What Does Placidus Orb Mean In Astrology

Placidus is a Renaissance-era way of estimating homes based on the passage of time. It works by recording the house cusps in two-hour intervals from your birth time. The cusp of the 1st house is marked by the degree of the zodiac sign rising on the Eastern Horizon at the moment of your birth.

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What does orb signify in astrology?

In astrology, the orb is the difference between the exactness of an aspect and the angle formed by two points. A trine, for example, has a 120-degree angle. A trine with an orb of 3 degrees is defined as two points that are 123 degrees apart. In astrological delineation, it is commonly assumed that the larger the orb, the less potent the aspect’s effect.

If the sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius and the moon is also in Aquarius, the moon’s orb of influence will start no earlier than 5 degrees Aquarius and end no later than 25 degrees Aquarius. This, however, would be termed a large orb. The orb of influence, according to most astrologers, should be no more than 8 degrees on either side.

Aspects involving huge bodies, such as the sun or moon, are usually depicted with larger orbs. Major aspects, like as conjunctions and oppositions, are sometimes represented by larger orbs.

When an aspect is “out of sign,” smaller orbs are frequently employed. An “out of sign” aspect involves a sign that is a multiple of 30 degrees, implying that the two points should be in the same sign, but the orb causes the points to be in different signs than expected. For example, if the sun is at 29 degrees Aries and the moon is at 1 degree Leo, the difference is 92 degrees, making the aspect square. However, because Aries and Leo are four signs apart, or 120 degrees apart, a trine aspect is more likely when only considering the signs involved.

What exactly does Placidus imply?

Placidus is a Latin word that means “gentle, quiet, motionless, serene, mellow, peaceful” and can relate to a variety of things.

Consul of Rome Flavius Arcadius Placidus Magnus Felix (480511)
Astrologer Placidus de Titis (also de Titus, Latinization of Placido de Titi, 16031668)
Placidus Bcken (1690-1752), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salzburg, was a German Benedictine canon lawyer.
Bavarian Benedictine priest, historian, and archivist Placidus Braun (1756-1829)
Placidus Fixlmillner (17211791) was the first astronomer to calculate Uranus’ orbit.
Tanzanian Prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Placidus Nkalanga (19192015).
St. Placidus was a Benedictine monk.
St. Placidus (martyr) was a Sicilian martyr.
Swiss monk and Alpine explorer Placidus a Spescha (17521833)

Is there a distinction between Placidus and complete signs?

Robert Hand’s booklet seemed convincing to me. He discusses the history of the entire sign house system in it. Now, I openly acknowledge that I did not conduct extensive additional investigation. I was already reading Firmicus Maternus and looking into other older astrological traditions at the time. However, I did not conduct extensive research.

Hand recommends spending some time exploring the charts you’re working with in both a quadrant-based system, such as Placidus or Koch, and the entire sign system, and then comparing the findings.

Chris Brennan, who also uses whole sign houses, was introduced to me at this meeting. Even while other astrologers I respect and admire, such as Lee Lehman, John Frawley, Lynn Bell, and Deb Houlding, didn’t, I knew Demetra George did. As I write this, I realize there are other astrologers whose work I love, and I’m not sure what house system they use off the top of my head.

I didn’t immediately start messing around with entire sign houses. It took me a bit to get my head around some of the philosophical concepts of switching housing systems. In the end, I followed Hand’s advice and began running charts for clients through both Placidus and Whole Signs to see whether there were any changes.

For nearly 18 months, I did this. It was a little perplexing because I had to think twice about each chart. The house system switch didn’t make much of a difference in certain charts, but it did in others.

Over time, I discovered that employing the entire sign house system to delineate issues in the birth chart gave me consistently greater insights.

This means that when I wanted to talk about something specific to the client, like children or fertility, the 5th sign from the ascendant seemed to constantly bring clearer insights.

The 5th house cusp is in the 5th sign from the ascendant in some Placidus charts, but in other Placidus charts, it is in the 4th or 6th sign from the ascendant. Rather of counting houses, you can figure this out by counting signs from your ascendant.

The house cusps are the sign cusps themselves, as each sign becomes the house.

This means that, while the Ascendant degree is still important and has all of the meaning you might expect, it is no longer the degree that marks the first house’s cusp, but rather a floating degree that rests somewhere inside the first house.

The other angular points, such as the Asc, Dsc, Mc, and IC, are still essential, especially for calculating planetary strength, but they float around inside a house rather than marking the cusp.

The MC degree can fall in the 8th, 9th, 11th, or 12th whole sign houses because the MC can be in any sign other than the 10th sign around from the Ascendant. When viewed from the perspective of a quadrant chart, this may appear strange, but it does provide more interpretive information.

