So then which system should I use? Is it a matter of preference? A matter of which are the most popular? A matter of who can plug a particular system the best?
As astrologers, at some stage, when we became sufficiently interested, we all discovered that it is necessary to begin at the beginning! So, in a sense, the answer to your question rests with you Njorwhald.
You find yourself in the intriguing world of astrology where you are feeling confused because you have just discovered a very basic astrological fact (better known to more experienced astrologers) - which is that the house positions of your planets and angles are dependent upon the house system utilised. Looking at the questions you are now asking, it is clear that you are aware that you have no knowledge of house systems (and are therefore unable to compare and contrast their relative merits and demerits) so you cannot have a preference! At this stage, since this is a learning forum, my personal advice to you is that you investigate house systems! So here is a link to the Education Board where Aquarius 7000 has posted a very useful Introduction to Astrological Houses from which you can discover the basics.
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15927
I am slightly confused by all this at the moment. Does it means I shouldn't be looking at what planets are in my houses at all? :S
Your confusion is natural and understandable Njorwhald because you are after all a complete beginner!
But this does not mean you should not be looking at what planets are in houses at all though! On the contrary, what this means is that you need to clear up the confusion by discovering more on the subject! Looking at what planets are in your houses is a good place to seek the meaning of your natal chart and in order to do this competently, it would make sense for you to begin by experimenting with drawing up your chart using different house systems -
because in that way you'll have a visual representation of how the various house systems affect the appearance of your natal chart.
You can then compare the meanings related to the varying house positions of your planets and decide for yourself which house system best describes your own experience. You'll find it interesting!
I note that you used astro.com for your chart drawing. If you return to astro.com then
(1) choose the free chart option
(2) then click on
'Extended Chart Selection' which brings you to a page on which you'll see the word
'Options' written (to your left as you look at the computer screen)
and below
'Options' you'll notice that written at the same level of the words
'House System' is the word
'default' (which you'll discover is the house system known as Placidus)
Click on the word
'default' and a drop down menu selection presents you which a choice of fourteen different house systems
you can now choose any house system you like,
just click on your choice and the name of the chosen house system appears in place of 'default'
Then looking to your right as you are facing the screen you'll find highlighted with white letters on a blue background the words:
'Click here to show the chart'
when you have done that successfully you shall have an immediate visual of your chart in that particular house system!
You'll then see visually why it is that your stelliums house position is dependent upon the house system that you use! When you wish to experiment with seeing your chart in another one of the fourteen house systems on offer you'll find a yellow box outlined with a thin red line which states
'Back to chart selection' - that's just above your chart drawing and to your right as you are facing the screen - clicking on that brings you back to the house selection page and you can choose another house system
I certainly have. My twin brother (8 minutes younger) was omitted to a psychiatric hospital when we where 16, I've missed out on a few things I should have done when growing up due to it, i.e. hiding away, which has meant I've had a few months of counselling recently to deal with those and other indirect issues.
I ask my original question purely to figure out which parts I need to be focusing on in order to move on, I feel very much restricted at the moment, by myself.
here's some good advice I found on another thread
There is one thing about the study of Astrology: you must do your own empirical experiments to find out what works best. This is the scientific method. With software you can try many house systems very quickly. Keep a record of what you do and use confirmable questions not "how will I feel astrology". Leave that to the fortune tellers.
and here's some more!
byjove: oookay, you asked for it: There were no Tables of Houses that were readily available as they are now. We forget this and take that for granted. So, back-when, when someone published a Table of Houses, it was a big deal because then you didn't have to be a mathematician (per se) to cast a chart. It became convenient to use whatever Table was available!
Now, because Placidus was a Catholic monk, his Tables and his religion became associated.
Later, Johannes Muller (might be off on the spelling there) also published his own Tables (Regiomontanus) making them generally available. But, he was a Protestant (or Protestants came to favor his Tables, sorry not sure which it was) and, therefore no Catholic would generally touch this work out of loyalty (or fear) to their own religion. It simply wasn't "Kosher".
It's odd really since other house division systems existed before either one of these. And, I believe, Regiomontanus predates Placidus by more than a few centuries. It was simply the availability of the Tables and the religious associations of their makers that made them popular (or unpopular depending on how you look at it).
I believe that Porphyry and Alcabitius are actually the older of all the formal house systems but, they never seemed to catch on with the masses. Probably because of the complex mathematics (like all of them, really) and no easily obtainable house tables and no religious or political motif to hang them on. Alcabitius holds up very well at very extreme latitudes unlike some of the other house systems like Porphyry.
Suffice it to say that all house systems are theoretical in nature and all act as kindling for the skeptics fire (i.e. why can't we all get along). One really would have to appreciate some spherical geometry and a good helping of astronomy to understand why any of the 30+ (now) house systems even exist. Yet, with the exception of a few rogues, there is little numerical difference in the house degrees themselves when they are all held side by side in relatively normal latitudes. The argument of houses in Western astrology is similar to the "which Ayanamsha is more valid" in Vedic Astrology.
All through this, the signs and houses are separate and distinct. They are not one nor are they related. The first house is not related to Aries, etc. This is sort of a misconception from the days of the equal houses and Aries point divisions.
In a nutshell, all house systems were attempts to figure out what sign was on the horizon and what sign was directly overhead at a specific time and then...how do we divide the rest of it fairly...especially at higher latitudes where we now need to project back to the ecliptic or equator or whatever.
The last time I checked, Regio was in use by the horary fans, Koch was preferred for predictive stuff, Cosmobiologists like Koch, Placidus was the all around place holder for natal, Meridian is used by Uranian astrologers, Solar when the birth time is unknown, Topocentric was used by the Placidus fans who lived waayyyy up there in latitude (since Placidus is not to polar friendly). Campanus occationally here and there but Campanus can be way off for house size which is why it isn't that popular. Regio was invented to correct the problems Campanus had with that.
Its a big, sticky pool to wade through and no one astrologer has THE answer. We just have traditions and examples. Until we are like the masters of old in having a well rounded understanding of higher math, astronomy and astrology, my humble opinion is to pick a master astrologer (historically), learn their technique/rules and use the house system they preferred until enlightenment is achieved...lol!
Exactly