posted April 26, 2005 01:34 PM              

For example my north node is in cancer and my south node is in capricorn.

Every planet has nodes, but most often we think of the Moon's nodes. The nodes are the two points in a planet's orbit which intercept the Earth's path around the sun (otherwise known as the ecliptic).

The Moon's nodes always move in retrograde. It takes 19 years for the Moon's nodes to complete one cycle of the Zodiac. Node signs are always opposite one another in the Zodiac wheel.

The nodes always appear in pairs and each node has a name: The North Node is known as the Dragon's Head and the South Node is called the Dragon's Tail. Nodes are astrologically significant because they indicate an individual's propensity for growth.

The North Node is the physical embodiment of the path of the planet moving from south to north. In a natal chart it represents the direction in which our life is heading, the lessons we need to learn in our lives and methods by which we may create harmony and enhance our personal development. The Dragon's Head also represents the future.

The South Node marks the intersection of the Moon traveling from north to south. Where the South Node appears in your chart symbolizes lessons from past lives that have been carried into this life. In the past these tasks hadn't quite been mastered, so we bring along the same circumstances so that we may try to learn them again. Oftentimes we revert back to these habits from the past when we feel ill at ease. The Dragon's Tail represents the past.

In general, we need to evolve from the South Node into the North Node; from the past into the future. The deeply imbedded habits of behavior that we form can inhibit our growth and our ability to reach the next level in universal development. A risk is required to make this evolution and Astrology can instruct us how best to take that risk.

Look at your own chart to determine the position of the North and South Nodes of the Moon at your birth. Use these brief descriptions to help you understand which lessons from life you should aspire to learn. Keep in mind that nodes are only a single facet of Astrology and that single chart elements can change dramatically when positioned with other natal chart characteristics.

The Nodes are defined by the intersections of the Moon's orbit with the Earth's orbit. The North Node's position is based on the Moon moving into north declination (above the celestial equator) while the South Node's position is based on the Moon moving into south declination (below the celestial equator).

The two Nodes are always directly opposite one another (180 degrees apart) across the zodiac. As such, they define important polarities in our lives: present lives and past lives. Relating back to the Moon, the Nodes symbolize strong emotions. They are keys particularly to emotional residues which we have carried forward from past lifetimes. They point to ingrained patterns that we tend to repeat over and over again. Old insecurities are depicted here -- ways in which we seek safety and try to protect ourselves and others. Relationship issues are often prominent. People who "push our emotional buttons" often have Nodal connections between our horoscope and theirs. (Once integrated, the Nodes show potential sustenance and support-what "feeds" us.)

There are three major paths people take in coping with the emotional residues of the Nodes. Most of us try the first two paths before discovering the third.

Path One: Some people experience the Nodes as a seesaw: They swing from one extreme to the other. For example, with the Nodes across Aries/Libra (or 1st house/7th house), some people vacillate between being alone and being together. They get lonely, want a relationship and get involved. Once they're involved, they start to feel trapped, hemmed in and eventually leave. Then they start to get lonely again and repeat the cycle. Typically, people with each Nodal polarity have had some past lifetimes living out one extreme and other lifetimes living out the opposite extreme.

Path Two: Some people identify with one Node and "project" the other Node. That is, they are unconsciously attracted to people who will live out the qualities symbolized by that opposite Node. The problem is, if we express only one side of a polarity, the people we attract are likely to express the opposite in excess. They will overdo it! With the Aries/Libra example, if an individual identifies with the Libra end ("I want a relationship"), they may repeatedly attract "free souls" who won't commit, married people who aren't available or self-centered individuals unwilling to make the compromises necessary in a healthy relationship. One person is overdoing the Libra need to merge with another; the other person is overdoing the Aries need for self-assertion and personal freedom. Conversely, the individual who identifies only with the Aries Node wants to live life on their own terms and be independent, and keeps on attracting people who want to marry, settle down, be together and share everything (overdoing the Libra).

Path Three: People find the happy medium between the Nodal polarities. They realize that life is an "and," not an "or," and fit the drives of both Nodes into their lives. They turn potential enemies into allies by not going to either extreme. They face their inner insecurities (including those from experiences in past lifetimes) and muster the emotional courage to reach a constructive balance point. By bringing together the best of both sides, they are more effective and more emotionally poised. A positive equilibrium is reached.

Some authors interpret the Nodes as "where we've been" and "where we should be going." This can be misleading. The Nodes are primarily an opposition! The goal of any opposition is synthesis -- to turn the enemies into allies, to combine the best of both into a golden mean. Talking about one Node as your "future" and the other as your "past" encourages people to fall into polarization and projection -- exactly the problems to which the Nodes are susceptible! Both Nodes relate to past lives and polarities we are striving to balance. Both Nodes relate to the future which can be bright when we achieve a pleasing synthesis!

The ancient tradition was that the North/South Node was more like Jupiter (in the sense of being easier to handle, more subjectively comfortable) and the South Node was more like Saturn (in the sense of feeling more stressful or demanding). In my experience, that is generally true but with individual exceptions. People with the South Node in the 1st house, for example, are usually prey to self-criticism and inhibiting tendencies similar to Saturn in the 1st, and more so than people with North/South Node in the 1st. One must, however, consider all factors. (North/South Node in Capricorn, in the 10th house or conjunct Saturn will obviously carry a great deal of karmic pressure.)

Because both Nodes relate back to the Moon, either can be a point of insecurity (where we feel needy, whiny, vulnerable, infantile) or a point of emotional sustenance and support (where we've laid a good foundation, can trust, give and receive nurturing to and with other people).

More stuff on nodes:

http://www.creativechoices.com/article/north_node_aquarius.htm

http://astrology.findyourfate.com/astrology-lunarnodes.htm

http://www.cafeastrology.com/nodesofthemoon.html[/URL]

posted April 26, 2005 01:57 PM              

also, how do the signs and houses affect each other? does a sign influence a house or does a house influence a sign?

i know this might sound terribly daft but im trying to peice together what i havent absorbed from studying.

my "true node" is in virgo/10th house. this is actually the "moon's node", is that correct? there is also a mars, uranus, neptune t-square with the apex or focal planet (saturn) in the 10th house. i have read that the "empty leg" (4th house?) is the important house in dealing with the t-square. would that also place the pisces south node in the 4th house? i assume so.