The 4th house in your chart reveals your base.  For example if Saturn rules your 4th or if Saturn in placed in your 4th house, I’d consider you fear-based.
If Jupiter ruled your 4th or was placed there, I would think of you as faith-based, etc.
The 10th house is public, the 4th house is not. Whatever is described by your 10th house is there to be seen by the public.
In contrast only you and your intimates are likely to be aware of the qualities described by your 4th house. You do have to consider the entire chart as there are exceptions to this and I can serve as an example.
Mars rules my 4th house. Fire in the belly! At my core, I am driven, angry, ambitious, heroic, etc.  Mars in my chart is in the 9th house, conjunct Mercury so I broadcast these qualities. I flat our state that if you break into my house (4th), I will shoot you (Mars).
I also live with a retired Green Beret! How’s that for Mars ruling my 4th?
How does your 4th house describe you?
Very cool. I am loving the beginner posts.
I have only Neptune in my fourth house (in Sag). Ruled by Venus (Libra not Taurus). I don’t know what that means exactly but I’m here to learn!
My 4th house makes me sad.
I’ve got a busy 4th house. It’s ruled by Uranus (Aquarius)… Chiron, Mars, and Jupiter reside there.
I’ve been extremely lucky (Jupiter) to have had the opportunity to move (Mars) and live (4th House) in some awesome places. A few of those moves where on impulse (Uranus). One of those impulsive moves resulted in a very long series of unforeseen consequences that broke my heart (Chiron) and was the saddest time of my life.
I think it’s interesting that Uranus is in my 10th opposite Jupiter- there’s something significant I feel there, but am not quite sure what it is.
My 4th h is ruled by Taurus and contains no planets. I certainly like my home to be comfortable, to contain good food, and it has to be tranquil!
The ruler of my 4th h, is in Cancer, on the cusp of the 6/7 houses. I am not certain how that can be interpreted. – I know I like my work environment to be comfortable also – I like to feel at home there—
My fourth house is empty, it is ruled by Gemini. I find that when I am sick and in bed, yanno bad flu day. I don’t need you talking to me, but I like the sound of talking in the house. It is comforting and soothing to hear pleasant conversations between loved ones. I have a cappy moon so I need to feel secure by the presence of pleasant conversations in my home.
what if your cusp is jupiter (sag) and saturn is in cap in the 4th? are you fear and faith at once? can you give an example?
like “I’m afraid to do this but I can leap and it might work out”
This is most interesting … I find that depending upon where I live the houses change, according to some locational astrology methodologies. And the house that gets the most attention is always the 4H. But as it’s been stressed to me no one is ever their chart, and one can choose to transcend.
Neptune rules my 4th House. Mars, Venus, South Node are there. At my core I am dreamy, loving, passionate, and deeply tied to my ancestral and familial past.
(4th House ruler resides in my 12th).
Interesting. So, 4th House is where my Libra Sun lives, but (using equal houses) the 4th H is also home to my Virgo Pluto and Uranus.
Would I consider my 4H to be Mercury or Venus ruled? ie How is House Ruler precedence determined with EqH? Does the Sun sign lead the way, or ??
Thanks!
@hrae just taking a guess at this one. Maybe home schooled. You learn more from home, then out in the world. The lessons hit home. Everything I ever learned I learned at home. Solid educational base. Maybe like the author of, “Everything I ever needed to learn, I learned in kindergarten”
Pluto rules my 4H in my natal chart. Neptune and Jupiter reside there.
Awesome post! A house that is not discussed too much, perhaps due the reasons you stated above 🙂 I have Neptune in Cap on my IC, so I am both fear based and faith based I suppose! It ebbs and flows…
I dunno. But I’m glad that you are addressing this. Mine is in Gemini. So Merc ruled but Saturn is in there so I’m looking at that “fear based” statement and rolling it around a bit. My Merc is in Scorpio in the 9th so I broadcast my gemini saturn lessons to the world too. Mars, Sun and Uranus trine that Saturn..I’ll shoot you too.
