Traditional House Systems (plural)

different forms of house division were introduced
WHO the earliest sources are that mention them
and

to help astrologers understand how the cusps are divided

waybread said:

Although many traditional astrologers are big fans of whole signs houses, some of them overlook the fact that most of the major house systems in use today were developed during they hey-day of traditional astrology.

Porphyry (233-305 CE)
Equal (Unclear who was first: Ptolemy gives it in one technique in Tetrabiblos.)
Alcabitius (Al-Qabisi, d.967)
Campanus (1220-1296)
Regiomontanus (1436-1476)
Morinus (1583-1656)
Placidus(1603-1668)

Regiomontanus is the preferred system in traditional horary astrology, where it seems to give the most accurate results.

An advantage of whole signs is that they often have more leeway when the birth time is not accurately known. This was a big problem in the days before accurate clocks were invented. Some astrologers for the masses in long-ago times would simply guess a customer's rising sign from his appearance, and then arrange the signs accordingly.

Whole signs are simple for beginners to use.

They were the major system used in Hellenistic times, if anyone is interested in ancient astrology and its methods. (If so, see Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology.)

I usually use Placidus, but sometimes when it doesn't seem to accurately describe the life of a known person, it is worth checking one of the other house systems. For example, I found Warren Buffet's life was better explained by whole signs than by Placidus.

There is also a problem of people with high latitude births at certain times of year having very skewed charts with quadrant systems. I understand that Scandinavian astrologers (As well as many British astrologers) prefer equal houses. In this system, the degree rising is given to all of the other house cusps for 12 30-degree houses.

So if you're exploring traditional astrology, no need to restrict yourself to whole signs if another of the above systems works better for you-- or for the chart native.

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fundamental astrological concepts

a DETAILED INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL

kaktuzz said:

Hello,

little add-on again

Ephemeris Search Engine

tool now works also in Sidereal zodiac with various Ayanamsas ...

and time span was enlarged from 1800-2100 to 500BC-2500AD

horoscopes.astro-seek.com/ephemeris-search-engine-astrology-planet-positions

(Thema Mundi might be found in Sidereal zodiac! - 17th August 0312))

Click to expand...

waybread said:

One other thing about traditional house systems because traditional astrology is concerned with assessing planetary strengths and weaknesses:

The first, 10th, 7th, and 4th houses are called angular, and especially the first and 10th houses strengthen a planet. The 11th, 2nd, 5th, and 8th houses are called succedent houses; with the 12th, 9th, 6th, and 3rd houses as cadent houses.

The 12th, 8th, and 6th houses were seen as unlucky because they didn't "behold" the ascendant in the sense of making a major aspect too it. But cadent houses were not always weak, for example: the 9th house is relatively favorable. So are the succedent 11th and 5th houses.

In choosing "the best house system" it is helpful to look at how (or if) planets move into adjacent houses depending on the house system used. These are all available on the Astrodienst chart construction pages. You can see which house system best fits your life experience-- or the life experience of someone else whose chart you are reading.

People with a late degree rising are apt to see a major difference in planets-in-houses between a quadrant system and whole signs, because each whole sign house begins with zero degrees of the sign.

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