Horoscope Houses in Astrology
Welcome to Horoscope Houses in Astrology, a series on the twelve houses of your birth chart, and their meaning. This time the Twelfth House of your natal chart (personal horoscope) is in focus. Of course, the houses have the same meaning no matter if we are looking at your public predictions (your zodiac sign) or your private predictions. If you are a Premium Member and have your own birth chart from me, though, you’ll get the most from what you’re about to read.
A really simple way to know yourself at a glance is to find which zodiac signs dominate. Which house (or slice of the wheel) has the most factors?
Horoscope Houses in Astrology: The Twelfth House
The Twelfth House of your horoscope is ruled by Neptune and Pisces. This already has quite a fluid, watery feel, thanks to the symbolism of the ocean, and fish. This horoscope house describes everything which is below the surface. It also describes other worlds – other realities. They are no less ‘real’ than the sea happens to be, but they are of a completely different order of experience to normal, everyday life.
This is why the Twelfth House is associated with dreams and dreaming. It is also linked to clairvoyance, mediumship, Tarot card work, channelling and automatic writing. If you have a stellium (more than three factors) in Pisces in the Twelfth House you may find it easy to slip in and out of other worlds, crossing boundaries of time and space. Thus, we associate this house of your chart with the soul, the spirit or the unconscious mind. Hypnosis is another Twelfth House concern.
The planet Neptune was found in 1846, the same year that anaesthetic was publicly used for the first time. When you ‘go under’ anaesthetic you are in an altered state. The idea of an alternative, parallel state is central to what the Twelfth House is all about. People report floating above their bodies during an operation, and even hearing or ‘seeing’ the surgeon at work. This raises questions about where we go to – and what or who we are – when anaesthetic has apparently knocked us out cold. When we are unconscious on the operating table, where is our consciousness?
This pulls in the idea of the etheric body, the astral body, the light body, the aura and the chakra system for some people. On a more down-to-earth note, when you succumb to anesthetic before an operation, you are laid bare on the operating table, covered only by a sheet. You are exposed, naked, before strangers. Sometimes people coming round from anaesthetic will give away embarrassing secrets or mumble strange, dream-like sentences. It is also true that when you are about to go under the surgeon’s knife, there is a risk that you may not come back (although a tiny risk). So, surgery is classically the time that we make sure our last will and testament is in order, and that our secrets at home and work are safe. I hope you can see where this is going!
Beyond the idea of the soul, or the unconscious mind, the Twelfth House is associated with secrets. Your naked truths, not normally seen except in unusual circumstances, like surgery. The person who is strongly Pisces or Twelfth House often sits on an iceberg of secrets, or floats along on the surface, with perhaps a couple of really huge classified or confidential matters, carrying them underneath. It is not unusual for the Twelfth House person to take particular secrets with them to the grave. It can take a great deal of energy to keep these matters far, far below the surface and so a split often develops for the strongly Pisces person, between the public self, and the private self. The relationship with the private self becomes ever more important, because it is here that the Pisces/Twelfth House person can relax at last.
The planets, angles, asteroids or Nodes you have in Pisces in the Twelfth House describe how comfortable or uncomfortable it is for you to keep secrets or have them exposed. They also show your involvement in other words, or other realities. These may be drug-induced (marijuana) or alcohol-induced, or they may come to you through deep meditation, scrying or any other supernatural means. Aquatic imagery suits the Twelfth House so we talk about ‘still waters running deep’ and ‘there’s a lot going on below the surface’ and ‘hidden depths.’ You will sometimes see the Twelfth House associated with mental hospitals or ‘self-undoing’ in 20th century astrology books, and even – I’m afraid to say – on some astrology websites today. The Twelfth House rules nothing of the kind. Of course a psychotic episode is an altered state, when one literally leaves one’s mind, but very few people will ever experience one and it is wrong to lump all mental illness together under the Twelfth House umbrella – along with imprisonment (the ‘self undoing’) which often wrongly turns up in association with this house.
The other repeated message you will see about the Twelfth House is that it is about solitude and the need to be alone. This does bear out with my experience with readers and clients over the years. Why? It may come back to that issue of the tremendous energy needed to keep particular secrets down, or back – often these are secrets that are at the very core of a person’s being. It can be a strain keeping those kinds of confidential, delicate or private matters back in everyday conversation, particularly with a great many people, and so the need for solitary escape may arise, which comes as a relief and a release. It is not unusual to find a Pisces/Twelfth House person covering up a double life on the internet, for example, and many of these people feel far more at home by themselves in front of a computer (‘Where nobody knows you’re a dog’) to quote the Gary Larsen cartoon – than at parties. Of all the twelve houses, the Twelfth House itself is very much what you make it.
Good Day, Jessica
I have been following your wonderful insight on plant Uranus, and now the root of the 12th house.
“It takes a life time, just to get to know yourself” (Van Morrison) would describe my current state.
I thank you for shinning additional light on this matter.
Having Baccchus ,Psyche, S.Node Middheaven and can’t forget Neptune in Scorpio, has certainly had me more in my head ! $
Any clues or ideas you can offer this gal who feels in limbo ?
All the best and thanks in advance
Thank you. You have your Jupiter Return in 2019 so you won’t be in limbo for long. You will travel ambitiously or even move that year. If you can’t pack your bags or boxes, you will travel in the mind instead – and reach out to other countries, nationalities or cultures. For more on this hit Search and look up Jupiter, but you’ll love what is on offer. I suspect global currency exchange rates will make it suddenly possible for you to go some place that was off limits before.
Hi Jessica.
I am really interested in ‘light bodies’ or ‘rainbow bodies’ as they are known in the East. I am also fascinated by the Turin Shroud, which I believe to be evidence of a transformation of a material body into a light/rainbow body.
