The Earth Trine and the 12th House
In this post I want to look at applying the transit of Mercury and Sun through Tropical Virgo, and the loose grand trine they create with Uranus in Tropical Taurus and Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in Tropical Capricorn throughout their passage through Tropical Virgo, to your 12th house. I have written two recent articles dealing with this Mercury/Sun transit, but I didn't connect them directly to the 12th house. So rather than rehash what I wrote in those articles, I want to link them here and suggest that you read them now (if you haven't already) before you proceed further with this post. Here are the links in their proper order - A Subtle Grand Trine in Earth and Prayer to Saturn/Odin. At the very least read the first one, A Subtle Grand Trine in Earth, before you proceed with this article. Once you have done that, the below information will have a fuller context.
The transit of Mercury and Sun through Tropical Taurus sets up a subtle, sign/element-based grand trine from the 19th of August through the 22 of September, and will have a huge influence on the Mars squares of that period and how the retrograde of Mars will start. The dates of all the key transits are listed in the article 'A Subtle Grand Earth Trine', and you should pay special attention to those dates, especially if any of those transit also make aspects to any of your natal placements.
For those who have placements in the 12th house, or who have a 12th house that is being aspected from any of the earth signs, I think this period has special potential because if its potentiality to unveil things that are hidden. The transit of Mercury and Sun through Virgo, creating that subtle earth grand trine, carries the energy of unveiling and revealing, protection and grounding. This is a time when any of us can apply these energies to making discoveries about ourselves, our lives and our current situations. If you have been hiding anything from yourself, it is a good time to seek that out, or if you don't, it might just be revealed to you anyhow. If others are hiding things from you, this is a good time to see it. So if you are looking, it may come as less of a surprise. Those who aren't looking may be in for some shocks through this 4-week period. Even if you don't have 12th house in an earth sign or directly aspected by square or conjunction, you can still make use of this transit.
The 12th house is a house of hidden subjects. It talks about things that are hidden - what others are trying to hide from you, what is hidden in the world, and also things you are trying to hide from yourself. As I noted in the article 'A Subtle Grand Trine in Earth', each elemental grouping makes a series of specific aspects to the other elements, so regardless of the sign on your 12th house cusp, you may still see some action from this period that in some way effects your 12th house. It doesn't much matter what house system you use, because you just find what falls on the 12th for the system you use. In a split system like Placidus, the 12th may contain one, two or three signs. In whole sign systems, there will only be one sign. The sign you need to look to is the one on the cusp. In some instances, you may have a planet in the 12th in one system, but that planet may be in the 11th or 1st in another system. You can note that, and just focus on the system you are already comfortable with. For me, in Placidus, I have a sign on the cusp at the middle of a sign, and then Moon in 12th in the sign following it. So in whole sign houses, the sign on the cusp of the 12th doesn't change, but the Moon moves into the 1st, though still above the Ascendant. So I pay the most attention to the whole sign, and plot the aspects I am receiving from the subtle grand trine in earth with that sign, though I do know and acknowledge that to some extent the grand trine in earth is also within my 12th. I read that to be at about 1/2 strength and pay the most attention to the sign on the cusp.
Now I will list each sign as the 12th and the aspects the 12th in that sign will receive, starting my consideration with Sun and Mercury as the basal aspect. I will start with Virgo, as that is the conjunction and work from there. I will also list the aspect Mars makes to that sign from Tropical Aries.
12th house Tropical Virgo - You have Sun and Mercury in your 12th and are receiving trines from Taurus and Capricorn. Mars makes an inconjunct. You have a huge opportunity to dig deep into your psyche and find things buried there. You will receive help from the other earth-placed planets. Expect surprising revelations, but don't attempt to move too fast. You will find benefit through moving slowly and sitting with your process. Expect to reorganize how you have been using your energy.
12th house Tropical Libra - You have Sun and Mercury in you 11th, which is the mildly helpful semi-sextile. You are receiving a square from Capricorn and an inconjunct from Taurus, however, through shared rulership with Venus, Taurus-placed Uranus may be very helpful to you in reorganizing aspects of your life. Mars is opposing your 12th. You have had a hard few years, with the squares from Capricorn, and now with Mars in opposition, you will have to compromise on how you use your energy. The mildly helpful aspect from Sun and Mercury can give you just that little bit of extra fuel to see you get through, to go that final mile and to see the details of what you need to reorganize and how to do it.
