by Robert Wilkinson
Today we continue our look at the Lunar Nodes. They are very important factors in Astrology, since they show us the timing and quality of Eclipses. Eclipses are Lunations (New and Full Moons) that fall conjunct the Moon's Nodal axis, shown by the North and South Nodes. So what are these things we call the North and South Node of the Moon, and why is their influence so powerful?
Given how well the Moon's Nodes are known and how important they are in a chart, it's surprising how little is published on how they work. Regarding what they symbolize, the sign of the North Node shows the quality of the line of greatest evolutionary development; the sign of the South Node shows the quality of the line of least resistance.
It could be said that often North Node lessons are difficult, because they pull us into long term growth, while South Node lessons can be easier, since the South Node shows us what we are familiar with. I'll discuss more ways they work in individual charts in subsequent articles. For now, let's explore their influence in Eclipses.
The Nodes are always made more prominent in their influence in Eclipses. Eclipses bring the Moon, Earth, and Sun into physical alignment, creating a shadow somewhere on Earth, which supposedly shows the fall of old powers and the rise of new ones, whether personally, interpersonally, or transpersonally.
While we get 13 New and Full Moons each year, usually only 2 of each conjunct the Lunar Nodes. This creates 2 Lunar Eclipses and 2 Solar Eclipses each year. 2011 was special because we had 4 Solar Eclipses (January, June, July, and November) and 2 Lunar Eclipses (June and December) due to where the Nodes were when these Lunations happened. This was a very rare occurrence!
Since the Lunar Nodes show when eclipses occur, they mark 4 points in the year when the Sun and Moon bring forth new long term emphases while beginning to shut down old lines of energy and activity. These changes occur when other transits makes aspects to the Eclipse Sun, Moon, and important planets.
North Node (Rahu in Vedic, or Jyotish astrology) is a magnet drawing you toward the unknown gold mine where you’ll work hard and grow a lot. Though sometimes it's rough and it seems there are few rewards, you’ll learn much through that practice.
South Node (Ketu in Vedic/Jyotish astrology) is a magnet drawing you to what you already know how to do. It is said that the South Node shows us where we have nothing to learn except what to let go of, or what we must demonstrate to our world because we’ve already “been there and done that” so much that there’s only the doing, without learning.
The North Node shows difficulty, in that our growth process into a larger unknown often takes us into arenas we need to develop. The South Node shows ease of repetition, and patterns that are already known, where we release and demonstrate skills we could do without thinking. The only thing I've seen developed through South Node experiences are the North Node qualities we demonstrate through the South Node.
Often people feel that following the North Node should be a good or pleasant experience, and dread the supposed manifestations of the South Node, which usually turn out to be a routinized or even ho-hum experience due to its familiarity. However, a "line of greatest development" may lead to forms of hardship and struggle, as it's where we're learning to grow, which sometimes stretches us to the limit.
With the North Node we'll grow, often it seems whether we want to or not. But regardless of our likes or wants, we have to learn to live the positive manifestations of our North Node sign, since that's a factor in our evolutionary way this lifetime.
Regarding the South Node, just because it’s familiar and easy does not mean you will feel good about it, or like it, or get good results down the road. It’s just familiar. You’ve done those energies for lifetimes.
Some believe the South Node is a black hole where there is nothing profitable to be found, with lots of wheel spinning but no progress. I don’t agree with that assessment, any more than I do with the North Node being some wonderful flowering energy that leads us to the land of milk and honey. Neither of these is true in my direct experience.
Life and experience are a series of in-breathing and out-breathing exercises in what we do, feel, and think. We take things in, then we release them. Each function is needed in the wholeness of the "circulation" of our Spiritual Pranayama, which we all do whether we are aware of it or not. The Nodes show where we move toward, deepening our connectedness with our Past-Present-Future evolutionary pull, and where we release, demonstrate, or let go of old patterns.
As I hinted at yesterday, it's important to note one big thing about the Nodes from traditional teachings of classical astrology. They are said to be primarily active ONLY when the Moon makes aspects to them. Thus they were not considered important factors in birth charts until recently.
While I believe they are constantly active due to the sheer number of aspects the Moon makes to them each month (both in our charts and the transiting Nodes), they may not function dramatically beyond a constantly fluctuating pull-release, pull-release, with giant steps made after Eclipses activate them in long term specific ways.
That they are associated with Eclipses clearly indicates this axis of activity exerts a powerful influence on long-term larger events. Yet they are not planets, signs, houses or aspects. They are an axis of the relationship of the Moon to the Earth and Sun. It is within that ever-changing complex interaction that we find their primary influence.
Explore how they push and pull you in the light of how the Moon aspects them in your chart each month to learn more. Also note the Lunations and how they fall relative to your Nodes, since you may see larger 2-to-4 week activity in a clearer light as well.
In the next part in this series, we'll explore some ways to apply meaning to the Nodes in the signs and houses of a chart.
Here's part one, 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
© Copyright 2007, 2013 Robert Wilkinson
I've learned through my synastry research that nodes are just as important as angles, so, like you, I'm surprised they aren't more emphasized by astrologers.
Posted by: Diana | July 16, 2013 at 05:33 PM
i was recently told to move because my nodes are along the coast im living on and it is not good? im lost in space, my 18 yo cat died yesterday. neptune sitting on my pisces moon is no wake up call.
Posted by: Cathy | July 16, 2013 at 05:41 PM
Hi Diana - Yes, but remember the angles deal with our orientation toward our external affairs. The Nodes are more about our line of development, what we've learned and what we are yet to learn. That's the BIG difference. And yes, in synastry the Nodes seems to play a major part in whether one will learn from another, or not. And that's a huge factor in relationships.
Hi Cathy - I am so sorry for the loss of your cat-teacher. Please take care of yourself in your time of grief. As you know, I lost my 18 year old tuxedo teacher in April. Took me two months before I didn't have thoughts about him front and center every day.
Forget what someone told you about the Nodes and the coast. That's just silly of the other to have told you that. I have lived in different states that exactly correspond to my nodes. Cities also.
We can learn from all places, we can demonstrate what we know in all places. Some places where we learn eventually become places where there is nothing left to learn, but only after our Highest Self realizes what we've learned and why it's time to go. And yes, some places are more difficult than others, but that's also for us to learn. We're here to develop critical thinking skills to use in our life changes, not follow someone's advice who may not know their elbow from left field.
Unless someone is actually living where you are, doing your life Dharma, and knows why you're there then it's just their opinion, one of many. I wonder why this person chose to come up with that strange assertion for you at this time. May be subconscious baggage on their part, unless they have known you a while AND have a grip on their astral offerings.
We should only move if a) there's nothing left to learn or do where we are, or b) we are called to another place to do a specific thing. Again, have compassion for yourself and breathe and love and breathe and love and.... You are now walking between worlds. Be gentle with yourself. And if you want to feel deeply, please revisit any of my January 9 posts. And if you want to go transcendent, check out the link on the lower left "Through the Gates of Gold." But please don't allow your mind to short circuit your feelings. This is the end of a phase of your contract of love with this other intelligence. Just love and love and love some more. And breathe....
Posted by: Robert | July 16, 2013 at 06:01 PM
Hi Robert,
thank you so much for your kindness. yes, I saw her all day today from the corner of my eye, but it was the broom,vase, desk, shopping bag. The person who got my knickers in a knot is not well known to me. He said something about the nodes on the coast and my living here would create confusion and problems with my direction in life.Thanks again much affection Cathy
Posted by: Cathy | July 17, 2013 at 06:06 PM