Astrology is Older Than Capitalism. We’ve Abandoned the 6th House, and it shows…
Ok, so we’re hot off of the Etsy Strike. Amazon and Starbucks have just had some big wins around their unionizing efforts. Organizing work to demand Meta protect small businesses from scammers and impersonators is seeing some traction. The timing feels right to take a good, honest look at where we’re at in Late Stage Capitalism and Techno-Feudalism versus what the astrological 6th House implies about how we should be living and supporting one another within our communities.
To be honest, this is larger than astrology. In numerology, 6’s carry the energy of embodied heart. They represent empathy and support, often around domestic affairs. We also see this in the tarot. Think about the 6 of pentacles, the symbiosis card. It tells us that giving is what makes us richer. Or consider the 6 of wands, a public uplifting of someone who has experienced a big win within their community. Even the 6 of swords illustrates similar themes. This card represents transition and often shows a person in a boat stewarding two forlorn looking people to safety.
Capitalism is deeply rooted in individualism. It glorifies the Boot-strapping, me-first mentality. With everyone competing for limited opportunities, fending for themselves, and hoping they’ll be a part of the lucky few who “make it to the top,” it’s essentially a pyramid scheme. There’s nearly no way to get ahead without stepping on the backs of a lot of people. or there’s also the classic “being born into generational wealth” point of entry, which is simply the long-term result of a person’s ancestors stepping on the back of others. Noticing a trend here?
Also, if it’s a system that’s truly serving us, then why the fuck are we all so miserable? There’s currently a greater wealth gap in the United States than the French experienced at the time of the French Revolution. We’re working for serf wages - less than Serf wages, in fact. Inflation is sky-rocketing. There are food shortages. We’re still in a pandemic and receiving no aid from the government that we pay “to serve the best interest of the population.” We can’t afford healthcare, and even if we could, we’re ranked dead last in quality of care among all industrialized countries. The richest 10% of people in the United States own almost 70% of the country's total wealth. The working class pays 10 times the true tax rate that billionaires pay. Millennials and Gen Z are being crushed under student loan debt that isn’t disappearing no matter how many payments they make. They can’t afford to buy homes or have children. The daycare cost alone would financially debilitate them. They can’t get the promotions and career/salary bumps their parents were getting at this point in their careers because Boomers in more senior roles aren’t retiring. This means that the Gen X and elder Millennial folks who should be stepping into these roles, simply can’t. and why aren’t boomers retiring? it’s not because they love working. it’s because, despite investing in retirement plans throughout their careers, they don’t have enough funds to be able to live under the current inflation... it’s not a pretty picture. It’s giving…great depression vibes.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s hope for us yet. We’re just not living the way we’re supposed to be living - at least according to what the 6th House teaches us. Astrology is older than capitalism, and it doesn’t care if you “believe in it” or not. It’s a system for marking time, archetypes, and cycles , just like a clock or calendar. It used to be studied as a hard science, and you have to admit…looking at a birth chart sometimes feels like a high school trigonometry class. There’s a definite rhyme and reason to all of it.
So, what does the 6th House in our birth chart represent, and what does it say about our basic societal needs as humans? It’s the house of “Daily Work as a Form of Service, our daily rhythm, and our physical bodies.” This house isn’t about career, it’s about community work. Humans are social creatures. we’re pack animals. This means there’s something in us that recognizes that we’re meant to contribute and be of service within our communities. It also means we deserve to receive the support of others in return. We’re meant to contribute based on our unique skillsets and preferred daily rhythms, despite the fact that capitalism is notoriously and mercilessly inflexible and unaccommodating to anyone who doesn’t fit within its rigid work requirements. The 6th house also represents Our physical health and bodies. It implies that our physical wellness and survival depend on this community division of labor and support. I’ll give you an example.
If we imagine that we’re a community back in ancient times, someone would be responsible for foraging. Someone would be responsible for hunting. Someone would watch the children. Someone would be the night watch in charge of keeping the community safe from nocturnal predators. You get the idea. These roles would be a defining factor in our daily rhythm (based on natural skillsets), and the entire community would be contributing to and benefitting from the work. Our physical health and survival would also be dependent on everyone doing their part and being open to receiving help. this work would be the source of our food, water, and shelter.
Individualism under capitalism tells us that we need to do and be it all, as a unit of one. we’re overworked, underpaid, and hosts to an endless array of stress and anxiety induced health concerns. Capitalism indoctrinates us to be ashamed of asking for or receiving support when we need it. But the 6th house reminds us that we, as humans, have the ability to work less and enjoy more if we contribute to our neighbors and become open to receiving community aid in the times when we need it. We have the ability to build this future for ourselves if we make a collective effort. It’s time to repair and rebuild the concept of the 6th house in our society.
Support mutual aid efforts. accept help when you need it. Organize against capital holders and lawmakers upholding the current economic warfare against the working class. be a co-conspirator in abolishing punitive systems and structures that are not built for community care and support. The 6th House lives in all of us. It’s not dead. we’ve just abandoned it in favor of Capitalism. and I think we can all agree…it’s hasn’t been going great.
