IWOKI House System: House Interpretations
The Iwoki House System, also known as the West/Central African House System was formulated by Iwoki House Astrologer, Diane, through constructing the natal chart based on the foundations of the Kongo (Dikenga) and Igbo cosmograms. Informed by Odinani and Bakongo spirituality, this house system reflects spiritual principles commonly seen in Afro-diasporic practices such as Santeria, Haitian Vodou, Hoodoo, Kumina, Obeah, Palo Mayombe, Kumfa, and more. This quality makes it an ideal system for Black astrologers, enthusiasts, and practitioners who are interested in African Traditional and Diasporic Religions worldwide.
KEY FEATURES OF THE IWOKI SYSTEM:
MOVEMENT FLOWS BACKWARDS
Compared to conventional natal charts, which depict house flow counter-clockwise through below the horizon to above the horizon; houses in the Iwoki system flow backwards in accordance with the movement of the sun and moon over the horizon to below the horizon, as depicted in the Dikenga (Kongo cosmogram) and Igbo cosmogram.
LIFE IN ALL REALMS IS ENCOMPASSED
The wisdom of the Igbo and Kongo cosmograms shows us that life encompasses our lives on earth and our spiritual lives after our physical deaths. This system is evolutionary in nature as it represents the soul’s current incarnation and includes information about previous incarnations.
ANGULAR HOUSES ARE REPRESENTED BY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS
They reflect the philosophies of the cosmograms and the nature of the matters of the houses.
The first house of birth is associated with fire and the eastern direction, reflecting the kinetic effort needed to push life forth
The 4th house of maturity is associated with earth and the northern direction, reflecting the practicality and consistency needed to mature.
The 7th house of death is associated with water and the western direction, reflecting the transition to death and water as a portal to the spiritual realm.
The 10th house of ancestors and reincarnation is associated with air and the southern direction, reflecting the depths of the spiritual realm and its invisible, intangible property.
HOUSE INTERPRETATIONS
FIRST HOUSE OF BIRTH
The house of the ascendant, the eastern point of the horizon at the time we are born. This house contains the breath of life, marking our physical entry into the world and the beginning of our physical lives earthside. Associated with the fire element as it represents the kinetic energy needed to push life forth, as well as the natural inflammatory response during birth. Birth in this house is also rebirth, signifying a return to earth with our ancestors. In Odinani, birth is where we receive our divine spark, Chi, that informs our life path and destiny. The sign, planet, and ruler of this house indicate our life mission, the qualities we incarnated with, our physical presence on earth, and experiences we naturally attract to us as a result.
SECOND HOUSE OF CHILDHOOD
This house represents early childhood, all the way from being a baby to the period right before puberty. The condition of our childhood, the early experiences that inform our worldview, emotional responses, and personality. Moral development and identity formation are big themes here. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house represent the prominent personal experiences, early social life, family life, education, activities, and material conditions of childhood.
THIRD HOUSE OF ADOLESCENCE
This house represents our experiences from puberty to adulthood and maturity. This stage sees you growing up, taking moral responsibility, and shedding the things of childhood, figuring out who you want to be, and the experiences that define who you grow into once you mature. Despite being a transitional stage, it is also one where you cement your physical ties to the world. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house describe the prominent personal experiences, social life, family life, education, activities, emotional condition, and material conditions of adolescence.
FOURTH HOUSE OF MATURITY
This house represents our entry to adulthood, where we own responsibilities, uphold our moral values through actions, make commitments, and integrate ourselves into our communities as elders and sources of knowledge. This house is associated with the earth element, reflecting the necessary stability needed to handle responsibility of adulthood and the focus on material gain and physical labor to support family, community, and self. All formative experiences coalesce in this stage with a focus on full independence, stability, and planting seeds for the next stages of our lives ; co-creating your life in alignment with your destiny. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house describe the prominent personal experiences, social life, family life, education, career, responsibilities, activities, emotional condition, and material conditions of our adulthood.
