Whole Sign vs. Placidus: Which Astrology House System Should You Use?

If you’ve ever looked up your birth chart and then checked it again in a different astrology app, you may have noticed that your chart looks different or that planets are in different houses.

That’s because there are different house systems in astrology, and the two most popular ones are Whole Sign Houses and Placidus. Each system organizes the chart differently, which can change how certain planets and life themes show up in your reading.

So which one is better? The truth is, neither is better—they’re just different ways of looking at your chart. In this post, I’ll break down the differences between Whole Sign and Placidus, explain how each system works, and share what I personally use in my astrology practice.

What Are Houses in Astrology?

Your birth chart is like a snapshot of the sky at the moment you were born. It’s divided into 12 sections called houses, each representing a different area of life:

• 1st House = Self & Identity

• 2nd House = Money & Resources

• 3rd House = Communication & Learning

• 4th House = Home & Family

• 5th House = Creativity & Romance

• 6th House = Health & Daily Routine

• 7th House = Relationships & Partnerships

• 8th House = Transformation & Shared Resources

• 9th House = Higher Learning & Travel

• 10th House = Career & Public Life

• 11th House = Community & Aspirations

• 12th House = Spirituality & the Unconscious

The way these houses are calculated and structured depends on the house system you use. Different systems create different chart layouts, which can change where your planets fall and how they are interpreted.

Whole Sign Houses: The Ancient System

How It Works

• Your Rising sign (Ascendant) determines your 1st house—and that entire zodiac sign becomes your whole 1st house.

• Each house is exactly one zodiac sign, so the 12 houses always line up exactly with the 12 signs.

For example, if your Ascendant is Cancer, then Cancer is your entire 1st house, Leo is your 2nd house, Virgo is your 3rd house, and so on.

Why People Love Whole Sign Houses

• Simple & Easy to Read – Since each house matches a zodiac sign, it’s visually clear and easy to track planetary movements.

• Works Well for Predictive Astrology – Whole Sign Houses is great for traditional timing techniques like profections and they make calculating transits to your houses very easy for .

• Rooted in Ancient Astrology – It was the first house system used in Hellenistic astrology (about 2,000 years ago).

Potential Drawbacks

• Your Ascendant degree is often not the start of the 1st house (unless you were born at 0 degrees of a sign)—it can feel less precise in describing personality and self-expression.

• It doesn’t account for uneven house sizes, which means some astrologers feel it doesn’t reflect real-life complexities as well.

Placidus: The Modern Standard

How It Works

• Placidus divides the houses based on how long it takes specific degrees of the zodiac to rise and set in the sky, creating houses of different sizes.

• Your exact Ascendant degree always marks the start of the 1st house, making it a more customized chart based on your exact birth time and location.

This means some houses will be larger or smaller than others, especially if you were born far north or south of the equator.

Why People Love Placidus

• Personalized & Psychological – Since it’s based on actual sky movements, it is more accurately reflective of the exact placements of planets in the sky at the moment of your birth.

• Ascendant is the True Start of the 1st House – Many astrologers feel this makes it more precise for describing personality.

• Widely Used in Modern Astrology – Most contemporary astrologers use Placidus, especially in psychological and evolutionary astrology. It was the house system my astrology teacher used when I learned Evolutionary Astrology.

Potential Drawbacks

• Can Be Confusing for Beginners – The uneven house sizes and interceptions (where a sign gets skipped over) can feel complicated.

• Distorts Houses in Some Locations – If you were born very far north or south, Placidus can create huge or missing houses, making it harder to interpret.

My Experience: Why I Use Both

I started my astrology journey using Whole Sign Houses, and for a long time, I loved its clarity and structure. It worked especially well for timing techniques and for the astrology of world events.

However, over time, I found that Placidus was more accurate for my birth chart, including transits, and that it gives more accurate readings for my clients—especially since I practice evolutionary astrology, which focuses on personal growth, empowerment, and healing.

How I Use Each System

• For personal birth chart or transit readings: I use Placidus because it gives a more detailed, psychological perspective. This is what I use in my professional practice for clients.

• For mundane astrology (world events & collective astrology): I like Whole Sign Houses because it simplifies the chart and works well for predicting larger societal patterns. Note: I don't offer mundane astrology readings at this time.

What is Mundane Astrology?

Mundane astrology is the branch of astrology that looks at world events, politics, and collective trends instead of individual lives. It’s used to analyze things like:

• Elections & political shifts

• Economic trends

• Natural disasters

• Global cultural movements

Since mundane astrology focuses on big-picture patterns, Whole Sign Houses works well because it keeps everything clear and structured.

Which System Should You Use?

There’s no right or wrong answer—it depends on what works best for you. Here’s a simple way to experiment:

Try Whole Sign Houses if:

• You want a simple, clear chart.

• You’re interested in traditional astrology or big-picture themes.

• You’re focusing on world events (mundane astrology).

• If you want to see what your chart looks like in whole sign houses, you can try a mobile app like the Chani App which uses Whole Signs.

Try Placidus if:

• You want a personalized chart with detailed psychology.

• You’re drawn to modern, evolutionary astrology or you want to use astrology for self awareness and personal growth.

• You feel like Whole Sign doesn’t fully match your life experiences.

• If you book a birth chart reading with me, we can explore your chart from a personalized Placidus perspective.

• If you want to see what your chart looks like in Placidus, you can try a mobile app like the LILA app that uses the Placidus house system.

Or… use both! Many astrologers check charts in multiple house systems to get a well-rounded view.

Final Thoughts

Whole Sign and Placidus aren’t rivals—they’re just different ways of looking at the same cosmic blueprint. If you’re new to astrology, I recommend testing both systems and seeing which one resonates with your personal experience.

Example charts for comparison:

Bruce Lee Whole Sign Chart

Bruce Lee Placidus Chart: