The Lunar Nodes in Astrology Pt. 3 - How Do The North and South Nodes Work In the Signs and Houses in our Charts?

by Robert Wilkinson

Now that we’ve explored what the North and South Node of the Moon really are, and how they manifest, today we examine ways to apply their energies in our charts. While not listing all possible combinations, by applying the examples offered here you can change the keywords for the signs and houses appropriate to your chart and come to a whole new approach to these very important significators of growth, change, and release in our chart.

As I noted yesterday, the sign of the North Node shows the quality of your line of greatest evolutionary development; the sign of the South Node shows the quality of your line of least resistance. North Node efforts are often difficult, whereas the South Node patterns are familiar, and therefore usually easy. One is in-take, one is out-flow, and we are told that both assist the mechanics of our personal line of greatest evolutionary development.

In a birth chart, the signs of the Nodes show the quality of the polarity you’re learning how to balance between absorption and release, effort and “cruise-control.” You build through the sign of the NN, let go through the sign of the SN.

For example, if you have NN in Pisces/SN in Virgo, you’re learning to be compassionate this life, letting go of criticism and worry. It’s harder to be intuitive, but will yield great dividends to the degree you develop it; it’s easy to get focused on minute details, rationalizations, and there is a natural pull to be of service to others in practical ways.

Another example: If you have a North Node in Scorpio/South Node in Taurus, it’s easy to go for what’s comfortable, more difficult to develop the ability to go deeply into things. With this position, development is found through seeing losses as opportunities to learn recycling, regeneration, probing and detecting unknown things. It’s also good for exploring things hidden below the surface, whether of the Earth or the personality.

A simple way to view it is if Taurus is gain and Scorpio is loss, then with NN in Scorpio and SN in Taurus you learn more from your losses than your gains. It’s easier to accumulate, whether ideas, things, or whatever; it’s harder, but better for your development, to learn to let go of whatever voluntarily. Learning to “hold the void” assures that this position attracts exact what is perfect for it at the right time. In this case, having things is less important than learning about the principles of magnetic attraction and repulsion.

The house of the North Node shows the life activities where you will grow in the way of the sign. The house of the South Node shows life affairs where you will probably find yourself doing what you already know but may not feel like you're making much progress. It could also be where you demonstrate what you have grown into, or where you're bogged down by too much repetitive familiarity.

For example, if you have NN in the 4th house and SN in the 10th, it’s easier to be public and more challenging to be obscure. It is easier to focus on profession, less so to focus on family. And of course, growth and development this life will be found in learning about family, home, land, early home life, all 4th house affairs.

South Node in the 10th makes it easy to take responsibility, but better growth comes from learning about caring for self and others. Reversing this, I have found people with SN in the 4th are often bogged down by family affairs, issues, and concerns that prevent them from growing and developing, which would be found in professional responsibilities and taking charge in worldly affairs if NN is in the 10th.

If the NN is in the 8th house, and SN in the 2nd, it works much like having the NN in Scorpio and SN in Taurus. However, if NN is in the 2nd and SN is in the 8th, then it’s more like NN in Taurus and SN in Scorpio, except that the signs are the qualities with which we approach the affairs of the houses in question. The signs are our biases; the houses are the arenas of life where we do our sign expression.

So someone with NN in Scorpio in the 2nd/SN in Taurus in the 8th would learn by seeing the ever-transforming nature of accumulations while letting go of inert forms. This position would benefit through shared values and resources and seeing changing social values as a magnetic dance of attraction-repulsion, while being easy and pleasant when called upon to let go of old forms, things, money, etc.

NN in the 2nd definitely shows growth through attracting what is needed to self; in Scorpio, through focus and concentration and releasing old forms while holding on to the essence. Someone with this position would make a great “dowser,” finding water, oil, or gold within the Earth. And yes, there would be losses, but only of that which is no longer true or needed. Let go of comfort, and embrace the mystery.

In another example, where the Nodal axis is transiting in the chart, it works like it would natally, except it moves backwards through the houses of your chart. Therefore, it exerts a direct house influence for approximately 18 months as well as for some time after, since we get many eclipses in that span of time.

I believe it reveals its mystery every time the transiting Moon makes aspects to the transiting Nodes, as well as when the transiting Nodal axis makes aspects to our natal or progressed Moon. Wherever the axis is transiting in our charts is where we are growing and releasing, being pulled to demonstrate that growth pattern across time.

The Nodes may not be planets, but they provide a means to embrace a line of growth that ultimately will prove profitable to you, while seeing what is natural and easy for you to show your world of what you have developed. The North Node is what you’re here to take in; the South Node what you’re here to demonstrate and release. Let your imagination show you how you're developing by sign, in whichever life arena (house) is emphasized.

Here's part one of this Nodal Series, where I went into the basics and gave links to all the Solar Eclipse articles for 2011-2012: The Moon's North and South Node Revisited

Here's part two, where I went into what the Nodes are about, how they are different, and how they work to bring about evolution: The North and South Node of the Moon In Astrology Pt. 2 - Why are They Important and How They Work

(This incorporates elements of an article originally published April 14, 2006)

© Copyright 2007, 2013 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Katie]

Thanks, Robert! I have NN in Scorpio in the 4th house, so your examples were right on for me! I was wondering, how wide of an orb do you think can be felt in aspects between the natal nodes & natal planets? I have Jupiter in Taurus at the apex of a T-square with Moon in Aquarius opposite Mars in Leo, and they are all within 10 degrees of the nodal axis, creating a wide grand cross. I definitely feel drawn & quartered most of the time in this life.

