Placidus/Equal House system

[Maries]

What are the Placidus House System and the Equal House system? And-- saw on a documentary where someone claimed there is a more precise and accurate form of astrology (which its name escapes me now) that takes into acccount the tilting of the earth every so many centuries. When using this system, your sun sign may be off. My question-- what is one to believe if the standards are so different by such different school of thoughts? If my sun sign is, say, Pisces by using the one standard, for example, my horoscope would be completely different.

Maries

 

[lilllybelle]

I believe you would be talking about vedic astrology also known as sidreal astrology. Yes, the constellations are off in western astology. In sidreal astrology they have kept up with the constellations moving the same as they do in astronomy. The thing is I think both forms of astrology work. I don't know why. I can't explain it. Maybe it is the touch of the mystical in astrology. It is more of an art than a science. Though astrology has strong linear touches to it, it is more of a circular type study. Lilllybelle

 

[Arian Maverick]

The thing is I think both forms of astrology work. I don't know why. I can't explain it. Maybe it is the touch of the mystical in astrology. It is more of an art than a science. Though astrology has strong linear touches to it, it is more of a circular type study. Lilllybelle

I believe this as well, although my sixth house Virgo south node (tropical zodiac) would much prefer for only one system to exist!

Arian Maverick

 

[Missa]

Well, tropical (western) and sidereal (vedic) astrology are based on different things, which one is more "accurate" depends entirely on on how you look at it. In my opinion they're not that different, the aspects and houses are the same, and there are similarities in the signs (if I've understood it correctly - the sidereal Virgo is not exactly the same as tropical Virgo, but has features that we attach to Libra, as most Libras become Virgos when you use to sidereal system).

There are several different house systems, Equal house system is one where each of the 12 houses are the same size (30 degrees) beginning from the Ascendant. When using Placidus, as you may have noticed, the size of the houses can vary greatly - which is a common problem especially in the charts of people who are born very north. Placidus for some reason seems to be the most popular house system at the moment, but many people favor another house system instead of it because of it's impracticality when it comes to northern locations. I personally use Regiomontanus which seems to work better for northern latitudes, but occasionally try other house systems as well.