Family Environment and Parents
There are variations in what I have read in books as to the "accepted" meanings of the 4-10 axis, 4th and 10th houses and parental planets. My experience is that there are no rigid rules but that there are guidelines that most often apply.
The fourth and tenth houses represent the family environment among many other things. Early-studies-students often feel overwhelmed or bewildered when told that the natal chart, and other charts, can be read on several "levels" of meaning, each level or approach is intended to bring certain information in focus. If you are looking at one's upbringing in their formative years, the fourth and tenth houses are appropriate to look at.
The fourth house represents the "security" of the home, the environment that surrounded you then, the values (or lack thereof) that were given you. The tenth house represents the "challenges" (its a polarity or "opposition" factor) to that environment -- those that came to the home, those who were part of the family but not always present, the influences and "outer" influences that contended with the family-security-home environment.
Contrary to this, I have seen many cases where the planet(s) in the tenth house seemed to represent the mother -- one would think that the planet(s) in the fourth might represent the mother, but this seems less often to be the case. The only rational I can offer for this is that the mother sets the goals and limits of behavior on a frequent basis, while the father more often is the "boss" that is home less often and whose word therefore carries more meaning to the younger person.
A word of caution here; changing social norms and cultural influences can have a big impact on this, so statements and assignments of astrological influences have to change depending upon the social structures, cultures and nature of the person you are reading for. I KNOW, THIS IS EVEN MORE BEWILDERING -- how do you change the rules, how do you know when to change the rules of how to do astrology? Yet, this is what astrologers sometimes have to do -- and this may be one of the things that marks a student and a professional/advanced-level astrologer. Trust me, don't worry too much now, just adopt and follow the basics -- time and experience will get you there when you are ready.
As for which planets represent the parents, that can be more open to lively discussion than the house meanings. Start with: Sun = males/maleness, Moon = female/receptiveness, Mars = aggressiveness and creativity, Saturn = limits/age differences/lessons. Yet, whatever planet(s) are in the fourth or the tenth houses can represent the qualities of a parent that summed up their primary influence on a child. While I seldom use rulerships, the natal chart does often work well with rulerships and those ruling planets of the sign on those house cusps will often have significant meaning.
I'll use myself as an example. I have Virgo on the fourth house cusp (IC) with Mercury in the 5th house (Libra cusp). My father was a very particular and detailed person (sounds like Virgo qualities) and was also quite creative in terms of drawing and visualization (sounds like a fifth house attribute). The planets in my fourth house are Moon at the IC, and Neptune conjunct Sun. Both parents were very supportive and encouraged me to follow my dreams. The Moon rules my ASC, Sun my third house (Leo on the cusp), Neptune my MC and tenth house -- bringing a "both parents values" into play as it is in the 4th and rules the 10th. My tenth house has Saturn in it. This is said, in the cook books, to often indicate an "absent" parent or father -- and, indeed, my dad died when I was a teen ager. Perhaps this isn't a clear example, but astrology is often full of conflicting information -- the key is to being able to sort it all out.
Sorting out the complexities of a chart is best, and easiest to do, when you have a dialog with the person you are reading for. You can do the basic chart work and early analysis beforehand, but it is more efficient to do the detail stuff when you are talking face to face. Its not that you are asking them to do the chart work for you but that you can ask a question, get a quick answer, and then understand HOW THEY TEND TO USE THEIR SYMBOLS. By the time adulthood is reached, everyone has experience in life and with dealing with others. Their symbols are enriched and more focused in some/most cases. Once you have a sense, you can better understand how aspect patterns play out and then you can offer deeper levels of information and understanding.
REMEMBER, TIME IN TERMS OF PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE, has little mystery for the astrologer. Your value is in helping them better understand how their past has helped shape the present, and then how they may face the future. You ask for information about the past, you work with them in understanding the present, you lay out what the future can offer -- along with when and how it can be faced. This is astrology.
Within this last context, you can ask specific probing questions and offer comments that will lead to dialog when you look at the 4-10 axis, the planets and the rulers. Before you are finished they will be participating, and you will know how they got to be adults and arrived at this time for advice. Don't sweat the "rules", seek to match the preson to the symbols and learn from your experience. You will, in essence, write your own book. Dave
