Comments on houses
Quote
"Houses" end up as simply "areas of influence" based upon the
Natural Signs and Rulerships ~ such as 1st House Aries & Mars.
Whatever it is one is supposed to do when applying a House to
events other than its Natural Sign and Rulership seems abstract.
End of Quote
I would tend to look at this quite differently. We are born, our consciousness is more fully and sharply tuned to a larger and more complex enviornment which we are not very familiar with. IF, if astrology has meaning as it is construed for us and by us, then the eastern horizon -- as it rises, or as the earth line falls relative to the star field -- exposes us to new stars, planets and what the astrological influence is. This is an immediate imprint upon us. Over the next hour to two hours we are taking in an imprint. This is the first house experience. (We wont't consider for now what "sign" may be there).
As moment pass we take in other experiences; we are fed, taken care of, comforted, etc. All of these things tend to calm us down from the birth experience and make us feel "one with the world." This is our second house experience; feeling good, liking our environment.
Another hour or two passes and we better realize and experience sensations and sounds and touch, including our own noises and touchy-feely experience. This is our awareness of communication basics.
We can go through all of the houses in such a way. Lets not. But, lets now consider what might happen as planets rise within these houses. The Moon rises at or just after birth. The astrological influence, what ever it actually is, addes the force of "need" to our experience of selfhood. We may be imprinted with a stronger than typical NEED to experience and become aware of what is around us. Later in adult life this may emerge as autism (we want to be cared for), emotional outbursts (we want the world to pay attention to us), exhuberance (we want to experience everyone elses life as well as our own and to share in it), acting (we want to give our life to others and to influence them), etc.
Lets us now say that no other astrological body rises up over the horizon for several hours. Then, presto, up comes Saturn in a zone we measure as and call the fourth house. We had the Moon, then nothing, and now we have a letdown, a disappointed, an energy that we don't know how to internalize, an energy that leaves us feeling wary, uncertain, less sure of how to reach out. We have, now, fourth house values that prompt us to be protective about who and what we are, less prone to pursue those needs that we felt earlier. We have a conflict. Inside us. Ouch. And I'm only fiver hours old or so. Of course I won't realize this problem and be able to nicely articulate for some period of time but -- maybe I'll be picky about who I respond to. I'll like Mom cause she feeds me but I'll hold back from Dad and the others cause they don't give me anything I want.
So the scenario goes. We can visualize a progression of influences that fits with the first day, and which can be expanded up and paralleled to apply to bigger chunks of life, longer periods of time, etc. This is how I see the basis of the house systems in terms of their meanings if not their measurements.
Edited to add the following.
I don't see a basis for applying the natural signs of rulership to the houses such as Mars/Aries to the first house, etc. The signs were originally markers in the sky for an agricultural and hunter based society. Certain stars and star patterns that rose or set at given times of the year related to floods, cold weather, or other natual changes that people had to adapt to to take advantage of some things and avoid other things. After awhile, records and folklore pointed to planets taking on certain modified expressions when located in those signs or star patterns. Those were whole, outer-world influences. The houses seemed to be more inner and me-you relationship oriented influences.
I hope this helps to either make things clearer or to promote a dialog that is useful. Dave.