12th house Tropical Scorpio - You have Sun and Mercury in your 10th house in a helpful sextile to your 12th, so you will discover information about your career and standing in the world. You are also receiving a sextile from the Capricorn planets. You have an opposition from Uranus in Taurus, so expect surprises that hinder you at this time and force you to go deeper into your 12th to find strength and hidden resources. Mars, your 12th house ruler, is inconjunct to your 12th and so you will reorganize your energy usage. You may feel like you have completely exhausted your resources, but if you realign how you use your energies, you will find enough to get through. While trying, this time will help you to move forward in 10th house matters when all is said and done.
12th house Tropical Sagittarius - You have Sun and Mercury in your 9th in square to your 12th. Expect to learn new things, perhaps on the level of philosophy, religion or politics, or in regards to higher education, that seems to create (or are creating) obstacles to your deeper mission, as exemplified by your Sagittarian 12th house. The Capricorn planets form a mildly helpful semi-sextile, while Uranus in Taurus is inconjunct your 12th. You may be surprised that the things you learn from Sun and Mercury in the 9th. Since Sagittarius has a natural affinity to the 9th, you may find that things you thought were good for you are not, things you believed are not true, or things you thought meant something to you really don't. Mars is trine to your 12th, but restrained by Saturn, so use the energy you have available wisely and wait to act on what you learn from the 9th until a better time to implement it. Best advice, move slowly with what you learn and let it build into action slowly. No quests just yet Sag 12th!
12th house Tropical Capricorn - You have had a really hard time of it for some years now, with all the planets in Capricorn, but you have probably also dug down very deeply. Sun and Mercury in Virgo will form a trine to your 12th, so expect to gain some valuable and helpful information. There could be offers, the potential for advancement and seeming-gifts, but read the fine print and be sure you look at every detail. As well, you may also have to apply some effort to gain the greatest benefit from what is offered. In addition to the trine from Sun/Mercury, you also receive a trine from Uranus, and some of what appears may be a shock. Mars is square your 12th, but in the inferior position, so it will be more annoying than debilitating. Your energy is low, so reach deep for hidden resources and draw on the transiting Cap planets for patience and perseverance.
12th house Tropical Aquarius - Sun and Mercury are inconjunct to your 12th, so new information coming to light could force you to realign how you deal with your 12th house energies. The Capricorn planets are mildly helpful to this process, while Uranus is making a square to your 12th, and so you may be in for surprising discoveries, even shocks. Mars is in sextile to your 12th, so you may find just enough energy to deal with those surprises, while others may be overwhelmed by those surprises and need to regroup during the Mars retrograde. If so, turn to your sign-ruler, Saturn, and apply patience and discipline until your energy is replenished when Saturn and Jupiter enter your sign next year.
12th house Tropical Pisces - Sun and Mercury oppose your 12th, so you may have to compromise between your 12th house energies, and the new information you discover. The compromise may concern the work you are doing, or you may find issues arising concerning health. Watch carefully during these 4 weeks, because new information will come to light that will show you where you must compromise. The Capricorn and Taurus planets are both in sextile, and so are helpful to you with the process. Mars is in semi-sextile, and so has little to offer you, so you may have to be patient and wait until Mars is in a better position in your chart to implement what you learn now.
12th house Tropical Aries - Sun and Mercury are inconjunct your 12th, so you will see details that force you to reorganize and realign your relationship with your 12th house and how you use your energies. Mars in your 12th, and in the retrograde cycle, may be making things a bit nightmarish. If there is difficult buried content, it may be emerging. Perhaps you are finding yourself drawn back into unwise or unproductive energy-usage situations at this time. The Capricorn planets are in square to your 12th, and Uranus in Taurus is semi-sextile from your 1st. You may make surprising discoveries about yourself and how you are viewed. The Capricorn planets basically feel like a ton of lead has been dropped on you, and the last few years have undoubtedly been hard for you. Your best use of this time may be to sit still, see what is revealed and then begin to slowly implement any changes, knowing it will take a few months for there to be much progress. Meditation and calm are your friends at this time.
