In the first instance the sixth house refers to the servants of the native. In this category, one must include all people whose function is to serve, even if their social status and power are much greater than that of the native. For example, if we were to consider the case of a poor man employing a wealthy lawyer and a prominent physician, the character of the lawyer would be determined by the sixth house in so rar as his relations ,with his client are concerned. As the first virtue of servants is steadiness, reliability and freedom from any form of independence, self-will or initiative, it will follow that Neptune is very unfortunate in this connection. The servants of the native are likely to behave in a very erratic way. They may rob and cheat the master, though this will take, in all probability a petty and sporadic form, but they are certain to be unpunctual, disobedient, forgetful, careless and altogether unsatisfactory. It will be difficult to keep a servant in the house for any length of time.
In regard to servants in the larger sense of the word indicated above, the native is likely to find similar troubles. He may consult a doctor and discover later that the man is a quack or is suffering from some subtle form of insanity. If he consults a lawyer, he will probably get bad advice, be induced to enter into some litigation, in which he has no chance of success and find a large bill of costs run up against him into the bargain. Similar troubles will occur in every event of life where he is paying another person for service of whatever kind. It does not, however, apply to commercial transactions. If the native is an employer of labour, whether on a large or a small scale, he will meet with every kind of obstacle. His workmen will strike and he will be involved in all sorts of disputes. He may have to pay compensation for accidents and that, often, unjustly.
From what has been said, it might appear that these misfortunes are due to the character of the persons who serve. But it would not be right to draw such a conclusion. Every question has two sides to it, and in this case, there is no doubt that the master is equally to blame. His methods with servants will not be wise. It is certain that he will lack firmness – he will be slack and capricious. The most important quality in a master is that the servant should know exactly what to expect. He should be patient, kind, courteous and yet inexorable. He should be to the servant what the laws of nature are to humanity, and it is exactly in the sc points that any person who has Neptune in the sixth house will fail.
The health of the native, although to some extent indicated by the Ascendant and the position and aspects of the Sun, or the Moon in the case of a woman, depends principally upon the sixth house. Persons born with Neptune in this position will probably suffer from many obscure maladies of the nerves. In fact, insidious and wasting diseases of all sorts are often associated with this configuration. There is likely to be a general weakness and irritability in the constitution, which may manifest itself in hysteria and similar complaints. Painful and intractable, though not dangerous, disorders such as eczema and psoriasis may prove a continual torment. It is very important that the native should not fall into the habit of dosing himself. Of course, quack remedies are principally to be avoided, but there is some danger also that he may acquire a superficial and inaccurate knowledge of medicine. Medical books may fall into his hands and he may read them with avidity, understanding them , however, imperfectly, owing to his lack of a thorough training. He may then become his own physician; a good many of his ailments will be imaginary, but whether this is so or not he will try all sorts of medicaments. In his case this will be exceptionally dangerous, for anyone with Neptune in the sixth house is peculiarly susceptible to poisoning. Bromism, iodism, plumbism may follow the abuse. He may also acquire such a habit as that of arsenic eating. One must not, however, include narcotism; for if he acquire any of the ordinary drug habits, such as the abuses or morphia, cocaine, heroin, veronal, hashish and the like, he will do so not because of any idiosyncrasy – not with the idea of gaining new experiences and extravagant pleasures – but -because he hopes thereby to obtain relief from the ill-health, real or imaginary, from which he is suffering.
The sixth house also refers to small animals, especially domestic pets. The native is likely to have rather curious fancies in these matters. Instead of being contented with a dog, he will have a monkey. An ordinary parrot will not satisfy him – he will require some very particular species, difficult to obtain and of no use when obtained. If he should attempt to breed small animals for profit, he must not expect any great success. Sickness will probably decimate his farm at the most unexpected moment. Sometimes when the ninth house indicates that the native will take long journeys, he will become a collector of rare species of animals and plants, and if Neptune should be well aspected. this life may be suited to him and prove, on the whole, successful; but even in such a case, he must expect plenty of strange adventures. Another matter traditionally referred to the sixth house, is that of ambassadors. By this we should understand negotiations involving personal interviews. Once again Neptune proves far from fortunate. There will be a trickiness and uncertainty in all such affairs. The native will come to an agreement and find subsequently that it has not been understood or that some hidden flaw vitiates it. There will be a general atmosphere of misunderstanding in the best case, and, in the worst, there will be a deliberate attempt to deceive, on the part of one or both persons concerned in the interview. If follows from this that unless there are afflictions of Mercury in the horoscope, it will be better to conduct all important negotiations by means of writing.
Another matter which is decided by the sixth house is intimate daily life of a rather trivial order and such questions as food and clothing are decided thereby. The native will prefer curious and unusual foods; a plain beefsteak will be abhorrent to him, and he will decide to dine upon food which is neither nourishing nor digestible. At times he will find it difficult to make up his mind as to what to cat. The whim of the moment will be his only rule. His appetite is thoroughly morbid; he is likely also to eat at unusual times. He will get up in the middle of the night and feed upon tinned salmon , jam and beer. The indigestion from which we have already suggested that he may be suffering is hardly likely to be helped by such irrational habits. He is especially liable to attacks of ptomaine poisoning, and even greater misfortunes may befall him in case his mental qualifications are not first class. He may become a food faddist and experiment seriously with all kinds of ridiculous diets. He may be very fanatical about these, while they last, but they will not last long. He will go from one to another in a way which is the despair of those friends who may wish to entertain him.
With regard to clothes, he will be equally a nuisance. In mild cases, this may amount merely to eccentricity, just sufficient to make the ordinary man a little doubtful of whether it is desirable to be seen in the street with him. But once more, if the mind is weak, he may have settled convictions that it is dangerous to wear wool or a hat or boots. He may thus constitute himself a public nuisance. Cases have been known in which this position of Neptune combined with those configurations which show moral degeneracy has led it to manifest as exhibitionism. The last of the important subjects which are covered by the sixth house is speculation, in a restricted sense of the word. We have already spoken of speculation under the fifth house, but the natural position of the sixth house is Virgo and Virgo is the sign which deals more particularly with the earth, especially the fertile earth. Virgo is ruled by Mercury and Mercury is also exalted in Virgo. For this reason, the type of speculation covered by the sixth house is entirely mercurial. It is sheer, cold drawn gambling, where no sporting element is implied, and such speculation is likely to choose for its field the food of the people, and similar commodities, particularly wool, cotton and other materials of clothing. The gambler should conceive vast combinations, but they will all turn Out unfortunately, owing either to his own wildness or to unexpected circumstances beyond his control.