The sixth house (Ari bhava)

Ari bhava shows service and daily work: the job, the routine and the colleagues who share it. It also shows competition, loans and the small ailments that remind us to look after the body. The house asks for discipline, and rewards it. Honest effort here is rewarded with growing confidence over the years.

Though it is called a house of difficulty, it is also a house of growth. Mangal and Shani are its natural significators, and both give the stamina needed to meet challenges. A well used sixth house builds skill, resilience and a sense of duty. Handled with discipline, it becomes a house of real achievement.

Mangal in the sixth house is considered strong, giving courage in competition and the ability to overcome obstacles. Shani here gives patient, steady work and a talent for service, with results that improve as the years go by. Such a person is usually the one who solves problems for others.

Guru in the sixth house gives wise counsel and helps in dealing with disputes, though it can soften its usual blessings. Surya gives authority in service, such as government or hospital work. In the 6th, planets are classically read as problem solvers rather than troubles.

The lord of the sixth house shows where effort and service are directed. A sixth lord in the 10th turns daily work into a profession of service, such as medicine or administration. In the 11th it brings gains through hard work and competition. Health routines and fair dealings with colleagues then become important themes.

A sixth lord in the 3rd supports courage and effort in difficult tasks, while one in the 1st calls for care of health and routine. The strength of the lord by sign shows how easily the person handles responsibility. Both show how a lord's house decides the field of effort.