12th house Tropical Taurus - With Uranus in your 12th, you have probably been having some surprises concerning your deeper levels. Perhaps information stored there subconsciously is emerging, or you are finding 12th house skills and abilities you didn't know were there before. You have some years of this yet to go as Uranus transits your 12th. You are receiving a trine from both Virgo and Capricorn, so you are receiving support, giving you the patience to dig deep within the 12th, and during the next 4 weeks, expect to receive some leap in understanding the details about what has been emerging. You almost certainly have some deep and lasting changes occurring beneath the surface, even if that isn't apparent to everyone yet. Mars in your 11th means you may be getting the help and support from friends and associates that you need right now, though perhaps not as much as you like. During the Mars retrograde cycle, that support may drop off some, so be prepared to prop yourself up when you need to. You may reconsider how you use your energies in relation to friends and associates, and in terms of your hopes and wishes.
12th house Tropical Gemini - Sun and Mercury (your 12th house ruler), in the other sign ruled by your 12th house ruler, is in square to your 12th. You may have obstacles to communicating or siblings may be problematic right now. Expect information to come to light concerning these areas, and it may not be to your liking, but at least you will have the facts and can put it to use. Uranus in Taurus is in semi-sextile to your 12th, giving some help, and maybe some surprises, from friends and associates, but not much. The Capricorn planets are inconjunct your 12th and so you have been experiencing long term realignment and reorganization in how you handle your 12th house energies. Mars is in your 10th sextile you 12th, so while somewhat helpful, the retrograde may see you reconsider how you apply your energy to career and your public standing.
12th house Tropical Cancer - Sun and Mercury are sextile to your 12th, and so helpful. Capricorn planets have been opposing your 12th for some years, which has undoubtedly been trying and exhausting, and you have likely experienced feeling held back and forced to compromise at every turn. Uranus in Taurus is sextile to your 12th, and so helpful. At this time you can discover new details that help you to make the compromises you need to make. Mars is in square to your 12th, so expect to be feeling a lot, and to have your energy flow disrupted. This disruption may be a blessing though, giving you pause to consider and implement the energies of the earth trine, and the new information revealed during the transit of Sun and Mercury in Tropical Virgo.
12th house Tropical Leo - Sun and Mercury are in semi-sextile from your 1st house, while Uranus in Taurus is square your 12th and the Capricorn planets make inconjuncts. You have been making surprising discoveries, usually in the form of obstacles and challenges to your 12th house energies. The inconjuncts have been forcing you to realign your use of the 12th house and its energies, and embrace them more fully. The transit of Sun and Mercury in the 1st will be somewhat helpful to you in discovering some surprising aspects of yourself, how you project yourself to the world and how you are seen by others. Use these revelations to reorganize yourself along lines of the 12th house energies, what you enjoy, your creativity and the Underworld. Mars is in trine to your 12th, so it will be helpful, and while retrograde you can reconsider how you use your energy and what would be the most constructive uses of energy for you in achieving 12th house goals.
If you have planets in the 12th, then the energies discussed above will be even more highlighted and will incorporate the energies and meaning of the planet(s), their ruler(s) and dispositor(s) and any aspects they make to other planets in your natal chart. While not every 12th house will receive the maximum benefit from this grand earth trine cycle, and some may encounter obstacles, the energy of this transit period has something to offer to everyone, and you can make use of that for exploring your 12th house in the ways I detailed above. I think this is a very important transit, the most constructive period of 2020, and so it is important to know how you can use it and to make maximum usage of it. This is the period when you plant the seeds that will grow and bloom after 2020 is just a memory. This transit has insight for those willing or able to look at the details. We may not all like the details we see, but they are constructive, none-the-less. This period of Sun and Mercury transiting Tropical Virgo, due to the trines they make to the other two earth signs, offer a window into understanding some of the meaning of this difficult year, and figuring out how to apply that meaning and move forward when the time comes. Ignore, party or sleep through this period at your own risk. Saturn rewards effort - make some now!
