit new heights. The tenth house often ties to the Midheaven (or Zenith), which is the highest point in any chart.

10th House in Astrology: Life Path and Direction

The tenth house also rules your life path and direction. This makes sense since it rules your goals, so this ties into the path you take for success, and the direction you go in to achieve what you set out to do.

This path can be long sometimes, and windy sometimes, and it's one that goes on for all of our lives. This house can tie into later parts of our life as a result.

10th House in Astrology: Disciplined

The tenth house connects to discipline since it's governed by Saturn. This is where we need to buckle down, get focused, and stick to our plans. We can put plans together that are thorough and detailed, and we can be smart with our actions.

Our approach must be disciplined, in the way of Saturn, otherwise we may not make it. This is an area of hard work, smart work, but putting in the work for the long haul.

10th House in Astrology: Authority

The tenth house rules authority figures, and connects with leadership (along with the first house). The tenth house is our bosses, CEOs, judges, and the like. This can represent our bosses, but it can also show us as the boss.

How comfortable you are with being the boss and your approach to taking the lead can be found with the 10th house. Are you strict? Quiet? Charming? Comedic?

10th House in Astrology: Maturity

The tenth house connects to maturity, and it's a house where we can take things seriously. The tenth house is the season to be practical, focused, and take a mature approach. Being governed by Saturn, the tenth house doesn't like it when we're childish or reckless. We need to be mature, and we need to grow up.

10th House in Astrology: Ethical

The tenth house connects to ethics, and it's a house where we have to do things the right way and for the right reasons (thanks to Saturn). We often don't experience the tenth house success that is possible if we don't behave ethically.

Challenging transits to the 10th house can also show failure, being exposed as a fraud, or humiliation, as a result of not following the rules. The tenth house knows the rules are there for a reason.

10th House in Astrology: Responsibilities

The tenth house rules responsibilities, and can show how much responsibility you take on, and how well you manage responsibility. With a loaded tenth house, you may be someone others naturally look to be the responsible one, and this can tie into your authority energy.

A challenged tenth house can show you struggle with responsibility, are easily overwhelmed, or have been burned too much by it. You may need to work on boundaries and give yourself more grace.

Where Your Tenth House Energy is Found

For everyone, look to the Zodiac sign your tenth house falls in. The areas of life ruled by that sign tie into your goals and direction. Also look to the natural planetary ruler of your tenth house (the natural planetary ruler of the Zodiac sign your tenth house falls in) as this can also connect to the 10th house energy.

If you have any natal planets in your tenth house, this can make the tenth house energy a lot stronger for you. That planet has a strong impact on your goals, your life path, and your responsibilities.

Transit (moving) planets touring your tenth house can bring some temporary energy for tenth house matters. This often directly impacts your goals, your ability to succeed or how, and making progress or taking responsibility. Transit Jupiter or Saturn in the 10th house are often the greatest periods in your life for success (you'll experience Saturn once or twice in your adult life, and Jupiter 3-4 times).

Transit planets aspecting your natal 10th house ruler can stimulate tenth house energy as well, and squares and oppositions by transit Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, or Chiron can be especially challenging and impact your progress. You may experience blocks, uncertainty, opr outright failure. There is likely something to be learned from this.

Make sure to sign up for the free monthly worksheet to keep track of the transit planets impacting your 10th house every month!

A Strong Tenth House in Astrology

Some may have a super strong natal tenth house. This can be the case for you if you have:
- a stellium (3+ planets) in the 10th house
- your Sun, Moon, or Chiron in the 10th house
- your North or South Node in your 10th house
- your 1st house ruler in the 10th house
- your 10th house cusp or ruler anaretic (at 29 degrees)
- retrograde Mercury, Venus, or Mars in the 10th house or ruling the 10th house

When you have a strong 10th house, this can mean your goals are super important for you. You likely constantly strive for something and have a strong desire and motivation to achieve and succeed in life. You want to create something, build something, reach high places and become an impressive person.

This may come with extra responsibilities though, and you likely have to learn how to manage them. You also likely have to learn how to go easy on yourself, especially when you experience failure that is largely out of your control. You can succeed 100% of the time, and you don't need to beat yourself up over that. Once you learn that, it can open up more pathways for you.

Suggested Reading: The 10th House page for general interpretations
, as well as the series of articles about the 12 houses:
All About the First House in Astrology
All About the Second House in Astrology
All About the Third House in Astrology
All About the Fourth House in Astrology
All About the Fifth House in Astrology
All About the Sixth House in Astrology
All About the Seventh House in Astrology
All About the Eighth House in Astrology
All About the Ninth House in Astrology
All About the Tenth House in Astrology
All About the Eleventh House in Astrology
All About the Twelfth House in Astrology


The Dark Pixie Astrology