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The Temples are perhaps the closest to modern houses, but they possess
some considerable differences from them.
The Lots are now best known to us for the First Lot, the Lot of Fortune, but
they are a fully realised House System in their own right.
The powers of the Cardinal Points and Quadrants seem to have completely
disappeared from modern astrology.
The Early History of Astrological Houses: We do not really know when houses
became part of astrology but they definitely do not appear to have existed as
astrological concepts prior to 400 BC. Claudius Ptolemy [c 130 - 170 AD], the
father of classical astrology, almost completely ignored houses in his astrological
masterwork, Tetrabiblos. However, the earliest datable horoscope that we now
possess, which used houses in its interpretation, dates from c 20 BC.
Manilius' Astrological Houses in the Astronomica: Writing less than half a
century after that horoscope, the Roman poet-astrologer, Marcus Manilius,
presents three versions of what we might now call house systems in his poem
Astronomica [c 10 - 20 AD]. The pages on this web site represent Manilius' work on
houses. As such, they are the earliest description of the nature of astrological
houses - and the three systems by which the houses are applied to the Zodiac
Wheel - that we possess. Nothing like this survives from before Manilius, and
nothing like this appears again in the history of astrology - as it has come down to
us - until the Anthologiae of Vettius Valens of Antioch [c 120 to 175 AD] some one
hundred and fifty years later, and De Nativitatibus sive Matheseos of the Roman
astrologer Julius Firmicus Maternus Siculus [c 337 AD], some three hundred years
later. Valens' work - in his use of kentron [cardinal points], Temples and Lots is
similar enough to the house concepts in Manilius' poem, to confirm the
Astronomica as an accurate record of classical Greek and Roman thought on
astrological houses from two millennia ago.
If you come across any House Systems or House Definitions which differ from
those presented on these pages - and, let's face it, most modern ones do - it's
therefore worth bearing in mind that Manilius is the primary astrological source on
astrological houses. He is our best way of looking into the minds of the Babylonian
and Greek [and perhaps Egyptian - though this is open to debate] astrologers who
were the originators of idea of what we now call houses. If we modern astrologers
differ from Manilius in our use of houses, we had better be asking ourselves why...
Zodiac Wheels
Definition: [Principles] [Zodiacs] The term Zodiac comes from Ancient Greek
"Zodiakos Kyklos" and refers to a 'circle of the animals.' Zodiac wheels have
several different definitions. The history of the development of the wheels is
given below.
The Ancient Babylonian Zodiac Wheels: The original zodiac wheels were
bands of constellations seen in the night sky, which would rise and set as the
night progressed. They were first observed by the priest-astrologers of
Ancient Babylon, in the 2nd millennium BC or earlier, and were named for
their Gods Enlil, Anu and Ea. Aside from their importance in astrological
divination, their appearance could be used to tell the time through the night,
and their heliacal risings and settings to mark the progress of the year.
The first zodiac wheel in a form recognisable to us was also seen by the
Ancient Babylonians. This was the Path of the Moon through the
constellations of the night sky, a Lunar Zodiac [we would now call this a
Draconic Zodiac] equivalent to fifteen or sixteen of the Greek constellations
plus the Pleiades. This Ancient Babylonian definition of a zodiac wheel was
therefore: A circle of constellations against which a heavenly body - usually
the Moon - is seen to move.
The Ancient Greek Zodiac Wheel: The Ancient Greek, Achaean, culture did
not possess a zodiac wheel of the same form as the Babylonians. It is certain
that they possessed no Solar Zodiac at all, and considered the Zodiac
Constellations we know today to be unimportant. However, the earliest Greek
works we have, those of Homer and Hesiod, show that the Achaeans were
intensely interested in the stars, in fact many of their ancient constellations
are those we still use to map the heavens today. Some historical astrologers,
of whom I am one, are now convinced that the Achaeans did use another
type of zodiac wheel, the Galactic Zodiac of constellations, in their astrology.
It is notable, as mentioned above, that Zodiac is a Greek not a Babylonian
word.
