Hi, Elsa,
How does relocation far from your birthplace affect a chart reading? Is an equal house system chart more revealing once you’ve relocated?
Asking
I may not be the best person to answer this question but I’ll take a shot at it and other people can weigh in. I work with a lot of people all over the world. Many of them have relocated ’round the world. I use their natal chart without modification because I feel “wherever you go, there you are”. You’re still you!
But beyond my feelings, this method works. For example, people who visit other countries invariably have a strong Jupiter placement. If they move to another country, Jupiter is found mashed with the 4th house or perhaps the moon.
Now if you were to change the chart for the new location, the houses would change and something would be lost. I would no longer see this person who is inclined to live in a foreign land. I can’t tell you if something might be gained by altering the chart because I don’t have experience. This is my method and my reasons for it.
As for Equal Houses, I feel they are the Gold Standard. When I state that, keep in mind, your Equal House chart may be the same or the nearly the same as with your Preferred house system so I am not dissing anyone. I came to this conclusion after about a decade of comparing Koch, Placidus and Equal house chart, every time for all those years, until it was clear to me.
I have never thought of Equal Houses to be “more revealing”. I just found in practice – lots of practice – Equal houses never fail.
It’s possible they work for me, because my focus is always to help. For that purpose, Equal houses are unparalleled in my experience.
I say this because of the “revealing” comment. I’m not looking at a chart to find a person’s secrets. I don’t even necessarily think they are there to be found. It’s more likely the astrologer is projecting if they try to tell you what your secrets are. I’m sorry but people are wrong as rain on a regular basis.
You see why I am the wrong person to answer this but here’s my answer anyay.
How would you answer this question?
Yes, Moon Jupiter here – lived in another country and would be open to moving to another one. It’s definitely my comfort zone (Moon).
“I use their natal chart without modification because I feel “wherever you go, there you are”. You’re still you!”
And, I agree about the locational charts. I tried it…
I have Pluto Scorpio ASC, but my new “ideal” chart did not have Pluto conjunct anymore… well, I went to that chart and the most traumatic death occurred while I was there and drug me back to my home.
Death/loss have defined my life (Pluto on an angle) and the ideal chart certainly didn’t let me escape that unfortunate truth.
Yes, the natal chart shows the person to be restless. So when they movie, are they still restless? The altered chart says no but experience says, yes. And when I witness this for decades, my opinion forms.
I don’t know that people believe me, testing house systems for a decade. But I did it because the time came when I knew astrology was my vocation and I had to know and I had to know on my own terms so I committed to figuring it out and it took a long time.
It’s a pain to break with mainstream. I did not want to do it but working with a chart I felt inferior was even worse.
Anyway, this is just my opinion. I go with what has been proven by my firsthand experience.
My Equal house chart is a lot different than the default Placidus house system. Maybe if you have a scattered chart, it doesn’t make a difference, but my chart is very concentrated.
Under Equal, my 5-personal-planet Taurus stellium is all in the 4th, but under Placidus, it’s all in the 3rd house. My Equal sun is in the 3rd house, but under Placidus it’s in the 2nd. Equal Jupiter opposite the Taurs stellium is in the 10th; Placidus Jupiter in the 9th.
Having my stellium in the 4th under Equal might make sense if the 4th represented planet Earth, but if the 4th is all about family and roots, those are pretty much non-existent in my life (except for my sister). I basically don’t have a family, and I’m a third generation Euro-descended settler transplant on indigenous land with no ties to my roots. My chosen community, close travel, communication, etc. (3rd house) are much more prominent in my life.
My career (10th house) has definitely NOT been expansive in the Jupiterian sense (I’ve been doing basically the same job for over 25 years), so the Equal system doesn’t make sense. But I read a lot of books and enjoyed 12 years of post-secondary education (9th house). And the three times I’ve travelled distantly, I had much luck and fun, so Jupiter in the 9th under Placidus (instead of the 10th under Equal) makes sense to me. My sun is in a different house under Equal, too.
