Since you talked about Chris, I will say one more thing. Like you, I started looking into the Whole Sign system because all the traditional astrologers use and recommend it (e.g. there's virtually no astrologer on Chris' show who doesn't use it). At first glance, it seemed to be off but I'd heard and read many arguments in favor of it, and so I gave it a try - and it completely fell apart. The arguments we keep hearing are basically arguments from historical authority and from the initial rationale of the 12 house division. None of those arguments (and here I'm thinking of Watson and Brennan in particular) are logically necessary and they're often made on the grounds of technicalities. If you just simply look at some charts, it's very obvious how grotesque the distortions of the placements are. Anyway, I could go on about particular arguments but I'm just going to say that I'm stunned, time and again, by how the evident contradictions go unnoticed even by "renowned" people within the astrological community.