posted March 14, 2012 07:18 PM              

Students who study with a recognised school are usually introduced to all of the house systems, but taught to use one far more than the others. This is usually the Equal House system, which incidentally is also one the oldest one. In this house system, the twelve divisions are very much like spokes of a wheel, equally spaced at 30 degree intervals, with all houses being the same size. This is the easiest of the House systems to use, as it requires no further calculation. Once the Ascendant is known, one simply divides the rest of the chart using the Ascending degree as a starting point - so if the Ascendant is at 22 degrees Leo, this is take as the cusp of the first house, with the second house beginning at 22 degrees Virgo, the third at 22 degrees Libra and so forth.

The Equal House system is conceptually valid within today's astrological standpoint that every individual is free to become what their birth chart symbolises as their ultimate talent. The Ascendant has been shown to correspond to the way the person automatically approaches their environment - the 'persona' in Jungian terms. This person is therefore likely to approach every field of life in a specific way. A person with an Aquarius Ascendant, for example, will approach money-making and material values (2nd house) in a Pisces manner, will learn (3rd house) in an Aries manner, deal with family (4th house) in a Taurus manner and so forth.

The biggest criticism of the Equal House system concerns the position of the MC, which, using this system is more often than not the cusp of the tenth house (or any house) but rather is found within the 9th, 10th or 11th house.
“The MC, being the highest point at birth, symbolises the aims and ambitions one works towards, and, by extension, one's career potential and public image. But these areas are also 10th house matters, devised, because of that house's association with Saturn, to show precisely these areas of life. It is therefore conceptually necessary (so goes the argument) that the MC be the cusp of the 10th house. For this reason, the Equal House system has a limited following outside the UK, although it is still the commonest House system within the UK.” http://www.astrolozy.com/article19.asp http://www.aquamoonlight.co.uk/systems.html
Equal House System:
A simple, yet highly effective system, this was the method that the ancients used before the various unequal houses systems developed. The signs on the cusps then follow in order around t he wheel beginning with the rising sign. There are no intercepted signs in equal houses and therefore each sign is represented on a particular house cusp. The Equal house system does not create very large or small houses that become even more pronounced the higher the northern or southern latitudes used to calculate the chart.

“The Equal House System avoids the problem with the Placidus which results in extremely uneven houses if the native should be born in extreme northern or southern latitudes.
Each sign is fully represented on a house cusp.
Debbie Kempton Smith the author of Secrets from an StarGazer's Notebook recommends either Equal House or Koch (unequal).
Margaret Hone puts forth an excellent argument in favor of Equal House in her book, "Applied Astrology" which is why it is the default for SkyViewZone.
Jeff Mayo and the Faculty for Astrological Studies also favors this house system.” http://www.solsticepoint.com/astrologersmemorial/hone.html http://www.astrolozy.com/article19.asp http://www.aquamoonlight.co.uk/systems.html
http://www.skyviewzone.com/birthinfoforms2/housesexplained.htm http:// books.google.co.uk/books?id=Z0nnE2IP7A4C&pg=PA167&dq=astrology+equal+house&as_brr=3&ei=i0iJS-PlGo3mygS89Nn8DQ&cd=2#v=onepage&q=astrology%20equal%20house&f=false

EQUAL HOUSES
“Another of the three most popular house systems is Equal houses which is just what its name implies. All the houses have the same degree on each cusp, and there are no interceptions. Equal house systems are especially useful for people born in the northernmost and southernmost latitudes, and this system is the most popular one in use outside of the United States.” http://www.esotericapublications.com/article-511.html

“Equal house system is the only system that is erected in the plane of the Earths orbit. The zodiac is erected in the plane of the Earths orbit around the Sun which comprises of a 360 degree circle that surrounds the Earth. The mid-heaven is often more, or less than ninety degrees (three signs) from the ascendant, therefore it is not often placed on the tenth house cusp, but marked where it appears in the mid-heaven according to the latitude and longitude of birth. The mid-heaven is taken as an important point; it is the point of self-mastery.” http://marianneohagan.com/house.htm

“The simplest approaches, the equal-house and whole-sign methods, merely require knowledge of the ascendant or ascending sign, and an equal division throughout the rest of the zodiac eliminates the need for any complicated calculations
Yet recent research into classical astrology has created a renewed interest in these simple techniques from a more scholarly perspective. The point of strength is that, regardless of the originating theory behind house division, in practice at least, classical astrologers tended to tie the houses to the signs, apparently concurring with Pelletier, who wrote in defence of the equal house method” http://www.skyscript.co.uk/houprob4.html

Equal House System
“The equal house system calculates the degree of the Ascendant, which is used as the cusp of the first house. Some astrologers do not like this system because it does not equate the 10th house cusp with the Midheaven (which indicates the degree that is highest in the sky above the horizon at the place of birth). However, the Midheaven can certaintly still be noted in this house system as well as any planet forming an aspect to that angle.” http://www.astrolady.com/housesystems.php

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