The Late Babylonian Zodiac Wheel [The Equal Sign Wheel]: At some time
later than 550 BC the Babylonians introduced an important change to their
concept of a zodiac wheel, that it should be divided into twelve equal
01:
02:
03:
04:
05:
06:
07:
08:
09:
10:
11:
12:
First House:
Second House:
Third House:
Fourth House:
Fifth House:
Sixth House:
Seventh House:
Eighth House:
Ninth House:
c 10 AD
c 10 AD
c 1030 AD
The Twelve The Twelve
Al-Biruni's
Houses**:
Temples*: Lots:
Stilbon
Fortune &
[Hermes]
Soul & Life
Home
Children
Typhonis
Consumption
Sedes
&
Warfare
[Typho]
Nourishment
Dia [Moon]
Business
Brothers
Daemoniu
m [Cronus]
Fathers &
the Old
Daemonie
Health &
Disease
Porta
Laboris
Ditis Ianua
[Hades]
Death
Typhonis
Sedes
[Typho]
Deus
[Phoebus]
The Law
Siblings &
Friends
c 1680 AD
William
Lily's ***
Houses:
c 2000 AD
'Modern'
House
Defintions:
Life &
Health
The Self
Wealth &
Poverty
Possessions
Relatives
&
Contacts
Messages
Parents &
Fathers &
Roots
Descendants Paternity
Means
Sickness &
Disease
Sickness &
Work
Disease
Dangers
Women &
Concubines
Marriage &
Partnerships
Partners
Social
Rank
Death &
Wealth
Death &
Fears
Children
Travel &
Religion
Foreign
Places
Needs
Travel
HISTORICAL
ASTROLOGY
See the
new
Astrological
Index for
the meaning
of other
astrological
words and
phrases
Galactic
Zodiac
Tenth House:
Eleventh House:
Twelfth House:
Accidents
Fortuna
[Aphrodite]
Marriage
Fortuna
Felix [Zeus]
Happy
Fortune
Porta
Laboris
Character
Rule of the
Sultan
Honor &
Dignity
Health &
Sickness
Happiness &
Friendship Community
Friends
Success
Anxieties &
Enemies
Secrets
Status
Secrets
The Lot and Temple descriptions are taken from Manilius' Astronomica, c 10 - 20 AD. Of the modern houses only 4
and 11 are the same as in Manilius' time in the Temple system, and none are for the Lots.
Note: in classical astrology the place of the First Temple and First Lot on the Zodiac Wheel rarely coincide, as the
systems for finding their places are completely different.
* The ruler of the house is given in brackets. Note: the the rulers of the classical Temples are Gods not Planets.
Pluto, the planet, was not discovered until over 1900 years after Manilius wrote his astrological poem. The monster
Typhoeus was never a planet. I have given the rulers of the temples their Greek names, rather than Roman ones to
avoid any confusion with the planets.
** Taken from Abu'l-Rayhan Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Al-Biruni's Book of Instructions in the Elements of the Art of
Astrology [1029 AD], translated R. Ramsay Wright [1934]. The second, sixth, eighth and twelfth houses are rather
different to modern houses, but the remaining 8 have similar definitions.
** Taken from William Lily's Christian Astrology [1647 AD]. Christian Astrology was the first major astrology textbook
in English. Lily is widely credited with the revival of the fortunes of astrology in England, after making some famous
predictions concerning the fate of King Charles I. The houses used in the 1600s are reasonably similar to the
definitions we use today.
Definition: [Astrological Houses] The development of Houses and Houses Systems since Classical times
Houses and house systems seem to have taken a long and obscure road since the time of the early Class
Claudius Ptolemy, the "Father of Classical Astrology", who in his seminal work, Tetrabiblos, appears to ha
meaningless mysticism. It is certainly true that houses are purely a symbolic description of the heavens, w
For others of us, houses remain very important. This presents us with a problem, as unfortunately, in mod
the astrological houses on the Zodiac Wheel. In these different house systems the planets can appear in d
choice of modern house system changes the spread of planets in houses for Prince William.] Hence for th
History: The most commonly used house system at present, the Placidus system was not that used by th
and Quadrants, and Lots.
Over the last two millennia the fashion in house systems has gone through Alcabitus, Regiomontanus and
system is often based on how good our own chart looks with that house system. And that our clients - give
horoscope. In fact the lack of a rigorous choice of house system is one of the most fundamental problems
for concern.
Which System should you Use?: Who knows? It is rumored that one particular national meeting of astro
a study as to which gives the most accurate prediction. If you wish to choose based on popularity, Placidu
the first house. In Placidus and Koch, the Midheaven is then the cusp [start] of the tenth house. But there
In turn, Placidus and Koch differ in the cusps of the second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tw
the latitude in which you were born the more likely this is to happen. In contrast for the Equal system all si
To be honest, the more I have studied house systems the more I think that none of the above should be u
over the centuries. Classical astrologers used these three systems - basing their work on several hundred
Newspaper Horoscopes: For these a variation of the Sun system is used. The Sun's position is used to m
only making even a poor approximation to a standard horoscope for the one-twelfth of people born in that
House Systems:
Alcabitus [or Alchabitius or Alcabitius or Alcibitius or Alcabitius Declination]: [Time-based] [The sta
entitled From the Treasury of Antiochus, an Explanation and Narration of the Whole Art of Astrology. The s
Introduction to the Art of Judgments of the Stars (c. 916-967). Although this system was presented by vari
1503, thus helping to popularize the method.
