The Lunar & Planetary Nodes

When you stop imagining someone else is going to fulfill you, you may begin to fulfill yourself. --Ean Begg

The North and South Lunar Nodes

are imaginary points that mark the crossing of the Moon, up and down as it were, over the ecliptic, which is the imaginary path of the sun around the Earth.

The operant word here is imaginary.

Listen to the recorded call on the Nodes at GoodVibeAstrology.com

The nodes are not real in the typical sense of the word. Yet in spite of their hypothetical existence, the Nodes are significant points that offer meaningful and applicable guide posts in any astrological interpretation.

“[The Nodes] link together the solar principle, the lunar principle and the principle of the Earth. The points are derived through the movement of those three bodies, and I actually think the Nodes are an attempt…to balance solar principles and lunar principles within the body on the earth plane. In some ways, the Nodes indicate a struggle between the pull of the past and new qualities or traits or choices that need to be made.” --Howard Sasportas

The Nodes represent a pull in opposite directions and the South Lunar Node, also known as the Dragon’s Tail or Cauda Draconis, pulls us into the direction of the past. This represents instinctive desires that call us back to a place where we feel, if not comfortable, at least familiar. Like the Moon and her association with intuitive impulses, the South Lunar Node can operate without conscious volition. It is an automatic response.

The North Lunar Node, the Dragon’s Head or Caput Draconis, by contrast, pulls us into their future. It represents the areas of life where we can, with conscious effort and choice, break new ground and obtain valuable new experiences. Like the Sun, the North Lunar Node, when approached with courage, awareness and a sense of new possibilities, brings consciousness and growth.

The two Nodes are always diametrically opposite, represented by opposing signs and houses. Some astrologers suggest that the South Node is where something is relinquished and the North where something can be gained.

The Lunar Nodes also pertain to people that we attract. An activated South Node can indicate a person from the past that suddenly reemerges. It often works out that these South Node people require help or assistance to varying degrees. Even those with a personal planet sign corresponding to our South Node sign can seem to need assistance most regularly.

An activated North Node, conversely, can indicate new people that enter the life offering opportunity, alliance and aid. Transits and progressions here can indicate someone new presenting a challenge, opening or fresh direction.

Planetary Nodes: Note also that each planet has a north and south node, a place where they 'cross' the ecliptic as seen from Earth. Planetary Node periods are extremely long. Where the moon's node go through all twelve signs of the zodiac once ever 19.5 years, the planetary nodes can take up to 60,000 years. Basically, they do not move in a single human lifetime. If there is a natal planet conjunct a planetary node, or a transit, consider it an infusion of energy according to the planet and sign involved. The same polarity (see above) for the Lunar Nodes applies.

Planetary Nodes

Mercury - 18 degrees 00' 30.8" Taurus - Scorpio
Venus - 16 degrees 26' 05.0" Gemini - Sagittarius
Mars - 19 degrees 20' 51.1" Taurus - Scorpio
Jupiter - 10 degrees 10' 15.6" Cancer - Capricorn
Saturn - 23 degrees 26' 13.7" Cancer - Capricorn
Uranus - 13 degrees 51' 31.3" Gemini - Sagittarius
Neptune - 11 degrees 31' 11.6" Leo - Aquarius
Pluto - 20 degrees 01' 42.2" Cancer - Capricorn

True or Mean? The terms True Node or Mean Node refer to the same thing, the position of the lunar nodes, but they represent different ways of calculating them. It's a matter of mathematics. The true node takes in the 'wobble' of the nodes and includes direct and retrograde motions (remember the nodes travel backwards through the zodiac). The mean node is an average and is always retrograde. True or Mean, they are never more than a degree or two different. Astrologers don't agree on which is 'best'. I think, considering the orb, they are much of a muchness.

Namaste,
Kim
Jan 2012

If you want to learn more about Astrology and Deliberate creation, join us at GoodVibeAstrology.com.

Find me on FaceBook & Twitter,  LinkedIn

©Kim Falconer 2013Also find Kim at FalconAstrology.com