NEPTUNE IN THE FOURTH HOUSE

Neptune in the 4th house is placed in the personal home, and it represents our inner feelings and relates to the past, family and close relatives. The hazy mist of Neptune surrounds the family home, and home life doesn’t always provide a solid base. Often, there is deep inner confusion around the past, father, and the family background in general. A parent may be physically absent through separation, divorce or death. This represents Neptune’s elusiveness around the personal father and his innacessability. There can also be a deep sadness surrounding him, and he may be unreachable to us (physically/psychologically). Usually there is an unconscious over-dealization of  him, and on some level a solid relationship with him has been sacrificed.

The father may be artistic or he had dreams that went unfulfilled and has many longings. Another possibility is that he might have been experienced as weak or disappointing to us in some way. A gentleness and ethereal quality can be terms used to describe the father. All these associations are vague and the natal chart will need to be looked at in more detail. Most often there is more than one aspect to represent the father in a natal chart, showing us the different dimensions to him.

Neptune in the 4th house can be a signature for a nebulous feeling surrounding the home. Sometimes childhood is veiled under a web of confusion and misunderstandings. The fourth house relates to nurturing and security and here the longing to be protected by the unity of life is powerful. A longing to remain in the comforting arms of childhood is another manifestation. If there are trines to a fourth house Neptune there will often be an all too comfortable feeling of emotional well being.

Neptune here also shows a deep fragility at the base of the personality and it may not always be obvious in 'tougher horoscopes', but it still exists and forms the base of their inner selves. Also this placement can show a sensitivity towards a parent, and the individual may have deep empathy for his suffering.  A parent shown by Neptune can show an adult who is ill or addicted to alcohol/drugs, and so the nurturing element is hard to obtain if a parent is lost in Neptune's world. Neptune has a powerful hold on the parent, and the victim/savior archetype falls close to home.

Depending on how heavily aspected Neptune is in the fourth house, there can be soul weariness and depressed feeling in the family home. The father may have faced early retirement from his career (opposite 10th) through ill health. Often feelings of disillusionment, disappointment or deep sadness surround your Dad and how you relate to him. Neptune rules redemption in astrology and you may have an emotional need to redeem the father. Childhood needs are often sacrificed and  major adjustments are made in the home. A family member may have fallen ill and needs to be looked after. Therefore, a parent can show quite deep dependency needs which could arise through addiction to drink/drugs. The child sometimes has to take care of the parent and sacrifice his/her own personal needs in the home. All of this can generate feelings of guilt if they don’t take care of the parent's demands.

Neptune in the fourth house represents the search for a spiritual home and dreams of finding the perfect home, and perhaps creating the ideal retreat that we have always  longed for. Often it can take some time before the dream we hold inside materializes. With watery Neptune in our “home” we need to watch out for floods and make sure the foundations are stable. We may even have to give up the home we cherish and the dream slips through our fingers. A Neptunian home needs to be a spiritual and restful place, for this is the place of retreat. Dreams can materialize once we work through our nebulous feelings from the past.

Another thing to watch for with Neptunes slippery boundaries is deception from those who we live with. Stay on guard and don't be too gullible. If you invite (out of sympathy) others to stay in your home, be aware if is anyone taking advantage of your kind hospitality. Those who have alcohol and drug problems or illness could mistake your kindness and sympathy for weakness and take you for granted. Too many great sacrifices can be made on behalf of someone who is inhabiting your abode. The real aim of this placement is to feel spiritually secure from the inside and let that feeling fulfil you. Your home is merely a reflection of the beauty and tranquillity that exists within.