The twelfth house of horoscope represents foreign lands, hospitals, ashrams, refugee camps, prisons, sleep, dreams, imaginations, fantasies, perversions, mediation, spiritual growth, liberation, paranormal, supernatural, the occult, mysteries, illusions, losses, delays, addictions, vices, confusions, secret missions, investigations and many other things.
It is interesting to see that the house which represents sleep, dreams, imagination, illusions and losses; represents liberation. Whereas the second, fourth and ninth house represent traditions in their own ways, the twelfth house represents loss of traditions. Apart from this, the twelfth house represents loss of all other types of conditions one may be subjected to. When all the traditions and conditions are gone; the spiritual path may become very easy.
From spiritual point of view, all that is happening around you is real in some sense and it is illusionary in some sense. While you are sleeping and dreaming, your subconscious mind is attached to all the events and imaginations happening in such dream. Whatever experiences you may witness during such dream may feel absolutely real as long as you are in such dream. Once you are awake, the dreams is gone and you realize that it was all an illusion and nothing else.
Hence if you suffer a lot in dream, the suffering sustains as long as such dream continues. Once the dream is gone, so is the suffering. Likewise, if you become a billionaire and you enjoy wonderful things in a dream; all such money and pleasures remain there as long as the dream continues. Once the dream is gone, so are the billions and the pleasures bought with such billions. Whether you experience an extremely good dream or an extremely bad dream; a couple of things are common in both types of experiences.
The first one is the fact that you really enjoyed or suffered as long as such dream continued. Your physical body may not have gone through such experiences but your subconscious mind witnessed them in some other dimension of time and space. Hence you can’t say that you didn’t enjoy or suffered at all. In this sense, the dreams are real. If something happens to you no matter in which dimension; it exists in one way or another. How otherwise can you relate yourself to a very good or very bad dream; years after experiencing it? It must have some reality in it.
The second one is the fact that no matter how good or bad a dream is; it may not affect your physical or conscious reality. It means if you’re a billionaire in real life and you become a bagger in a dream; you may suffer like a bagger as long as the dream continues. However, you’re the same billionaire again, as soon as you wake up. Hence this dream doesn’t change or affect your physical or conscious reality. However, you may still remember this dream time and again in your life. It means the events of such dreams exist somewhere in a different dimension.
Whether such dreams are good or bad; they’re gone as soon as you wake up. Hence you may call them illusions. In the same way, the higher spiritual wisdom considers everything that happens in your physical life like an illusion or like a dream. Everything that happens here is real and meaningful as long as you are a part of it. The moment you die, it’s all gone. Just like you remain intact if you die in a dream; your real essence remains intact, even if your physical body dies.
In this sense, the journey of a specific lifetime may be seen as a specific dream. Everything is real and it affects you as long as you are living this dream. Everything is gone, the moment you die. Just like you don’t die in reality when you die in a dream; you also don’t die when you die at the end of a specific physical life. Just like you may find out that a dream however good or bad was an illusion after waking up; you may find out that everything that happened during a specific lifetime was illusion. Just like the dreamer remains unaffected by the experiences of dream in a bigger sense, your essence also remains unaffected by the experiences of a lifetime.
When we look at it like this, life as well as a dream is real in some sense and it is illusionary in some sense. It is real as long as it is happening and it becomes an illusion the moment it ceases to exist. The journey of liberation is the journey of realization. It means even when you’re dreaming, you may realize that it’s a dream and anything good or bad happening in it is not happening to you in reality. The moment you have this realization; you’re unaffected by the events happing in the dream. Hence you may not suffer if you become a bagger since you know it is not going to last. Likewise, you may not feel ecstatic if you become a billionaire since you know it too is not going to last. With realization, you’re always aware that whatever good or bad is happening; it will pass and you will remain intact.
When that happens; there is no place for fears and insecurities any longer. If what you really possess or what you really are can’t be lost in any way; how can you fear of losing it? Likewise, there is no place for greed any longer. If what you really possess or what you really are is the only thing which is going to be with you at the end of each and every dream; how can you have the greed to collect more and more? It means you’re free from fear and greed once this realization comes that dreams can neither give you anything nor they can take away anything from you.
