the 4th house, 8th house, and 12th house forces must be elevated to the surface of consciousness or they threaten to be like forces of fate that steer the individual’s life and psyche in confusing, tormenting, and incongruent ways. Regardless of planets, everybody has a sign on the 4th house or IC this will be the opposite sign of the midheaven Everybody has a sign on the 8th house cusp Everybody has a sign on the 12th house cusp, it will be the sign before the ascendant
the 4th house is the cancer and moon house. it requires deep personal acknowledgement of the very waters that shape the inner world and the base of our nature. these are inherent needs, the ways we need to be validated, feel safe, and feel belonging. these are our private dreams and intuitions, pivotal memories, and primitive necessities. if you stripped away everything you had been taught about yourself, told to be, told to aspire to, and told how to behave, the 4th house or IC is what would remain. we may grow up and grow old, but these needs never change. and when they remain unmet, they may be responded to with the same rage or sadness or fears that they experienced when they were young. for example say a cancer moon or IC child desperately needs the mother as a matter of its existence, but she had to work very long hours. every time she shut the door, the child feared she would never return because sometimes she didn’t for the night. as an adult, these conditions may replay through personal relationships, where those same feelings of fear and terror emerge whenever their partner walks out the front door.
when the inner world is unknown, personal values can be too. the person pursues a life that does not reflect their true system and does not feel content at work nor really wants to come home either. this sort of internal reflection may be especially difficult for conditions like saturn in the 4th, moon-saturn aspects, moon in the 10th, or 4th house planets making aspects to saturn because they feel it necessary to suffocate, invalidate, or discipline the inner child because they must be self-sufficient and completely developed to survive. and it’s not so much about these people learning to ‘parent’ or separate this very integral part of their nature, but simply recognising its concerns as part of their own and the things they needed when they were vulnerable and never given. listening to its needs helps to heal the whole spirit.
the 8th house is a mars, pluto, and scorpio house. imagine it being like walking through a wall of fire into a watery maelstrom of depths unknown. there is only one option with the 8th house, and it’s to wield, accept, honour, and assume the power with fearlessness and will. the 8th house does not accept the victim role, false delusion, or going into hiding. it is surgery that opens up the unconscious to reveal where it is poisoned. embarking on these territories can feel as painful to the mind and spirit as a real surgical incision. it can unveil the unconscious dilemmas that cause us to act out or react in certain ways and blame other people for it. this does not mean taking any responsibility for the cruelty committed to you by other people. it does not mean denying that you have been victimised, hurt, or betrayed. if you weren’t it wouldn’t have been webbed in there to begin with. it’s realising that you lived when you thought you would die inside, and you will be reborn and again. it can be the healing acceptance of events as exposed truthfully beneath pluto that absolves self-blame, self-contempt, and long term feelings of helplessness or weakness. it throws this self-deceit right into a billowing fire, not to be burned to nothing, but to be used as a source of power. the 8th house is where the ego dies, so it may express through our inexplicable fears, our feelings about death, our and self-destructive tendencies. people with focused 8th house planets can feel this to an intense degree. there can be a constant or vague longing for death that is the masked unconscious calling to incinerate a contaminated part of the psyche. the 8th house is where you are a magician, a master of the life and death cycle, where you tame demons, and where you fire twirl with your soul. the 8th house demands to be commanded. mars always wants to win and submission never plays out well. dominate, and be exalted
the 12th house has unfavourable connotations. but the two benefics in jupiter (ruler of pisces) and venus (exalts in pisces) hold prestige over this secret and often misunderstood dwelling. it is not the physical experience of imprisonment or involuntary hospitalisation. but if the individual does not accept and solitarily go into the internal space, then the sense of isolation or loneliness experienced by the individual can feel like imprisonment or exile. the 12th house speaks through dream. it’s the secrets that we keep from ourselves, and the ways we try to self-soothe when nobody else is around. these energies have to be developed or they remain deliriously floating in neptune’s sea. like mars in the 12th must actively learn and teach themselves how to self-assert and demonstrate the ego or a part of the nature remains dormant. because they can be misused as a result, it becomes severe aggression toward themselves so they can suddenly become wrathful at themselves for a simple mistake.
planets in the 12th house can symbolise a sense of loss or emptiness. this mostly relates to the condition of the house or planet, like sun in the 12th can experience the literal or figurative loss of the father at a young age, or venus or taurus in the 12th may have been raised in financial hardship. these circumstances typically cause us to withdraw from the world. and they also open up this empty space within that longs to be filled. and the universe can overflow it, if we seek the relationship and reunion with the divine. its forced periods of isolation are love notes from home. the 12th house is where the spiritual sea crosses the shore. but there is one condition, and it’s that you can only go alone.