If the MC degree is in the 9th house, for example, it indicates that the MC is focused on 9th house themes or will assist in the manifestation of 9th house themes. Perhaps the individual works in education or travel, or at their company’s or business’s foreign arm. Alternatively, they could be someone whose work revolves upon the quest of wisdom.

Here’s an example of Prince William’s horoscope, in which the MC degree is in the ascendant’s 12th sign. This could indicate that one’s career is focused on 12th house themes or activities. Working in a charity, working with those who are spiritually, emotionally, or mentally suffering, or working behind the scenes to support the success of others, depending on the sign(s) and planet(s) involved, this could mean working in a charity, working with those who are spiritually, emotionally, or mentally suffering. It could entail working in an environment that requires retreat or separation from society, such as a hospital, prison, retreat center, or other facility where individuals seek health and recovery (addiction treatment centre for instance).

By 2015, I was mostly working in full-service sign shops. I loved the philosophical integrity of how the signs connected to the ascendant, and how this seemed to better mirror the manifestation of each of the houses’ associated issues.

Wade Caves and Lee Lehman co-taught a horary intensive in Toronto in 2016, which I attended.

Lee and I were having a little conversation about house systems over dinner one night, and I was describing how I believed that life topics translated through the entire sign chart seemed clearer and more relevant than a quadrant system like Placidus.

The signs are linked to houses in a regular order throughout the sign system, so if Gemini is on the first house, Cancer is on the second, Leo is on the third, and so on. Because houses in Placidus might be greater than 30 degrees, a sign may be skipped as the house ruler on occasion.

In Placidus, for example, it’s conceivable to have a Gemini Ascendant and then a Leo on the second house, resulting in the third sign ruling the second house. Interceptions are the result of this. Cancer would be stopped in this scenario.

The same informationthe constant sign/pairingwould show up in the Equal house system, as the sign/house pairings would be the same in both the Equal and Whole Sign house systems, as both create sign/house combinations from the ascendant.

The ascendant’s degree becomes the degree of all the house cusps in the Equal house system, whereas in the entire sign system, all the house cusps are 0 degrees. The MC degree, like the complete sign, floats inside whichever house it falls into in the Equal house system. The topic of conversation changed, but the memory of that brief exchange lingered in my mind.

While my purpose here is not to take sides in the discussion or even to try to shape it, Tony Howard has been asking me for months to write something about why I converted to full sign homes, to help explain it to my students and clients, many of whom have accompanied me on this trip.

Thank you so much for your patience and support, if that’s you! I haven’t been compelled to write about it until now, three years after I made the move, because I’ve been too busy investigating the ‘new to me’ method in sessions and classes.

I understand how strange it is when someone you’ve studied or consulted with makes a substantial change in their practice, which leads to a slew of new concerns and debates. I’ve had a lot of conversations with students and clients about things like “what happens if the Sun is in the 8th house instead of the 7th,” or “what happens if the Moon is in the 11th house instead of the 12th.”

The answers to these fascinating questions transcend beyond the discussion over house systems and into how you approach chart work. These discussions have allowed me to gain a better grasp of birth charts and how they function.

These days, I only work in the sign house system as a whole. However, I spent the first ten years of my career in Placidus and Regiomontanus.

I still have clients and students who are really comfortable with their Placidus charts and prefer to work with me in that manner, which I am pleased to do.

I consider my duty as someone who, to the best of my ability, delivers insight, direction, and knowledge derived from your astrology chart in the most meaningful and relevant ways for you, as my client or pupil.

While house systems are significant, astrology is even more so, regardless of the house system you choose.

My four-part ‘Introduction to Traditional Astrology’ seminar will guide you through the exploration of entire sign houses as well as other significant traditional astrology approaches.

PS Ryhan Butler recently started a discussion on Twitter on the various housing systems. This can be found here.

Is the orb important in astrology?

An aspect’s validity was preserved due to the margin of error or inexactness. For example, two planets do not have to be separated by exactly 180 degrees to be in opposition; the aspect is still valid if the angle is 175 or 185 degrees. A platic aspect has a large orb yet is nevertheless deemed significant enough to be included in a horoscope reading.

The notion behind orbs is that planets emit a certain amount of light or halo into the sky, so that another planet a few degrees away from an exact or partile aspect will still be influenced by it.

On either side of a planet, an orb will be cast. An orb of 10 degrees for the sun in modern astrology would capture an aspect within a 20-degree arc. A moeity is a half-arc cast to the left or right of a planet, and if a traditional astrologer mentions a 15-degree orb for the sun, she will most likely use the moity of 7.5 degrees to determine its aspects.

The size of the orb employed is a question of interpretation: Psychological Astrology prefers larger spheres, whilst Horary Astrology prefers tighter ones. In horary astrology, the orb in a separating aspect is frequently ignored in judgments because it represents a topic that is “over and done,” regardless of how narrow the orb is. Different rules are used by astrologers to establish how large an orb to employ, thus personal experience is usually the best guidance.

