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When you reach your 12th profection year, you'll realize Blink-182 meant it when they said 'nobody likes you when you're 23.'
By Valeria Black — Written on Jun 02, 2023
When Blink-182 said 'nobody likes you when you're 23,' we felt that. And it turns out that is not just an observant line from an iconic song, but also an astrological truth.
According to astrologers and YouTube creators Jade and Kara, who go by @blmethestars, profection years can help explain the phenomena of feeling unliked around the age of 23. “Profection years basically tell us that every year of our life we experience different themes because each year is associated with a different house,” they explain in a YouTube short.
The astrological reason why ‘nobody likes you when you’re 23’
“Age 23 is the 12th house profection year. And 12th house is typically viewed as isolation,” explains @blmethestars.
People experience their 12th house profection year at the ages of 11, 23, 35, 47, 59, 71, and 83. Some of the themes associated with a 12th house profection year include endings, healing, spirituality, closure, solitude, karma, old age, the afterlife, hidden things, limiting beliefs and the subconscious. But it plays out differently for everyone depending on the placements of Jupiter and Neptune, the natural rulers of the 12th house, in their birth chart as well as the specific ruler of the 12th house in their birth chart.
Some people go through dramatic endings and life reboots in their 12th house profection years. They may suddenly pick up a new spiritual practice or end certain friendships. And since a lot of people graduate from university around the age of 23 and get cut off from their established routines, it's normal to suddenly feel extremely isolated in the big bad world and think that nobody likes you anymore.
Challenges of a 12th house profection year
A 12th house profection year puts a huge emphasis on mental health issues and bad habits that may be turning into a toxic vice. These are not easy subjects to deal in their own right, but when coupled with the isolating nature of the 12th house, one can easily spiral into very dark places.
People also experience the dissolution of interpersonal ties during their 12th house profection year. They may turn away from friends or realize they are surrounded by enemies and need to create some distance. Some have to live through the deaths of important loved ones or pets.
Benefits of a 12th house profection year
Despite the negative connotation, @blmethestars highlights that it's also a great time for self-discovery. The 12th house profection year can be very rewarding for an individual as it gives us time to truly understand who we are and the things that drive us. It's not unusual for people to change careers or switch study majors during this profection year. Some may even choose to uproot themselves and live a vagabond life or become location independent. Some decide to receive counseling or therapy to deal with unresolved problems.
In some small cases, the 12th house profection year can unlock your psychic abilities. You may even come across shamans or regression specialists who put you directly in touch with the afterlife through trance meditation techniques.
Ultimately though, whether you have a good 12th house profection year or not depends completely on your mindset and how you approach it. As @blmethestars says, “24 is your first house year though, and it's fun.” So that's something to look forward to.
Valeria Black is a tarot reader and astrology nerd with a dash of wicked humor on the side. Follow her on Instagram for more.