I have been wanting to post something on the Lunar Nodes for a while now and this challenge has given me the perfect opportunity! The Lunar Nodes are a super interesting subject - in my opinion - and are said to hold the keys to our destiny and life lessons! So lets dive in… The following consists of information I have gathered over the last year or two from various different astrological sources. Enjoy!
What and where are they?
The Lunar Nodes (or the Nodal Axis) are comprised of The North and South Nodes. They aren’t planets, but rather mathematical points on the chart that fall in two opposite zodiac signs. For example, if your North Node is in Capricorn your South Node will be in its opposite sign of Cancer and so on. These points take into account the relationship between the Sun Moon and Earth at the time of our births.
What do they represent?
In astrology, it is said that your life purpose is encoded in the North Node and South Node of the moon. The Nodes represent points of personal karmic imbalance.
The Lunar Nodes help us answer questions like: What am I supposed to do with my life? Why am I here and what’s my mission? What was I in a past life?
The North Node represents the kinds of experiences that we must work to develop in order to work with our karma and to grow spiritually. The South Node represents those experiences and qualities that come naturally to us and that we tend to fall back on.
If we over-emphasize and fall back on the qualities of our South Node, at the expense of developing our North Node, we may have a difficult time feeling personally successful; so as we go through life, it is important we embrace both aspects of our Nodes in order for us to achieve that karmic balance that we ultimately desire
The South Node: Revealing Past Lives & Natural Abilities
The South Node reveals the gifts that you bring into this lifetime - this Node is your comfort zone You will be innately good in these areas of life, and may begin your early path based on your South Node leanings. While this can bring a sense of satisfaction, it is unlikely to elevate you to total contentment in the long term. There’s a sense of “been there, done that” in the field of South Node activities and indeed you have! In many past lifetimes! The key is to use your South Node as a springboard into your North Node destiny. The South Node is your “horoscope hometown” perhaps not the place you want to settle permanently, but somewhere cozy to visit when you need to feel a sense of place or belonging.
The North Node: Destiny’s Calling
The North Node is the exact opposite zodiac sign of the South Node. It illuminates the terrain that’s calling your name but climbing to the peak of this mountain is like trekking up Mt. Everest!! It’s your learning curve. North Node activities require you to stretch out of your comfort zone. Once you do, you’ll be amazed by how fulfilled you feel!! It’s like the activation of your life’s mission. The sooner you align yourself with this path, the more purpose-driven your life will become. However, you will often return to the comfort of your South Node even after you’ve made your way in the world.
In a nutshell…
The South Node reveals the challenges and gifts we bring in from previous lifetimes. The North Node represents our karmic paths , the lessons we came here to learn and the language we are learning to speak.
What are my Lunar Nodes?
If you don’t know your North Node - you can find it easily here Remember your South Node is in the Zodiac sign that lies directly opposite.
NB: The South Node position can be a point of great insecurity. Fear is associated with South Node issues. We very much want what is represented by the South Node position, whether that is order in our lives (South Node in Virgo/6th house) or satisfaction in partnerships (South Node in Libra/7th house). However, the only way we can feel successful in these areas is through working on the qualities of the opposite sign (North Node position). We may resist doing this, especially in the first 30 years of our lives, partly because we cannot see that letting go of some of our obsessions will bring satisfaction to the South Node areas. Thus, the North Node represents a point of challenge and growth. One feels somewhat awkward and uncertain in the areas represented by the North Node (its sign and house). The North Node can also be considered a point of inflow. We need help with our North Node issues, and we often meet people who will help us confront these issues
What does the position of your Lunar Nodes mean for you?
The following advice is based releasing some of your more restraining South Node tendencies, and embracing all that your North Node desires for growth!
Aries North Node/Libra South Node
Release - Hiding out in partnerships, being the “best supporting actor” instead of the star, taking the comfortable path, avoiding challenges, being the peacekeeper, making compromises, putting others first, passive-aggression, codependence, enabling.
Embrace - Stepping out as a leader or star, prioritizing your own goals, being comfortable alone, the rewards of risk, fighting for your beliefs, expressing anger in an open and healthy manner.
Taurus North Node/Scorpio South Node
Release - Seducing, manipulating, strategizing, the nomadic lifestyle, sex as a weapon, being overly secretive or superstitious, relying on other people’s money and resources.
Embrace - Simplicity, truth, grounding yourself with daily habits and routines, living in the moment, pure human connection, telling it like you see it, making your own living.
Gemini North Node/Sagittarius South Node
Release - Ungrounded wanderlust, fixating on the future, righteous zealotry, being a jack of all trades, biting off more than you can chew, speaking without gathering the facts, being overly philosophical or getting lost in theory, arrogance, hedonism and greed, lasciviousness, overwhelming yourself with too many options, boorish and opinionated behavior.
Embrace - Community activism, “being here now,” playful exploration, doing one thing at a time, dialogue and active listening skills, partnerships and dynamic duos, local activity and hobbies.
