4th House synastry is simultaneously the most significant and the most invisible, and each of these qualities easily becomes the other. This is how subconscious censorship works, repressing the most critical circumstances. While the 2nd House represents the physical environment and the 3rd House is all about the social environment, the 4th House is the foundation of the universe and your own being. In particular, it’s the cornerstone of your main life positions, the general (subconscious) picture of the world, including deep religious feelings.

Most of the processes and attitudes controlled by the Fourth House remain unconscious and implicit; but in synastry relationships, the question becomes: what happens when the partner’s planets fall into it? It is clear that your superficial reaction may have nothing to do with reality, but what your true reaction is will not be completely clear even to you yourself. However, we can distinguish two main types of reaction of subconsciousness, in particular, the programs protecting the psyche:

• Ignoring for defensive purposes — the subconscious thought that the partner’s stimulus was too dangerous; in this case, your interest in a 4th House synastry partner may simply fade away, or there may be a sharp need to change the scenario according to which your relationship is developing.
• Limited interaction — here, the subconscious mind partially allows you to have an intimate interaction with the partner, but on rather harsh conditions, which the partner must accept, lest your relations are immediately broken. Here the prospects for cooperation are great, but the very foundation of your being is at stake, so you have to be very careful.

From your synastry partner’s point of view, your reaction to the activity of their planets entering your 4th House is often inexplicable and mysterious. If the partner pays any attention to your reactions to his or her stimuli, they will probably notice that you either do not react at all, or blow everything out of proportion, or begin to theorize abstractly. The latter may be a way to protect the subconscious from an overly personal question.

A deep astrological understanding of a person is impossible without penetration into the depths of his or her 4th House – and, of course, this is only possible with voluntary consent. But to whom would you want and be able to open your soul, sharing the deepest and most important thoughts and experiences, religious and ideological? In fact, this, if possible at all, can only happen with such a level of intimate trust that arises only as a result of a long friendship, or in a good family between its members. Nevertheless, the planets of a partner you’ve just met may end up in your Fourth House whether you like it or not, and when they are activated, awkward situations often arise, which can greatly complicate the relationship even with a dearest person.

The truth is: the deepest wisdom of the social subconscious regulating human relations sounds something like this: intimacy and frankness should be avoided as much as possible. English proverbs and sayings have this nailed: do not wake a sleeping dog; mind your own business; my home is my castle. Indeed, it is quite difficult to understand another person and their problems, especially since most of the time they don’t know what they are either. Therefore, even with all their frankness, you will hardly be able to adequately perceive your partner, much less give them proper advice or support. And any false step here is fraught with major misunderstandings, resentments, and quarrels.

How to Interpret Synastry Planets in the 4th House

When interpreting synastry planets in the 4th House, first consider its position in your natal chart: is it strong, weak, harmonious, or stricken, what level of evolutionary development it’s at, and how active it is now. The latter is especially important because the effect of any astrological aspect is greatly influenced by its activity level. So, if your Fourth House is presently weak, it will dampen the effect of your partner’s planets falling into it.

If the partner’s planets are strong and relevant for him or her, this can cause serious misunderstanding between the two of you because you will disregard the things that are most important to your partner. On the other hand, if afflicted planets of your synastry partner fall into your harmonious 4th House, the partner who came to you with a serious problem won’t fathom how you can remain so indifferent to what he perceives as a veritable tragedy.

The interpretations of the 4th House synastry planets given below do not pretend to be complete and pursue only illustrative purposes: they are intended for astrologers rather than their clients, as well as those looking to learn more about the miraculous world of astrology and the endless possibilities it opens for humans.