The Twelfth House: Exploring the Deep Unconscious

The Twelfth House: What's it about?

The Twelfth House is a subconscious house that reveals how the native copes with emotional and psychological stress and any materialized desires to hide from awareness. This is similar to the "skeletons in the closet" that psychotherapy attempts to bring out into the light. These skeletons can be traumas or desires that the individual would rather not examine too closely. If ignored for too long or too extreme, these stressors may become dangerous to the individual causing erratic behavior and potential destruction.

The twelfth house can represent things we do not want others to know about us, but it can also show our talents and abilities, which we try to keep secret from an unappreciative world. Intuition, dreams, psychic experiences, and vices of all kinds can be found here, as well as unacknowledged fears.

How does the Twelfth House Affect Personality? 

The twelfth house experience is likened to being trapped or imprisoned, mainly if someone is uncomfortable with their personal Twelfth House issues. Institutions like hospitals, and prisons, are archetypal symbols of the twelfth house. The twelfth house is one of the areas of life that points out weaknesses and shortcomings in the individual's personality. Sensitivity, self-undoing and a compulsive nature can be observed in twelfth house individuals. In some cases, this house provides the native with an opportunity to overcome his/her fears by becoming conscious of them.

The Cusp of the Twelfth house sign will reveal how the individual copes with life, how they communicate from a spiritual standpoint, and whether or not they can do so. It also indicates a person's emotional honesty (particularly in later degrees of a house) or if they flee from responsibility while suppressing their deepest self. The twelfth house can represent subliminal fears, compulsions, and obsessions beyond the realms of consciousness. This is where hidden enemies or traumas are kept; secrets that would damage the self is revealed.

Developing Self-discipline

To proceed to the most advanced levels of spiritual enlightenment, the individual must address the psychological Twelfth House issues. To become enlightened and acquire a more profound knowledge of self, the individual must venture into these inner depths. Only by confronting issues that are normally avoided, can the native move forward with personal growth.

The best approach to deal with the problems of the 12th house is to mediate or acquire some self-discipline practices that force you to confront your deepest insecurities. Meditation is advised as a method to delve into the mind's inner depths, where much may be learned. You should not be embarrassed or frightened by your 12th house concerns. They are an essential part of who you are because they add variety to your life.

Individuals with a powerful twelfth house may inherit spiritual abilities that they must first come to terms with before utilizing them effectively. An individual could end up in psychological distress if they don't first train themselves to understand the various faculties of their consciousness and spirit.

For those with personal planets in the Twelfth house, it is advised to attend counseling, psychotherapy, group therapy, or self-help groups to deal with the psychological issues of the house. Meditation is crucial for uniting the subconscious with the conscious. Mainly the individual needs to learn how to ground themselves, focus their energy, and develop the self-discipline to master the mental faculties of the twelfth house.

The Third and Final Psychological/Spiritual House

The Twelfth House is the final spiritual/psychological house of psychological and spiritual maturation. The twelfth house and the fourth and eighth form the three houses of psyche, spirituality, and karma. The fourth is concerned with socially acceptable behavior, and the eighth with esoteric/occult work; the twelfth house is about freeing oneself of any socially imposed limitations. This freedom must come from within; it cannot be bought, inherited, or given by another's authority. There are no shortcuts in these three houses; they require hard work over a long time and demand a deep understanding of cause-and-effect reality.

The Twelfth House is the last house of your natal chart. It is an important part of life, just as any other house can be. If you have planets in this house, it means that you are able to adopt a certain level of awareness about yourself. You will need to understand what motivates you and how your subconscious affects the world around you.

Twelfth House Stellium (3 or more planets)

According to some, a stellium is defined as the grouping of your personal planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), social planets (Jupiter and Saturn), or outer planet (Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto) in a single house and is a powerful indication of the area of life that will require the most work. In this case, it's the twelfth house, where your hidden enemies and fears are kept.

