Calculation of House of a Planet

It is very important to consider the house division for correct predictions. The planets show their behavior according to the house they occupy. This lesson describes the method to calculate the dimensions of the house and thus determine in which house the planet lies. It also describes the Western or K P Method of house division.

By now we have learnt how to calculate ascendant, tenth house and planets’ position. Using this data, we shall now determine the span of a house and in which house a planet is posited.

What is a House?

The circle of the zodiac is divided into 12 divisions called houses. Each house does not necessarily extend to 300 - it is either less or more. According to the Vedic astrology, ascendant is the mid point of the first house and mid heaven is the mid point of the tenth house. A house starts approximately 150 before the mid point and extends about 150 beyond the mid point. The point at which the first house ends and next house starts is called "Bhava Sandhi" and the house extends from first Sandhi to the next. However, the whole sign does not fall in one house. A house normally extends over two signs. Each planet, depending upon its degree, falls in one sign and one house. The house as visible in the Lagna chart is not the planet’s actual house position.

House division

For any date, time and place, there are some stars rising in the eastern origin and some stars setting in the western horizon. This is because of the earth’s rotation around its axis. The eastern horizon is called the first house, whereas the western horizon is the 7th house. The point above the head of the person is called the mid heaven or the 10th house. In Indian system of house division the rising point, the setting point and the mid heaven point are considered the center of the 1st house, 7th house and 10th house respectively, whereas in the western system these are considered the starting points of the houses.

Why do we calculate houseIn astrology, we describe the planet’s results in a particular house. The planets are known to give results according to the house in which they live. The Lagna chart only tells us in which sign a planet is posited. It also tells us about the aspects of a planet on the other planets. However, it does not confirm the house in which a planet is situated. So we make another chart called Chalit, which gives us the information about the house in which a planet is posited.

To draw the Chalit chart, determine the starting point of the twelve houses as described and if the planet degree lies in the extent of the house, then place the planet in that house. Normally the house position derived in such a manner and the house occupied by the planet in the Lagna chart are same. But they tend to differ if the ascendant degree is high and planet degree is low or vice versa. To represent this situation, sometimes we place the planet in Bhava Sandhi. We draw a chart with twelve houses and twelve Bhava Sandhis. The planet which is in the same house in Lagna or as per house degrees, it is placed in the house; else it is placed in the Bhava Sandhi.

In the South Indian style where each box represents a sign (not a house) we mark the houses with degrees and place the planets and houses in the order of the degree they own. If a planet is beyond the limit of the house we take it in the next house.

Different methods are in vogue to determine the extent of the house. However, only two systems of house division are common.

Indian system of house division : In this system ascendant and the mid heaven are calculated and the difference between them is divided into six equal parts. The mid heaven is the center of 10th house. Adding the sixth part gives the ending of 10th house or starting of 11th house. Adding of sixth part again and again gives 11th house middle, 12th house beginning, 12th house middle, 1st house beginning and 1st house middle. In a similar way adding to the ascendant successively the sixth part of the difference between 4th house and the ascendant, longitudes of the 2nd and 3rd houses are obtained. The remaining houses can be calculated by adding 6 signs to each of the opposite house.

Example : Compute house degrees for native born on 15.01.1970 at 11.30 AM at Delhi.

From the previous lessons we have :

Ascendant : Pisces 220 51’Tenth house : Sagittarius 170 7’Subtracting 10th house degree from ascendant

We get 3520 51’

2570 07’950 44’

Dividing by 6 we get 150 57’20"

Adding this to 10th house degree we get

10th house Sag. 170 7111th house beginning Cap. 30 4’11th house middle Cap. 190 2’12th house beginning Aqu. 40 59’12th house middle Aqu. 200 56’1st house beginning Pisc. 60 54’1st house middle Pisc. 220 51’

Similarly computing other house degrees we get :

