Quadrant Houses in Indian Astrology

This is a small post on one of the references of the usage of quadrant houses in the history of Indian astrology.

Quadrant houses were not widely used in India in history. However I read through a direct reference of the quadrant house system in the Tamil translation of Sarvartha Chintamani by Venkatesa Sarma of the 13th century. In this verse, we can directly find the reference to the quadrant house systems and one small note on how to assess the condition of a planet.

கிரகங்கள் ராசி சந்தியிலாவது பாவசந்தியிலாவது அமைந்திருப்பின் ராசியின் தன்மைக்கேற்ற பலத்தையும் பாவத்திற்கேற்ற பலன்களையும் வழங்கும் பலத்தையும் இழந்துவிடுகின்றன. இதை மிக மிக முக்கியமாக ஜோதிட அறிஞர்கள் கவனிக்க வேண்டும்.

English translation:

Planets placed at the transition of a sign (beginning or the end) or at the transition of a house (beginning or the end); lose their strength and won’t be able to fulfill the functions of the sign in which they are placed and also the house in which they are placed. Astrology scholars should be very mindful of this.

Except in a few classical texts in Indian astrology, it is difficult to find such separate mentions of planets at the end of a sign and at the end of a house because a sign is always equal to a house in the whole sign house system. Although we have hint of quadrant houses being used for natal work in Indian astrology, we don’t really know which quadrant house system they used because historically, through the transmission of Persian astrology after the Mughal occupation in India, we know that there are possibilities of Alcabitius (al-Qabisi) and Porphyry (Sripathi) houses may have been used. There are less to no chances of Regiomontanus or Placidus because of their prominence almost 400 years after the beginning of the Islamic occupation in India. Two very popular quadrant house systems before Placidus and Regiomontanus were Alcabitius and Porphyry. However, my speculation would be that Venkatesa Sarma might have used Porphyry.

Venkatesa Sarma clearly points out that a planet that is placed closer to the beginning or the end of a sign and the planet that is placed closer to the beginning or the end of the house is not potent and might not produce results as expected.

Al Pacino has the Moon in the 6th house of Scorpio (debilitation) towards the end of Scorpio and this is also a transition from water sign to fire sign (Gandanta). Al Pacino started smoking and drinking at the age of nine. This is a visceral manifestation of Mercury, the dispositor of the 1st cusp is placed in the nodal axis in its detriment of Pisces. During this time, Pacino was living through Mercury-Moon (Vimsottari Dasa) period and this is very literal in terms of manifestation.

Quadrant houses are reasonably popular in India, especially Placidus system because of its usage in KP astrology developed by scholar Mr. Krishnamurti. Bhava chart is a very prominent term these days and modern astrologers use it very prominently.

Let peace be!