T H E • 1 2 T H • H O U S E :: Heaven’s burden weighs ::
Sun in the 12th: Feels guilty when given praise or attention, so the identity is dispersed when in active environments to avoid recognition. The individual is recharged through creative expression when no one is looking, perhaps by means of daydreaming or vibrant creations of music, art, writing etc. They become self-directing and more conscious of their wants when separating themselves from the outside world.
Moon in the 12th: Feels undeserving of nurture and emotional comfort, so often functions as a psychic sponge for others. During solitude the individual distances themselves from the emotions they have absorbed throughout the day such as through nurturing themselves like sleeping, imagining, releasing tears in privacy or indulging. In this way, they gain awareness of their own emotional needs.
Mercury in the 12th: Reticent about matters of their mind so many things are left unsaid and the mind grows disorderly, restless and tired from communicating and listening to others. Coordinates chaotic and boundless thought stream in privacy such as through talking to themselves, journaling, online interaction or through organizing (e.g. cleaning, studying, participating in routine).
Venus in the 12th: Ashamed of their “guilty pleasures” so indulges when no one is looking, such as through overeating or overspending. Feels undeserving of receiving love and devalues their beauty, extending their affections outwards to others instead of themselves and causing the individual to dissolve into their interpersonal relationships. Aesthetic sense, harmonizing, self-appreciation and the loving nature blossoms in secret, perhaps through decorating, artistic expression or various other methods that bring them pleasure such as through art, fashion, scenery, film, private social groups, music, etc.
Mars in the 12th: Ashamed of asserting themselves and their strengths, uncertain of their passions and ambitions, and repressive of their aggressive urges. They remain publicly static as a result, creating lethargy and excessive dreaming of fulfilling goals instead of actively achieving them. They are self-governing and energizing when no one is looking however, and therefore more comfortable with exercising, performing busy tasks, reaching for aspirations or engaging in sexual activity privately / by themselves.
Jupiter in the 12th: Not outwardly jovial or enthusiastic due to feeling guilty when expressing jubilance in front of others, especially in front of those who are dispirited. Privately charitable and benevolent towards people who need saving, revealing an empathetically
moral character. When alone their inner world is rich with high spirits and joy. They access higher states of consciousness from methods like traveling, meditation, daydreaming and various forms of mental stimulation like writing, reading or interacting with different kinds of people.
Saturn in the 12th: The individual feels an immense amount of pressure to exhibit responsibility, dignity and maturity yet feels embarrassed or ashamed when doing so. Experiences reprimand from authority figures for appearing immature, lazy or naive, causing more shame and in addition, fear. When free from the watchful eyes of the public however, the individual is structured, reliable and grounded, does well with getting things done when not being intimidated, and serves as a mentor of guidance to others.
Uranus in the 12th: Being involved with the world provokes feelings of confinement and suffocation, so the individual appears withdrawn from others and therefore uninventive, unexciting. The inner world of solitude however, is electrified and filled with unconventionality and eccentric intuition. They are most inspired, liberated,
individualistic and advocating of universal love when hidden from the imprisoning eyes of society.
Neptune in the 12th: The individual holds irrational fears of participating with others and actively seeks sanctuary from the world to retreat into safety. There are strong unconscious feelings of lostness, tiredness of social activity and self-victimization making them appear self-involved and severely reclusive. Their souls are poured into the collective however, and they are psychically receptive and understanding to the pain, suffering and sorrows of other people and therefore serve as a type of spiritual guidance to those who need saving.
Pluto in the 12th: Paranoia is rooted from secrets the individual wishes to keep veiled and never released for fear of exposure which they equate to weakness. Unexplained survival instinct and repulsion is hyper-activated unconsciously and they can approach people and situations with extreme skepticism and an urge to stay hidden while drawing negativity to them, causing a power imbalance between their feelings of emotional guilt & grief and desires of emotional soul-cleansing. Their psychic intuition is powerful however, so the individual serves by means of empowering themselves and others spiritually and emotionally. They are intuitively resourceful and are able to summon inner strength to guide others and themselves from despair to excellence through transformation, a genuine guardian angel.
- Get exercise. 30 mins of aerobic exercise can stimulate increased energy and promote better sleep.
- Eat well. Choose complex carbs like vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruits, and stay away from extra fatty foods during the daytime (they can make you sleepy).
- Sleep hygiene. Avoid caffeine/chocolate/sugar for ~6 hrs before bed. Don’t eat heavy meals before bed. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Get regular exercise, but not right before bed if possible. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark & comfortable. Don’t use your phone in bed, use your bedroom only for sleeping in and leave the room as soon as you wake/get up.
- Drink water often. Herbal tea and Pero works too.
- Limit sugar intake. This will help you avoid the sugar rush/crash cycle.
