Word origin · etymology
A descriptive English name combining astrological house with overlay, the act of placing one image or layer over another.
House descends from Old English hūs. In this technical phrase, overlay names the superimposition of one chart on another; the sources do not establish who first coined the complete expression.
Merriam-Webster: house — Word History ↗Merriam-Webster: overlay ↗John Green and Chris Brennan: Synastry — house overlays ↗
How we know · epistemology
Directional chart comparison
The selected house convention and receiving birth time determine the placement. Its life topic is an interpretive prompt; reversing the charts usually changes the overlay.
John Green and Chris Brennan: Synastry — The Astrology of Relationships ↗
Connected concepts
Mentioned in 2 other entries
These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.
Sources & provenance
Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.