The Whole Sign House System divides the chart so that each of the twelve zodiac signs corresponds to one complete house. The zodiac sign containing the Ascendant becomes the First House, the following sign becomes the Second House, and the sequence continues around the chart. Because every house begins at 0 degrees of a sign and extends for exactly 30 degrees, the Ascendant degree itself does not necessarily mark the First House cusp. Whole Sign houses have ancient historical roots and are widely used in several traditional and contemporary approaches to astrology.