- Be gentle & restful during certain times of the year/moon cycle/week. From Yule to Imbolc, you should be resting and not worrying about getting stuff done. The waning crescent moon is also a time to rest and recuperate. In general, Mondays are a day of rest and self-care as well, so get in touch with the Moon on those days and allow yourself to rest.
- Plan more energetic activities for certain times of the year/moon cycle/week. From Ostara to Lughnasadh you should be expending energy and putting your plans into action. During a first quarter moon is also a time to take action. In general, Tuesdays are “get-shit-done” days, so channel Mars on those days to give you an extra push.
- Crystals. Carry or wear a red/yellow jasper, or a citrine.
- Work with your solar plexus chakra. Focus on the area between your ribcage and belly button, and incorporate the color yellow into your life.
- Spend time outside on sunny days. We all receive our energy from the sun. Feel the sun on your face and skin, warming you, and visualize yourself soaking up all that good energy to store and use later.
- Write in journal regularly. Free-writing allows you to relieve stress & tension, and helps you see the issues you’re facing in your life more clearly. It can be best to journal in the morning, so you have all day to let your brain subconsciously work out these issues. If you journal before bed your brain might get tired from working out issues all night long.
- Listen to your body, mind & spirit. Give yourself what you need.
- Reiki. Watch Reiki videos on improved energy. If possible, set up an appointment with a Reiki practitioner to work on you one-on-one.
- Talk therapy. Talk to a professional about what is making you tired. Therapy should be a learning experience, where you learn tips & strategies to manage your illness from day to day, so it has a minimal influence on your life.
- Meditate on the following affirmations:
“I have the power to manifest what I want in my life.”
“I feel self-confident.”
“I can do anything.”
- Do yoga. Sun salutation especially, but also warrior pose and boat pose.
- Create/find a sigil for energy and use it. Write it on the bottom of your shoes, in your journal/grimoire, on a piece of paper you carry with you, on a stone you carry with you, above your bed so it can charge you all night long.
- Keep your space tidy. Do dishes regularly, vacuum, take out trash/recycling, keep your laundry folded & clean. Scrub the toilets & kitchen countertops.
- Keep up physical hygiene. Clip your nails & give yourself a mani-pedi with aromatherapy (lemon, fennel, juniper, white fir, lemongrass, and wild orange are known to promote energy). Put on lotion all over your body. Do a skin mask/hair treatment regularly.
1) Learn the difference between archetypes and their application in reality. Learn the difference between directly applicable knowledge and knowledge that needs to be adjusted and altered before applied. Not everything you will see and read will describe how something is in actual reality: Many things will describe archetypes and concepts that are part of the outcome in reality, but they’re not reality itself. Learn about the archetypes and concepts as well, what is written about them is to give a better understanding of them - not to describe a real person or occurance.
2) Read actual books if you can afford them. There is a lot written in books that you won’t find online. Focus on books that are topic-specific, too - don’t buy 10 books that are all about the basics of astrology, buy one that is all on Saturn, one that is for family dynamics in astrology, one that is on synastry - don’t limit yourself to books that only scratch the surface of all topics but don’t go in-depths.
3) Learn about psychology, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, even history. Astrology is the practice of relating the stars and their positions to ourselves and our world. One needs to understand us and our world to do that.
4) Draw connections. Observe your surroundings, relate and apply real life experiences to astrology and vice versa.
5) Question what you hear and read. Where is the person who wrote this coming from? Is this right, does this lack somewhere? Ask thought-provoking questions. Talk to others and listen to their ideas. Think things through and think further, don’t just passively absorb and accept everything you hear and read.
6) Don’t be too strict about it. You will read everything multiple times anyways. You will automatically learn more over time - don’t try to know everything within a week, let it be a journey. That being said, do read everything - not just what applies to you. Read about all aspects, all placements, all houses, all signs, and take notes.
7) Take a step back. Don’t let your life revolve around astrology, don’t look to the stars for every single thing, learn to distance yourself from it and know when it is not needed or inappropriate to turn to astrology. It doesn’t dictate your life so don’t let it.
8) Above all, understand what astrology is and what it isn’t. It is crucial to do this to be a good astrologer. Don’t just learn what it teaches, learn what it is.
When it comes to being gentle, start with yourself. Don’t get upset with your imperfections. Being disappointed by failure is understandable, but it shouldn’t turn into bitterness or spite directed at yourself.
- St. Frances de Sales (via onlinecounsellingcollege)
In nutrition we’ve finally discovered what we should of always known but which we didn’t need to know until we broke all the rules; Namely that nutrition is a very important factor in life. It cannot be ignored. The individual who wishes to have better health must concentrate their attention on how to attain better health. They must study the problems of nutrition in themselves, discover their own mistakes due to appetite and discover why they cannot just do whatever they want and at the same time have bodily health.
- P. Manly. Hall (via colitishealingnat)
