Imum Coeli

The Imum Coeli, usually shortened to IC from the Latin for the bottom of the sky, is the lowest point of the chart, sitting directly opposite the Midheaven. In quadrant house systems it marks the cusp of the fourth house, though in whole sign and equal house systems it can fall in a neighboring house instead. It describes home, family, roots, and the private inner foundation a person builds their life on. If the Midheaven is the public self, the Imum Coeli is the private one. The sign on the Imum Coeli describes a person's relationship to their origins, the atmosphere of their early home, and what they need in order to feel grounded and safe. It points to the deepest, most personal part of the self, the place a person returns to when the public day is over. It is also linked to the legacy of family and the past that a person carries within. Because it sits opposite the Midheaven, the Imum Coeli balances outer achievement with inner security, and the two are read together as the axis of public and private life. Planets near it work quietly but run deep. The Imum Coeli points to where a person finds their roots and what home genuinely means to them.