In relation to what the self knows and what the public knows..there is no one that knows the secret investigative life that spawns from that base of closely studying (Saturn) varied topics (Gemini) to both deliver to the world (9th house)and use in my own personal deconstruction and following reconstruction (8th house sun, mars, urnaus). Nobody.
I have the moon in Leo conjunct the nadir. I love my home and there is no place where I feel most comfortable. If I’m not careful I can become too reclusive I have to make an effort to get out and be social.
Buying a home was a big deal to me for many reasons, I felt like buying this home was getting the home I never had growing up.
Well, on a practical level 4th Aries/Mars in 6th Gemini. I work from home, I work on my home, I’m always doing SOMETHING around my house. Home is not necessarily a relaxing place, I always see things to do here.
What’s more important the planets in house or the ruler of the house?
My 4th house says, “If you mess with my pleasure den I will end you with creme brulee.”
Venus and Pluto.
I have my Scorpio pluto in my Libra 4th house, so Venus-ruled. And venus conjunct mars in the 7th. I love my home to be comfortable and beautiful, and I want to build it with someone.
How does your 4th house describe you? My 4th and 10th houses are the only houses in my chart that don’t share a sign. My 4th house is ruled by Gemini being as Mercury is Gemini’s planet then the house would be ruled by Mercury. Other than that the house its self is totally empty and it is a small house not a full 30 degrees and Gemini shares on either side of my 4th house. Pretty much my home is open to any of the children, and my siblings. I don’t handle cramped little houses well at all. I need a huge house to feel right with open airy rooms.
Higher education and childhood environment. Communication. Happiness. Intelligence. Achievements. Siblings. local travel and transportations. Added to Ancestry, heritage, roots. Early foundation and environment. Mother or mothers as figure. The caretaker of the household. Cyclic end of matters.
That pretty much describes me to a tee. Guess you could say I am somewhat driven.
Depending on house system, the IC/MC marks the cusp of 4th/10th houses.
I have Saturn in Virgo, the same degree as my IC. I would call that fear-of-failure based.
I also have Pluto in my 4th, in Libra, where its in nearly exact opposition to my Moon in Aries/10th house.
So the ruler of my 4th house is Mercury?
I have Mercury in Scorpio/5th house, closely conjunct Uranus and inconjunct my Moon. (I think it’s fun to find out what makes people tick, even if it irritates/disturbs them? But people think I’m just crazy/stalker?)
Pluto rules Scorpio, which puts attention back on my 5th house.
Okay, so with Moon in Aries/10th, the ruler of my 10th house is Mars?
Mars is in Virgo/3rd in close conj with NN and a few degrees from Jupiter.
I have mood swings/temper tantrums. I can communicate well in writing when I don’t feel like I have to hold back but I may alienate and anger people? I have trouble communicating what’s bothering me cuz I don’t feel I can be open with people? At home, in private, I feel the desperation and unhappiness of their unrealized dreams/potentials, what they could have had, and how life actually turned out… and I become a moody bitch and I speak mostly in grunts cuz I don’t wanna talk to you about anything cuz I hate you and I hate it here with you. (Not YOU readers) My mom and I are starting to cut the cord. I think a lot of her unspoken attitudes and beliefs (and lack of) really messed me up in being able to relate to other people, especially men, especially about sex.
Now, Saturn would rule whatever house I have Capricorn in, right? Capricorn marks my 7th house. I have Venus ~2 degrees Cap. In a Placidus chart, my Venus is in the middle of my 6th house, but using whole sign houses, it puts it in my 7th. This is a relatively new finding for me. I think both placements have validity, but I don’t feel like I have Venus in the 7th because I have little experience with relationships, esp romantic/sexual. Or I find someone I think I could have a relationship with, but I hit some kind of obstacle. Like one guy got deported. But maybe that’s Capricorn/Saturn restriction.
The 10th house is a Capricorn theme, so does it go back to my Venus? Which is trine my Mars?
I don’t know, I don’t want to admit this, but I would say I’m very fear/anger based. Especially the last couple/few years as Pluto went into Cap and violated my Venus. I feel pissed that he didn’t ask permission first, and acted like I was the one with the problem when he hurt me. So, yes, the darker parts of me want to terrorize/violate him right back so he knows what it feels like. I know it’s petty, but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel love for him… I just want him to admit that he wronged me.
