The Astrology of the famous houses in Westeros

Certain houses seem to embody specific traits of the Zodiac signs...

This is a post I’ve been planning to write for a while. Despite all the controversies around the author George R. R. Martin and the criticism of the latest seasons of the TV series, I still regard the story as interesting lore. So much so that recently I have (re)started reading the books of A Song of Ice and Fire. That said, I notice that some of the important characters and the important family houses seemingly embody some common traits with the archetypes of the zodiac.

That said, let’s tart with the most obvious comparisons.

House Baratheon - Aries

Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, is ruled by Mars, the god of war. The archetype of Aries is the one of the Maverick, the brave warrior, the pioneer. On the flip side, Aries can also be associated with individualism and even with the child, as it is the first sign, the one that starts with the Spring equinox.

Robert Baratheon embodies some of the Mars traits of Aries. He was a fierce warrior, hot-headed and quick tempered. He was full of lust, constantly surrounded himself with harlots and fathered multiple bastards.

His brother Stannis was also fierce and skilled in warfare. After associating himself with the red Witch he often made sacrifices to the so-called, Lord of light, by burning people alive. Aries is a Cardinal fire sign. Much like the Baratheons, the archetype os Aries is hot tempered and its Mars qualities can also give it a high sex drive.

House Tyrell - Taurus

The sign of Taurus is a fixed Earth sign, the second sign of the Zodiac, and associated with the middle of Spring. Taurus is associated with fertile soil, flowers and gardens. Ruled by Venus, Taurus is also associated with the earthly pleasures of good food, wine, singing and dancing. being an earth Sign, Taurus can be associated with the material.

The motto of house Tyrell could be associated with some qualities of the archetype of Taurus. During the middle of Spring, the flowers and weeds and crops they grow strong. It’s a prosperous time, filled with beauty, as the days grow longer.

The Tyrell women, such as Margaery are known for their venusian beauty and their charm. It can also be noticed that the Tyrells they tend to enjoy the pleasures of life and some of them may get a bit too comfortable - a known trait of Taurus - such as Margaery’s and Loras’ father Mace.

Some of the rather infamous stubbornness of a Taurus can also be observed in Olena Tyrell, the old lady with a larger-than-life personality and known as “the queen of thorns”. Moreover, the Tyrells are a very wealthy house that supplies the crown with plenty of crops and money and such qualities ca also be associated with the planetary ruler of Taurus, Venus.

House Tully - Cancer

This one might be regarded as a bit of a questionable comparison. After all, the sigil of house Tully is a trout. By that token, shouldn’t they be compared to the sign os Pisces? I beg to differ. House Tully does embody some of the traits of the archetype of Cancer.

Cancer is the first water sign. A cardinal water sign, the start of Cancer season coincides with the summer solstice. Cancer is ruled by the moon and is associated with The Mother. Cancer is all about family and these natives can make for great nurturers and care takers.

The most prominent Tully character is, of course, Catelyn Tully, wife of lord Eddard Stark, and mother to all but one of the Stark children. Like a true Tully, Catelyn takes are duties as a wife and mother very seriously. Her relatives are also very much family oriented. Their words “Family, Duty, Honor” are words that may as well reasonate with many people with strong cancerian traits.

House Lannister - Leo

If there is a Westeros house that matches a zodiacal archetype perfectly that has to be house Lannister! The proud lion of Lannister, akin to the zodiacal Lion, associated with the sign of Leo, is proud, regal, arrogant and grandiose. Ruled by the Sun, the sign of Leo is a fixed fire sign who is known for its charisma, magnanimity but can also be associated with arrogance, pride, hubris and a good deal of stubbornness.

Tywin Lannister, despite displaying some Saturnian coldness, is the embodiment of some of the Leo traits. He is a proud man who cares about his legacy and the prestige of the family name above all. He is also regal and grandiose, regarded by many as “the king who wore no crown” and he’s also very stubborn and determined as he always tends to get his way.

His father Tytos, nicknamed “the laughing Lion” embodied some of the more gregarious traits of Leo. He was very generous and yearned to be adored, which lead him to some poor decisions that almost ruined their house. Tywin’s children, particularly the twins Jaime and Cersei are good examples of narcissism and hubris, some of the negative traits often associated with then sign of the lion.

House Stark - Capricorn

Capricorn is the sign of winter as its season starts with winter solstice. Capricorn is associated with the severe harshness of winter. Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is all about restriction, discipline and resilience. House stark is the most prominent house in the North and their motto a very capricornian one - “winter is coming”.

Eddard Stark was a very capricornian man. Very serious, with a stern expression in his face. His friend Robert Baratheon often tries to get him to “lighten up” but Ned is ever so serious. House Stark, and northeners in general, are hard working people who like to have things organised and to prepare for winter. They have a very strong moral compass and a strict code of honour. Capricorn is a serious sign and can have very strict moral standards.

It is worth mentioning as well that a famous ancestor of house stark was known as Brandon the Builder. Capricorn, being a cardinal earth sign, can also be regarded as the builder for it is an archetype associated with hard work and structure. Also worth noting that Capricorn can often be associated with the archetype of the father, a stern father, much in the image of lord Eddard Stark. That said, the marriage between Stark and Tully could be analogous to the complementarity between the signs of Cancer and Capricorn. The archetypes of The Mother and The Father, as they have different qualities that complement each other but also certain similarities such as a dedication to the family, the upholding of tradition and a strong memory because, after all the North remembers, and so do Cancer and Capricorn.

Additional considerations

While each house and each character have their unique personalities, the afore mentioned houses and characters constitute, in my humble opinion, interesting examples of the archetypes of the zodiac.

Additionally, I could also mention house Targaryen or even Bolton as being associated with the sign of Scorpio. Targaryens are associated with dragons and their words, fire and blood. Danaerys Targaryen, also nicknamed “storm born” does embody some of the Scorpio qualities of death and rebirth. The Boltons, on the other, hand, showcase some of the more obscure traits of Scorpio.

Other houses such as the Greyjoys or even the Martells have a rebelious streak about them, akin to the aquarian archetype. House Arryn, with their motto “As high as honor” and their seat in the Eyrie might as well be associated with the sign of Sagittarius, with its arrow pointing high, as if pointing towards the sky. Sagittarius is also associated with the philosophy and religion as well as the quest for the truth. Jon Arryn is thought to have been poisoned precisely because of his quest for the truth, as he started asking too many questions.

In conclusion

As I observed in this post, there seems to be a certain parallelism between the famous houses and characters from the Song of Ice and Fire and the archetypes of the Zodiac. Many of its characters and their family houses showcase some of the attributes often associated with some of the zodiac signs.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you have ideas for other comparisons between the great houses in the Song of Ice and Fire or even if you disagree with some of the comparisons here described, do let me know n the comments.