When that happens; nothing in a dream may affect you, no matter how good or bad it may be. This state of being is called liberation. You’re neither affected by the good nor by the evil. You’re neither affected by pleasures nor by pains. You’re neither fond of light nor afraid of darkness. Likewise, you remain unaffected by all other opposite types of extremes. It doesn’t mean you may not live them. You may live them all but you may not get affected. For example, you may become a king like Lord Krishna but such kingship may not affect you. You may be exiled to forests like Lord Rama but that too may not affect you. Hence liberation is not about leaving material things; it is the state of being unaffected by them.
As long as you’re a traveller on the path of liberation; there may be no blessing like the strong influence of the twelfth house. However if your journey is that of materialism; like most people; the twelfth house may become a very difficult to handle house. If the eleventh house represents ambition or desire; the twelfth house represents the opposite; which means the loss of ambition or desire. Without ambition or desire; you may grow a lot in spiritual field but you may not be able to do so in the material world. Hence in the deepest sense, the twelfth house may not take away your ability to achieve; it may take away your ambition or desire to achieve. For a person living for material goals; all is lost if ambition or desire is lost.
The final destination may simply not be achieved as long as your own ambitions or desires are there. Liberation means freedom from everything; especially from desires. Hence the loss of desires works wonderfully for advancement on the spiritual path. Since the same characteristic of loss of desire becomes good for liberation and it may become bad for materialistic goals; the twelfth house represents liberation and losses at the same time. They may look opposite but they are the same, in the deepest sense.
When the final battle for liberation begins in the twelfth house; a soul may go through experiences lying on the opposite extremes. It means you may completely feel uninterested in every material thing or you may dive deep into all types of fantasies, perversions, addictions and vices. The twelfth house is free from all conditions and the atmosphere is almost always extreme in this house. Which extreme you may touch or live on; depends on your evolutionary status; which is represented by your horoscope. One may have to live certain things to the fullest before he is able to give them up for good; by finding irrelevance in them through experiences. Hence the twelfth house represents a number of such extreme phenomena. It is a no-limit house and anything can happen here.
When defects like Pitra Dosh are formed in the twelfth house of horoscope; the areas hit by such defects may witness problems which may be extreme in nature. Hence Pitra Dosh formed in the twelfth house comes with no limits in most cases. For this reason; such Pitra Dosh may become one of the most difficult to handle types of Pitra Dosh among the ones formed in all houses of horoscope. Only Pitra Dosh formed in the eighth house may compare to it in certain senses and Pitra Dosh formed in any other house may not even come close.
Due to its extreme nature and no-limit style of operation; the twelfth house is considered as a malefic house. Even benefic planets placed in this house may not be able to channelize the energy of this house and they may get lost in it; if they are not duly empowered by virtue of their placements in various signs, nakshatras and navamshas; as well as supported by overall strong horoscopes. Here again, it is not a malefic house but it is a difficult or let’s say; very difficult to handle house. How can a house which holds the potential to bless you with liberation be malefic? However in general practice, it does turn out to be malefic for most people as they may not be able to handle the intensity of this house.
When Pitra Dosh is formed in a relatively easy house like the tenth house of a horoscope, only the malefic planets involved in its formation may create problems for the native. It means the benefic planet and the tenth house may not create any problems. However, when Pitra Dosh is formed in the twelfth house; this house may also create problems for the native, apart from those created by malefic planets. For this reason, Pitra Dosh formed in the twelfth house may become much more troublesome than the same formed in many other houses of horoscope.
Suppose benefic Sun and Malefic Saturn form Pitra Dosh in the twelfth house of a horoscope in Cancer. Sun rules the first house whereas Saturn rules the sixth and seventh house. Both these planets are not strong in Cancer.
Through its general as well as specific significances; Sun represents profession, reputation, status, health, overall wellbeing, lifespan, personality, immunity, courage, confidence, intelligence, creativity, father and the ability to produce children in case of male natives; among many other things.
Through its general and specific significances; Saturn represents patience, discipline, governance, administration, analytical abilities, marriage, husband, wife, partnerships, diseases, disputes, disagreements, arguments, litigations, court cases, financial debts, enemies and crime among other things
Such Pitra Dosh may create problems related to father, immunity, courage, confidence, health, lifespan, profession, personality, spiritual growth, mysterious events, unfortunate events, accidents, losses, mental health, sleep, dreams, marriage, husband, wife and many other types of problems.