[Robert]

Hi Katie - I have a similar T-square between Moon in Aquarius, Pluto/Asc in Leo, Venus in Taurus, without the Nodes. A 10 degree orb is extremely wide. If it's out of sign, then the Nodes are not part of the T. While Jupiter is a strong planetary influence, I only give that wide an orb for a Sun or Moon conjunction or opposition.

It's probably not a Grand Cross, since if it's 10 wide then the Nodes can't be square the opposing planets. Perhaps a binovile (78-82 degrees for most planets) or if slightly over 10 then a biseptile (100+ to 104+). There's another aspect called the trielftile (98 degrees 12 min.) but I reserve a very tight orb for the 11th harmonic aspect series.

I would think the T is activated before the Nodal effect kicks in if it's before the Nodal axis, or conversely, your Nodal growth is activated followed by the T-square integration and release if the Nodes precede the T. And of course, every time there's a planet transit the void of a T the pattern kicks in, creating either the fracturing of a Grand Square or a dynamic integration expressed through the transit.

[Tasha]

Hi, I wonder, do you have a house system preference? My NN is in the 7th in Equal, but the 8th in Placidus. I'm veering towards Placidus more and more. There are so many systems one could go crazy with interpretive investigations. Thanks.

--Tasha

[Kristin]

Hi Robert,

Thanks so much for these great articles! I am wondering, how should we interpret movement of the nodes through the Sabian Symbols, since the nodes move backwards? First, how do we count degrees--if the True Node is now at 14' 05" Scorpio, do we round up, as usual, or down to follow the movement of the node? And second, how do we interpret the evolution (de-volution?) from 15" Scorpio (Children playing around five mounds of sand) to 14" Scorpio (Telephone Linemen at work installing new connection).

Thanks much for your thoughts!

Kristin

[Katie]

Thanks Robert! I guess I should have said less than 10 degrees. Mars is 6deg13' away from an exact square, Jupiter is 7deg31' off from an exact conjunction to the SN, and the moon has the widest arc at 9deg26' away from an exact square to the nodes. None of those aspects shows up at all on my chart at Astrodienst, but were shown as a grand cross on an old astrology program I had many years ago (can't even remember what it was called now). It seems most astrologers only use a very tight orb for aspects to the nodes, but, like I said, I can feel them (I am extremely sensitive). What orbs do you use with nodal aspects in the natal chart?

[Diana]

So, with 1st house NN in Cancer, my line of development is to nurture (myself &) others while being alone? Confusing!

[Robert]

Hi Tasha - I did a couple of articles a while back that are in the archives. I'll reprint one of them next week. It's all a question of whether you want to divide the quadrants using a space-based system, a time based system, or a space-time based system. I use Porphyry, but also Equal and sometimes Placidus ALL AT THE SAME TIME. That creates zones where the houses overlap. These zones are where one life area overlaps another life area, and where those life areas impact the adjacent life area. In your case, your NN shows your line of greatest development is to understand how the 7th and 8th houses affect each other.

Hi Kristin - We always round up, since that is what Marc Jones offered us regarding those symbols. 15 Scorpio is the span from 14 degrees 00min, 01 sec through 15 00 00 of longitude. It is not affected by transits. That is that span in the 360 points of evolution. One way to interpret is that we have moved from growth in seeing "the world of the 5 senses and the mind as the playground of God and Soul" into growth through finding techniques of communication across "distant regions" whether physical or otherwise. And as I've noted, this is a general line of development/release that will be more activated at times, less at others, depending on the Moon (since we are speaking of the Moon's Nodes.) Remember that the ancients did not believe the Nodes to activate unless the Moon itself was making an aspect to them.

Hi Katie - Yes. You can see from the answer that precision is important. Mars is within square, and Jupiter is of course conjunct SN. The Moon may not be a square except at times when another planet "collects the light" and pulls the square span together. I tend not to put much focus on aspects to the Nodes, since as I noted there is the concern they only activate when the Moon makes aspects to them. That said, there are other planetary Nodes that also are said to activate when aspects by the planets whose nodes they are.

Hi Diana - Cap SN 7th does NOT mean "being alone." If anything, it would indicate that you default to trying to take responsibility for others but need to grow more in terms of caring for yourself. It can also show karmic relationships with those who are older, or some other Cap trait. It shows that your line of least resistance is to focus on "the other," when you need to grow in terms of knowing your Self as expressed in all your one on one relationships.

Clearly you need to nurture your self image, be more your own "Mom," and definitely manage your "up close and personal" feelings. As you nurture yourself appropriately, it will be demonstrated through the Cap 7th house experiences that inevitably result. I would think this life really is "all about YOU," and you need to let go of people who believe it's "all about them."

And to note, we are NEVER "alone." We are never separate from anything or anyone or the life around us. We are as surrounded by life as a fish by water. We can always find someone to "partner" with. The trick is to find those who are good to us and for us, where we are also good for them and good to them.

[christy]

ackkk...so all this loss (and it's HUGE,every sector of my life) that I'm experiencing is a result of the transiting NN in Scorpio in my first house??? (now conjunct the Asc)

sheesh...I'm so not getting this! because it's now (and has been for a little while) in trine to my 3 Cancer planets in 8th & 9th!

however, NN in the 4th? suffice it to say I will NEVER accept that configuration in any future lifetimes to come!