Basically this sums it up for me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahg3lwjrRtA
Please reply and tell me how you’re doing now with Saturn in Capricorn? Nancy Brady Troy Michigan
the ruler of my fourth is on my midheaven 😉
the ruler of my seventh is on my nadir.
i guess maybe i get out more than i realize.
Uranus rules my 4th, and I have Mars in Pisces there, in Placidus. Uranus is conjunct my ascendant?
I have a Virgo 4th house. I am secretly ruled by my perfectionism.
The ruler of my 4th is the sun, which, is located in the 4thm along with Mercury, Venus, and Mars. I’m very me-based. 😛 But really, my unwavering commitment to myself is my primary form of strength.
I’ve heard that Neptune in the 4th house can mean an absent Father. I too have Sag in the 4th house with Neptune and my Father passed away at 53 years old. He was a Pisces (Neptune). My North Node also is there.
I have my Aries south node there, and Chiron in Taurus as well (if using Placidus system). Guess you could say it’s my Batcave. I almost never have people over cause I’m a nervous Nelly as a hostess. And there’s really nowhere for people to sit. No couch.
Also, Neptune is my 4th house ruler. My birth father disappeared from my life for many years. And my family moved around a lot, so I learned not to get too attached to a place. Until recently I had a hard time letting myself put pictures on the walls, curtains, etc. I was afraid to create a home only to uproot and move again.
Another thing: I don’t like opening the curtains or blinds. I have a thing about this but am overcoming it. I like to daydream or dance, and don’t want the neighbors seeing it.
Pluto in Scorpio in my fourth house. So the ruler of my fourth is actually residing in my fourth. Am I sex based? lol.
Pisces IC conjunct Chiron– w/Neptune in the 12th. I never realized how much this described my core until transiting Neptune/chiron came within orb of conjunction of natal chiron/IC…like being sucked into my 12th house.
My Jupiter-ruled (Sagg.) 4th house is empty. I don’t know my mother’s astro sign, but she abandoned me when I was 5 years old. I think that’s how that placement may have manifested in my life. ::shrugs::
My 4th House is 3/5 in Sag and 2/5 in Cap… But my chart ruler Mercury is in that Cap section.
Mercury issues definitely rule my life and always have – my handicap is a Mercury issue. Only people close to me know the ‘whole’, that’s for sure (and very few of them understand it).
My working life / career has been largely Mercury related too. In addition I have a Mercury/Ceres exact conjunction, and I feel I’ve really been using that since joining these boards – like exercising a muscle I barely knew I had!
My 4th house and IC is ruled by Aries/Mars, w/Chiron placed there as well.
My 4th is ruled by Uranus (which is in the 11th).
My Aquarian sun is in the 4th and my mercury is conjunct my IC.
ruled by capricorn, with saturn and jupiter placed there..jupiter at 0 aquarius to add quirky to the equation
i have faith but make plans in case…
I’ve got nada in my 4th house, though it’s ruled by Sag, but Jup’s over in the 5th, along with Saturn, with the two just a little over 4 degrees apart. Maybe that explains the proliferation of Sag bfs despite my stellium Virgo (Sun, Pluto, Mercury) self!
saturn is in my 4th house. i’m not fear based…i’m baseless. neptune conjunct IC.
Aries rules my fourth House & my Moon is in there!
@blue_rose…I have the opposite thing to you… I hate having to CLOSE curtains etc & I very rarely do. At night, I hardly ever have lights on inside… just candles. I don’t want the neighbours peeking in either, so I have lights OUTSIDE the house. Switch em on… I can see you, but you can’t see me! =)
IC Taurus, with Chiron in Gemini in the 4h. (recently posted I had 8h Chiron – Woops meant 8 deg Gemini Chiron 😛
Ever since I was little I was a little obsessive about having my environment just so. Mind you, I grew up in below- poverty circumstances and with a fair amount of difficulty (disabled & emotionally abusive mom). My room was my sanctuary from a tough world.
