House system for those born far north

If you ever came across a chart of a person born in northern latitudes, you probably noticed how disproportional their houses are in Palacidus - some are enormously big, some are tiny. I once saw a chart where woman's Sun conjuncted both 3rd and 4th cusps!

Would it be better to use equal house system for these people? Or the fact they were born there makes them already unique enough to have a chart that looks quite different? On the other hand, houses that take a few degrees will receive less action with transits, progressions, etc., while other houses will receive more attention. It can't be that some areas of life are so disproportionately more important than others - for all born up north.

What are your all thoughts on this?

I would try more than one system, but I would definitely want to look at the equal house system. If someone is born far enough north, sometimes a house can totally disappear using Placidus. But I would look at Placidus and Koch, also; because if you find all 3 systems put some planets in the identical houses, then you can proceed with confidence.

With astrology you can compare house systems yourself and see which one works best. Use your own chart and those of well known celebrities and statesmen born at high latitudes. Comparing Placidus and Regiomantanus to Equal and Whole Signs systems, I have always found a drastic difference in interpretation. Then observe which best describes the life of the native.

After many years of this, I found the Whole Sign system is most reliable at any latitude. There is no question of what to do with intercepted signs and all the houses have equal consideration. The house cusp is always the degree of the ascendant in all houses, and house rulers are easy to identify. This is the Classical system used during the time of the Roman Empire and still used in Vedic astrology.

I've never looked at the Whole Sign system before. I like it. It's very similar to the Equal house system for me as my Ascendent is 1-2 Taurus.

I became a fan of Equal house after I noticed that one significant relationship I had both started and ended within a week of Saturn entering and exiting Gemini. Far too accurate for my liking. (Quite why that is relevant to my second house I don't know!)

Also found that life felt more relaxed last January when Pluto exited Sag for the first time since 1996. I feel that whole period of my life was quite often rather analytical, dark and oppressive. Perhaps not surprising given that it's mostly my 8th house. And funnily enough I seemed to go off the rails in June when Pluto went back into Sag for one final look. I guess I'll be very glad when this week is over!

But how do you treat MC in equal house system? It is not always the same as the 10th cusp, and may even end up in a different house. And IC for that matter too...

iwonder said:

But how do you treat MC in equal house system? It is not always the same as the 10th cusp, and may even end up in a different house. And IC for that matter too...

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Good question (and one I don't know the preferred answer to). Under Equal house, my MC falls in the middle of the 9th house.

Options as I see them:
- ignore the MC and use the start of the 10th.
- treat the MC as a special time, but the 10th house being about when aims/ambitions type things happen.

In my experience, transits to the MC has had little effect. That said, I do find myself attracted to women born just prior to it. But that could also be due to it being trine my Ascendent and Mercury; and opposite my Part of Marriage.

I don't find the Equal house system as accurate as Placidus when describing my natal chart. (Or maybe I got used to identifying myself with the Placidus system?)


Under Placidus, Jupiter is in my 4th. In Equal, Saturn would be in my 4th.

My family is large...my father is a Sagittarius (mom a taurus)...my parents are religious yet gave me lots of freedom growing up...im living in a foreign country.

My mother however is bipolar...that is the only way Saturn in the 4th would make sense.

But...Saturn is opposite my moon any way...so i dont need it to be in the 4th to describe my relationship with my mother.

In Equal, MC and Mercury, my chart ruler, is in the 8th house! No way! I do not think about, identify with or work with other people's money, death, or sex. Not me at all!!

Under Equal, Jupiter is in my 2nd house! HA! Im still paying of student loans..nuff said?

StarNur said:

I don't find the Equal house system as accurate as Placidus when describing my natal chart. (Or maybe I got used to identifying myself with the Placidus system?)

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Yeah, that's what I think too. Either it is not working, or I am too used to think of myself in Placidus. I keep my mind open and look at my chart under different house systems. But all I see is confirmation of certain inclinations, or something I wish I were but I know I am not.

In equal house system my Sun is on the 10th cusp, my 10th house is loaded with planets. Am I a career oriented person, climbing corporate ladder, leading people? Nay... Can't be any further from what my career (or lack of it in a conventional sense) is.

In Placidus my Moon is in the 10 which describes my career path far better, my Sun and Co are in the 8th - again more like me.

But when a person has a few houses that are only a few degrees, I begin to doubt it is a right picture. But if so, how far north do you apply Placidus and then switch to a different system?

Oh well... I don't think there is even an answer to this I guess, in these cases trying several systems and picking one for that particular individual is better.

The equal house system does away with intercepted houses. I used to see this as an advantage...until I began to feel that having intercepted houses in my own chart with Placidus house systems was actually more accurate regarding the affairs of the affected signs and houses. [Planets in intercepted houses generally don't get the "traction" or recognition that one would otherwise expect them to receive.]

Which is why I suggest that, if there's a question about which house system to use, one play around with several. If they point to the same result, it's a safe bet.