Here's What To Know About The 12th House In Your Birth Chart, From Astrologers

If you've ever taken a look at your birth chart, you'll notice it's divided up into 12 sections. Each section or "house" relates to different areas of our life, and if you have prominent 12th-house placements, there are some things you'll want to keep in mind. Here's what to know, according to astrologers.

Before we dive into the 12th house, it's important to understand what the houses, in general, are all about. As the AstroTwins previously wrote for mbg, each house of your chart is ruled by a different sign, depending on your birth date, time, and location.

"The houses are essentially what grounds astrology in earthly matters, as each one is associated with certain areas of life, such as career, home, and relationships," they explain.

Your chart begins with your first house (and your rising sign), which the twins note deals with beginnings and identity. As the houses advance, broader themes come into play, such as family, public image, career, and more.

"As the planets make their journey around the sun (and through our zodiac), they appear to be moving through the houses. The first six houses are known as the 'personal houses' because they govern themes of daily life, community, and family, while the last six houses are considered 'interpersonal houses' since they rule experiences such as relationships, travel, career, and friendships," the twins tell mbg.

The 12th house is known as the house of endings, surrender, and the subconscious. Just as the first house relates to beginnings and identity, you can think of the 12th house as the final realm or stage of the zodiac wheel.

As astrology expert Imani Quinn tells mbg, the 12th house deals with the subconscious, the completion of cycles, and your shadow side. "It's ruled by Pisces and Neptune, which are both centered around dreams and delusions," Quinn explains.

The twins note that this house builds upon the previous 11 houses, and thanks to its link to the subconscious and the imagination, it can reveal information about the afterlife and dream spaces. "As one of the more hidden arenas in the chart, the 12th house rules spaces that are hidden or separated from society such as institutions, hospitals, jails, and retreats. It's also associated with the creative arts such as film, dance, and poetry," they explain.

People with prominent 12th-house placements will be very receptive to shadow work, transformation, and metamorphosis, Quinn explains, saying "You're going to be a person who can go through multiple layers of transformation and rebirth, really open to change."

If you have your moon, Venus, or sun in the 12th house, in particular, you're destined for a life of transformation and growth. Here's a little bit more about each of these key placements:

If your moon is in the 12th house, Quinn says those aforementioned 12th house themes will come into play with how you move through emotions. "This might not be something that's seen by the rest of the world. This is more of your internal space, your internal world," she explains.

The 12th house's ruling planet and sign (Neptune and Pisces, respectively) are also both very compassionate energies, she explains, so this moon placement makes one very receptive to others. "You're really trying to understand how everybody is moving and why they're moving that way. [You're] focused on other people's healing, as well as your own healing," Quinn adds.

The sun in your chart deals with your personality and is a much more outward expression of who you are, compared to your moon sign. As such, Quinn says that having the sun in your 12th house means that you project outwardly from the place of your subconscious (think big Pisces energy). You could be a Sagittarius sun, for example, but if your sun is in your 12th house, you can think of it as being a Pisces-oriented Sag.

"This is also going to be somebody who's really in touch with their intuition, so they might also have an easier time making daily decisions from a place of their intuitive sense of self," Quinn adds.

The placement of Venus in your chart relates to how you experience love, relationships, beauty, and pleasure. According to Quinn, having Venus in your 12th house means you may be very invested in deep relationships and how they work. Beyond finding a partner, you want to understand the bigger picture or purpose of relationships.

"Somebody who has their Venus in the 12th house is going to deal with desire a little bit easier than the average person," Quinn explains. Some people can experience desire based on external factors, she adds, but people with this placement will have no trouble looking within and facing the deep depths of another person.

The more you start to understand your birth chart and its various houses, the more you'll realize that astrology is about so much more than your sun sign. Learning what the houses mean and how they're affecting your own chart can give you greater knowledge of self, which, if you have a prominent 12th-house placement, is going to be very important to you!