4th House

Once we leave the first quadrant in the wheel of the astrological houses, we enter the realm of the world at a more concrete level. First among this quadrant, and of key importance, is the fourth house—a symbol of "home" in astrology. Natives with a preponderance of celestial bodies in this house are instinctively and relentlessly drawn to either searching for or creating a sense of home throughout their lives.

The fourth house rules our cosmic "safe space": a place where we can go to feel the most secure, where our inner child can flourish and rest. We can also look to the fourth house when searching for answers from the past. This space rules the things we have left behind in our lives—our traditions, roots, native languages, and the more connected we are with our fourth house, the more we can feel a spiritual link to our parents, grandparents, and other family members.

A trip down memory lane

Looking through old photo albums, calling older relatives, and even reviewing old pages of a diary are great ways to unleash the power of this house and feel a sense of belonging, connection, and security. In a very real way, our ancestors are calling to us from the energy of the fourth house.

In the astrological wheel, the fourth house begins at the very bottom. In a way, this house is the "root" of the horoscope or the base. It can also be thought of as a stem from which the rest of the wheel rests, with its roots running deep and supporting the entire chart. One needs a strong foundation in life to thrive, and the fourth house reminds us of just how important our history is in driving us towards a better future.

The house of family

A person with a strong fourth house has plenty of support from family, friends, and their local communities. They are well-connected to their past. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear stories of many generations of their family living in a single city over a long period of time. These people may have well-entrenched family roots in the community. The concept of planting an apple tree from which future generations will benefit is also a very fourth house concept in this regard.

Natives with an afflicted fourth house may be running from their past in some form or are unable to face something that has haunted them since childhood. Therapy can be immensely beneficial for such natives, enabling them to look deep into their past for answers about their future.