Planets in the 12th House
Planets in the twelfth house are denied natural, candid and direct expression.
Sun in the 12th House: The need to shine and feel vital in the world is diffused into a fog when the sun falls in the twelfth house. This placement indicates a disconnect from the father during childhood. It could be the death of the father, his absence, or a father who is perceived as being preoccupied with everything except the chart holder. In any event, the twelfth-house sun person feels that their right to develop into someone who shines in the world isn’t supported and assisted by their father. There is a feeling that they must “do it alone”. They may spend some time wallowing in self-pity before they find the strength to accept the responsibility of finding and developing their hidden talents. In reality, the sun always needs to develop on its own and any help it receives from others is nice and may make things easier in this material world, but in the end, the help may actually slow development. The twelfth house is the house of hidden talents, so once these chart holders get past feeling sorry for themselves for having to be so independent from such a young age, they are rewarded because all of the extra effort makes them shine sooner and stronger. Even after they learn to shine, twelfth-house sun people feel forever drawn back to that nebulous, unconscious, universal fog of their childhoods. An interest in religion or philosophy that explores greater, universal meanings in life or getting lost in the beautiful abyss of nature brings them back and satisfies this need. Some spend some time getting lost in the abyss of mind altering substances to recreate the feeling. These chart holders can teeter between feeling used and abused by the world and feeling compassionate towards the suffering of others. At worst, they can get lost in an unconscious self-pity and blame the world for feeling so lost and alone. At best, these feelings give them a deeply felt compassion towards the weaknesses, faults and sufferings of others and an ability to make it in the world completely on their own.
The twelfth house describes the experience in the womb. The mother’s feelings about life during her pregnancy create the twelfth-house experience that remains throughout the chart holder’s life.
Moon in the 12th House: The twelfth-house moon person is denied the comforting, nurturing childhood the rest of us assume is a normal part of childhood. A mother who is preoccupied, distant, or absent creates an unnurturing environment for this twelfth-house moon child. Childhood is often painful and lonely. Over time, these chart holders have no choice but to learn how to self nurture. Sometimes this is done with drugs or alcohol, but religion, meditation, philosophy and service to others also satisfies the nurturing need. The ability to find a productive way to self-nurture that isn’t self destructive is difficult and often takes years. It’s easy for these people to fall into depression and feel lost and alone. It takes a great deal of emotional strength for them to crawl out of the dark loneliness of this planetary position and develop the ability to love themselves enough to compensate for the lack of emotional support they receive from the world. Even when these people are able to get past this, there is a vague feeling of confusion about how to find comfort and nurturing on a daily basis. They don’t know what they like or how to really feel satisfied. A hollow feeling is always present and can never really be filled. Some feel that life will never truly satisfy them and that the afterlife or spiritual world would be more satisfying. They are mystified by anything that can draw them out of the mundane day-to-day world and into something greater and boundless. At worst, twelfth-house moons never get beyond the self-pity and forever feel that the world is a cold and uncaring place where they are always alone. Being cruel to others as a type of unconscious revenge that gives them an ability to control and gain attention from a world that they feel has always controlled and ignored them is sometimes seen with this position. At best, twelfth-house moons find their hidden twelfth-house gift which is their ability to realize that we are all really alone in the world and the only path to true happiness is to truly love and nurture yourself. Their struggle gives them an understanding of this that no one else can really appreciate. While others constantly rely on others for emotional support, twelfth-house moons can be completely self-sufficient and at peace with their heart and spirit. Better yet, they can offer a compassion to others that comes from their uniquely deep understanding which is their hidden talent. Many of these chart holders express these compassionate feelings through art, while others do so by interacting directly with people in need.
Mercury in the 12th House: “Children are to be seen and not heard.” These words describe the childhood world of the twelfth-house Mercury. Whether the child is reprimanded for talking too much or afraid to speak in the first place, Mercury’s desire to communicate is stifled in the twelfth house. These children can be criticized for what they say as much as how often they say it. They grow up feeling that their opinions don’t matter and aren’t worth expressing. This can create an adult who talks about themselves and their opinions incessantly, yet it is done unconsciously. When accused of it, they are astonished and deny it, yet they continue to do it. They have an unconscious need to express themselves verbally because they have a pervasive feeling of being ignored and not being heard. This is why they deny it. In their minds, they are the people who are always lost in the fog of the world and never heard or understood. They are not the people who are so confident as to talk about themselves and advertise their thoughts and ideas. These chart holders can make great writers as this is truly their hidden twelfth-house talent. Because they have had to fight for their perceived right to speak and express their ideas, they often learn to excel at it.
