The Twelfth House--reaching for the ultimateThe astrological blueprint is divided into twelve sectors called houses. The houses represent arenas of life experience in the astrological map of consciousness. The following keywords encapsulate their meanings-- 1) Self, 2) Possessions, 3)Knowledge, 4) Private life, 5) Creativity, 6) Practicalities, 7) Relationships, 8) Transformation, 9) Philosophical growth, 10) Public achievements, 11) Friendship and Community and then the end of the line--the twelfth house.
So much has been written about house twelve, yet its meaning remains mostly a mystery up to now, as it pertains to experiences that have no visible frame of reference.
The prime lesson of house twelve is one of acceptance. That is to say that wherever one lands in life at any time turns out to be the perfect place for the lesson of acceptance to be learned.
Much that has been written about the twelfth house in astrological literature is unduly negative. Some astrologers warn you that if a planet is transiting (moving) into the twelfth house of your chart--beware--especially if the planet has a nefarious (if unwarranted) reputation, such as Saturn or Pluto.
The planets, however, do not do anything, either to you or to anyone else. They are simply indicators. Just like hands on a clock, their position in the sky informs us about the quality of the subtle energies that are prevailing at any particular time.
The ultimate lesson of the twelfth house is that no one is 'out there'--it is all us. In the first house, it appears as if each person is alone. As we travel in our consciousness around the astrological wheel, more energy comes into our space and then it seems, it is not just our space anymore. The further along we travel, the bigger our space becomes so that more energy and information is able to be there to share our space with us.
House twelve at the end of the line represents the limits of human experience on the earth plane. Were we to go beyond those limits, it would be as if we were to send electric current through a conductor that could not accommodate the voltage being transmitted. Did you ever hear the true story about the woman who put her pet in a microwave oven to dry it off after giving the dog a bath? The poor thing exploded. So would we if we attempted to move outside of the boundaries of our reality. Of course, some boundary lines are drawn to extend farther out than others and some individuals are constituted to be able to channel higher frequency energies.
The twelfth house is associated with asylums, prisons and monasteries, as well as anyplace where individuals are stashed away because they cannot or do not want to integrate into mainstream society. House twelve can seem to be a lonely place to inhabit.
Still, there is another side to the meaning of this house. Once you have worked through much of your karma and fulfilled most of your dharma, the twelfth house is the place where your dreams come true. In allowing life to deliver its teachings to you with unreserved acceptance, the love in your heart opens up a space of conscious awareness within that had previously been hidden from you. Some might call this space a cosmic connection; others would say it is an encounter with the Divine. In this space of consciousness, there is scarcely any difference between the experience of pain and the experience of joy. Mystics know the feeling for they have removed their awareness from the cares and concerns of mundane existence (the space of practicalities, which the sixth house on the opposite side of the astrological wheel represents.)
One enters the twelfth house to transcend the ego-mind with its insatiable desire to create satisfaction amidst the seductive illusions of the material world. In this high and holy space, a soul surrenders the need to be somebody and dissolves the urge to shine brighter than its fellow earth travellers. Freed-up from the ego's greedy demands; released from angry and hateful feelings and cleansed of all cravings for something that simply is not there and never will be, the soul has come full circle. All that was there for the soul to experience has taken place and what remains is love.
True love allows everything and everyone to be exactly what it is. Pass it by if you choose but let it be and let someone take your place who can fill its space with love and make it all right.
Dreams come true once an individual arrives at and resides in
a state of grace. It is this experience that is the gift of the twelfth house. One does not have to be perfect to move beyond all fears and open up to one`s true and loving nature in a state of grace. Grace is a currency, one that cannot be bought or sold. It is different than the coin of the realm we use for the purchase of food, clothing and shelter (or anything material we might consider necessary), yet it can enrich one`s life in ways that words cannot describe. It is a quiet experience that in its humble and unassuming way is of greater value than anything that has a price tag on it because unlike all things material; it is not subject to the law of entropy. Its existence is eternal and its value keeps on growing.
When we consciously move into the twelfth house of experience, though we may seem to be as alone as when we started in house one, there could not be more support for us than there is in this place. For it is here that we cultivate the willingness to do what we promised from the start. Instead of asking what we think we want from life, we consider what is the most that we can give to life.
