The fourth house is the zodiac sign at the bottom of the sky, deep below the earth. It is a subterranean angular house, and represents the foundation upon which your life is built.

If you were a tree, your fourth house would be the patch of dirt your seed was planted in, the fertility of the soil, its access to water and sunlight. It would probably say something about the tree your seed originated from, if your seed landed close by or if it got pooped out by a bear many miles away. When we look at a tree, we see its leaves, branches and fruit. But we don't see the story of how that tree came to be what it is or the root structure that feeds the tree. That story is part of the tree's fourth house.

The fourth house will tell you themes related to the conditions of your upbringing, your parents and your relationship with them. Naturally, these circumstances played a large role in influencing your emotional nature and thinking patterns, which studies show tend to remain relatively consistent throughout a person’s life. This house is your heart - in the figurative sense - some of us wear it on our sleeves, and others keep it under lock and key.

The fourth house represents your home, both internally and literally. It is where you go to find safety, comfort and familiarity. It is where you keep your possessions and loved ones safe behind solid walls where others can’t get to them, as well as the activities you engage in behind closed doors. But the fourth house also represents physical houses and structures that may be the home of someone else, or a business even, the kind you might rent out, sell or build.

Traditionally, the fourth house often came up around the topic of death, as it signifies the outcome of the matter indicated by the first house. Even though we can get up and walk around, perhaps we're not so unlike trees, as we all ultimately return to the earth from which we came.