From an energetic and spiritual point of view, all experience – inner and outer – is for our development. That’s not always easy to live, however, to be sure. My heart goes out to all whose Way is fraught with difficulty.  Abuse or neglect has not been my lot; that which has opened me and helps me transform the old patterns of consciousness and behavior is Multiple Sclerosis and the ongoing physical disabling that comes with that. So, again, my heart goes out to all and their processes of life and transformative evolution.

Before getting to Jamie and Kostandin, Dana DeFore on Facebook was prescient and brought forward the next important point and tool for us to use regarding the factors of our birth chart. It is to understand all considerations as within a spectrum, or range, or a function of polarity rather locked in opposition and duality. She put it this way “duality is a D3, illusionary constraint. And, since we are talking about spirituality, focusing on polarity – which is universal law – is more accurate and thus helpful. Few astrologers really understand the difference between duality and polarity and it’s an area of astrology that I think really needs to be improved on.”

The understanding of polarity plus spectrum or range is also how everyone can access more of the set of qualities, skills, and attributes within each planet. And, since the planets are the keyhole to accessing the energetics and qualities of a sign, then the application of this understanding – in whatever way and in whatever capacity  – will bring someone out of “suffering, confusion, and seemingly unattainable energy” that Jamie wrote of in her comment on the original 12th House post.

Think of a rainbow. Its spectrum of colors are all part of one rainbow. The rainbow is all of its colors, not merely one or two. Similarly, every planet has a spectrum or range of qualities that it can express or demonstrate. The challenge is not the planet’s, which is a divine being compared to a human being even if the planet is not considered sacred in esoteric astrology. The challenge that we all have is our self, and that we don’t know what we don’t know, and we don’t know a lot! Regarding the planets’ range, esoteric astrology offers the information of three levels of rulership: traditional, esoteric, and hierarchical. There is also the exaltation of the planets; that information is traditional and used in esoteric astrology, as well. That can seem like a lot of data to study, learn, and contemplate. But, if one is a student of astrology then following such primary lines of information will serve one well. Personally, I have chosen not to study the fixed stars or asteroids overall; Chiron being an exception. For me, they tend to distract from or complicate the simplicity of the thematic nature of a chart and its primary themes. I have also found – due to a childhood interest in mythology – these items are reinforcing the primary features/themes of the chart. Stick with the big guys is my motto with a chart.

The dynamic range of a planet’s character can be seen through the rulerships and exaltations. For example, Mars rules Aries traditionally, rules Scorpio esoterically, Sagittarius hierarchically, and is exalted in Capricorn. It could be said that in Aries, Mars pushes its to get its way; in Scorpio, Mars pushes to the depths of the psyche and karmic patterns of consciousness in order to break the chain of bondange; in Sagittarius, Mars pushes its way up from the hold of lesser desires and ungrounded or impractical considerations into the sky of mind, the flight of contemplation, and the non-duality of meditative absorption; in Capricorn, Mars pushes past all personality patterns to reach the top of the mountain of visionary spiritual Reality and Truth.

In order to live each of these, one must be able to. The idea of capacity applies again; but that is not a defeatist statement nor one of aggrandizement. It is a simple honest statement. Yet, the range of Mars, for example, is available to everyone without exception. If one notices that one pushes to get one’s way, then one can change that; the combative or conflict-oriented or intense situations in one’s life will decrease as a result. But, like the person who feeds on drama, one has to be willing to engage a new quality in one’s life.

Noticing that one pushes will start one on the road of the psyche (Scorpio) and the observer. As one engages that ever more truly, with a willingness to see what needs to be seen within one’s self, then that is the beginning of the upward push, away from lesser desires and tendencies and into wider considerations (Sagittarius). Now, one is willing and increasingly ready to vision anew, to embark on the Path of Truth as much as possible; not my truth or so and so’s truth but True Truths, ones that are so now, were so thousands of years ago, and will be true as time marches on. These Truths are visionary, in that they are beyond the conceptual mind. Now, Mars has pushed even the ability to cognize and BE beyond the flights of contemplation. One has conquered one’s self, vanquished delusion, and abides supreme in Truth of Being (highest Capricorn). And, this is only Mars and tracking only one quality: push, exertion.

