Twelfth House: The Hidden Power in the Horoscope

by Karen M. Hamaker-Zondag

The mysterious and misunderstood 12th house is the subject of this book. Called "the house of selfundoing" by the old astrologers, this house has signified sorrow, misfortune, illness, imprisonment and secret enmity. It does, however, mean much more than that. Karen HamakerZondag considers this house from the perspective of a Jungian psychologist, and shows the creative potential that can be tapped here if we choose to cooperate with it. The 12th house symbolizes the collective unconscious and nonrational ways of perceptionsuch as working with dreams. The effect of planets in the 12th house and how to work with them, they way in which the house reveals parental/ancestral inheritance, the working of fate and unconscious processes are all discussed in detail. The book offers a clear and intriguing interpretation of this difficult to understand house and will be of value to students at all levels, particularly those who want to combine psychological theory with astrological symbolism.

Genres: Astrology, Spirituality, Divination

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Jon Adler · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good volume, i think the best book by Hamaker-Zondag I’ve read. this is likely because it’s the most focused book of hers i’ve read, and the most personal. i liked reading about her personal experiences with motherhood, child-bearing, etc.

this is the most thorough exposition on the 12th house i’ve found in astrology. she pulls from many fellow psychological sources as references: Liz Greene, Howard Sasportas, and of course Carl Jung. a good reminder about how much research & work has been done in translating older Hellenistic texts since the 1980s. i don’t think she mentioned the planetary joys even once… though perhaps i just missed it.

i found her description of how to practice “Active Imagination” fascinating, and took photos of those pages to refer back to for future reference.

i also found the translator’s note on pp. 85 quite amusing. In response to a pretty uninformed blanket statement about Christianity from KHZ, the translator said:
“I think, too, that many Christians have more insight into the nature of good and evil than perhaps the author gives them credit for […]”

and goes on to suggest some sources that would paint a fuller picture on the issue. i appreciate that a translator would feel empowered to caveat the author’s claims - made me appreciate the book even more.

[Ángel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the most refreshing book on the topic I've read.

Short, to the point, breaking down assumptions, it basically demystifies one of the most feared houses of the zodiac.

And guess what? It's about slowing down, unlearning internalized capitalist notions of action and colonial ideas around receptivity.

Got a busy 12th house? Or a heavily aspected ruler of the 12th house? Don't know where to begin tackling huge nuanced complex astro literature? Start here.

Support local, independent bookstores. This title can be found used or new in plenty neglected mom and pop stores in the country.

[Tate (booktimewithtate) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have my Moon & Saturn in the 12th house so for me personally, this was a fascinating read to understand the intricitues of such a house and how things may impact one with such. I’m definitely going to re-read this once I get more advanced in chart reading. I’ve already put three more of Karen’s books on my to read list!

[Amelia Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of book I want to make everyone read

[Gerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karen Hamaker-Zodag

[Lauma Llamandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever looked at the 12th house in an Astro chart and wondered what its really about and were bored of outdated notions that "house 1 = good, house 12 = bad etc.", this is a good book to add to your repertoire.
The author combines years of personal observations with some grounding in psychology to try and find some common denominators of what the 12th house may really tell you about.
And it is definitely a lot more intricate than "confinement and hospitals"!
This book seems to have been aimed at the more intermediate/advanced astrology user, however, it still had enough gold nuggets that would make it useful for the average beginner user as well.
The book had its moments where there was a lot of fascinating information that made you want to read more...and some bits where I personally just zoned out, which is what brought my score down form 4 stars to 3.
I never the less would recommend this book if you wish to understand the 12th house better.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I still had it, I would read it again! Great book if you have a lot of 12th house influences in your natal chart (or not). I might just want to put it on my "want to purchase again" shelf!