5th Anniversary Astrology ~ The 4th House
Something that I haven’t mentioned yet concerns what you, as individuals, may wish to do with all this astrological information. As I see it, there is good reason to call together the millions of folks who celebrated the Concordance back in ‘03. The world seems to be rushing, yet again, headlong to hell in a hand basket. If there is any way to arrest that flight, anything that I can do about it at any rate, then I have to do it. I am urging you to do what you can with this information. Take that Global energy that was so apparent in the Concordance chart, and bring it home, inside, to your own individual selves. And let’s do it, once again, collectively. Hold your own remembrance celebration, alone or with others, now or then (is not “time” the greatest third-dimensional illusion?) and in holding that energy, give Gratitude that it has been accomplished, for all of us (we are ONE, after all), for “…these things I do, you shall do, and greater.”
That said, let’s have a look at the Fourth House.
The 5th Anniversary’s 4th House
In the first place, the 4th is seen as representing the mother or the father. Some refer to it as the parent of the opposite sex. Actually, depending on the chart and the person, I have found that it may be either. For the purpose of this discussion, however, I’ll take the Mother, as it fits appropriately with another notion, I will explain in a little while.
With Cancer and the Moon as its natural ruler, the 4th is so often associated with the “home.” However, first and foremost, it is where one discovers “the root of the root of the Self,” that part of us which is at the very bottom of ourselves. The 4th house marks an important element of a person’s character and nearly rivals the Sun, Moon and Ascendant in importance when discussing the basics of an individual’s self expression.
Is it not also our larger “home,” Mother Earth? Are we not all earthlings? And, if you will recall, one of the main intents that we put out for the original Concordance ceremonies was for a healing for Mother Earth. How appropriate that She should show up in this way in the Anniversary chart.
And speaking about a healing, who should show up in the 4th house on this day at this time but none other than Chiron, the “Wounded Healer.” Now we know that this energy can go both ways. It can tear a hole in Mother’s fabric, or it can bring wholeness to her. Mythologically, Chiron is the eldest and wisest member of a class of beings called Centaurs, a wild, untamed and often drunken band whose behavior Chiron spurned, choosing to teach humans holistic healing practices and astrology, among other things. Me, I prefer to see this Centaur as Barbara Hand Clow does, as the “Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner and Outer Planets.” He has the power to bring our earthly concerns, as represented by the “inner” planets, to the notice and consideration of the “outers,” those planets which represent the higher wisdom of the ages. Its dual nature, half man and half horse, however, makes its effect on a chart be quite ambiguous.
In the fourth house, Chiron suggests that the deepest healing will come from connecting to the “roots” of the Concordance (remember, the chart that is under discussion here is based on that original one). That one said that our Mother needed and deserved our healing prayers, that we are all ONE and that we are indeed each “Godlings.” As we perch on the edge of “terracide,” we must remember that, as Clow says, each person who heals him/herself heals the planet simultaneously. This is our main task at this time.
On the other hand, it might mark a very dark period in Mother’s journey to Ascension, (and therefore our own). You may note that Chiron is just four minutes from an exact Square to the Sun. This is a most powerful energy, one that suggests that we might experience a deep spiritual healing and a connection to higher consciousness in this moment, or that an overwrought tension brings the world to a snapping point in which the untamed centaur breaks loose. It is certainly a touchy time, and one that can use our attention on wholeness, wellness and oneness.
But all is not totally dark in this fourth house, for along with Chiron we also have the North Node and Neptune. As you may know, the nodal axis represents a line of destiny in as much as the South Node suggests what we were or had in the past while its partner, the North Node, represents growth in this incarnation and the destiny that we would choose for ourselves in it.
In the Anniversary chart we find the N. Node Conjunct to Chiron (a mere 2° 19’ away), indicating a powerful drive and desire to bring the Chironic energy into our lives via the Concordance. This moment, this Anniversary, and the chart upon which it is based, wants very much to be a healing agent and spiritual teacher to those who would listen to it. Clow says of the N. Node/Chiron Conjunction that it “…indicates a life of major importance in the karmic cycle.” In Aquarius, it brings freedom loving and “new age” qualities to that urge to be a healer/teacher, and it would bring this force to bear on the very roots of its being in the 4th house.
And yet there’s more: Neptune
Ah, well. You know what they say, everyone’s got one, Neptune, that is. Every planet, body and point id astrology has two sides. Nowhere, however, is that planetary split personality more readily apparent than with that mysterious piece of ourselves we know as Neptune. Look at these two lists:
The Two Sides of Neptune
What’s more, the line between each pair is a thin one. And how do we estimate to which side of this line an individual, or in this case, an event, will more readily fall? Well, we look at the relative strength of said planet, by house, sign and aspect. So what have we here?
Looks like the 4th house is a pretty comfortable hang out for Neptune. The house is the natural house of Cancer. Neptune is exalted in Cancer, a water sign that is in tune with his home sign and house, Pisces and the 12th, so he feels fairly comfortable there. Not bad for starters, but how “at home” can a Water God be in an Air sign, Aquarius, that wants to evaporate and dry him out? Well Neptune is in the third decant1 of Aquarius, that 10 degrees of the sign which is governed by Venus, the planet to which Neptune is the higher octave. The influence of Venus there is derived from the fact that Libra is the third of the Air signs and is ruled by Venus. All of which is to say that, although Neptune is not particularly comfortable in Aquarius, the third decant of that sign is not altogether uncomfortable for him.
But what about the aspects? Well. It’s like this: there’s some good news and some bad. How about dealing with the bad first? It’s not insignificant. The Sun, sitting at 16° Scorpio, is bearing down on an applying “sinister” Square aspect to Neptune. BUT–according to Rudhyar–the sinister or waning aspect is considered to be ruled also by Venus (or Jupiter),2 and therefore is not as subjectively confrontational as the “waxing” or “dexter” square. In other words, this Square is milder than most, and actually more like “constructive criticism” rather than the confrontational clash which often manifests from a Square.
There is also another somewhat troubling applying aspect to Neptune, the applying Inconjunct (150°) from Saturn. In practice, the chief characteristic of an Inconjunct is a quality of delay that slows down the implementation of other effects in that chart. Then too there’s a separating square from Mars at 24° Scorpio, but that is more than offset by the also separating Sextile from Venus at 24° Sag. All in all, and considering that there is that thin line that I mentioned before, I’d say that by a narrow margin that Neptune tumbles into the “good guys” column above.
That’s putting all three of the 4th house tenants in pretty good shape to support the internalization of the Concordance Ideals for those who join with its energies.
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1. Each sign is divided into 3 decants (decans, decanates) containing 10°. Each of the signs belongs to a family of Quadraplicities. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are air signs. The first decant of Aries is ascribed to the governance of Mars, the ruler of that sign. The second decant, is under the rulership of the Sun, as it rules the second, Leo decanate of Aries, leaving the third decant in the hands of Jupite,r as he rules the third of the Fire signs, Sagittarius.
2. If you’ll remember, some time ago I wrote about how strongly placed Venus and Jupiter are in this chart.