The type and quantum of such problems depend on the strength of such Pitra Dosh, on the overall horoscope as well as on the running times. The strength of such Pitra Dosh depends on the placements of Sun and Saturn in various nakshatras and navamshas within the sign of Cancer. Apart from this, influences of other benefic and malefic planets and the running times also affect the strength of this defect.
Let’s look into these factors and let’s start with nakshatras. The sign of Cancer features three nakshatras; Punarvasu, Pushya and Ashlesha. When Sun and Saturn are placed in Punarvasu, the problems may be serious or very serious; especially those related to health, profession, father and personality. When Sun is placed in Punarvasu and Saturn is in Pushya, the problems may be serious or very serious; especially those related to father, health and profession. When Sun is in Punarvasu and Saturn is in Ashlesha, the problems may be serious or very serious; especially those related to health, lifespan, profession and father.
When Sun is placed in Pushya and Saturn is in Punarvasu; the problems may be significant or serious; especially those related to health, profession, father and spiritual growth. When Sun and Saturn are placed in Pushya, the problems may be serious or very serious; and they may hit all spheres affected by such Pitra Dosh. When Sun is placed in Pushya and Saturn is in Ashlesha, the problems may be serious or very serious; and they may hit all spheres affected by such Pitra Dosh.
When Sun is placed in Ashlesha and Saturn is in Punarvasu or Pushya, the problems may be serious or very serious and they may hit all spheres affected by such Pitra Dosh. When both Sun and Saturn are placed in Ashlesha, the problems may be very serious or destructive; and they may hit all spheres affected by such Pitra Dosh.
Looking at navamshas, the sign of Cancer features 9 navamshas; ranging from Cancer to Pisces. Within Cancer; Sun and Saturn can form 81 types of Pitra Dosh by virtue of their placements in various navamshas. Let’s discuss some of these combinations.
When Sun is placed in Leo or Sagittarius navamsha and Saturn is placed in Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius or Pisces navamsha; the problems may be serious or very serious. If Sun is placed in Leo or Sagittarius navamsha and Saturn is placed in Virgo, Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius navamsha; the problems may be serious, very serious or destructive.
When Sun is placed in Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces navamsha and Saturn is placed in Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius or Pisces navamsha; the problems may be serious or very serious. When Sun is placed in Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces navamsha and Saturn is placed in Virgo, Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius navamsha; the problems may be very serious or destructive. Within these combinations; when both Sun and Saturn are placed in Capricorn or Aquarius navamsha, the problems may become destructive.
Though Sun is debilitated in Libra and Saturn is exalted in Libra; the most troublesome combination may not be formed when both of them are placed in Libra navamsha. This is because Libra navamsha falls in Pushya nakshatra which is a kind and benevolent nakshatra; and it generally tends to stay away from destructive actions. When a kind, benevolent or tender nakshatra is occupied by a malefic planet; such malefic planet may still create serious or very serious problems by misusing the energy of such nakshatra. However, such problems may be less or far less troublesome in comparison to the ones created by such malefic planet; when it is placed in a harsh, cruel, selfish, violent, fierce or destructive nakshatra.
Hence the placement of Sun and Saturn in Pushya nakshatra may not cause destructive types of problems and the same holds true for the placement of Saturn in Punarvasu nakshatra. When it comes to Ashlesha, it is a difficult to handle nakshatra and placements of malefic planets in this nakshatra may create problems which may be very serious or destructive. Within this nakshatra, Saturn is strong in Capricorn and Aquarius navamsha. Hence such Pitra Dosh may cause maximum damage when both Sun and Saturn are placed in Capricorn or Aquarius navamsha.
Let’s now consider Pitra Dosh formed in the twelfth house, due to affliction to the lord of the ninth house. Suppose benefic Venus and malefic Sun form Pitra Dosh in the twelfth house of a horoscope in Leo. Virgo rises in the ascendant in this case. Venus represents the second and ninth house whereas Sun represents the twelfth house. Sun is much stronger than Venus in Leo.
