The Fourth House

The Fourth House: Introduction

The Fourth House In Astrology is one we are very familiar with. Our heritage, home and family reside in this house and so we associate this house with all the comforts of home – even if, on occasion, it’s a place that’s less comfortable than we imagine it to be. After all, our parents live in this house and who hasn’t ever had a row with the folks at home?

In this section I’m going to tell you about the fourth house in your astrological chart. If you have the Sun, Moon, Chart Ruler or a stellium of planets in this house in your natal (birth) chart, you will find it hard to avoid the fourth house and those matters associated with it being a prominent feature in your life.

However, even if this house is not prominent in your natal chart, some of you may find yourselves living here from time to time. Planets may transit and station in your fourth house. You may experience a fourth house emphasis in your Solar Returns or Transits. Solar and Lunar Eclipses may take place in this house thus highlighting the affairs of this house when they do.

So, I’m also going to explain how this house functions in predictive astrological charts and provide you with the essential keywords associated with the fourth house to help you make your own chart analysis a little easier. However, I’m going to start with the basics to give this much loved astrological house some context.

The Fourth House: Key Qualities

Angular

The fourth house is an angular house and the angular houses form the cornerstones of our lives – self, family, relationships and status. They are the first houses in each quadrant of the chart and are where action takes place to move our lives forward. This house is where we put down roots and lay ourselves a firm foundation in order to build and grow. It’s no surprise therefore that this house is the bedrock of everything we know ourselves to be.

Water

The fourth house is a water house and is associated with the sign of Cancer. Cancer is the protective and maternal sign of the Zodiac, however it’s also intensely emotional and is known for moodiness too. This house is therefore associated with those things that affect us deeply at an emotional level because it is here where first develop a sense of belonging and kinship. So, in this house we are concerned with the people and things we love (or not) and know well because we are bound by our emotional ties.

The Fourth House: Ruler

The fourth house is ruled by The Moon and the Moon’s watery, fluctuating and reflective qualities govern the nature of our emotional responses in this house. The Moon rules your subconscious nature and feelings, gut responses and attachments are all found in the fourth house. It’s where you cling to things and feel sentimental. It’s where you feel comfortable and accept conditions because ‘they are as they are’. The Moon pulls us towards the things we know – but we don’t necessarily love.

The Fourth House: Natal Astrology

An emphasis on the fourth house in your natal chart doesn’t necessarily imply your life will be focused on the domestic sphere, but fourth house matters will play a major part in your life. This can mean anything from a strong relationship with your mother – and that can be both good and bad as ‘strong’ does not necessarily mean good – especially if there are planets in this house with stressful aspects to the outer planets. Family will mean a lot to you – but again that is a subjective position. Subjectivity itself is also associated with this house through the rulership of the Moon.

Although matters like home, family, land, gardens, nurturing and parents are associated with this house, a fourth house emphasis in your chart often has a more fundamental flavour. There is likely to be an attachment to family and even your homeland in a much deeper sense. You may be proud of your family, interested in your family history and feel an attachment to your place of origin – even if that place is now far away from where you live now. Wistful memories or imaginings of the past are found in the fourth house of your natal chart.

What the fourth house is really about is being rooted and an emphasis on this house often indicates that caring for the world is important to. You recognise the earth is our foundation yet in the fourth house there is a need to make this personal. This extends to your own home and family as you seek to create a sense of belonging. Your personal comfort is important – and this can be physical or emotional. You often need a solid foundation in life and fourth house activities and associations provide that for you as you need to feel connected to your base more than most.

So, an emphasis the fourth house in your natal chart can show that you are family oriented, a good cook, a keen gardener or productive in the many senses of the word. You grow things in the fourth house and that includes children. However, an emphasis on the fourth house can often indicate the place we need to work through issues – especially if there are challenging aspects to this house. However, working with children and families in a professional context, the caring professions, farming, horticulture and even construction professions are ways of using such placements positively.

The Fourth House: Keywords

Women, Mothers, Babies, Childhood, Parents, Parenting, Families, Home, Houses, Homeland, Land, Gardens, Farms, Estates, Environment, Nurture, Nature, Roots, Stability, Belonging, Attachment, Hunger, Food, Chefs, Cooking, Kitchens, Lodgers, Tenants, Decorating, Home Repairs, Relocation, Country of Origin, History, Lineage, Genealogy, Genetics, Ancestors, Legacy, Foundations, Base, Habits, Traditions, Comforts, Replenishment.

The Fourth House: Predictive Astrology

The fourth house in predictive astrology shares the fundamental qualities of the natal fourth house. However, there are essential differences you need to be aware of when analysing a predictive chart. These usually fall into two categories. First, predictive charts and the issues they raise are often temporary. Second, those who are dealing with fourth house issues in a predictive chart are not necessarily natal fourth house subjects and in any event, predictive work usually deals with events and issues rather than your character traits.

With a fourth house emphasis in a predictive chart you will be alerted to issues that will focus on your home and family. For example you may be concerned with gardening, house repairs, relocations, starting a family, children leaving home, elderly parents and so on. Essentially, this house in predictive astrology shows you need to attend to your domestic life and home base – and that includes your inner emotional base too.

A fourth house emphasis in your chart can indicate you will have an emotional year – and of course the reasons for that can span the whole emotional spectrum. Be aware however, that the fourth house can also indicate food issues in general and gynaecological or reproductive issues for women. In fact this house is a female house and this is something that could be emphasised during the year.

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@ Sara Shipman

Picture Credit: Image by Dave McKay from Pixabay