FIFTH HOUSE OF MIDDLE AGE
This house represents our experiences in middle age, marked by a transition from the active building and work of our early adulthood to a stage where the focus is maintaining stability and stepping into increased community leadership. By this period, you’re a font of knowledge and responsible for keeping traditions and setting up future generations for success. This period is also when fruits of labor are enjoyed, if necessary work has been done to enjoy them. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house describe the prominent personal experiences, social life, family life, education, career, responsibilities, activities, emotional condition, and material conditions of our adulthood.
SIXTH HOUSE OF OLD AGE/DEATHBED
This house represents our experiences in old age and our decline of life. This is a transitional house, as much of what happens at this stage is preparation for transition to another realm; passing down wisdom, personal and family history, and reflection on life. This is not to say new things cannot be started or completed - so long as there is life there is time. But time on the physical plane, at this stage, is much more limited. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house describe the prominent personal experiences, social life, family, life, responsibilities, activities, emotional condition, material condition and the final days of old age.
SEVENTH HOUSE OF DEATH
This house represents the experience of death, which is not an end, but a transition to a new life in the spiritual realm. The community comes together to mourn life, and celebrate the soul’s new beginning. The element associated with this house is water; reflecting the belief that we are from water, and to water we return. Water represents themes of nurturance, care, spiritual knowledge, and cyclical change. This is a spiritual house that carries the themes of cleansing, transition, healing, rest, and peace. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house indicate the manner of death, the effect of the death on the community, how one is mourned, and the nature of the transition.
EIGHTH HOUSE OF 1ST BURIAL
This house represents the 1st burial, where the body descends into the earth before being elevated to the spiritual realm. In traditional Igbo culture, there are two burials, the first one concerns the physical removal from the earth. This is a spiritual and ritualistic house concerning immediate funeral rites, grief processing, and the disposal of the physical body. This is also a house of release, we are officially leaving the physical world and leaving what we can't take, but holding onto intangible things that we kept secret.The sign, planets, and ruler of this house describes how our body is physically removed from the earth in this incarnation and how it was in previous incarnations. It can also inform how it may be best to bury us and things that should be done to ensure physical rest.
NINTH HOUSE OF 2ND BURIAL
This house represents the second burial, where our souls are lifted into the ancestral and spiritual realm after our physical burial. Whereas the first burial typically happens quickly, the second burial could happen weeks, months, or years after our physical death. This is a house of ultimate rest, ensuring that the soul is elevated, welcomed among the ancestors, and can be at peace. This is also a celebratory house of completion - loose ends left by the deceased are tied up and their life is celebrated. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house indicate how or if you were elevated in previous incarnations and how it may be best to elevate your spirit in this incarnation.
TENTH HOUSE OF ANCESTOR
This house represents the experience in the spiritual realm as an ancestor. In Odinani, it is said that only those who lived in alignment with their destiny, died a natural death, and received proper burial rites could be elevated as an ancestor. Premature, violent, or taboo deaths could interrupt this process. The decision to reincarnate is also made in this stage. This house is associated with the air element, the spiritual realm is said to carry the property of air - invisible and all around us. The sign, planets, and rule of this house indicate your role as ancestor, the strengths and weaknesses carried as an ancestor, how you help or hurt your lineage as an ancestor, your previous incarnations as an ancestor, what kind of ancestor(s) returned with you, and your ancestral line.
ELEVENTH HOUSE OF CONCEPTION
This house represents the phase where the intention for the new life on earth is established, as well as the conditions that must be met before reincarnation can happen are also established. This is a house of purpose, goals, desire, direction, and newness. The sign, planets, and ruler of this house indicate intentions for previous incarnations, as well as this incarnation, the conditions that may need to be met after this life in order to reincarnate again or that had to be met in order to incarnate into this one.
TWELFTH HOUSE OF GESTATION
This house represents the preparation that is done in order to start a new life or reincarnate. Reincarnation in Odinani has limits, it can only be one 7 times within one's lineage before the spirit resides permanently in the spiritual realm. This house is one of growth and development that happens behind the scenes and where the conditions that are to be met before reincarnation can occur are worked on and completed, marking the journey to rebirth. The sign, planet, and ruler of this house indicates the things that were done in the spirit realm that were done in preparation for this incarnation, and might indicate if there were previous barriers to reincarnation that had to be overcome in previous lifetimes, as well as any unfinished business you carry into this incarnation.