House systems have always baffled me. How can astrology be so indeterminate depending on the chart system? I’m a different person depending on Equal versus Placidus (and other) house systems.
what a great topic, Elsa! I love the analogy of chef’s knives & find it perfect for your ‘cut through the BS’ style! Yet, Niki, I agree with you, too– and I have a scattered chart. Placidus –for me–reads way more accurate than equal house: for natal, and for transits sparking energy. What’s the most amazing, though, is how layered, full, and precise astrology is as an art. We don’t know why it works, but it’s astonishing how ***much it does (although we’ve all had the experience when astrologically something should be happening and it doesn’t manifest at all, even when adding asteroids into the mix🤔) And a spectacular tool for self-awarenes, personal growth, and understanding of/ compassion for others❤️
Re: Niki, here’s another factor: If the birth time is just a couple minutes off, it would easily switch the houses. Point being, if I was working with someone as adamant as, Niki, I would assume they know and go with their instruction.
This is fascinating, Elsa! Thanks for sharing this post and your views. I too pay attention to what I’ve personally experienced and observed.
Under Placidus I have a third and fourth house stellium. With the Equal I have packed third house instead of the 4th.
The first thing I thought when I saw it was “Crap. Pluto is going to oppose my 4th house for longer than I thought.” I had Pluto opposite Sun in 2021 and it’s still close, under two degrees but won’t pass over it again.
I just want to be done with Pluto opposing my 4th house. The cluster of oppositions over the last 20 years has torn a lot of stuff apart and I feel like I’ve paid my dues. I just want to live an average, quiet life instead of having the rug ripped out from under me every couple of years as Pluto aspects another planet in my Placidus 4th. The last one was to my Sun and so there are no more in the 4th.
Maybe I will be dead before Pluto opposes my Mars at 24 Leo. I’ve had enough of forced evolution.
I have Pluto square Moon natally, which is “my mother is trying to kill me.” I am dealing with family stuff right now, with her, and I am not doing this with my Dad. Both were abusive in various ways. But the Pluto transit dug all of it up and I can’t ignore it now, and I can’t go back. I’m ready to close the whole chapter but now that I see the Equal houses I’m not so sure I’m done.
So I just wonder what happens now. I guess I’ll get to observe and find out which makes the most sense for me.
Thanks for this!
Thanks and you’re welcome. I had a chat with someone about this today and elaborated. Once I set aside the other house systems, about five years in, I was talking to a client and had a realization that stunned me. It really broke astrology open wide. These keys do not work with Koch and Placidus. They may work with Whole Signs, which is another thing. People conflate Equal with Whole Sign. They’re not the same.
Anyway, I rarely, very rarely work with the other house systems. Most people trust me to work the way I work. But when I do need to work with one, I always feel it’s distorted, like someone spread their fingers out on it and twisted it… With spite, even.
It’s weird how I see this. My sense of style is atrocious but damnit, I am not working with an inferior chart even though I prefer not to be on the outside. I say that knowing full well I can never fit in anywhere. It’s a permanent problem. But at least I get the best chart to read – for me. I just saw I would be doing this and I truly needed to know. It’s like a pro chef who tries different knives until he or she can discern which works best. You hand them one of the rejected knives and they know it’s inferior as soon as they pick it up. Hey! Life is too short.
For the record, I also studied Vedic astro for three years so I also have some experience with Whole Signs.
Also for the record, I know people like other house systems, clearly. It just doesn’t matter because I resolved this long ago, with blood, sweat and even tears. Very difficult, because Libra can’t decide things but also, I figured I’d have a lot of fights over it and also lose business. But Capricorn has to have integrity so I bucked the system and I have zero regrets!
I just checked my equal house chart and everything is the same except for Mars – which it outs into 5th house. That makes so much more sense. I am an artist and worked with children. I will now use equal house more often!
Until I met a good friend who studied closely the different meanings of natal Sun in 10th house or 11th, I hadn’t paid attention to house systems. Mostly because for my natal chart, equal house or Placidus changed nothing. However, when my friend explained how and why equal houses well described her, and her 60 years experiences to date, I listened. And concurred. There, my 2 cents.
Jupiter in the 4th here. I didn’t move to another country, but one of my many daydreams (with all my mutable-ness and love of foreign language) was to raise my kids in Switzerland just so they could be native speakers of four languages. Ha! No consideration of any other aspects of living there, you know, just for the languages.
As for the charts, I tend to agree with Elsa – it’s a birth chart, for where you were born. Maybe with a different chart changing the location might be useful.
For me, the Equal Houses just seemed right on a”feeling level.” I have intercepted houses in Koch and Placidus but always felt that moving made a difference! I moved at out first solar return so I felt like I started over in a way. I like Equal houses!