The 12th House is the last house in the birth chart. It is ruled by the sign Pisces and the planet Neptune. Being a water house, and ruled by Neptune, its energy is spiritual, mystical, artistic, and empathic.
What Does the 12th House Represent in the Birth Chart?
The 12th House is associated with the occult world, dreams, the subconscious, spirituality, and escapism. It is here that we find the deepest levels of our subconscious mind.
Being ruled by Neptune, this house contains all things that have no physical form. It is considered the most psychic, spiritual, and mysterious house in the natal chart.
The 12th House in Traditional and Modern Astrology
In traditional astrology, the 12th House was associated with places of confinement such as hospitals, prisons, monasteries, as well as hidden enemies.
With modern astrology, this grim definition does not have to be so explicit, but the energy of being isolated and out of the public eye remains true. As for hidden enemies, it can often present itself as self-sabotage.
There is a lot of fog in this house and that is why if you have planets in the 12th House it is difficult for you to establish boundaries with other people. It is important to have time alone to rest and reflect, as having planets here makes you a sort of energy sponge.
How Can You Better Understand the 12th House in Your Birth Chart?
Let’s think of the planets in this house as being in a mom’s womb. They live in two worlds at the same time, hidden, but safe in another hidden world that we cannot see. It is here where life behind the scenes is created and then given shape and visibility in the first house.
If you have planets in the 12th House, there is a general sense of loss and confusion. However, this house contains a sea of infinite treasures.
The greatest gift of this house is when we wake up from our sleep.
When we manage to move from the subconscious to the conscious. When we trust that we are held by something we cannot explain. When we manage to open our eyes while inhabiting the womb.
It is here that we begin to look inward and find the light that guides us through the fog.
My Personal Experience With The 12th House
I have my Sun, Mercury, and South Node in the 12th House of my birth chart. When I began studying astrology, the 12th House resonated with me the most. Although I didn’t fully understand it, I felt like I finally understood many things about my life and why I felt and saw the world a certain way.
The best way I can explain the 12th House is to think of it as being in an airplane. We are isolated, in the clouds, and without much control of our journey through life.
When we look out the window, we can see how the sky and the clouds come together and form part of a whole. Many times, we cannot distinguish where the sky begins and where it ends, alluding to the 12th House where life ends and prepares to be born in the 1st House.
On several occasions, we will have to go through turbulence. In those moments of anxiety and uncertainty, we face the dark side of our mental health. It may be just a few minutes of turbulence, but for some, it will be an eternity.
Regardless of your religion or belief system, the common denominator is an inclination toward the spiritual world. There is a need to trust the universe to survive.
The greatest gift of this house is when we wake up from our sleep. When we manage to go from the unconscious to the conscious. Even though we are thousands of miles above the earth, we trust that we are held by something we cannot explain.
And this is precisely why there is so much spiritual and intuitive energy in this house. It is only through turbulence that we can look inward and find the light that guides us on the path.
Finding Light Amidst Turbulence
I remember the worst experience with turbulence I have ever had. It was at the end of September 2018. The route was from Medellín to Bogotá. It was very late at night and we were flying through a rainstorm.
The plane was half empty. I had a seat by the window and watched how the sky lit up every time the lightning flashed. Every time the plane moved, I felt my heart drop to the floor.
I don’t know where we were exactly, I just knew we were flying over a mountainous region. My mind started racing. I was imagining the worst possible scenarios and what it would be like to fall and crash. I thought that if that happened, the best outcome would be a quick death without so much pain.
The worst part was when I looked around and saw the seemingly calm passengers. There was a man watching a movie on his cell phone and another one was sleeping. I wanted to scream at them and explain to me how they could be so calm amid such terrifying turbulence.
- Couldn’t they feel what I felt?
- Couldn’t they feel the fear rumbling in my heart and veins?
- Couldn’t they sense the desperation I had?
- Couldn’t they see how scared I was?
I couldn’t yell at them because I knew my fear was in my head. Having Mercury in the 12th House, mental health issues are intensified and this is a clear example of this.
I knew my fear of turbulence was a personal thing that had developed a few years ago. It wasn’t their fault for how I was feeling.
At the same time that the plane was shaking and I was thinking about the worst-case scenario, I was also finding seconds to cling to God and my angels.
I prayed to protect the plane and all the passengers in it. I prayed that the plane would arrive safely in Bogotá. I prayed that they would accompany me on this trip.
I clung to my faith and spirituality when I couldn’t feel the ground beneath my feet. I held on to this invisible force when I could not see beyond the tragedy.
A voice inside me knew that everything was going to be okay, that this was temporary, and that I was always protected. I knew I was being held in the middle of the void.
After a while, I don’t know if it was 20 or 10 minutes, we came out the other side of the turbulence and the plane landed at the El Dorado Airport in Bogotá. I only remember the happiness and relief when we landed.
This same scenario speaks volumes about what it is like to have planets or transits in the 12th house. Mental health, isolation, paranoia, inner reflection, spirituality, and divine wisdom.
When you have gone through so many turbulent times in your life, your inner self becomes more reflective and resilient.
You have developed the necessary resilience to cope with many difficult situations and lessons in life.
We do not have the answers to all the questions and the fear and uncertainty will not go away completely.
What changes is our attitude and mindset. We finally understand that our destiny, although not clearly defined, will always lead us to the place where we belong.
