The twelfth house is the sign that precedes, or declines from the first house. It has an inferior sextile with the tenth house and is in aversion to or otherwise has a hard time seeing the first. It represents your disappointments, trials and tribulations.

The twelfth house is the part of the sky that has separated from the horizonbut has not yet reached the upper part of the sky. You'll often find the Sun there around the time you drive to work in the morning, burning your retinas and blinding you as it hovers in that sweet spot between your sun visor and rear-view mirror. Similarly, the twelfth house points to things we either can't see, or prefer to avoid looking at directly.

The twelfth house is notoriously referred to as the House of Self-Undoing. Indeed, the twelfth will often describe addictions, self-sabotage and the ways you get yourself into trouble. But sometimes the self needs to be undone. When the stresses of life threaten to overwhelm you, sometimes its the solitude of the twelfth house that helps you re-center and recharge. Bad habits and negative traits can be found in the first house too, and the deep internal work, self-reflection and soul-searching needed to address them must be done in the twelfth house.

We often feel let down by planets in the twelfth house and it is where you can face loss of all kinds. The loss of loved ones, the loss of control and the loss of pride. The twelfth house points to your vulnerabilities, the things you feel you need to compensate for, the things that cause you to feel shame. It's a place that requires humility and patience, as much of the suffering that happens here can be softened when you forgive yourself and others for having the foibles and shortcomings of mere mortals, and accept the things you can not change. When you do this, the twelfth house can become a source of tremendous wisdom.

The twelfth house can describe isolation that is imposed upon you by others, or reasons why you isolate yourself from others. Isolation can be a good thing in small doses, but too much of it can result in loosing touch with reality. Human connection is vital to mental and physical health, but its often when we are suffering most that we cut ourselves off from the help we need. If you are suffering from depression or mental illness, please seek the help of a friend, loved one or professional. None of us can do it all alone, and there is absolutely no shame in asking for help.