Venus in the 12th House: Feeling guilty about enjoying pleasure and not understanding consciously how to enjoy pleasure are common themes for a twelfth-house Venus. Values are foggy and the chart holder doesn’t feel they own their values. Parents may have discouraged fun in their childhood setting up a situation in which these people weren’t allowed to explore the world enough to really understand what they like or value. In adulthood, they are easily swayed into being told they should enjoy or value this or that because they can’t pinpoint it themselves. Any form of artistic expression helps with Venus in the twelfth house. Through art, which is a hidden talent for these people, these chart holders can let their unconscious express their values and their sense of beauty, fun and pleasure. Eventually, by using a medium like art, the unconscious can be made conscious and these people can see what gives them pleasure and what they value.
Mars in the 12th House:
Being raised by parents who teach that children are not allowed to show aggression, anger, or to exert their will is common with a twelfth-house Mars. Even if the parents didn’t state it plainly, it was assumed by the chart holder to be the general rule of the home. As adults, these people often impose their will or fighting spirit without consciously realizing it. It is common for these chart holders to forever see themselves as they were as children, agreeable and submissive. They often politely fight their way to the top of their career and silently make sure they get what they want out of life. To directly express the wants of their will is seen to them as rude and selfish. The direct expression of anger is also difficult for them and they may try to work out anger in dreams, ending up with nightmares. Sports is an excellent outlet for their unconscious need to assert their will, their anger, and their need to fight to win. Excelling at a career that puts them above the crowds like success as a physician is also common. These people always have a lingering feeling that they are too submissive and others see them as weak. They constantly strive to be strong and stand up for themselves. However, all of this effort throughout their lives makes them very strong people who are able to exert their will while still having compassion for others.
Jupiter in the 12th House: “Don’t let things go too far or they’ll get out-of-hand!” This is the recurring unconscious statement inside the head of the person with the twelfth-house Jupiter during their childhood. Jupiter’s need to expand, be free and overdo things now and again is repressed into the unconsciousness of those with Jupiter in their twelfth house. The parents of these people were always reminding them not to let things get too big, not to go far from home, not to let things get chaotic. This includes their way of thinking. As children, these chart holders are discouraged from thinking outside of the box. They grow up feeling like the philosophies and traditions of their family should be upheld and new ideas should be disregarded. The twelfth-house Jupiter person unconsciously yearns to break free, grow their ideas and explore their world. When Jupiter is repressed into the unconscious by childhood feelings or experiences, it turns the unconscious into its playground. The unconscious is limitless, boundless and infinite, making it a fitting place for Jupiter, which can be described the same way. They are a match. The beneficial planet Jupiter can run free here and philosophize on the largest, most abstract scale. This house placement can produce famous religious leaders, writers, and teachers, as these mediums can be used to express their Jupiter. At worst, these chart holders have a lot of vague, outlandish ideas that are scattered and unproductive. They can’t find expression in the world, and find their outlet in vices such as alcohol.
Saturn in the 12th House: In the childhood, those with Saturn in their twelfth house grow up believing that they are not allowed to be critical of others, feel they’re better than others, or compete with others. They must accept the cards they are dealt in life and be mature about it. From a young age, these people are required to take on many responsibilities, and it’s assumed by their unconscious that it is normal. They feel they shouldn’t criticize their parents for their load of responsibilities. They’re no better than their parents and shouldn’t contribute any less to the family. They shouldn’t compete with siblings for attention or preferred treatment. Twelfth-house Saturns are supposed to be hardworking, responsible, and self-sacrificing. They should suffer in silence, which they do. They are haunted by a vague feeling of restriction and lack of options in life. Sleep problems are common due to vague stress and guilt over perceived wrongdoings or flaws. Their unconscious is always reminding them to stay tough and plow through problems and difficulties while somehow remaining humble also. At best, these chart holders find their hidden talent of using Saturn’s strength as the strong, hardworking father symbol of the zodiac to accomplish a great deal in life while never getting bogged down in petty competitions with others or in self-pity. They can be an example to others and can help others find strength and perseverance in the world. At worst, they allow the twelfth house’s vague fog of disillusionment to engulf them, and they deny problems and sweep them under the rug instead of dealing with them. Some are critical of any irresponsibility in others and they judge irresponsible people as less than worthy because of the resentment they feel about their own unconscious feeling that they are slaves to responsible behavior. They feel sorry for themselves because they believe they have it harder than most, and they sometimes drown themselves in any kind of vice that lets them forget it all and finally enjoy the irresponsible, guiltless joy they are always denied.
