The 12th house in astrology has a terrible reputation thanks to ancient interpretations which describe it as: the house of undoing; the house of prisons, hospitals, monasteries and institutions; the house of  misery, secret enemies and sorrow. We need to examine these ancient interpretations for what they are: views which fit the time in which they were created.

Every generation and age has certain beliefs which permeate the culture, or the ecosystem of the collective. In classical times, when astrologers wrote about the 12th house, suspected witches were being burnt at the stake, magicians were actively sought out, tortured and killed – even the women healing with earth plants were banished and accused of being witches. Basically, in the Middle Ages, the unknown, and the mysteries of human consciousness were matters for God and not mortals. It is no surprise then that the 12th house received a terrible rap from…