Let’s say that Jupiter’s in the fourth house in a Sagittarius rising’s chart. An empty first house simply means that you’d look to the ruler, which in a Sagittarius rising’s case would be Jupiter. (First house = rising sign.) If that house is empty, that doesn’t mean that you have no sense of self. For example: If you’re a Sagittarius rising, that means that your first house of self is automatically governed by Sagittarius. Just like every zodiac sign, every house also has a ruler. Olena Malik / EyeEm/EyeEm/Getty Images Understanding An Empty House In Your Birth Chart Through Its Ruler When a house in a birth chart is empty, you’ll simply look to the ruler of that house to fully understand how that house’s significations manifest in your life. Because of this, these two planets usually end up in the same house as the sun, leaving more of the houses empty. This is because Mercury can never be more than one sign away from the sun, and Venus can never be more than two signs away. When looking at any birth chart, you may often find that many of the planets are in the same house. This house may require additional steps in order to fully understand its meaning in your chart (and, of course, your life), but there’s a quick and easy way to uncover it. It simply means that the empty house in question in your birth chart is an area of your life that may not be as significant to you as the houses with planets. Since there are 12 houses and only 10 planets, everyone is bound to have at least one empty house - and it’s nothing to be concerned about. When I first began learning astrology, the houses definitely took me the longest to figure out, and understanding what empty houses means in astrology was one of my biggest obstacles. The houses in astrology are the places that each of the planets move through, and each house governs over a few specific topics in your life. In addition to understanding your sun, moon, and rising signs, you must also understand the 12 sectors your chart is divided into, which are referred to as houses. Interpreting your birth chart is a complex process.