Twelfth house transits – Embracing rest

As the Sun moves into Pisces soon, I’m focused on ways to consciously retreat from the world and create time for quietness. Some of this relates to the energy of Pisces but Pisces season is not the only reason. When the Sun transits Pisces each year, it is also moving through my twelfth house, beckoning me to simplify, release and rest. Colleague and friend Kelly Surtees introduced me to the idea a few years ago, and I’ve been embracing it wholeheartedly ever since.

In today’s busy world of conscious doing and action, we don’t often welcome the tranquil dark spaces… and I’m not talking about dark as in evil, but the dark of Night, of Winter, of the womb. Those times in the natural cycle promote rest, quiet, and contemplation. These days when the lights can be on 24/7, we’ve forgotten the beauty of the night and the permission it gives us to see the stars, gaze up in hushed wonder and silently dwell on the Universe and our place in it.

The twelfth house is those hidden and isolated spaces; the Night world of rest and restoration; the womb world between death and rebirth; the Winter world of release and quiet so energy can gently build towards Spring’s action. As Ovid is oft quoted “Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop” and it’s true – it can’t be Spring all the time, and we can’t be on, pushing and doing all year round. These times are just as important as the active planting and reaping, as rest has its own rewards of repair and renewal in many aspects of our lives.

So how do you work out when you have transits to your twelfth house?

It’s simple if you know your rising sign, just look to the sign before to find your twelfth house. If you’re a Taurus rising then the twelfth house is Aries, if you’re a Leo rising it’s Cancer, and for Capricorn rising it is Sagittarius. Twelfth house transits invite you to take the rest you need, whether it’s the few days the Moon occupies this house each month or the full month the Sun spends here. Here are some ideas on ways you can embrace the energy of the twelfth house.

Conscious retreat

Actively using this time to turn away from the world, switch off and go inwards. Whether it’s physically going to a yoga or meditation retreat, cutting back your work or social schedule, going away on holidays, taking a sabbatical – any of these will work. And knowing the sign that rules your twelfth will help. For me it’s Pisces, so a camping trip by the ocean and visiting a turtle sanctuary is already booked in. A Gemini twelfth house might prefer retreating to a library while a Sagittarius twelfth house may love a solo walking adventure.

Get better at rest and sleep

To quote Shakespeare “Sleep, the main course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing.” Good sleep routines and habits help in physical, mental and emotional health. Both my children are live wires but I always notice they naturally sleep much more when the Sun is in their twelfth house. Try actively working on improving your sleep patterns, listening to your body to find its natural rhythms of tiredness, and going to sleep at the same time each day.

Connect to the unseen

Like it’s connected to rest and sleep, this is also the house of dreams and transcendence. Not so much about our belief in the divine but where it unexpectedly comes and makes its presence known, where we can peel back the veil to connect with the unseen worlds. Meditation, contemplation, prayer, inner reflection – try anything that opens you up and attracts unseen world connections.

Space for creative flow

Many believe that ideas are not ours, they just flow through us from higher realms; and this is how space and time-out also encourage creativity. A full cup cannot take anything more in, so as the room opens up in your life it encourages new creative ideas, thoughts and inspirations to fill the void. Try gently seeking those experiences or places that inspire or build a sense of awe and wonder, then see what flows from there.

Moving into the vulnerable spaces

The twelfth house is also the space of those unconscious drives that have more power over us than they should.  You can use twelfth house transits to face the hidden enemy within; those parts that self-sabotage, create a prison of our own making or draw us into the escape of addiction. Therapy, journaling, inner child work are all wonderful possibilities for this energy. And if a client comes to me wanting to quit something or let go if an old habit, I’ll suggest using twelfth house transits for this, along with a good purging election chart – Mars through the twelfth house is perfect for this!