Those with a Twelfth House stellium frequently flee into their twelfth house via drugs, alcohol, or prescription medicines. Many people intentionally withdraw from society, living alone and isolated from others. Many people in this situation discover a deep connection to the spirit world, whatever form it may take. One of the functions of the twelfth house is that it forces us to deal with our pain and suffering to move beyond them. Individuals with a solid twelfth house are almost always severely tested during their lifetime, but they can become great spiritual leaders if they face their tests with courage and perseverance.

The House of Fatigue

This home is also known as the House of Fatigue because people who have many planets in this house must deal with others, their primary stressor, to which they devote a lot of spiritual energy and become exhausted.

These individuals become skilled at creating their own reality because of their heightened spiritual awareness and heightened sensitivity to those around them. They can read a person's energy within seconds of meeting them and adjust accordingly. They can anticipate a person's next move or response or follow their train of thought as if they were inside the other person's head—these are unique gifts that come from having planets in this house.

These individuals need a lot of support to stay focused and avoid escaping into addiction, escapism, or deviant behavior. They need a lot of love from family and friends to help filter out those who would cause unnecessary stress and distractions. These souls often know intuitively what they need and will make sure to let you know if you bother listening, but finding people who listen is the challenge.

The Sun in the Twelfth House

When the Sun is in the twelfth house, an individual's true self is hidden. They are not sharing their innermost thoughts or secrets with anyone and may even keep secrets from themselves. To protect themselves from the judgments of others, they often use a facade as a cover for their real feelings and desires. They have been known to withhold praise and love from themselves, sometimes punishing themselves by denying or limiting their own talents and abilities. With the Sun in the twelfth house, you may not understand your purpose for this life, but you can be assured that once you are ready to reveal yourself to the world, there will be many people who will see great value in what you have to offer.

The Sun in the twelfth house projects a very protective, almost hidden persona to others. This person may come off as shy or introverted, but this quiet exterior is more about our true selves being hidden from the world around us than it is about timidity. Although these individuals can be sensitive and even overly critical of themselves on occasion, they are often quite capable of sharing their light with the world once they recognize and accept their hidden potentials.

The Moon in the Twelfth House

The Moon in the twelfth house symbolizes a strong need for emotional security. Lifetime after lifetime, these souls seek to find safety and comfort within the protective walls of their own palace.

It is not unusual for people with this placement to disconnect from others or even become reclusive, sometimes shutting down all forms of communication to protect their vulnerable feelings. If you have the Moon in the twelfth house, you must learn to establish a sense of emotional security without limiting your connections with others—otherwise, this position can bring about excessive emotional needs and uncontrollable mood swings.

As a child, you may have been encouraged to be self-sufficient and not to share your feelings. This did not create a problem for you because by shutting down all communication, you were able to feel more secure within yourself. But as an adult, this behavior will do little to help you connect with others or get what you need from life.

Mercury in the Twelfth House

In this lifetime, you have probably been accused of being a negative or critical person. People with Mercury in the twelfth house may end up hearing and thinking too much and thus overanalyzing and over-thinking every aspect of their lives. They can send mixed messages because they sometimes say one thing and mean another without saying what they mean.

People with Mercury in the twelfth house have been known to become so good at communicating through nonverbal means that they can read another person's mind. If you have this placement, you may find it difficult to be objective and rational because of your need for emotional security and a need to avoid rejection at all costs. You may also find it especially hard to communicate with your family and loved ones, as these relationships tend to create an excessive amount of stress for you.

This Mercury placement can be very creative because of all the intuitive information received from others, but this information is often too personal or even private to share out loud—thus, another form of communication, such as art or writing, is used instead.

Venus in the Twelfth House

People with Venus in the twelfth house tend to attract love into their lives that are not always healthy and can leave them feeling empty and emotionally insecure. They need a great deal of emotional comfort and support, but because they fear rejection so much, their subconscious often leads them toward people who cannot give them what they need – or even give it to them in a way that leaves them feeling unfulfilled.

