What it is

Western astrology, as practised in House Call, follows the Vronsky school: classical, Placidus houses, traditional dignities, tight orbs, chart-ruler doctrine. Sergei Vronsky (1915-1998) was a Russian astrologer who codified a careful, almost scientific approach to chart interpretation.

What gets computed

For your birth date, time, and place, we calculate the exact position of the Sun, Moon, ascendant (rising sign), and the eight planets from Mercury to Pluto using astronomy-engine, a JavaScript implementation of the Meeus algorithms accurate to within arc-minutes of Swiss Ephemeris for these bodies. We use the tropical zodiac, which tracks the seasons.

What gets interpreted

Three things, in order of importance:

• The Big Three: Sun (core identity), Moon (emotional life), Ascendant (how you meet the world). These cover most of what people recognise as "you."
• The chart ruler: the planet that rules your ascending sign. Where it sits in your chart is the long-arc theme of your life.
• Stelliums and tight aspects: clusters of three or more planets in one sign or house create disproportionate weight. The chart's gravitational centre.

What makes Vronsky's approach different

Most modern astrology gives you a "mix of everything." Vronsky's framework is hierarchical: some placements matter much more than others, and the chart should be read top-down: chart ruler first, Big Three next, then stelliums, then individual aspects.

What it does well

Long-arc identity patterns. Career direction. Partnership style. The slow shape of a life across decades.

What it does poorly

Day-to-day prediction. Specific events. Medical and material questions.

A House Call reading puts all three traditions on one chart and shows where they agree and where they do not. For why a Western and a Vedic chart can name different signs for the same Sun, see why the charts disagree.