Does the whole signs system work for you?

OK, I know that there are a lot of topics about the whole signs system, you may not bother telling me that. I just thought it was reasonable to start anew instead of reviving some old threads. My question is simple: does it work for you or not? This thread is neither about the history of this system nor its methods! I just want you to point out what placements in your chart make you agree or disagree with this system (or maybe someone else’s if you can get his/her validation). While, for example, Placidus and Koch systems can very often not make any difference regarding the positions of planets in houses, there usually is a difference when you use the whole signs system and compare it to some other system.

I have used whole sign solar charts (degree of Sun on asc, following cusps the same degree of following sign- so sort of like) for people who have absolutely no chance of getting their birth time.

But I am sure I could use the whole sign method if I needed to and have it work.
One's life does not alter because we use a different system.

I was taught Placidus-Tropical and have also taught it. I have used it for 40 years and it has never let me down. I have always found it accurate...even in northern altitudes....no matter how odd the chart looks.
But this is only MY experience and opinion.
LIN

It works beautifully for me; I used Placidus for over 30 years until I first heard of the whole sign house format back in the mid 1990's; I tested whole signs in numerous charts and compared indications with the same charts in Placidus: I found that whole sign gave clearer insights into the charts than I had obtained using Placidus. I converted to whole sign in 1998 and have never regretted doing so.

Normally I use Placidus but I do look at whole signs, oftentimes as well.

For people with a late degree rising, the two charts can look very different. You kind of have to see which one looks like the better fit.

In Placidus, my Aquarian sun, Venus, and Mercury are in the 5th house. In whole signs, they move to the 6th. Recently these planets progressed into Taurus, the 8th house in Placidus but the 9th house in whole signs. I actually think whole signs now coincides a bit better with my life, of late. More of an interest in travel-- and my status as a new grandmother. (One's grandchild is a 9th house matter-- the 5th from the 5th house.)

"For people with a late degree rising, the two charts can look very different. You kind of have to see which one looks like the better fit"

This is fine if you are reading for yourself. But....if you are reading for another person, whether you know that person or not....you can't possibly DO this. YOu have to make a decision about which system you are going to use.

I mean....you can't ask enough questions of a stranger to figure out "the best fit"....I don't see it being practical, anyway.
And I always assume anyone wanting to learn astrology doesn't want it ONLY to read their own charts!
LIN

Lin, my experience has been different than yours.

I have a late degree of Virgo rising. My planets do change houses, depending upon which house system I use. We have no reason to assume that other people's charts (at least from the northern temperate zone) behave differently.

You are probably familiar with the research of Alice Portman www.aliceportman.com . She has found that different people respond differently to different house systems. She's not a fan of whole signs, incidentally; but her extensive work on the British royal family showed that they tended to respond best to Regiomontanus houses.

In reading charts for people on-line, I will normally go with whatever system they post. With Placidus being the Astrodienst default system, generally that's what I read.

But we sometimes see posts by people trying to read their own charts who don't find their Placidus houses to be particlarly good fits. Maybe the sun doesn't feel right in its assigned house, but works a lot better in the neighbouring house, and a different house system would put it there.

If I want to spend a lot of time with a chart, notably with Placidus houses are quite skewed, I will run it through several different systems to see how or if the planets or cusps change. I don't have to ask a lot of questions of the native to do this.