The Midheaven and Ascendant are respectively the 10th- and 1st- house cusps. The remaining cusps are
house circles that pass through these cusps and the North and South points of the Horizon. This varies fro
notes that the method is a "logical development from the Porphyry system" since that method trisects the
The "Classical House" [Time-based] system is a variation on this, incorporating Ptolemy's five degree corr
subtracted from the Ascendant to form the first house cusp. This is a modern, slight correction to the Alcib
Campanus: [Space-based] Named after Giovanni di Campani (1233-1296). The vertical great circle from
intersection points of these circles with the ecliptic are the house cusps. Thought by some authors to be th
his work, Astronomica, dated 10 AD - though as this latter is a poem it makes interpretation highly problem
Equal: [Ecliptic-based] [Third most commonly used system in Western Astrology] The zodiac is divided int
house. This system is reputed to have the oldest pedigree, as some authors state that it is the system use
which was not considered important in early classical astrology.
Earth House: Zero degrees of Libra is taken as the first house cusp and each house cusp is thirty degree
Horizontal; The house cusps are defined by division of the horizon into 12 directions. The first house cus
Koch/GOHS: [Time-based] [Second most commonly used system in Western Astrology] This system is na
countries, it is also called the "Geburtsorthusersystem" (GOHS), i.e. the "Birth place house system". This
because all house cusps in this system are calculated with the same polar height, the "polar height of the
With the Koch system, the house cusps are in fact defined by horizon lines at different times. To calculate
see what ecliptic degree was on the horizon at the thirds. Why Koch thought this procedure should be mo
Midheaven: The Midheaven (Midheaven) is taken as the cusp of the tenth house and each house is thirty
Meridian or Vehlow-Equal or Zariel: The Meridian house system was proposed by the Australian astrolo
Garth Allen in the late 1950s. This system is also referred to as the "Axial Rotation System," a term which
circles. Circles are drawn through the poles and twelve points that divide the equator equally, starting at th
1st cusp, but is equivalent to the so called "East Point" or equatorial ascendant. This system works in extr
Moon: The Moon is taken as the tenth house cusp and each house cusp is thirty degrees farther along in
Morinus: [Space-based] Named after Jean-Baptiste Morin (1583-1656), known as Morinus. The Morinus
Equator, beginning with the intersection of the Celestial Equator and the East Point. The cusps are determ
The ascendant is not the same as the 1st cusp. This system is unusual in this respect, that it doesn't begin
Natural Graduation: A complicated mathematical variation of the Porphyry House System, as described
Natural Hours: [Time-based] The times of sunrise and sunset are noted for the location and date of the h
between the Ascendant and Descendant are divided into six sectors, each representing two 'hours' of time
Midheaven may fall in any house.
Octopos: The prime vertical is cut at forty-five degree intervals starting at the east point of the horizon, an
are then numbered starting at the descendant and going counter-clockwise, so that the house placed at th
the twelfth house, this is the one to use.
Placidus or Placidian: [Time-based] [Most commonly used system in modern Western Astrology, not thro
system is named after the Italian monk Placidus de Titis (1590-1668) and was found in his work Primum M
its semidiurnal arc, the 12th cusp the point that has completed 1/3 of it. The 2nd cusp has completed 2/3 o
ideal. I find this unlikely as this is a time-based system whereas Ptolemy probably thought in terms of an e
elegant system.
Polich-Page or Topocentric: [Time-based] This system was introduced in 1961 by Wendel Polich and A.
house cusp.) The philosophical reasons for this algorithm are obscure. Nor is this house system more top
cusps are close to Placidus house cusps except for high geographical latitudes. It also works for latitudes
Placidus (i.e. the division of diurnal and nocturnal arcs of points of the zodiac) is completely destroyed.
After the Ascendant and Midheaven ecliptic positions have been calculated, the semi-arc between them is
of each of the intermediate houses. This constant is then added to the Midheaven to yield the cusp of the
180 degrees from the Ascendant and Midheaven respectively and opposite in Zodiacal sign. The same qu
5, 6, 8, and 9. Because this process yields the same constant in each quadrant arc division, house cusps
and 6 will be 60 degrees apart.
Some authors note that the first appearance of a description and explanation of this method is made by V
to an otherwise unknown astrologer named Orion.
Regiomontanus: [Space-based] [The standard house system in the later Middle Ages, it supplanted the A
12 equal parts and great circles are drawn through these divisions and the north and south points on the h
Solar: The position of the Sun is taken as the first house cusp and each house cusp is thirty degrees farth
commonly used when the Ascendant and Midheaven are not known. It is therefore commonly used in new
Sun: The Sun is taken as the fourth house cusp and each house cusp is thirty degrees farther along in the
Topocentric: See Polich-Page.
