Fourth House

The Fourth House is the heart of your birth chart — the place you return to when you need comfort, grounding, and belonging. It represents your home life, family roots, private world, and emotional security. This is the base of the chart wheel, symbolizing where you come from and what nurtures your inner self.

If the First House is how you step into the world, the Fourth House is where you rest, reflect, and recharge. It reveals your connection to family, ancestry, and the deep emotional patterns formed in childhood.

Life Areas Governed

The Fourth House rules:

• Home, family, and domestic life
• Roots, ancestry, and heritage
• Childhood experiences and memories
• Emotional security and inner stability
• Real estate, land, and one’s private space

This house speaks to the literal and emotional “home” — what makes you feel safe and supported from within.

Ruling Sign and Planet

The Fourth House is ruled by Cancer and its planet The Moon.

This combination brings sensitivity, nurturing, and emotional depth. The Moon’s changing nature mirrors the rhythms of family life — moments of comfort, nostalgia, and growth.

Element: Water

Quality: Cardinal

Opposite House: Tenth House (Career and Public Life)

Symbolic Meaning and Keywords

Home, family, roots, comfort, privacy, emotions, security, heritage, motherhood, belonging.

Everyday Life Examples

Every time you think about where you come from, decorate your home, or crave a quiet night in — that’s your Fourth House energy.

It’s the house that governs how you build your emotional foundation and what “home” truly means to you.

People with strong Fourth House influence often feel a deep connection to family or the past. They may also be drawn to nurturing roles or careers that provide a sense of stability for others.

Empty vs. Full Fourth House

An empty Fourth House usually means home and family life run smoothly without dominating your personal focus. The sign on the cusp and the Moon’s placement will reveal your emotional style and relationship with your roots.

A full Fourth House can indicate strong family ties, deep emotional attachment, or significant lessons around independence and belonging. These individuals often carry a strong sense of identity shaped by their upbringing.

How to Read This House in Your Chart

1. Identify the sign on your Fourth House cusp — this colors your sense of home and emotional security.
2. Look for planets in the Fourth House — they describe how you relate to family and handle your private life.
3. Examine the Moon’s placement elsewhere in your chart to understand your emotional needs and nurturing style.

For example:

• Sun in the Fourth House → family pride, strong roots, need to create a lasting home legacy.
• Saturn in the Fourth House → responsibility to family, early challenges in feeling supported, eventual emotional maturity.

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Related Pages

More Houses

• First House
• Second House
• Third House
• Fifth House
• Sixth House
• Seventh House
• Eighth House
• Ninth House
• Tenth House
• Eleventh House
• Twelfth House
• All Natal Chart Houses

Data Source: Planetary positions and aspect calculations are derived from the NASA JPL DE ephemerides (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA). Calculations updated in real time for precision within one arc-minute.

Astrology content on this site is intended for entertainment and personal insight only. It should not be taken as professional, medical, legal, or financial advice. Enjoy these insights for fun and self-reflection.

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