Cancer North Node/Capricorn South Node
Release - Elitism, defining yourself by your worldly accomplishments (e.g., job titles), hierarchy, cool detachment, workaholism, being “lonely at the top,” head over heart, ruthlessness, competition, drive for materialism and status, too much masculine energy, mummy issues.
Embrace - Emotional sensitivity, family time, compassion, the feminine realm, domestic arts, maternal energy, nurturing, self-care, connecting from the heart, being more inclusive than exclusive.
Leo North Node/Aquarius South Node
Release - People pleasing, the need to be liked, hiding out in a group, emotional detachment, being overly intellectual, “head over heart,” not showing your feelings, too much nomadic living with no roots, rejection of material and sensual pleasure
Embrace - Unbridled self-expression, collaborating with the elite, leading by example, following your heart, luxury, tuning into your desires and sensuality, spoiling yourself and others, open displays of affection
Virgo North Node/Pisces South Node
Release - Denial, deception, emotional manipulation, playing the victim, self-pity and excuses, passivity, wearing rose-colored glasses, being scattered, nomadic living, making too many sacrifices, not paying attention to details, being easily seduced or charmed, being bullied, abusive relationships, getting lost in your daydreams and unrealistic fantasies.
Embrace - Solving problems with facts and hard data, accountability and leadership, personal responsibility, structure, grounding routines, paying attention to details, reading the fine print, developing technical skills or mastery, setting clear boundaries, standing up for yourself.
Libra North Node/Aries South Node
Release - The “me first” mentality, aggression, fighting, too much self-reliance, selfishness, acting without considering the consequences, bulldozing, hotheadedness, rushing, impatience.
Embrace - The power of partnership, the “peaceful warrior” within, cooperation, compromise, commitment, generosity, patience, making sacrifices for the good of the group.
Scorpio North Node/Taurus South Node
Release - Attachment to luxury, earthly appetites and overindulgence, being too practical, sticking with what you know, hiding in a comfort zone, working harder not smarter, loyalty at your own expense, always being the provider, holding energy in your throat chakra.
Embrace - Spirituality, connection to the universe/divine, spiritual fulfillment, unspoken connections, mystery, allowing others to help you financially, passive income, joint financial ventures, releasing energy through your sacral chakra.
Sagittarius North Node/Gemini North Node
Release - Gossip, fixating on details, going for what you know, dishonesty, distorting the truth, talking out of both sides of your mouth, being a big fish in a small pond, codependence, relying on others to initiate, scattering your energy in too many directions.
Embrace - Focusing on the big picture, higher learning, travel, honesty, adventure, leaving your comfort zone, autonomy, taking risks, traveling internationally, long-distance connections, multicultural friendships, curiosity.
Capricorn North Node/Cancer South Node
Release - Caretaking, codependence, passivity, shyness, fear of abandonment emotional responses, self-soothing, too much feminine energy, too much attachment to mother/being mothered, daddy issues.
Embrace - Leadership, professional and business acumen, being proactive, empowering others instead of enabling, living a public life, cool-headed vision, masculine energy, relationship with father/father figures
Aquarius North Node/Leo South Node
Release - Attention-seeking, the desire for drama, materialism, making it all about you, focusing too much on the external, self-gratification, entitlement, being overly protective or loyal to a fault, fear of branching out, avoiding groups, vanity, over-the-top emotional responses.
Embrace - Team spirit, collaboration, a humanitarian cause, a sense of purpose, sustainable living, “weird” people, cutting-edge ideas, focusing on other people, detaching from drama, objective and rational approaches.
Pisces North Node/Virgo South Node
Release - Perfectionism, being the helper, analysis paralysis, escaping stress through vices and addictions (self-medicating), worry and anxiety, doing things the hard way or by yourself, controlling, micromanaging, skepticism, dismissal of your intuition or divine guidance, cattiness, verbal daggers/skewering people with your words, gossip.
Embrace - Creative freedom, artistic abilities, being the healer, imagination, intuition, developing and trusting your psychic abilities, faith in the universe, allowing support and divine guidance from the universe or a higher power, surrender, processing your emotions without alcohol/substances or other escapes, recovery from addiction, using your words to make people think.
I hope you found my little dive into The Nodes interesting! And I’ll leave you with this, a quote I found on a website long-forgotton, many moons ago…
We often think that just because we’re good at something—or it comes easily to us—that it’s what we should “do” with our lives. Yet, sometimes, the easy way doesn’t feel spiritually satisfying. Maybe you’ve taken this path enough times in past lives, and you’re ready for something new? You will never know what you are truly capable of, until you take the plunge into the unknown and try something new…
Credit to:
Online resources:
Cafe Astrology, Astrology King, Astrology Answers, Forever Conscious, Astrostyle
Print recourses:
Yasmin Boland, Rebecca Campbell, Melanie Beckler, Marion Williamson, Carolyne Faulkner, Louise Edington