The Fifth House - Astrological Houses

 Credit: Christoffer Askman / Getty Images.
By 
Molly Hall
Updated June 18, 2017
The Fifth House is where you burst out onto the scene, in your full glory.  
It's the natural blooming of your character, and in its most concentrated form.  
This is the House of The Sun and Leo. On the birth chart, the Houses are associated with particular life expressions. They are fields of experience, and have a natural progression, from the First, Second, and onwards.  
In The Astrological Houses, Dane Rudhyar described the Houses as involving life "tests." The First House, he wrote, is a test to do with isolation (of the Self), the Second House is a test of ownership, the Third is of thought, and the Fourth is a test of stability.  
Rudhyar then wrote, "In the Fifth House, the great tests involves the ability to act out one's innermost nature in terms of purity of motive and in using a 'pure'' manner the means available for the release of one's energies.'  
But he wanted to make sure readers knew how he meant that word - "pure." Here he means "to be exclusively what one is as a unique individual in terms of one's own destiny."  
The Houses show the Zodiac sign and planets that guide to more authentic expression of that life activity. The Zodiac sign on the cusp is how you portray yourself on the stage of life.  
Fifth House Themes: holidays, partying style, friendships, play, children, artful self-expression, pride, creative risks and gambling, performance, dramatic storytelling, celebrations, games, amusement, the Dad

Creative Offspring

The Fifth House is the realm of making your creative mark, in a way ONLY you can do.  
What's unique about you? It's ruled by big-hearted Leo and the sun, and the House of how you shine.  
What are you proud of in life? It could be works of art, literature, fashion, crafts, home decor, or the ultimate spin-off of who you are - your children.  
Your biological child is a genetic mini-me, and from that, mixes the nurture of the Fourth House into the nature of the Fifth House. Ideally, your children are instilled with the culture of the family with its lore, memories and dreams for the future. If it's not swamped completely by the TV-Internet envelopment of our times, this is the House of the family scrapbook.    

Showing Off 

This House shows how you express your joy for life in an outward way. Sometimes it points to that natural enthusiasm being squelched or channeled in a disciplined way (if Saturn is in the house, for example).
It's the house of pleasure and fun, from parties, to trips to the amusement park, to parades and holiday festivities. Because the fifth house represents the spontaneous enjoyment of life, it's the realm of the eternal child within. Ready to play? This house shows the kinds of games and sports we choose, and what we do for pure pleasure.
The Tenth House is usually associated with the father. But rather than the stern authoritarian of the Tenth House, I see this House as more a reflection of the Dad. How does he play or show pride?  
It's also the House of creativity. Planets here guide how you express yourself through art, performance, and your social-romantic life. This House is about your passion, and what stirs it.

Love and Friendship

Romance and love affairs are colored by the Fifth House, but marriage is the province of the Seventh House. The sparks flying, a mutual regard, and shared celebrations in a relationship stay kindled via the flavor of the Fifth house.
A prominent Fifth House can give you a larger-than-life persona, and make you memorable to others. You'll have a strong need to tell your personal story, and do it in a dramatic way.
There's a tendency to go overboard and constantly seek approval. But whatever you do has an authentic stamp, and this makes you attractive to others. A strong Fifth House also points to leadership, and qualities of regal bearing, self-respect and general confidence.