As already mentioned in the chapter ‘Pitra Dosh in Seventh House’; Pitra Dosh formed by malefic Sun and the lord of the ninth house in case of Virgo or Pisces ascendant is a special case. Sun represents ancestors in general and Venus represents the ancestors as well as the living family through the ninth and second house. Hence such Pitra Dosh carries special relevance. It means this type of Pitra Dosh may trouble the native more or much more than other types of Pitra Dosh. However at the same time; the native may be more capable of relieving his ancestors of their karmic debts; by engaging in good and guided karmas.
Through its general as well as specific significances; Sun represents courage, initiative, immunity, father, the ability to produce children in case of male natives, creativity, foreign lands, hospitals, ashrams, refugee camps, prisons, imaginations, fantasies, perversions, paranormal, supernatural, the occult, mysteries, illusions, losses, delays, addictions, vices, confusions and many other things.
Through its general and specific significances; Venus represents creativity, romance, women, wife, beauty, money, luxuries, family, face, speech, wealth, memories, family traditions, family history, foods, eating and drinking habits, father, guru, ancestors, spiritual growth, luck factor, religion, higher education, philosophy, international affairs and the ability to produce children in case of female natives.
Hence such Pitra Dosh may create problems related to all these spheres. As already discussed in ‘Pitra Dosh in Seventh House’; the problems related to the father of this native may not be very serious when malefic Sun and lord of the ninth house form Pitra Dosh in a horoscope. This is because both of them represent father. However in this case, even the problems related to native’s father may be witnessed since this combination is placed in the twelfth house. Even then, such Pitra Dosh on its own may not create serious or very serious types of problems related to native’s father and it may only cause mild or significant problems.
The type and quantum of problems caused by such Pitra Dosh depend on the strength of such Pitra Dosh, on the overall horoscope as well as on the running times. The strength of such Pitra Dosh depends on the placements of Venus and Sun in various nakshatras and navamshas within the sign of Leo. Apart from this, influences of other benefic and malefic planets and the running times also affect the strength of this defect.
Let’s look into these factors and let’s start with nakshatras. The sign of Leo features three nakshatras; Magha, Poorvaphalguni and Uttaraphalguni. In the present case, the placement of Venus and Sun in any nakshatra within Leo may hit all the spheres affected by such Pitra Dosh, though the quantum of effect may be different in different cases.
When Venus and Sun are placed in Magha, the problems may be serious, very serious or destructive. When Venus is placed in Magha and Sun is in Poorvaphalguni or Uttaraphalguni, the problems may be significant, serious or very serious. When Venus is placed in Poorvaphalguni and Sun is placed in Magha, the problems may be serious, very serious or destructive. When both Venus and Sun are placed in Poorvaphalguni, the problems may be serious or very serious. When Venus is placed in Poorvaphalguni and Sun is placed in Uttaraphalguni, the problems may be serious or very serious.
When Venus is placed in Uttaraphalguni and Sun is in Magha or Poorvaphalguni, the problems may be serious or very serious. When Venus and Sun are placed in Uttaraphalguni, the problems may be very serious or destructive.
Looking at navamshas, the sign of Leo features 9 navamshas ranging from Aries to Sagittarius. Within Leo; Venus and Sun can form 81 types of Pitra Dosh by virtue of their placements in various navamshas. Let’s discuss some of these combinations.
When Venus is placed in Taurus, Gemini or Libra navamsha and Sun is placed in Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo or Libra navamsha, the problems may be serious. When Venus is placed in Taurus, Gemini or Libra navamsha and Sun is placed in Aries, Leo, Scorpio or Sagittarius navamsha; the problems may be serious or very serious.
When Venus is placed in Aries, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio or Sagittarius navamsha and Sun is placed in Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo or Libra navamsha, the problems may be serious or very serious. When Venus is placed in Aries, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio or Sagittarius navamsha and Sun is placed in Aries, Leo, Scorpio or Sagittarius navamsha; the problems may be very serious or destructive. Among these combinations, the ones with Venus in Virgo and Sun in Aries, Leo or Sagittarius may prove the most troublesome.
Though such Pitra Dosh may create serious or very serious problems related to various spheres; much depends on the overall horoscope. Whichever of these spheres are protected by benefic planets; they may suffer less. Whichever spheres are neither protected nor troubled; they may suffer significantly. The spheres which are troubled by other malefic planets also, may suffer the most.
Himanshu Shangari