The Lunar Nodes in Astrology Pt. 4 - How Do The North and South Nodes Work In Transits?

by Robert Wilkinson

This article on possible ways the transiting Lunar Nodes affect our chart is an effort to address some of what many asked in various comment streams.

So far, in previous articles in this series, we’ve explored what the Lunar Nodes are, how they fit into eclipse patterns, and some possible ways to interpret how they work as an integrated duality in our lives. We’ve also briefly touched on how the natal Nodes work in the signs and life areas of the chart, and how we could apply the natal examples in terms of the movement of the transiting Nodes through our houses. Here’s a brief piece:

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.

Please take a second look at those articles to familiarize yourself with the descriptions of the many possible ways to see how the Nodes work in terms of intake and outflow using the sign energies in the areas of our lives shown by the houses. Understanding the differences between the signs and the houses is one of the most important factors in Astrology, since it shows us how and where a certain type of energy will manifest.

To recap, 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. The house of the North Node is where you will grow tremendously in terms of the sign, or the growth energy you’re here to demonstrate through the sign of the South Node in the area of life shown by the house of the South Node.

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.

They work the same way when transiting our chart in terms of the houses. We grow in and through the affairs of the house of the transiting North Node, and release whatever we need to of the life area shown by the house of the South Node. I cannot give depth examples of how that would work, as that is a book in itself. Just apply what is known to be the arena of influence for each house, and begin to see the Nodes as an axis, working together to help certain areas grow, while releasing whatever is needed in the SN house to demonstrate the positive qualities of the house of the NN.

The sign of the transiting North Node would seem to imply that energy is where we can ALL learn to grow. When in Pisces, we would learn from a vast oceanic view, compassion, forgiveness, seeing life as a movie that needs occasional re-editing, and empathy for our common humanity. When in Aquarius, we would learn from group work, altruism, world service, dispassion, and genuine friendliness toward all other beings, greeting them with open minds and open hearts, demonstrated through positive Leo traits.

When the transiting NN was in Capricorn from August 2009 through February 2011, in general we learned through organization, discipline, taking personal responsibility, and crystallizing some form of individual excellence within a group performance, while demonstrating these though forms of caring and nurture while letting go of old Cancerian emotional responses and habit patterns. From March 2011 through August 2012, we learned from embracing Sagittarius NN things and letting go of old mental patterns and getting hung up on dualities or superficial knowledge as represented by SN in Gemini.

Now we are growing through the North Node in Scorpio, and releasing through the South Node in Taurus. I used this position as a specific example in a previous article, so by all means go back and refresh yourself if you need to know more about the current general line of greatest development and line of least resistance. As you can surmise, these signs work out in different lives in the 10,000 ways, so use your imagination to see how the current Scorpio NN transit has been and continues to work its growth magnetism in your life.

The sign of the transiting South Node would seem to imply that energy is what is familiar but we learn nothing from, except how to release, let go, or perfectly demonstrate something we cannot learn from. For example, when the SN was in Virgo from June 2006 through December 2007, we needed to let go of excessive clinging to things “making sense,” or fitting together perfectly, or worrying about details that were already fading due to the Pisces NN.

During that time we learned more from blessing the passages than working with all the pieces trying to find order. We learned more from forgiveness than from labor for its own sake. And yet much was accomplished by those who learned to flow from one sequence of details to the next, fixing what we could, letting go of what we had to, and demonstrating our ability to be good servants within a larger galactic field. We can apply these principles to other signs as well since then.

The current Scorpio-Taurus positions will hold sway until February 2014, when the North Node will slip into Libra and the South Node will slip into Aries. For now, keep learning all you can about magnetism, whether through what you attract or what you cannot attract.

Learn how to “hold the void,” since emptiness teaches us more than the forms we capture. Keep letting go of things you no longer need, or those densities which keep unproductive inertia in motion in the areas of life represented by the houses in your chart where the nodes are transiting.

As I explained in previous articles, Eclipses are New and Full Moon Lunations conjunct one or both Nodes; that’s why they’re powerful. They illuminate and give form to either what we’re learning to do, or what we’re learning to let go of or demonstrate, or both. There are at least 6 eclipses in each sign over about 18 months, so you can see how the sign of the transiting Nodes sets some heavy pressure points in our charts that are triggered over time.

I’ll also note that we all have at least two eclipses while we are in the womb, and some have four. That would indicate some heavy events in our parents’ lives before we were born and in the years after, since Solar Eclipses last for a number of years. And prenatal experiences, set by Dharma and Karma, do influence us more than we often suspect, since the joys and fears experienced by our mother impacts our development.

On a final note, I’ve been asked frequently what it means when the transiting Nodes are opposite the birth Nodes, i.e., when the transiting North Node in Pisces is conjunct a natal South Node in Pisces, and transiting SN in Virgo is conjunct the natal NN in Virgo, or any other “cross nodes pattern.” I believe these are times of learning how to release, and demonstrating what you've learned.

It marks the end of a 9 year cycle of growth and release, and begins a 9 year cycle complementing the first one. It represents a time of growing (at least temporarily) through what you're familiar with, and letting go of old lines of development that have fulfilled their time in your life.

Definitely observe the aspects of the transiting Moon to its transiting Nodes, since those are point they are supposedly much more powerfully active than any other times. Also take note of the times when the transiting Nodes make significant aspects to your natal and progressed Moon, since the same would be true, and these aspect periods could last for weeks or months and provide important information about how you are aligning your habits with the on-going growth patterns.

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

Here's part three, where I went into how the Moon's Nodes work in the signs and houses: The Lunar Nodes in Astrology Pt. 3 - How Do The North and South Nodes Work In the Signs and Houses in our Charts?

© Copyright 2007, 2013 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Kristin]

Robert--

Thank you so much--this clarifies my questions on the previous post a hundred times over.

Kristin

[ekonobil]

thank you !

[Debbie]

Very interesting information, thank you Robert!

I have found my nth node in leo 10th and my south node in aquarius 4th have indeed played out in the challenges and the potential possibly now apparent. I am paying attention as Divine mother still "tickles" my 29 Leo north node while in sextile to my 0' cancer sun, especially as the forthcoming saturn nth node conjunction will be conjunct my first house Neptune, which is natally quincunx my 7th house Venus, will do best to use that stressful aspect to produce ethical relationships based on values, while hopefully finally being seen as I really am, I think thats right, anyhow it is fascinating :)

[Debbie]

ETA although my own mother is "loved" by us all in our own way, the rest of my family is quite misogynistic and view females as second rate, with cancer sun and mercury in 9th, chiron at the end of my 4th house in Pisces the philosophy and power and passion of the "real mother" and her natural gifts was never going to be totally squashed in me and as I have mentioned before, transpluto has been doing a bang up job of making sure I "get it" and make it real :)

[Debbie]

oops, that shoulda read my neptune is opposing natal venus, its my moon thats quincunx venus lol!