What happens in the twelfth house operates through indiscernible means and yet twelfth house events are the most unfeigned and definitive spiritual experiences that a human being can have. They are experiences that bring spirit into matter and enable a physical entity to realize in the most solid and substantial way the wholeness of being and the realization of total union with the universe.
The twelfth house through the signs with a little bit of a forecast for each signAries: Your whole world is topsy-turvy. Uranus is transiting your solar twelfth house and higher dimensional energies are permeating your force field. Jupiter and Neptune are connecting you with a steady stream of messengers. They continue to remind you that what you have been told by the material powers that be all your life (and especially now) is not the truth and what has been denied turns out to be more real than anything. You are always the first to see what is there when another layer of so-called reality is peeled away. Only this time more than one layer is coming off and what it exposes is providing you with the excitement that activates the source of your aliveness. The year to come could be your best year ever, the more it gets underway.
Taurus: If your current occupation has not been progressing as well as you would like, a partnership(s) may be in the offering. Sure you have your ways and always like to function according to an agenda that is comfortable for you--after all the independent sign of Aries lives in your solar twelfth house. Face it though, comfort is the opposite of satisfaction and sometimes your habitual routine fails to turn on the juice that would make work a progressive pleasure. So bring in some support because chances are your job in life is going to encompass some additional responsibilities and you want to be prepared to meet them without enduring extra pressure. You may be astonished to discover that you can put more on your plate without necessarily weighing yourself down. All it takes are other people who aim to accomplish the same things you do and who are looking for you, as much as you are looking for them.
Gemini: While you are eager to keep turning the pages of the book you are writing with your life, it may surprise you to learn that you are more attached to the world of dollars and cents than you would like to think you are. Your saving grace is that you seldom look back and that is the secret behind the high spirits you carry with you into each new adventure. When it appears that outgo is far exceeding income, however, your usually nonchalant attitude toward life shows signs of wear and tear. Taurus, the sign of material stability, is in your solar twelfth house so when your credit cards reach their limit, your fragile nature and highly geared nervous system are inclined to react in ways that are distressing. Unless of course, you have lots more stashed away in secret hiding places, which is another facet of a twelfth house Taurus placement.
Cancer: Pluto is transiting your relationship house and motivating you to want to hang out with yourself in a blissful spiritual space. Jupiter and Neptune are further transforming your connections with others and people are disappearing right and left to make room for the angels to play on your home ground (wherever that may be at any time.) In a way, you have never been happier and you really do not know why. In the meantime, Gemini stays put in your twelfth house, attempting to make that elusive connection between your High Self (the universal you) and your three dimensional self that eat, drinks and goes to the bathroom several times a day. How can you reconcile the difference between the one you have always been and the one you only are at this time? If that inquiry fails to boggle your mind, consider this. The three dimensional part of you down here is in service to the multi-dimensional part even though it is out of sight and often out of mind. Reach out--it is waiting for you with open arms.
Leo: You manage to put a smile on your face, even when the chips are down and you give a noble account of yourself, even when the odds are not in your favour. You may be laughing on the outside while crying on the inside, but your pride is so great, you never show signs of defeat regardless of how hard they keep trying to push you down. You are the consummate performer--think of President Obama, Madonna, Robert DeNiro or the late Lucille Ball. What do these lions have in common--they all know how to call attention to themselves and keep their audience entertained until the final curtain descends. On stage, Leo is the star of the show and Leos are always on stage, except when they are sleeping. The ultra-emotional sign of Cancer occupies the solar house of your chart, Leo. That makes you a virtual virtuoso at running the gamut of emotion, so that no one dares turn away when you want another dose of attention.
Virgo: Leo is the sign in your solar twelfth house. While you grow frustrated being everyone's helper, the universe wants you to remain low key in this incarnation and quietly go about your business. Your business is always to get the world around you ship-shape and ready for cosmic inspection. Relationships are exciting yet erratic during this time period with Uranus moving through the seventh house of your solar chart. Work is either a surrealistic experience or an exercise in existential despair with Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in that sector. Pluto is altering the way you express yourself and Saturn will soon be warning you to watch every penny. It sure sounds as if you have taken on a lot. Then again, though it may be hard to believe, do you ever remember a time when your life was more than you could handle?