If a planet is in the 12th house, it is power hidden in plain sight. If one is living that planet as if it is veiled or submerged or constrained, it is likely because the person doesn’t know there are options. Of course, there are! and they are within one’s self and within each moment and situation. But, as said, one has to be willing to change patterns. The zodiac dissolves into Pisces – all patterns are up for change in Pisces and the 12th house. One has to be willing to let go – of what? – you say, but do so considering yourself, your life, your pain and your pleasure. Why? Because in the universal ocean of Pisces and the completion of the Mutable Cross which Pisces is, all is ultimately let go. Same for the 12th house. The hidden power requires this, like a drop of rain falling into the ocean or a lake. It is no longer a distinct drop of rain. It is now ocean or lake.

Replies to Jamie and Kostandin

Jamie wrote: “Jupiter 24 and Juno 29 Virgo,  Saturn 1 and Sun 7 Libra all in 12th House.  Pluto 21 and Black Moon Lilith 19 in Libra as well. Ascendant 12*51. So much suffering. So much confusion. So much seemingly unattainable energy.”

Jamie, you’ve offered that the planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the 12th house. If the ASC is at almost 13 degrees Libra, then Pluto and Lilith are in the 1st house. That means that the rest of the planets are not in the 12th. So, turn to them or to the one you resonate with and cultivate such within yourself. For example, if Mars is accessible, then call forward its strengths within you. Those include: focused activity, working with the Earth/earth, supporting a cause that you care about, or any beneficial way that uses Mars energy and physicality in a positive way for yourself and others. If the Moon is readily accessible, then access the care for others that the Moon offers. If we use/live the Moon focused on our self, it implodes, gets too self-absorbed and can be self-destructive. But, helping others in any way available to you, shifts the focus from difficulty that “I feel” to the human struggle that unfortunately is. As we help others, we help our selves through planting seeds of good karma and kindness.

The 12th house is not prison or hell, rather one has to work as already described to access the higher qualities and skills of the planets in that house. To access the potential powers within the 12th house, we have to spiral up to our amperage. For example, Jupiter is the heart, benevolence, beneficence; it is a big-picture view of life and circumstances, thus is optimism. Well, no one can live Jupiter’s gifts if one is miserly, or judgmental, or critical, or such – no reference to you intended at all. The good of the planets in the 12th is in us and available to us. Believe that and access the good and helpful in your chart.

Kostandin wrote, “I have a stellium in Leo in the 12th. My Sun, Venus, Mercury and Saturn, Ceres, Fortune are all in the 12th. My ASC is also in Leo. The person I knew least was myself, I have had to research and rebuild myself up from scratch. Only recently, at 43, I have real desires, needs and aspirations. if you have any further insight into how to better understand and work with the energy of the stellium, I’d appreciate it.
thanks.”

There a many times that the blessing of our higher self is apparent. A lot of Leo can produce a self-focus or sense of self-importance that is not helpful to anyone. The 12th house might be a mechanism to mitigate this.

When a luminary (Sun or Moon) is the same sign as the Ascendant or the person is a new moon baby (Sun and Moon in the same sign), I interpret that as instruction to the native to turn the spiral on that one sign. In your case, you came into this incarnation with Leo skills (Sun) as well as Leo unconscious defaults (12th house), but you chose to birth yourself with Leo rising; and the rising sign is that which is being cultivated from the point of view of the Soul.

You wrote that it took a while to get to know yourself. Good! That means that you are no longer the person you were coming into the incarnation. Hopefully, you grew and developed some of the soul-oriented heart-mind oriented qualities of Leo. My guess is that – like others who have asked for comment on the original post – in your higher wisdom, you knew to make yourself work a bit in life so that the you that would grow and develop would be a more conscious, less self-focused or self-absorbed you.

The last thing to be offered is that when the Sun and Saturn are in relation (conjunct for you?), the work (Saturn) is the self. That might mean establishing discipline and follow-through, being honest and forthright with one’s self, being a mentor to others who are navigating some of the life processes that you have, and so forth. Saturn is also a playpen and we are in it until we learn how to be with the things and people in the playpen. You might have experienced that too.

I hope that the explanation above using Mars through its levels of meaning and application helps everyone access more of every bit of their horoscope. Astrology is such a worthwhile tool; but its gifts are worthless unless we apply and integrate the wisdom.