posted July 05, 2003 08:27 PM              

house systems are a personal thing. what i would suggest is getting used to one system, perhaps placidus, and learning all you can about astrology and the significance of the houses first. then if you want, explore others. its very important to have a good working knowledge of the basics of astrology first. that way you have the tools at your fingers to decide which house system works best for you. houses mean nothing without context to apply them to.

i personally use meridian, because it seems to get deeper into a chart, and in my own case, it has explained a lot of things that placidus didnt. i couldnt accept that i had an empty 12th house, and meridian did indeed place mars in my 12th, which would make a *lot* of sense, more sense than it being in my first house. also meridian makes use of an 'equatorial ascendant' which essentially gives you two rising signs, one how other people see you, and one how you see yourself. this has been proven in my case to make a LOT of sense.

there is a branch of astrology called uranian astrology, and they use meridian exclusively. they also believe there are several other planets that havent been discovered yet. i am not so sure about that, but one day i will be looking into it, once i have all the knowledge i need about 'regular' astro. a friend of mine is of the uranian school and man, can he get a lot out of a chart.

theres so many different schools of thought of astro. its a good idea to learn the basics first, then once you are comfortable, you can see what else is out there, and what gives you the most insight. it is a very personal thing.