by The relationship with the origin: the mother who carries the germs of future life
In the sequential order of the zodiacal Houses, the 4th House represents the core formed around the individual after the latter – following the interpersonal relationships developed in the 3rd House – selects those they perceive as complementary. This House marks the genesis of the familial concept, whose real meaning goes far beyond the common understanding.
The Latin term “famĭlia” originally denoted the collective inhabitants of a household, encompassing not only family members but also servants and slaves. In this light, the family represents more than just the coming together of a man and a woman for procreative and territorial purposes. It also serves as a focal point for expressing the self – a function typically associated with the Ascendant and the 1st House in astrology – within a broader context. Here, individuality gives way to a collective entity, the generative potential of which becomes apparent in the 5th House. Additionally, the 4th House is the family of origin, acting as the initial model through which individuals, not yet fully autonomous, undergo formative learning and development.
So far, we have followed the evolution of being over time. In the symbolic non-temporal relationship with the sectors of angular houses, the 4th House embodies the concept of the ‘bottom of the sky’ (Imum Coeli), symbolising the latent potentials of the human being that have yet to be expressed. Following the fertilisation of the ovum by male semen, a form is established. Still, it remains non-operational, awaiting individualisation that occurs upon recognising boundaries between self and non-self along the 1st-7th House axis, leading to the pursuit of extra-individual realisations represented by the 10th House. The more profound significance of the 4th House lies in its role as the seed of what is to come, existing in a state of undifferentiation. The sign of Cancer (the fourth sign) epitomises the symbiotic relationship between the unborn child and the mother, carrying spiritual connotations of an almost Edenic state in which the distinction between the knowing subject and the known does not exist.
Here, the formative consciousness gives rise to the concept of home as a sanctuary. Time takes on a mythical quality within this space, detached from the bustling activities of the external world. It is where we delve into our ancestral connections in an effort to understand our fundamental existence. It is the fall of the manifestation; we can attribute to it all those meanings that the astrological tradition puts with activities addressed within a restricted circle. This concept encompasses various aspects, including family, home, land (as a resource or foundation), real estate (for investment or dwelling), occultism (for inner spiritual experiences), and the end of things. The latter encompasses meanings associated with physical death, such as burials, cemeteries, or simply things as concealed items.
In Water signs, the 4th House signifies the exaltation of protective and emotional values within the sector. In Fire signs, it exalts the role of the family as an institution. Within Earth signs, a vision of security based on properties or safe assets prevails. Conversely, Air signs have a greater propensity for extended families characterised by mobility.
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