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The 12th House -- The Doorway to Your Secret Past

© Jeanine Berry

The 12th House is traditionally known as the house of self-undoing, sacrifice, hidden enemies and karma.

In karmic astrology, it represents what we have brought forward from past lives into this life. In most people these memories are not conscious, but instead lie just below the surface of the mind. These memories and patterns of thinking and feeling are so deeply ingrained in us that they can rule our present-day thoughts and emotions. However, because we are unaware of them, they are our "blind spots" -- hidden weaknesses that can emerge when least expected and play havoc with our lives.

A brief aside for the sake of any readers who don't believe in reincarnation or karma: How do you understand the 12th House then? In that case, remember that this house was the one that was rising right before the moment of your birth (since it is the house in front of your ascendant). It represents the energies you put out into the world at a very early stage of your development. It represents people and circumstances that impacted your development before you reached a state of conscious awareness -- while your ego was still being formed. Again, it shows patterns that are buried in your subconscious mind, your "blind spots" in life.

Thus whether you believe in karma or not, the end result is the same.

When looking at the 12th house of your chart, you will want to consider the sign on the cusp, the ruler of the sign on the cusp, any planets in the 12th house, and the aspects they make. You will also want to consider the houses in your chart that are ruled by planets within your 12th house, as these are the areas of your life that are likely to be impacted by this subconscious or past life material.

As always, each of the signs can be interpreted on a mundane level or on a deeper level. For instance, let's say you have Aries on the cusp of your 12th house. On a mundane level, this could indicate a past life as a warrior, fighter for some cause, or a pioneer of some sort. These are the kinds of activities in which an Aries would typically engage. Incidentally, some astrologers believe that the sign on your 12th house cusp was your ascendant sign in a past life. I personally don't think things are that simple, but it can certainly be said that there is a "hidden" Aries element in your makeup in this life.