Ahh please forgive me if my reply is too fragmented, I can't seem to think clearly tonight, but I wanted to share something worthwhile in this forum! I have my Mars in 12th house, in Taurus.
Materialism is something that becomes very prominent in my life, because I have been taunted in this area more so than activity and anger issues(Mars) so, I will share you from what I understand from having a 12th house so close to home.
I feel the 12th house is quite an enriching placement. Since it is in my Mars Taurus, my action would be that I accumulate quite a lot of everything-- wealth of information, wealth of living emotional experience, wealth of tangible work hardships, wealth of skills in crafting, gardening, cooking etc.,.
Sacrifice, giving away, dissolvement(as Tim noted)
I frequently enjoy throwing, giving, cleaning things away to keep a certain "purity" of mind and heart. It is a replenishment. If my room accumulates too many magazines, bits and pieces of things that I think I will later use, overtime my room gets cluttered and its a complete mess. I would sit and wonder "it was just yesterday that my room was so spotless!" Then I look with a dreaded depression and discouragement of what happened when I became slightly blind at this spot(Taurus). (Like a minotaur in its own labyrinth, eh?
)
Also, I found it so unfortunate and odd when people often believe and secretly talk behind my back that I am seem to be as some rich, spoiled girl. This causes quite a barrier between friends whom I dearly want to spend my funds freely with.. because I seem to antagonize them through money power. 12th house in Taurus will do that, in public eye it will turn into some sort of an illusion.. but how I see the truth, inside, is not immediately understood.
It can also go both ways:
Someone who is poor but knows value can look much richer than someone who works all day and spends on everything... it shows on their faces. Really, I've seen girls who pretend they have millions in their banks through showing off, but in their faces I can just detect their secret. Its like an enslavement.
I am not a rich person by income, but I feel I can make millions out of a few dollars. I want to tell them the wonderful value of appreciation for material things, to cherish and take care of them, but not to hold onto them. I am too easily ridiculed for being materialistic because I project this illusion out to the world, but I think to myself why has materialism gone to such bad light? Because nobody knows the value of materials. They are too quick to judge, too quick to say that being unmaterialistic will bring them ultimate happiness... well, they are wrong. Deprivation never brought any good. We're all here on earth for a reason.. and I enjoy being here and spending my riches any way that I want as long as it doesn't do any harm. And also, it's gonna be a while before you reach your end... I wish people would stop thinking too far ahead of themselves and just enjoy the present now.
I enjoy shopping for clothes just as much as the next person-- but the secret to enjoying any sort of materialism is to know they will not last forever. And look forward to that joyful day when you will give them all away without hesitation. This is my peace. To give away.
How I enjoy gardening and planting, to see flowers and trees in bloom within a patience waiting of several days, or months. You can plant elegant, dark colored roses near a rustic shack, and it will look well aged. It will look like shack belonging to a rich mansion. But this illusion isn't the enjoyment, no, the true enjoyment was the appreciation of this earthly, fleeting thing... and this illusion was, an added bonus. Let other people think what they want to think but the real richness is the secret only you understand.
Not many individuals seem to understand the value of taking care of their clothes, their shoes, their antiques, CDs, Mother Earth etc.,. It seems all a waste to them. So they get more and more, and eventually they cannot be able to take care of them so its worthless. People throw clothes everywhere, they get stepped on, or the seam falls, or maybe you let that stain settle in for too long and now it can't get out. The CDs are out of their CD cases, they are all over the floor and they get all scratched up... and don't get me started on the environment. Lol. The moment I step outside, I feel a longing to be near a natural resource-- the beach, the greens, mountains, woods, anywhere.
The 12 house might take a while, but truly, like the old attic-fashion, once you get there and start cleaning and clearing the dirt and dust away, you'll definetly find something for your troubles!