Definition: [Prince William Horoscope] Prince William has one of the most astrologically predicted
Prince William's Web Horoscopes:
Horoscope
01: Anonymous
02: Anonymous
03: Whitaker, Anne
04: Anonymous
Natal
Tropical
Natal/Solar Return
13: Anonymous
14: Adrian Duncan
15: Claudia Dikinis
16: Myra & David
Williamson
17: Amy J. Volkers
18: Pandit G
19: Nimmi
20: Shelley von
Strunckel
Tropical
Tropical (1)
Solar Return
Tropical
Tropical
Tropical (1)
Natal
Tropical
Aspects
Tropical
Natal
Natal
Tropical
Tropical
The so
viewed
slightly
would b
orbits a
William's natal sky: the northern sky as viewed from London on 21 June
1982 at 21:03 BST. The constellation Andromeda, the Princess, lies on
the horizon.
William
Aquila,
Zodiac
is at Su
William's natal sky: the spin of the Earth causes the constellations of
Hydra, the Water Snake, and Canis Major, the Greater Dog, to appear to
set on the western horizon. No Real Solar Zodiac constellation is visible
to the west in this sky. Instead, as the Earth is at Summer Solstice at
William's birth, the Ecliptic appears to set to the north west.
William
1982 a
agains
William's natal sky: the visible sky - i.e. that part of the sky above the horizon - as viewed
The spin of the Earth is just about to make the Sun appear to set
the Summer Solstice. The Moon, which is positioned relative to th
seen from Earth] can be seen against the constellation of Gemin
Pluto and Jupiter can be seen against the constellation of Virgo t
Ecliptic, almost seen against the constellation of Bootes, the Bea
tilted in comparison to the Ecliptic. See Planetary Zodiac for mor
against the constellation Libra, the Scales, almost on the cusp wi
seen against the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer.
From London at this time, the Earth's spin has moved you away
None.
Within 2 degrees of Aldeberan, "The Followe
Within 10 degrees of the Pleiades Star Clus
Occults Mu Geminorum, in Gemini.
Within 5 degrees of Gamma Virginis, a binar
Within 5 degrees of Spica, "The Ear of Whea
Within 5 degrees of Gamma Virginis, a binar
Within 2 degrees of Graffias, "The Claws",
None
None.
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Right
Ascension
6h 0m 26s
4h 31m 36s
3h 35m 10s
6h 21m 42s
12h 33m 49s
13h 55m 19s
13h 1m 5s
15h 57m 38s
17h 40m 46s
13h 55m 39s
Declination
+23 26.4'
+17 53.8'
+17 23.2'
+22 34.8'
-3 39.2'
-10 27.0'
-3 44.1'
-20 18.6'
-22 3.0'
+6 39.0'
Distance
(AU)
1.016
0.743
1.281
57.0 ER
1.022
4.843
9.369
17.986
29.259
29.547
Fro
Alti
0.
-13.
-18.
2.
31.
27.
33.
14.
2.
45.
ER is 'Earth radii' i.e. the Moon lies 57 times the radius of the Earth away from the Earth
average distance from the Earth to the Sun, i.e. Neptune and Pluto are both more than tw
the above table follows the astronomical convention: zero degrees is South with positive
the meanings of Right Ascension, Declination, Altitude and Azimuth follow those links.
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
The notes correspond to the numbers in brackets in the Zodiac Chart or House System columns a
(0) This astrologer does not use houses in the written horoscope, discussing planets in signs onl
(1) My best guess of the Zodiac Chart or House System used based on the astrologer's choice of Z
(2) In these examples, both Placidus and Koch house Zodiac Charts have been redrawn by the sof
Zodiac Charts for these House Systems.] The positions of the cusps are then noted around the rim
(3) There is something wrong with this Chart. It states that it is Placidus but puts Mars and Saturn
correction for William's birth, which may be a part of the problem.
(4) This is the Chart this site put up for William but it isn't William's - the Sun transiting Virgo gives
(5) An unusual case where the astrologer uses two House Systems - Placidus and Koch. *Natal is
planets will not be in the same positions however.
(6) The astrologer uses no Zodiac Signs in her horoscope restricting her information to Houses an
Anonymity, Zodiacs and House Systems A surprisingly large number of the horoscopes listed abo
System. As these two factors make a huge difference to the Zodiac Chart produced, this makes the
clear preference is for Placidus. Surprisingly no astrologer used Equal-House, though reputedly th
English are listed here.
Prince William's Zodiac Charts:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7: