waybread
Well-known member
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.
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.