I never understood the reasoning behind why the mother is the 10th house. Wouldn't the fathers have a greater role in crafting our public identities and reputations?No, in Western astrology mother is (and always has been) affinitive to the 10th house!
This has been one of the significant differences, historically, regarding house affinity allocations, between Western and Vedic astrological traditions (in the West the 4th has always been allocated to the father! As you know, most Vedic astrologers assign the 10th to the father, while many South Indian practitioners and Nadi practitioners, assign the 9th to the father)
I never understood the reasoning behind why the mother is the 10th house. Wouldn't the fathers have a greater role in crafting our public identities and reputations?
For starters children are typically placed into the social class that their fathers are in. Then everyone also takes their father's surname not their mother's.
Although the reasoning and logic behind why the mother is the 10th is faulty to me, I will say that my 10th house lines up well with my mother.
The 10th house is naturally ran by Saturn, who has connotations to the father principle.
I see it clearer now. Traditionally, our father gives us our roots, home, and heritage. The 10th has to do with our own individual accomplishments, so it's what we set out to do on our own no daddy involved.If you think about the bolded part, you can see why the father is given to the 4th. Roots, the home and heritage, as well family including surname. Carrying that thought further it is only logical to give the 10th to the mother. Remember our chart is not only about us. The 10th is the 7th from the 4th. That's why the 10th is the mother. It isn't that the mother has influence over our 10th, but that the mother is seen as the marriage partner of the father.
If you look at the Thema, you'll also see that Libra was the "original" natural 4th house, the domicile of Venus (associated with the mother) and the exaltation of Saturn (associated with the father.) So mom lives there, but dad is exalted there.
I see it clearer now. Traditionally, our father gives us our roots, home, and heritage. The 10th has to do with our own individual accomplishments, so it's what we set out to do on our own no daddy involved.
I didn't know Libra used to run the 4th house. Does this have to do with that ancient train of thought where Cancer Boys Asc is the natural place for the Asc to be?
I'm not sure what you mean by "Cancer Boys Asc" but yes, that train of thought. I have a thread here to explore it, maybe worth reading if for no other reason than to try to understand why things were thought to be the way they were?
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52099
It seems like it would be something different from family to family, especially in western culture where anything goes these days. There are a lot of dads giving up jobs to raise the kids so mom can maintain momentum in her career.-mother in law = 10th from the 7th
-father in law = 4th from the 7tth
...
In my initial view, mom and dad are seen as one. Of course that maybe my Pluto/libra projection of the ideal family.