4h ruler Venus is in the 8th. I have had a number of moves to new cities in my adult life (and too many to count as a kid). Each move has been followed by a true and actual grieving process akin to losing a loved one. I’m talking the kind of depression where it’s hard to stand up.
I now own a home that I really like with a really great partner. Losing it all somehow is at the back of my mind. I have pretty much come to terms with this kind of loss.
Errr. 4h Ruler Venus is in the 9th in Scorp. Gemini takes up most of the (small) 4h and is the home of Chiron. Mercury is conjunct Sun in 8h.
Cool!
@hrae If your cusp is Jupiter and Saturn is in your 4th, you will be fear and faith based. Your example is one way it could manifest. It could also be that you have faith yet suddenly you’re hit by a fear because you star to doubt (Saturn) your faith (Jupiter).
“Mars rules my 4th house so at my core, I am driven, angry, ambitious, heroic, etc.”
I can relate and have Moon-Mars-Mercury. Explains why I feel (Moon) so Mars-y and why I have a hero (Mars) theme fighting bad guys (8th) in my dreams (Moon). Mars is in the 8th, so it’s expressed in a more coiled, smolder-y manner, but it is also in Leo so when it blows, it is on display.
Taurus is on the cusp of my empty fourth house, with venus in the fifth. I’m not especially houseproud (ahem it’s a bit of a tip), but I do love to curl up in comfort be it in bed or on a sofa, and I hate being away from home and the people I love.
I also love children – can’t wait to have them filling my house! And I often decorate the house with things I’ve made myself like painted plates and ‘art works’.
Gemini IC I have two homes, one being a vacation trailer, which is fully equipped as a home from home. I need to be able to move around, or I can’t breathe. Mercury in 1st in Pisces, I think I’m invisible, and kinda like that, but I communicate a lot through writing.
We moved a lot, usually it was sudden. My parents remarried before we went back home, when we were here on vacation, and we were moved over here about five weeks later. that’s just one example.
Hi Elsa,
Thank you for raising this topic and inspiring insights into oneself.
I have Jupiter in late Scorpio and at the early degrees of my fourth house. I notice that I can only yell in our house but not in other places.
By the way, my Pluto is in the early degrees of Virgo and halfway in my first house.
libra is on the cusp of my 4th house, so I am guessing venus ruled. But I have jupiter, neptune and the north node in Scorpio in my 4th house. So maybe I have a lot pluto in my 4th house. Venus is in aquarius in my 7th house, Pluto is in virgo in my 2nd house.
Okay so textbooks say Venus in 4th is supposedly good for home stuff, means you had a happy childhood blah blah you must like gardening, your house must be really pretty and cosy etc. Whilst this textbook interpretation might be true for some, it doesn’t seem to work too well when Saturn is involved.
Capricorn on the cusp, Cap Venus in 4th, and my childhood was very emotionally cold (emotionally absent to be more precise) mixed with sudden outbursts of aggression (Aqua Mars in 4th). All of my adult homes have been tiny, old, rugged and I don’t like to spend on furniture or decorating, I’d rather buy used stuff. I suppose my homes might have been cosy though, in a weird, Soviet-y (for want of a better term) way 🙂
Cap on the 4th cusp when using equal, and Aqua IC when using Placidus. Interestingly, I have had several unexpected and sudden moves. When I was under 18 I had to move altogether 15 times due to changing families/institutions, and now as an adult I’ve had to move suddenly and unexpectedly several times because of electric failure, water damage etc. Or is this just Aqua Mars then, who knows.
I have saturn conj jupiter in the 4th and I’ve always considered my self an optimistic realist.
Oh, and Elsa, your American gun-toting pride is very strange to me. I live in Canada and mercury rules my 4th house so I guess I would just talk to the intruder, haha.
“I live in Canada and mercury rules my 4th house so I guess I would just talk to the intruder, haha.”
You can do that here too, merle. 🙂
Forgot to mention that my 4th house ruler, Neptune, sits in my 12th. Would this combo give someone a romanticized view of God? Also, could it give the person a sixth sense around their family? I’ve noticed that when I visit my birth dad’s relatives in person, I can pick up this skeezy vibe. It’s creepy.