House	House Start	House Middle
1	Pis. 60 54’	Pis. 220 51’
2	Ari. 60 54’	Ari. 200 56’
3	Tau. 40 59’	Tau 190 2’
4	Gem. 30 4’	Gem 170 7’
5	Can. 30 4’	Can 190 2’
6	Leo. 40 59’	Leo 200 56’
7	Vir. 60 54’	Vir 220 51’
8	Lib. 60 54’	Lib. 200 56’
9	Sco. 40 59’	Sco. 190 2’
10	Sag. 30 4’	Sag. 170 7’
11	Cap. 30 4’	Cap. 190 2’
12	Aqu. 40 59	Aqu. 200 56’

 Western system or placidus system of house division : In this system, the star rising in the eastern horizon is on the ascendant. It then passes over the 12th house, the 11th house, the 10th house etc. in equal intervals of time, until it sets when it reaches the descendant. The ascendant and mid heaven are taken as start of the respective house and not the center. The exact method of calculation of house degrees is difficult and tables are available to compute it on the basis of the sidereal time or the 10th house.

Krishnamurthy System uses the above system of house division only.

The values calculated for the model horoscope for the twelve cusps, as per placidus system, are :

Cusp Sign Cusp degree

1 Pis. 220 51’2 Ari. 270 17’3 Tau. 230 36’4 Gem. 170 7’5 Can. 120 6’6 Leo 120 55’7 Vir. 220 51’8 Lib. 270 17’9 Sco. 230 36’10 Sag. 170 7’11 Cap. 120 6’12 Aqu. 120 55’

The model horoscope planet degrees are as follows :

Planet Sign Degree

Sun Cap 10 14’Mon Ari 90 36’Mar Aqu 290 24’Mer-R Sag 260 54’Jup Lib 100 36’Ven Sag 250 15’Sat Ari 80 44’Rah-R Aqu 190 41’Ket -R Leo 190 41’Ura-R Vir 150 14’Nep Sco 60 48’Plu-R Vir 30 49’

The Lagna chart is as below :

The planets Sun and Pluto to move to previous house as per Indian system of house division, because Sun is at Cap 1014’ and the 11th house starts from Cap 30 5’, hence leaving Sun in the 10th house. Similarly Pluto is at Virgo 30 49’, 7th house starts from Virgo 60 54’ thus leaving Pluto in the 6th house. Hence Chalit chart is as shown.

It is also represented as-->

 

 

In the Chalit Chakra, it is clear from the placement that Sun and Pluto to have moved out from their house to the previous house.

The cusp chart as per the western system is shown as follows :

 

Here Sat and Mon move to the 1st Cusp, Plu and Uranus in 6th cusp Jupiter in 7th, Neptune in 8th and Sun in 10th, rest in the same cusp as in Lagna.

If we do a comparative study we find the house of the planets in the given horoscope in Lagna, Chalit and cuspal charts as follows:

Planet Lagna Chalit Cusp (Ind.Sys.) (Wes. Sys.)

Sun 11 10 10Mon 2 2 1Mar 12 12 12Mer 10 10 10Jup 8 8 7Ven 10 10 10Sat 2 2 1Rah 12 12 12Ket 6 6 6Ura 7 7 6Nep 9 9 8Plu 7 6 6

From the table we notice that many planets change their cuspal position compared to Lagna chart whereas only a few change in the Chalit chart. This is because in the cuspal chart ascendant degree is taken as the start of the house and not the middle. So the probability of change of house is increased. Secondly, in cusp more planets move to the previous house, again because the start of house in cusp is higher than in chalit.

Important

It is very important to consider the house division for correct predictions. The planets show their behavior according to the house they occupy. The behavior is enhanced depending upon its strength, which is determined depending upon the sign or Nakshatra it occupies. Hence use Lagna chart only to know the sign in which a planet is posited and use Chalit chart to confirm the house position of the planet. Do not take the aspects as per the house or Lagna chart. Look at the degrees to determine if there is any aspect between two planets.