Uranus in the 12th House: Uranus, the crusader for righteous change, has its spirit squashed in the twelfth house. These chart holders grow up feeling like they should never rock the boat and create disturbances in the status quo. There is always a vague feeling that they understand the world better than the rest of their family, but they’re not allowed to reach out and grab the world they see. They are bound to the world of their parents. It isn’t that their parent’s world is bad. It may be that their parents are bound by certain social protocols in their community or by their careers, and the chart holder just feels closed in and blocked. In adulthood, however, the chart holder is released from the parental bond and can make those changes, but it’s always like walking in mud. The twelfth house muddles the picture and although the twelfth-house Uranus person wants to break out and make changes, they are never quite sure if they should. Working with established organizations to push for social change is an excellent outlet for them. They may also find release in art. Their hidden talent is to gently push for change and righteousness while realizing that people are comfortable in their established ways and don’t want to be pushed too hard or fast. They are skilled at helping with compassion.
Neptune in the 12th House: Daydreams, fantasies and diffused ego boundaries stem from a twelfth-house Neptune. These people can ride the line between what’s real and what’s imagination, going back and forth between the two at will. Growing up as children, they are constantly told to wake up and pay attention, to stop drifting. Yet even as children, they are the ones who can truly listen to and empathize with family members in crisis without judging. But when everyone is doing well and no one in the family is in crisis, they are the ones criticized for their lack of focus and their fluid nature that is characterized by others as weak. People who are flexible rather than rigid, or compassionate rather than demanding, may appear weak. However, there is great strength in these qualities even though it may be difficult to understand. Perhaps it is only the people in crisis who are in need of their compassion who see their strength. Those who are not in need may actually victimize the twelfth-house Neptune chart holders. They seem like easy targets and are often pigeonholed as lazy and untrustworthy. The chart holder may slip away into the oblivion of mind altering substances or physically remove themselves from people by living in solitude or in a small group of unattached people where they can have space and live in their imaginations. At worst, this leads to a break with reality and detached, delusional behavior representing the unconscious’ need to be recognized and appreciated can cause the chart holder to lash out at others in an attempt to gain recognition and control. At best, great artistic talent can come from this scenario. Their pain and their ability to escape into their imagination combine to make a creative personality.
Pluto in the 12th House: As children, those with twelfth-house Plutos feel powerless. There may be extremely inflamed emotional issues in the family, and the child’s needs, wants, and desires are seen as unimportant and are ignored. The child has no sense of how to make themselves vital, contributing members of the family. Resentment builds, and as the child is keenly aware of how power is distributed and wielded in the family, they grow into adults who understand and sense power dynamics better than most. But the feeling of having their own power constantly extinguished never fades, so they learn to work secretly and behind the scenes to exert their power. Finding back doors and ways to wedge their influence into situations becomes a theme for them, and they live with a nagging sense of resentment toward anyone who seems powerful. They long to present themselves as openly powerful, but are instead forever frustrated. In the best scenario, twelfth-house Pluto chart holders are able to use their hidden talent of understanding even the most subtle workings of power to make a career. They gain their own power from their success at work. Detective work, politics or any field that allows them to examine or manipulate power struggles or structures from behind the scenes is perfect for them. At their best, they can also be extremely empathetic and passionate about helping the powerless in society. At their worst, they allow the resentment towards those who they perceive as powerful to fester in their unconscious, and they perform vengeful acts without even being fully aware of their intent and possible harm.
source / other houses