Libra: No need to be modest. You are growing by leaps and bounds and getting ready for prime time. What will you do when your moment arrives and you get to show the world that you have more going on than you or anyone else expected? Not that it is going to be easy, however, it is best not to keep confirming that it is going to be hard. The year ahead is fraught with challenge. Welcome all of it and shy away from none of it because the winds of change are blowing your journey in a different direction. Virgo occupies your solar twelfth house and when it is there, excessive criticism damages the chance you have to live in harmony. Embrace all that you can, ignore what you cannot embrace (if possible)and wait for the person you have been waiting for to show up at your door and grant you entry into a complaint-free society. There is nothing wrong here Libra, so instead of being the judge, the jury and God help you, you can mellow out, put your anger on the back burner and go back to being your beautiful self once again.
Scorpio: Libra lurks in the background in the hidden recesses of the twelfth house of your chart, like a pendulum swinging back and forth between the poles of your understanding. Where will that get you when all is said and done? You win when you move forward and act with conviction, while you fall behind when you waver in a sea of indecision. You of all people know what you have to offer, so there really is no problem. Sure it would be great if everyone wanted to luxuriate in heavenly peace. Unfortunately a lot of people are mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore. Do you want to be one of them, Scorpio? Chances are you have been there and done that before, again and again. So what is the point of it? You are at your best in the dove stage of the Scorpio journey, standing in the center of all light where nothing can harm you and where you can be as harmless as a dove, however, do not forget to remain as shrewd as a serpent. Not that you would forget.
Sagittarius: Your life these days could be more focused on your own personal growth. If others are being a bit coercive and putting pressure on you to dance to their tune, remind them that it is time for you to take an extended vacation as soon as possible. After all, what really matters to you--being a workaholic or being free to explore your spiritual potentials. If the need to bankroll your mission has you burning the midnight oil, that could only mean you are succumbing to the dark side of your twelfth house. You have the sign of Scorpio there and it makes you think you want to be rich and powerful when you simply want to be free—free to explore and discover and to grow in spirit, as you comprehend the majesty and mysteries of the universe. It is time to cease listening to anything but your inner voice informing you that your great gift to the world is your incredible capacity for living an abundant and joyous existence and trusting that the universe will continue to provide.
Capricorn: As the system that seems to hold everything together falls apart at the seams (because too many no longer believe that it works for them), you may be having a bit of a struggle. Sagittarius in your solar twelfth house makes you a bit antsy, wondering what the future will bring. Did you forget that the future is up to you and it begins with every step you take in the present moment? There really is no need to worry about the future or about anything at all. While others are being carried away kicking and screaming, you are sure to remain standing firmly on 'terra firma' organizing the chaos all around you. If there is a flood, you will be running the row boat concession. While it might never cross your mind, you are also the one we need to draw up and mobilize the plans for the world paradigm that follows the one currently coming to a close.
Aquarius: Capricorn occupies your twelfth house. While you may think you are a world changer whose aim is to open up the eyes of the general population to the eternal truth of the ages, practical considerations often interfere with and come between higher truth and more pragmatic concerns. After all, you still have your place in society and your commitments to the realities of your life circumstances. There are limits as to how far you can go at any one time before you are pulled over for speeding. Later on, as the challenges we are all facing grow even more intense, you can stretch those limits for in no way have you lost that potential. At present, however, it is best to be cautious and to trust in those who are urging you to hold down the fort. In no way does this alter your reason for being here on Earth or your potential to make a huge difference--it is all a matter of time. Do not worry, what is in your heart will stay there and continue to burn brightly for your heart is in the right place, you know what needs to happen and happen it will. Thank goodness!
Pisces: Your twelfth house is occupied by the sign of Aquarius and in some ways, you have the same issue as the previous sign. The big difference is that you are more accepting when the answer to your prayers is no-- not at this time. That is because the twelfth house, the last one on the wheel, is the natural habitat of Pisces, as your sign is the last sign of the zodiac. Of course, any sign can reside in the twelfth house and in your case it is Aquarius, yet no one understands the depths of this arena of experience the way Pisces does, for no one can move closer than you can to merge with the universe and become its instrument. When Aquarius is in your solar twelfth house, your mission is to make the irrational rational and to clarify all that is unexplained and inexplicable. Ah but you know that everything can be fathomed by those who have realized that life is a magical experience. Nothing is impossible for once we have acquired sufficient faith the impossible is nothing.
