The Fourth House begins at the point of midnight. For this reason it is assigned to all endings, to old age, and to old people. It also exercises power over the family life into which we are born, i.e., the home life created either by the parents or, in certain instances, the foster parents, or the communal type of home life of an orphanage. Obviously, in the latter instances there will be little if any parental influence. In general the Fourth House defines our environment no matter how often it changes during our lifetime.
The initial phase of the home-life obviously will be broken either by marriage or vocation and a new home image created. Thus, under normal circumstances, a new sequence of domestic conditions are created which can be completely different from those of the parental home due to the influence and desires of the marriage partner. Further changes in these conditions can, again, be set up when a child or children are born. When the vocational aspirations compel a change, they can be of quite a drastic nature. Vocational activity in any field can cause a departure from one set home arrangement to one invariably of a very different character. These domestic or "living" conditions are termed the environment as distinct. from the work or business sphere, and this is the chief function over which the Fourth House rules.
The Sign on the cusp of the Fourth House will show the kind of parental domestic arrangement and family life into which one is born as well as the subsequent changes which are possible in connection with vocation and marriage or the setting up of an independent home.
Note: Remember in a future lesson you will he given a chart demonstrating the particular influence of each sign and each planet as it passes through each House. For the present, however, it is important that your knowledge of the significance of each House develops.
Apart from conditions of environments again depending upon the cusp Sign, the Fourth House has a very dominant rule over the conditions in operation during the closing years of life - the period generally known as "the end of life."
In a Mundane Figure, the Fourth House represents circumstances and events affecting real estate values, mines and the products, buildings, crops, produce and all agricultural interests.
In a National Figure it portrays the characteristics of any governmental opposition, and the time that such opposition may be expected to culminate.
In a court of law the Fourth House defines the efficiency of the jury.
In an organization it signals the real estate investments and the holdings.
The fourth house representing buildings, represents the religious-philanthropic institutions one builds and also the trusts one creates or religious, philanthropic and other good trusts with the money one has.
In the life of an individual the fourth house represents his desire to pursue his spiritual life in the quiet surroundings of a place, house or ashram with rhythmic regularity. In the case of a yogi it can represent pranayama or breath-control. But if such a house is disturbed, such persons find that by moving from one place to another only they can follow their spiritual pursuits.
