Astrology House Systems - Placidus, Porphyry, Campanus, Koch and others - Which Is Best?

by Robert Wilkinson

It seems that which house system we use as astrologers is getting a lot of attention in astrology groups these days. So what are the differences, and why use one system instead of another?

I’ll begin by noting that which house system we use can shift our planets from one house to another. This is important as it involves how we trisect the quadrants of our chart, and whether a planet on a cusp is in one house or another.

I originally did this article 8 years ago in response to an email saying that over at a well-known astrology chat room an entire comment stream had been bombed due to excessively abusive discourse. That blew my mind, since it makes no sense to get into a row over which house system to use.

This is part of my original post, rewritten for readability:

"House Systems - They're all in your point of view"

Here's what I was emailed, with the name of the site deleted:

To all members, Within the context of intellectual exploration and learning, debate is an essential element. (This site) encourages productive discourse. When a post or thread sinks to the level of caustic and inimical personal confrontation all focus and value is lost, (this site) and its members denigrated. The “What House system do you use?” thread fell into that category. The thread has been deleted, all good content along with the counterproductive. Verbal abuse of life’s demigods and demons, according to your perspective, is acceptable. Abuse within the ___ community is unacceptable.

Wow. I've seen people get heated about various things, but never about which house system an astrologer uses. Can't figure out how it happened, don't really want to jump in over there, and it seems that this uncivil discourse mirrors the general state of affairs in our world today.

So of course, it leads me to try to explain what some of this business of different house systems is about. Basically, only the horizon (ascendant-descendant) and meridian (midheaven-nadir) are fixed by what time one is born, and where. How you derive the boundaries (cusps) between houses is entirely based on whether you calculate on the basis of a space-based system, a time-based system, or a space-time based system.

Placidus houses are space-time, Equal houses are space-based, as is Porphyry. There are others, such as Campanus, Koch, Regiomontanus, Morinus, Alcabitian, Albategnian, and even those that divide the sphere into 8 sectors instead of 12 as well as those that eliminate all the houses. An extensive article on the merits and demerits of each of these would probably bore most of my readers, so we won't go there.

Though there is no consensus on which system is the best (and it seems that some fans of certain systems are ready to come to blows with each other!), I have always used several systems simultaneously in my work with satisfactory results. I found when I first started studying astrology that some of my planets change houses depending on which system is in use.

For example, I have Saturn in the 3rd house using the Placidus system, whereas it's in the 2nd using Porphyry and Equal. So which is it? Reading the texts, I realized it seemed as though both were correct. How could that be?

Seeing that the manifestations of both were true at one time or another, it led me to the conclusion that since none of these house "boundaries" are set in stone, perhaps I should regard the wheel in terms of zones of overlapping house boundaries, those being the areas where the affairs of the first house and the second house interact, or the second and third, or where the affairs of the 8th and 9th houses overlap, and so on.

Over the years this has worked very satisfactorily for everyone I’ve read for, and helps to resolve certain dilemmas in how different areas of our charts and lives affect each other. In my case, with Saturn in the overlapping zone between the second and third houses, it would seem that I need to use my Saturn function to understand how it affects the areas of values (2nd) and perception (3rd), and where these meet within me.

At times I must deal with a natural Saturn in the 2nd influence; at other times, Saturn in the 3rd. At all times, how these areas meet and interact with each other as expressed through my Saturn filter.

I learn about Saturn from both areas of my life, and find Saturn's influence in both areas, regardless of which house system is in use. You will also find this true in your own charts. When you have a planet that bridges two houses, it is very important in your evolution to link those areas of your life through the planet involved.

Perhaps it would serve astrology (and bring some peace back to the realm!) if we could get over the idea that one system is right and the rest are wrong, since I believe that to be delusional thinking based in linear, exclusionary rationalizations. "Winner-take-all" arguments are the foundation of religious wars by whatever name you call them. I would certainly not want any of my readers to come to blows or insults over something as ridiculous as whether one house system is superior to the rest.

Perhaps this is the biggest advantage to the quadrant system, or the "no house" system. We do not need frets on a guitar neck to hit a note accurately. They are just guide points helping give a reference between points A and B. It's the same with the lines dividing the houses. Anything nearer the horizontal axis is more in the realm of self-not self. Anything near the vertical axis is more in the realm of private-public, or subjective-objective experience.

The relative position of a planet to the meridians is what's important, not whether a planet is "more truly" in one house or another when it's on the cusp. And the idea of insulting someone because they don't agree with a house system is absurd.

(Originally published 12 April 2005)

Copyright © 2006, 2013 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Katie]

Hi Robert! I've never really explored using any other house system besides Placidus, as it is the default over at Astrodienst, so I just assumed it was the most commonly used for a reason. Your post piqued my curiosity, however, so I tested out all of the different house systems they have there, and to my surprise, the Campanus system altered several placements in a way that made them MUCH more accurate. It also left my Sun/Venus conjunction in the 12th house, where it most definitely belongs. Many of the other systems moved it to the 11th, which is just way off.

So, I am wondering if that means the Campanus system is better, or if different house systems work better for different people? You said that you haven't had any problem reading the same chart with different house systems, but have you noticed if some folks really identify more with certain house systems than others?

Also, the link to "House Systems- They're all in your point of view" isn't working. I'd love to read it! Thanks!

