We all have a Twelfth House in our natal astrological chart. Determining one’s time of birth as precisely as possible helps to learn more about this house. Not knowing the precise time of birth does not rule out the fact that everyone is influenced by the Twelfth House in his/her natal astrological chart. In this article, some of the influences of this house are described briefly. In fact, these descriptions are lessons drawn from the Zodiac regarding this astrological house. THE TWELFTH HOUSE AND ONE’S PAST The Twelfth House tells us how we perceive ourselves through the things we have done during our lives. These actions may be a source of joy or often, unfortunately, a source of sorrow, concern or regret. Deep within ourselves, we keep a small private part of our lives that is specific to each individual. We usually do not share our sorrows, misfortunes and past mistakes with just anybody, either because we are shy or ashamed, or sometimes because it is too hard to talk about them. We should not be overly concerned about this; each of us has gone through events in the past that may have caused sorrow, melancholy, even mild depression in certain cases. It all depends on the way in which we experienced our past. Naturally, the more one’s past is laden with unfortunate experiences, the more painful the secrets kept inside. THE DOMAIN OF SECRETS The Twelfth House symbolizes painful secrets and sorrows of all kinds. It is also the symbol of solitary places such as hospitals and prisons where criminals are held. By analogy, there are also the prisons into which we retreat when we feel lonely and abandoned. At times, we bury personal secrets in the deepest part of our subconscious, while it would be to our advantage to confide in a kindly therapist, at the very least, to free ourselves from this burden. In this regard, our worst personal secrets are those that cause guilt. But honestly, are we fully responsible for everything that happens to us? Each of us may feel guilty about the unpleasant events, sorrows or misfortunes experienced by others. In such cases, we must put things into perspective by focusing on what we really meant to do and what may have happened inadvertently. And then there are our acquaintances, friends and partners who confide their problems, concerns and secrets to us. If not careful enough, we may end up suffering as much as they are. We must earnestly strive to disengage ourselves from individuals who confide their secrets to us. At the most, advice may be offered to these individuals. Or, one might recommend that they see a qualified individual who would be of much greater help to them. In any case, we must practise disengagement by telling ourselves that obstacles placed in the path of others concern these individuals alone. They must face these obstacles and grow spiritually on their own by finding solutions best suited to them. This approach can be achieved through an effort of thinking. THE SWELLINGS OF THE TWELFTH HOUSE The Twelfth House is associated with the Zodiac sign of Pisces. Fish living in the sea swell with water. By being overly concerned with our past problems and those of others, we may be under the impression that our brain is filling up to full capacity with all these problems and that it is “swelling” to excess. Indeed, the brain absorbs feelings like a sponge. From time to time, this sponge must be wrung out to relieve oneself from all past sorrows, fears and concerns in order to start anew. It is also in our interest to surround ourselves with positive people and suggest to all those who keep dwelling on their misfortunes that they consult a kindly therapist, especially when we think that there is nothing we can do to help or when the task is too demanding for us. HIDDEN SECRETS Naturally, some people fully come to terms with their past lives, solve their problems and decide to start with a clean slate in order to move on to something else. From a symbolic and astrological point of view, the Twelfth House of these people operates very positively in their lives. They do not revel in their misfortunes; instead, they focus on achieving a host of interesting projects, taking into account their capabilities, financial means and so on. Nonetheless, a few people may keep all their pains, sorrows and frustrations inside without talking about them to anyone. They seem happy on the outside, but inside, they quite often have a genuine need for a good cry. Perhaps they are introverted, slightly withdrawn people. At the very least, a kindly therapist would do them great good. THE TWELFTH HOUSE INFLUENCED BY THE SIGN OF PISCES More precisely, the Zodiac sign of Pisces is associated with the Twelfth House. The sign of Pisces is the last sign of the Zodiac, just as the Twelfth House is the last house of the Zodiac. There are times when we end up being last. This always hurts a little. In general, we cannot always be first in the class. At times, we unfortunately fall back to the twelfth row! Great figures of the world such as philosophers, poets and artists have not always had an easy life. On the contrary, those who succeed in their projects have undoubtedly invested the time needed to do so and, above all, overcome obstacles with a certain sense of satisfaction. This is how the dual sign of Pisces influences the Twelfth House. We may all have a series of problems to solve, obstacles to overcome, challenges to meet and even passing frustrations with which to deal. Although that may well be, we must “keep our spirits up” and smile in the face of adversity. When the time is appropriate and with a little luck from the celestial bodies, everything is possible. It is then that things lighten up for us. In short, the sign of Pisces is a dual sign that brings about “ups and downs”. THE TWELFTH HOUSE AND EXPECTATIONS Most fish swim slowly in the ocean. They seem to take their time. Likewise in day-to-day life, the Twelfth House calls upon us to take our time when undertaking projects. Things usually do not turn out as expected right away. There are times to rest and anticipate, during which we may become impatient. Disagreements, especially misunderstandings, complicate matters. In the world of fish, sounds are not well transmitted in the ocean. Human beings also experience communication problems at times. Things often do not go as smoothly as we would like. The Twelfth House is a house that teaches us to be patient, ponder and meditate. Take advantage of these times to take stock of yourself earnestly and sort out your thoughts and projects in order to set off anew on a better note. THE TWELFTH HOUSE AND LONELINESS Whether we admit it or not, we sometimes feel lonely. When loneliness is hard to bear, we may quickly become impatient, even intolerant, or quite simply angry. Conversely, we should take advantage of these times of loneliness to review our strategic planning, main objectives and what is the most important thing we want to achieve in life; in short, we should prioritize all our activities. CONCLUSION We hope that you have found the approach presented in this article to your liking and that you have gained a better understanding of the role of the Twelfth House of the Zodiac in your life and its influence. May you enjoy productive times of reflection. In moments like these, you will undoubtedly devise helpful and effective strategies and scenarios. ~ Permission is granted by the authors to reproduce this article by any means.~ Acknowledgements * Rachel Elie (author) * Benedict Elie (author) benedict600@hotmail.com * Aimée LeBreton (translator) acdaimee@ccapcable.com * Published by COSMIC PATTERNS SOFTWARE kepler@astrosoftware.com