I don’t know whether you know but the phenomenon was recently explored by Francis V. Tito in his book ‘Rainbow Body and Resurrection’. A synopsis can be found on you tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwY8BO29zjk
I get goose bumps every time I watch it.
Thank you! I can see light bodies, as many mediums can, and if you’ve not yet seen your own aura, I recommend you try. The bedroom mirror with a soft electric light on at night, is the best way in – assuming you’ve not done this before. The goose bumps you feel is your spirit guide inside your aura which has a similar charge to electricity – thus the shivers.
Very much relatable to me. I am Pisces rising i am a clinical Hypnotherapist, Youtube channel as tarot psychic and spent most of my life working behind the scenes without credit and keeping secrets (patients notes friends confidant) private face and public face yes, and a bit of a loner too lol.
Also am thinking of doing Nursing next year – back to education.
As Aquarius Sun again BINGO! Am working on something now, which i thought about a few times before yet time and circumstances didnt allow to do, back on drawing board – and yes some stalls delays from friends help, and of course i took your directive nothing till after May 5 on the public website or launch!
And again as you stated moving, and perhaps working more online or more nomadic, yes all possibilites.
Great article as Always Jessica, Love your style interpretation and wisdom.
I’m glad the astrology is working for you, thank you. On both levels, it seems – Aquarius Sun and a Pisces chart signature.
Hi Jessica,
Thanks to you and your team again for your brilliant website on all matters astrology; and especially for all the 12th house information – I’ve read and watched all of it – Neptune in Pisces reports, podcasts and now this.
I just had a query as to what it might mean to have the ruler of my 02 degrees Pisces Midheaven (Neptune) making a transit square to my natal Neptune of 16 degrees Sagittarius soon? It has always been an important point for me in the past; and I am interested to see what other ‘gifts’ (sometimes disguised as hard work) that Neptune might offer – I have tried hard over the past few years to really “raise my Neptune vibration” via setting firm boundaries in friendships, work-life balance and energy; becoming tee-totaller three years ago (occasional wines for birthdays and anniversaries); following a very clean diet; a real focus on spirituality, love and kindness; and allowing my artistic side ‘out’. Would appreciate your guru medium advice on any matters! Kindest regards, E.J.
Thank you very much. I will pass that onto James, Justin, Alyas, Jodi and Kerry. You are very kind E.J. and feedback is always great for us. You mention your MC ruler squaring itself and that 16 degrees has always been a key point in past transits. The fact that you have given up alcohol and focussed on spirituality is very Neptunian so let’s take a look. Your T-Square is actually the chart focus. I am sure you know this is when horoscope factors make a T shape in the chart, as two squares join up. And of course the T is led by Pisces, the sign we associate with alcohol and also the soul/the spirit. Thus – Moon at 2 Gemini. Mars at 3 Pisces. MC 2 Pisces. IC 2 Virgo. Ops 1 Gemini. Proserpina 2 Gemini. You would feel this T Square all the time, as the Moon herself transits the first three degrees of Gemini, Pisces and Virgo every month. Any time you are around people who have placements at 1, 2, 3 of these signs they will also have a huge impact on you. This is really a T-Square to associate with writing poetry, but also channelling the spirit world. You need to write a diary if you do not already do that. I can see why you had to give up drinking! Yet, this combination of Pisces/Virgo/Gemini is great for blending writing and public speaking with your psychic ability. You are highly sensitive. Watch what happens when Jupiter goes to 1, 2, 3 Sagittarius towards the end of this year, as this will create a Grand Cross in your chart and you will gain from it as Jupiter is a great teacher.
Hi jessica,
I’ve been digging into this for years trying to understand it because my Chiron, vesta and midheaven fall in my 12th. I wondered how that gets interpreted? Thank you. Wonderful site and I learn a lot here. Great work and writing.
Thank you. Your birth time is likely not on the round hour – so your MC or Midheaven (dependent on a strictly accurate birth time) – may not be Pisces. However, Chiron and Vesta are most certainly in Pisces in your Twelfth House, at the very least. This is a common placement in the charts of people who cover up big secrets in their lives – sometimes there are a couple of things buried under the floorboards – and they manage to get away with it. Perhaps this is you. There is typically a long conversation with one’s own soul, about the cover-up or burial. There may even be three major secrets by the time you get to mid-life, as that’s about the number of major Chiron cycles you will have experienced. Your Chiron by sign and house shows you what is possible – even though it’s pretty audacious – and over the course of your lifetime you will prove it to yourself. Actually if you step back and look at your life as a whole, you will soon see how you have mystified, duped, fooled or totally confused people more than once! We also associate the Twelfth House with psychic ability, mediumship, channelling and spiritual healing. It is also possible that you will enjoy a lifetime of jaw-dropping experiments with this, too. It really depends on what you want to do with your chart. Vesta is unrelated, as she is too far away from Chiron to work with him as a pair. Yet, the idea is similar. This is about what you cover up and hide. It can also be what is quite unconscious on your part. Vesta describes women who compete with other women for the same man. This pattern turns up with secret crushes or forbidden desires for married men. The secret crushes are usually aimed at a man who is popular with women, as a whole, and has a harem around him! Finally, you are missing something and that in itself is interesting. You have totally forgotten to mention your Panacea in Pisces. That is an unconscious act. And Pisces rules the unconscious. She is at 0 Pisces in your Twelfth House and is associated with ‘fixes’ of all kinds. Cures, remedies and solutions which have a major ethical or moral question mark around them. Panacea’s fixes work – and that’s a good thing – but there is always an issue about black/white/grey area of right and wrong with her. If it turns out that your birth time is strictly accurate, than everything mentioned here may form part of your vocation, calling or life path. So, you would have to say, your highest achievement would be hidden from other people. Never seen, known or understood!