The 4th house is commonly known to be associated with family, roots, upbringing and our home in both a physical and emotional sense. The 4th house cusp is called the Imum Coeli or IC. It’s the lowest part of the Natal Chart, it is the most private and personal to us, and it creates the foundation for the rest of our chart. The condition of the 4th house describes our childhood upbringing and the home environment we grew up in. This is the part of our lives in which we learn to satisfy our most basic needs regarding safety and comfort. What we learn during childhood (and our caregivers) has a deep influence over our psychological basis and how we form emotional responses throughout our lives.
What can be built on a weak foundation? Surely you could not have a successful career (10th house) without a bed to sleep in at night? How can you have a fulfilling relationship (7th house) if you don’t know what you need to feel nurtured and secure? The stronger our roots are, the more we can build onto our foundation. Arguably. the 4th house could be considered the most important house… if we have nowhere to call home, nowhere to feel safe, and no family to call for help, the other 11 houses become rather insignificant.
But what is “home”? I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “home is where the heart is.” The concept of home goes beyond a physical sense. Home is a feeling. When we feel at home, we feel like we can be our most authentic selves. The 4th house is the base of our consciousness and our emotional center. It is your ability to feel at home with not only your physical surroundings but to feel at home with the SELF on a deep emotional level. The ability of our 4th house and the way it is able to function is dependent on our ability to retreat into our inner world and form a strong connection with the deepest parts of our psyche. Who are you when no one is watching? The 4th house is how we access that part of ourselves, that quiet space that exists within all of us and allows us to feel centered and grounded. That is what home is really all about, if you feel at home with yourself then you can create a home anywhere you go.
Take for example, someone with an Aquarius IC… their ability to feel the most at home and comfortable in their environment is going to be tied to their ability to feel independent and celebrate their individuality, maybe even having the space to rebel! They would not be able to feel deep emotional fulfillment if they were deprived of the space to function freely as an individual and to think/act outside of the box of what is considered normal. This would be an emotional need for them and without it they would not feel like they have access to their true selves. Freedom, change, and individuality could be the tools they use to “come home” and feel grounded and safe to express their true nature.
Or someone with Sun in the 4th house… Many tend to assume that someone with Sun/Moon in the 4th house is going to be someone with deep ties to their family and home, maybe even a homebody type. But this isn’t always true. Someone with Sun in the 4th house, the expression of their ego and identity is going to be reliant on their emotional foundation. If this person tries to neglect their emotions, is uncomfortable with the reality of their emotional needs, doesn’t have a safe and comfortable space to call home, their ability to shine is going to be greatly weakened. But when they have plenty of access to privacy, comfort, and stability, their self-expression will be energized and they can really shine for everyone to see! It doesn’t mean that they spend all their time at home, but they need the resources of the 4th house in order to be their radiant selves. This is true for any 4th house placement, the resources of the 4th house are going to be a crucial aspect in the planet’s expression. And it works vice versa, the planet in the 4th could also be considered a tool in which one may call upon this deeper understanding of the self. So with this placement, not only would the 4th house provide the resources the Sun needs to shine, but the Sun would in return shine that light onto the 4th house and lead to emotional fulfillment and comfort when is expressing their personality.
How are your 4th house planets functioning? If you have your Venus there, are you able to connect with others and do things that bring you pleasure? If you have your Mars there, are you able to initiate new things, do you have the willpower to achieve your goals and assert yourself when necessary? If not, your foundation may need some tending to. Spend some time alone, call upon your 4th house resources and tools to get closer to yourself! The 4th house is your safe space. This is where you can truly be yourself and access the deepest parts of your inner world. So use it! The rest of your chart will thank you for having that strong, stable, beautiful foundation to rest on.
Aries AC/Cancer IC: You grew up stifled due to being told to stay in the comfort zone. You were taught to stick to what you always knew, stay safe, and not take risks. Now, you seek to take risks, be brave, and to be assertive with what you want.
Taurus AC/Leo IC: You grew up learning that gaining attention stabilized your foundation. You were encouraged to be charismatic and to focus on yourself. Now, you know how to seek stabilization without attention, for you truly know that stabilization starts within yourself.
Gemini AC/Virgo IC: You grew up learning that life consisted of a lot of work and attentiveness. You were taught to always work first. Now, you know how to live life playfully, and to communicate well with others rather than overthinking and over-analyzing.
Cancer AC/Libra IC: You grew up passively to keep the peace. You were taught to always be polite, well-mannered, and considerate. Now, you seek for your own comfort and familiarity, and realize that emotional comfort creates stronger bonds rather than just following social cues.
Leo AC/Scorpio IC: As you grew up, you were told to stay in the shadows and keep the secrets. You were taught that the world was dark. Now, you seek to illuminate your own light to the world, for you are able to handle any inevitable shadows coming your way.
Virgo AC/Sagittarius IC: You grew up exposed to the grandness of the world. The world was overwhelming, and it was hard to take root. Now, you seek to not miss a detail, for this is how you’ve learned to truly appreciate the world for what it is. Quality management is a priority.
Libra AC/Capricorn IC: You grew up quickly due to being exposed to the harsh, somber state of the world. Now, you seek to soften the harshness of reality by trying to create relationships with others so that nobody would ever have to face the world alone.
Scorpio AC/Aquarius IC: You grew up feeling alienated from the world. It felt as if you had to convince others you had power. Now, you realize that receiving and feeling such powers is a personal, intimate matter within yourself that will not require an arbitrary outside opinion.
Sagittarius AC/Pisces IC: You grew up in ambiguity with little to no grounding. Now, you have learned that as long as ambiguity is inevitable, so is opportunity. You explore the world freely, without a care about where you’re going because ultimately, you’ll be just fine.
Capricorn AC/Aries IC: You grew up quickly encountering conflict, aggression, and immaturity. The world was a battlefield. Facing conflict has helped you gain tougher skin, and you have realized that maturity and responsibility, not brute force, is the way to gain true power.
Aquarius AC/Taurus IC: You grew up encountering stagnancy and stubbornness. Being trapped in complacency has urged you to be the change, and you realize that one must always go out of the comfort zone if they want to truly create anything lasting and meaningful.
Pisces AC/Gemini IC: When you grew up, you were given the assumption that life has a certain logic and rationality. However, you witnessed inconsistencies, you eventually accept such inconsistencies, for you realize that the unknown is an inevitable part of life.