[Robert]

Hi Katie - There are more articles coming over the next two days on how I do what I do and why I use multiple systems simultaneously. I don't really believe one system is better or more accurate than the others. Each has their proponents, but I believe that it could be the observer effect. And that's not a link. That's the title to the article that I rewrote and reprinted just under that line of text.

[christy]

ok so this now has me truly intrigued! -- so I did my chart as both porphyry (2 planets changed houses, angles the same, other cusps add 3 or so degrees) and equal house style (5 planets changed houses)

now a couple questions please?

so do you look at every lunation, eclipse, and 1/4 moon in all 3 styles then?

do you use all 3 styles for a solar return (or lunar return) too?

and do you use all 3 styles for a diurnal chart or lunation chart? or do you just use placidus for that?

thanks much, Robert!

Christy

[abby]

Thank you so very much for this article. You have answered some of my "never answered" astrological questions vis a vie the house system. I have been a student and practitioner of astrology since I was 12. (I am now 40.) And astrology has been a tool that let's me know I am right where I am supposed to be and that all is well, or chaotic depending upon the transits. The one thing I always struggled with was the house system. I would do the Equal first, then Placidus as it seems to be the astrological standard. And I always felt that both applied. Or that I was perhaps missing something. You are one of my favorite Guru's and I come to Aquarius Papers at least 3x's a week. Thank you Robert for being a great teacher, and mystic. Lots of Love - Abigail

[Robert]

Hi Christy - I look at natal charts using Porphyry and Equal, with Placidus a third if I care. It usually falls somewhere in the zone created by Porphyry and Equal, and never extends it past one or two degrees. Angles will never change regardless of what system we use. Again, more articles will post on the subject tomorrow and the next day.

I never use anything except Equal for solar returns, and believe that is the only accurate house system to use for solar returns. I don't do Lunar return charts, but would think that since it's only a 30 day reading, it would need to be researched to see which is more accurate. Again, I don't believe any of them tell the whole picture by themselves. I don't do diurnal charts. And I use my combination of systems for Lunation charts in my own work, but haven't placed priority on Placidus for over 35 years. I used it for the first few years of my study and practice, and then abandoned it for my multi-system approach.

Hi abby - Thanks for your kind words about the work. Glad you also came to see that both systems can be applied, which offers a way to combine the two rather than get locked into an "either-or" approach, which I think unnecessarily straightjackets our understanding of how the space between the angles is divided into relevant life sectors. And you're most welcome. Glad you found your way to this gentle community!

[adriana]

Hi Robert, first: I love your articles! I'm rather a beginner and I've been using until now only the Placidus system. My question: What about planets retrogrades on the cusps? E.g., my natal Mars(leo2.33) is retrograde on the Asc (leo1.40) in the 1st house (by the way-the last full moon fall on my acs..in opposition of my sun/venus (cap) conjunction on the Descendant in the 6th house) and my Jupiter retrograde on gem27.40 which is the last degree of the 11th house . Thus, I ask me, the energies of the planet retrograde in the succeeding house are more likely felt in the preceeding house due to the retrograde condition, and viceversa, when it is in the previous house the planet's influences rather remain there?

[christy]

wow- ok thanks Robert - so my chart is really considerable different under the charts you use with the most signifcant changes being neptune moved to the 12 th house and venus move to the 8th

so I'm going to looko at my current solar return with an equal house approach!

thanks again :)

[SagittarianMind]

Robert:
Thank you so much for this post. This is the type of perspective that's needed to bring some sanity and grounding to the Astrological community. I've always said that we must be able to see ourselves from a myriad of dimensions.

[Brian]

Agree with you whole heartedly on this, Robert. I tend to use Porphyry for the most part, but there have been cases where planets seemed to express themselves in the adjacent house indicated by another system. I appreciate your statements here because it helps alleviate my insecurity as an astrologer "fudging" the house cusps. :)

I enjoyed your analogy of the guitar frets. In most house systems the MC is not at 90º to the AS for non-equatorial locations, which I see as "stretching" the point of focus for affairs and personal definition within the public sphere. It's like saying I need a little more, or a little less, time-space to get to that point of Saturnian realization.

Thanks again Robert, all the best to you.

[Chris]

Thanks for this Robert. I've been examining and trying to make sense of the overlapping changes in my chart from Porphyry and Placidus as well, since I can make rationalizations for both positions, and have thematic planetary placements that can support either placement. For instance, from switching to Placidus to Porphyry, my Aquarius sun moves from the 12th house to the 11th (either way my progressed sun is in the 12th) and supports many of my spiritual pursuits (though my Cancer 4th house moon can muddle what feels like the aloof 12th house and the isolation/cave-like retreat of the Cancer shell).

Then, Saturn (which is conjunct my south node) moves from the 8th house Scorpio to the 9th (the nodes moving from the 2nd/8th house axis to the 3rd/9th -- again I can make the argument for strong archetypal themes for either location, also since Pluto, the ruler of my south node, is in the 8th house Scorpio).

That the 360 degree wheel of the zodiac is metaphoric and that the houses aren't all equal in the eyes of astronomy, it's a good reminder to look at the houses as boundless as well as the orbs of influence that Arroyo uses (pushing a planetary signature that is in the last 6degrees of a sign/house into the next -- influentially speaking).