dr farr - good elucidation of the distinctions on the history of equal house use.. i must have adapted the middle approach as opposed to the straight approach without knowing that anyone did that straight approach.. also i never did an 15 degree rule, and the change in sign would have altered my view on a planet outside the sign on the ascendant.. essentially i am blurring equal crooked style with whole-sign house.. the straight approach sounds typically western- so friggin straight, lol..
zaphod - i think if you go back to the idea that the sign was the emphasis, an angle like the ascendant would have a sign in it and that sign would include all planets in it 'rising', thus the strength of any planet in that sign regardless if it was above or below the horizon line.. however i too think a distinction needs to be made and that a planet immediately above the horizon would 'stand out' in a much more obvious way then one below it.. this will quickly change if one waits around a few minutes or within the next hour whereby any planet below will be above, but this is after the fact of the time for when the chart is drawn up for.. i think the idea that any planet in this area has an accidental strength due it's proximity to this angle.. that said the reverse would be true for the descendant which is why the ascendant and midheaven have always been given greater emphasis then the descendant and i.c. these are some of my thoughts to which others might agree or get confused with..
zaphod - i think if you go back to the idea that the sign was the emphasis, an angle like the ascendant would have a sign in it and that sign would include all planets in it 'rising', thus the strength of any planet in that sign regardless if it was above or below the horizon line.. however i too think a distinction needs to be made and that a planet immediately above the horizon would 'stand out' in a much more obvious way then one below it.. this will quickly change if one waits around a few minutes or within the next hour whereby any planet below will be above, but this is after the fact of the time for when the chart is drawn up for.. i think the idea that any planet in this area has an accidental strength due it's proximity to this angle.. that said the reverse would be true for the descendant which is why the ascendant and midheaven have always been given greater emphasis then the descendant and i.c. these are some of my thoughts to which others might agree or get confused with..