The importance of getting along with our own selves (Second House)!

Most people don't get along with their own selves! That comes as a bit of a surprise, considering that people in general are quite egocentric and are thus supposed to take the very best care of themselves. But, as if they were plagued by some mysterious virus, they don't! On the contrary, they often are at war with themselves, acting in self-loathing and destructive manners.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting here that people don't try to fulfill their own needs and desires! That's what the great majority of people do! In addition to accumulating as much wealth and material goods as they can, they also want to satiate their own desires with as many pleasures as they can, as well as with individuals who are "loving" and accepting them! But this does not necessarily mean that these people are actually getting along with themselves! It's like they are ever trying to feed a perpetually hungry beast - which we might call the "disturbed, voracious EGO"!

On the ther hand, an individual who faces difficulties with self-acceptance is usually placing excessive expectations on his/her interpersonal interactions, to make him/her feel good. S/he is thus over-activating the Eighth House in his/her chart, which represents the kind of "esteem", "acceptance" and "love" we derive from our interpersonal interactions. However, such an individual might be often left "high and dry" because they constantly look on another person - who is actually serving his/her own "Ego" and interests - to make them happy!

There is a sort of "tug of war" going on here and the more we engage our Eighth House, the more our Second House (its opposite one) weakens and eventually atrophies! We then begin to lose our sense of worth, our self-esteem, and we consequently develop a negative self-image.

The Eighth House is regenerative alright, but it is often compelling us to engage in extreme and even destructive acts! The Second House though - when properly activated - settles a person's internal conflict and grants him/her a priceless inner serenity! Under such circumstances, the individual begins to "value" and "love" his/her own self! And this eventually might lead him/her to "value" and "love" other people as well, setting pretty reasonable standards for them.

You see, the more at ease and safeguarded our "inner self" is, the more relaxed and open we are. And then, our interpersonal interactions and our decisions about the kind of people we want in our life become far more discerning and viable!

Thomas Gazis
Copyright: Thomas D.Gazis

(Image courtesy of "Cosmopolitan")