In general, modern astrologers allow larger spheres for the sun and moon, ranging from 10 to 12 degrees on either side, with smaller orbs for the remaining planets, ranging from 5-7 degrees. The size of an aspect’s orb is also determined by the type of aspect: larger orbs are used for important aspects like conjunction and opposition, while smaller orbs are used for lesser aspects (generally 1 to 3 degrees).

Even if the orb is quite close, some astrologers will disregard an aspect if the planets are out-of-sign or disassociate. The moon at 29 degrees Aries and the sun at 2 degrees Scorpio, for example, are only 3 degrees apart in their orbs, well within their typical range; nonetheless, traditional and horary astrologers would undoubtedly dismiss it because the signs are not opposite one another in the horoscope.

Major Aspects Guidelines:

In a chart, sensitive points like the midheaven, midpoints, and Arabian parts do not cast an orb. Asteroids cannot cast orbs that are exceedingly large.

What is an orb’s function?

The earth is represented by the royal orb. The globe has been a symbol of sovereign sovereignty since the Hellenistic era. The globe was utilized by the Roman emperors as a symbol of their universal dominance, with the goddess of triumph usually positioned on top. The goddess was replaced by a cross in the 400s, symbolizing Christ’s dominion.

Adolf Zethelius created the Norwegian King’s Orb in Stockholm in 1818 as part of the regalia commissioned by King Carl Johan for his coronation.

Why is Placidus so well-known?

In Episode 244, Anthony Louis talks about how Placidus became the most prevalent quadrant house division system in modern western astrology.

Placidus is the most popular house system in late twentieth and early twenty-first century astrology, and it is usually the default house system in most software applications, making it the system with which most individuals begin their study of astrology.

The question is, how did this happen in the first place? What led to Placidus’ general popularity, especially given there are alternative varieties of quadrant house division accessible, such as Porphyry or Alcabitius houses?

The Placidus house system and its popularization may be traced back to the 17th century, and it was founded in part on an attempt to understand a contentious passage from the work of 2nd century astrologer Claudius Ptolemy.

An item on Anthony’s blog titled Why are Placidus Houses so Popular? sparked this conversation.

The purpose of this post was to discuss some of the issues raised in that post and to delve deeper into some of them in order to better understand the history of house division.

While our last episode on the roots of the many forms of house division in ancient astrology addressed the early history of house division, the goal of this episode is to fill in some gaps on the later history of house division from the Renaissance era to the present day.

You can learn more about Anthony by visiting his website:

We utilized an extensive set of show notes as the outline for our discussion, which you can find here.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll find audio and video versions of this episode.

Episode Outline and Show Notes

Here’s a portion of the outline we drew out in advance of this episode:

Based on Anthony’s blog post Why Are Placidus Houses So Popular? from November 2019.
“Placidus: The Default Darling of Domification,” in Federation of Australian Astrologers Journal, Vol 49, No 2 (June 2019), pp. 21-26, is a follow-up to the original paper.
The following is the discussion’s premise:
Placidus is the most common house system in late twentieth and early twenty-first century astrology.
In Western astrology today.
Most software packages, such as Astro.com, use it as the default house system.
As a result, it is the system that most individuals begin with.
Why is Placidus the default quadrant system, one of the questions that arises?
Holden mentions that Placidus became the default because he was available:
“It has become a cliche in the twentieth century that the Placidus system became the standard in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries because it was the only one for which affordable tables were easily available.” This is partially accurate, but the same could be said of the Regiomantanus system’s initial success. A History of Horoscopic Astrology, by Holden, p. 150.
Because Placidus had been promoted earlier, Anthony took exception to this.
Because it had been heavily marketed from the 17th century, it was the principal system available by the 20th century.
So, how did all of this begin?
Placidus’ book was first published in 1650.
Primary directions and home division were the focus.
He was eager to piece together Ptolemy’s strategy.
Part of a broader return to Ptolemy movement.
Lilly and others have shown this as well.
The oldest Greek author available was Ptolemy.
It is thought to be the most authoritative.
In his chapter on the length of life, Ptolemy discusses house partition (3, 11).
He also introduces the basic directions here.
The technique of house partition he suggests here has been a source of contention for a long time.
“This one chapter has sparked more astrological debate than any other in history.” A History, by Holden, p. 47.
Ptolemy was his generation’s Einstein.
There were conflicting interpretations of the system of house division Ptolemy was aiming to present in this chapter even among early Greek authors after Ptolemy.
Ptolemy’s interpretation led to some of the later forms of dwellings.
One of the authors that did this was Regiomantanus.
“Regiomontanus claimed that his method was inspired by Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, iii. 10.” Although this is undoubtedly erroneous, the majority of astrologers accepted Regiomontanus’ reasoning. Ancient House Division II, Holden.
“His house tables, which were accompanied by auxiliary tables for computing principal directions, were most certainly the first substantial set of mathematical tables of any kind ever written, appearing only four decades after printing was invented.”
“The Regiomontanus system was successful because of three factors. For starters, it gave a printable set of home tables. Second, it was technologically advanced and scientific. Third, it replaced a system allegedly developed by a medieval Arab with one allegedly sanctioned by classical Greece. These arguments, however, may have been used to either the Campanus or Placidus systems. As a result, it is reasonable to conclude that the Regiomontanus system’s success was attributable to external circumstances rather than any inherent superiority.
Another author, Placidus, popularized a method based on his interpretation of Ptolemy’s meaning.
Placidus was notable because he is regarded to have been one of the first in centuries to comprehend Ptolemy’s theory of primary directions.
He, on the other hand, misread Ptolemy’s planned house partition system.
At least, that’s what Holden claims.
Ptolemy, according to Holden and Schmidt, was essentially describing equal dwellings.
With ranges that start 5 degrees above the Ascendant’s cusp.
At first, Hephaistio describes it in this way.
However, Pancharius, an older commentator, interpreted it differently.
A modified “Alchabitius style” was introduced (Holden says “modified Porphyry).
As a result of Ptolemy’s interpretations, different house systems have emerged.
This is why Holden dubbed this the most contentious chapter in astrology history.
Despite the fact that the Placidus system retains his name, it is possible that it was not the first time it was used.
In the 12th century, Ibn Ezra recounts a similar strategy.
Magini “is said to have described it,” according to Holden on page 162, and Placidus “probably could have gotten the idea from reading his book.”
There was precedent, but it was popularized by Placidus.
Placidus’ Influence
Because Lilly’s Christian Astrology was published after Placidus, it had no bearing.
Regiomantanus residences were utilized by Lilly (1602-1681), as well as his followers John Gadbury (1627-1704) and Henry Coley (1627-1704). (1633-1707).
Late in his life, the Catholic Church forbade Placidus’ work.
Placidus was added to the Church’s Index of Forbidden Books in 1687 (the same year Kirby & Bishop released their abbreviated translation), and the ban was renewed in 1709.
As a result, Placidus became mostly available and popular in Protestant England.
Perhaps because it was regarded as a novel or radical reinterpretation.
To improve the procedures, recovering lost wisdom that had been hidden is necessary.
Placidus ‘desired no other guides than Ptolemy and Reason,’ according to his arguably most famous declaration. Primary Directions, by Gansten, p. 19.
It grew in popularity quickly (?)
In many ways, it’s similar to the recent popularity of entire sign houses in our day.
There was an early English translation of Placidus’ work.
Kirby and Bishop released The Marrow of Astrology in 1687, a condensed English translation of Placidus’ magnum opus (1650).
John Partridge (1644-1715) was the most vocal supporter of Placidus homes.
It wasn’t in his first book, An Astrological Vade Mecum (1679), which includes tables of Regio houses, but in his second Opus Reformatum (1693), in which “he repudiated the teachings of medieval astrologers in favor of Ptolemy and Placidus” (Gansten, Primary Directions, p. 21).
An outspoken supporter
He was the 17th century’s last famous English astrologer.
In 1821, R.C. Smith (‘Raphael’) released a popular astrological almanac containing Placidus house tables, making the Placidus method widely available.
“It appears likely that he did so because the Placidus method yields cusps that are complex to calculate when referring to any one specific sidereal time, but which are quite simple to produce in table form,” says Ralph William Holden (1977). (The Elements of House Division, p.91).
Placidus became the most common system among English-speaking astrologers after that.
The Regiomontanus house tables were removed from Lilly’s book, which was reissued in abbreviated form.
Zadkiel’s edition (1852)
Zadkiel’s importance grew as the original edition of Lilly went out of print.
Placidus was adopted by Alan Leo because it was the standard of practice in late-nineteenth-century England.
Placidus was commonly used by astrologers in the early twentieth century.
Placidus became the most widely used system for which tables of homes were accessible.
To compute cusps on a chart by hand, you’ll need a table of houses.
It makes some of the math easier to understand.
In what is already a time-consuming procedure.
Astrologers also don’t have a lot of experience with astronomy.
Placidus became the default astrologer with the introduction of computerized astrology and websites.
This indicates that this is the first system you will use.
The interpretations’ accuracy or inaccuracy is then partially determined by it.
Going against this typically entails rejecting what you’ve already learned.
These are some of the factors that contributed to Placidus becoming the most popular home system in modern times.