People with this placement are often put on the façade of disinterested in relationships, even when they are actively seeking them out. Because so many deep-seated fears about what could go wrong interfere, people with Venus in the twelfth house tend to act aloof and self-protective when in fact, they are really longing for a partner.

This placement can result in business partnerships that are prone to misunderstandings. When two people with this position become involved, they must be extra careful to understand each other's feelings and needs without doing too much "mind-reading."

Mars in the Twelfth House

People with Mars in the twelfth house may have had lifetimes of being victimized or feeling persecuted. Their subconscious fears cause them to attract people into their lives who are controlling, dominating, and even abusive. They often enter relationships where they feel trapped because of their inherent trust issues. They are constantly on guard, making it difficult for them to relax and be in the moment when they are with another person.

This Mars placement can also indicate magnetism toward people who like to play games and use manipulation as a way of gaining power over others. Sometimes this position indicates a connection to criminals or people involved in secret societies. It is important for you to understand that anyone with whom you become involved romantically or otherwise may want to subjugate you because your true nature is quite submissive.

Conversely, this placement can attract the attention of people who are very powerful and influential in some way.

Jupiter in the Twelfth House

People with Jupiter in the twelfth house often feel as though they are excluded from opportunities due to unforeseen circumstances. They sometimes shy away from trying new things because they don't want to deal with failure. Instead, they allow others to pass them by on their way toward success. People with this placement may believe that fate has forsaken them and that the world is not a just place.

This Jupiter placement can also indicate that you are involved in spiritual studies or groups that deal with metaphysical, mystical, and even psychic phenomena. People with this position often have spirit guides working closely with them to give them advice and guidance. You could be clairvoyant or have other unusual insights into the world of spirit.

Expanding your level of awareness and understanding is the key to getting past any feelings of insecurity that you might experience with this placement.

Saturn in the Twelfth House

People with Saturn in the twelfth house may feel as though they are on an unending journey of self-discovery but do not always know how to go about finding what they're looking for. They tend to be loners who lack confidence and desire to build a solid foundation in some area of their lives that is significant enough for them to feel good about.

People with this placement need a great deal of self-discipline to keep busy in order to keep their minds off the fear of failure. They often attract people who are not interested in nurturing them; they may even feel victimized by people who want to take advantage of them. Because of this, they need to surround themselves with a group of friends and colleagues who are trustworthy and supportive.

Pluto in the Twelfth House

You may have gone through many karmic lessons involving power and control to learn how to escape from your subconscious feelings of fear, isolation, and victimization. You need a great deal of alone time to contemplate your thoughts and feelings. This can be frustrating for people who feel the need to help you overcome your sense of inadequacy and become more active in the real world. You must be careful not to let others' opinions influence your own feelings of self-worth.

People with this placement are often drawn to people who need rescuing. They take on the role of caretaker in their relationships and give overly much of themselves, which leaves them feeling drained and stressed out. The best approach for these people is to find a balance between taking time alone to go within for answers and getting involved in social activities where they can feel a sense of accomplishment and success.

People with this placement tend to keep their expectations low so they will not be disappointed or discouraged when things do not go their way. They also have a great deal of endurance, which allows them to keep pursuing their goals despite any obstacles that might get in the way. People with this placement are wise and intuitive but may have difficulty getting others to take them seriously because they are aloof or reserved.

Conclusion

The twelfth house is the deepest part of your subconscious mind and reflects things you may be unaware of or prefer to keep hidden from view. It represents what you might be ashamed of and could even represent secrets that you hold.

Unconscious fears, past-life karma, secret enemies, and anything else we would rather not acknowledge will surface with this placement; but, there is always hope for healing and growth when you recognize the existence of these destructive patterns.

The twelfth house is also the most spiritual part of your chart, which helps you connect with your inner self and understand why you act in certain ways. The more you understand about yourself, including your hidden potential, the more fulfilling your life can be because you will be able to act on these insights.

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