The Lunar Nodes are the points where the Moon’s path crosses the ecliptic, the Sun’s path in the sky. Karmic points in astrology, the Nodes are also called the Dragon’s Head and Tail.
In your birth chart, the nodes help reveal your soul purpose, your destiny in this lifetime.
This month on May 9 2017, the Lunar Nodes moved into new zodiac signs. The North Node moved into Leo and the South Node moved into Aquarius where they will remain for the next 18 months, until November 7 2018. The last time, the Lunar Nodes were in the same sign combination was October 21 1998-April 10 2000. How do events back then mirror what’s happening in your life now?
Whichever sign and house you find the North Node in, the South Node is always in the opposite sign and house. The placing of the North Node is what you’re striving or aiming for in this lifetime. It’s your life lesson, your destiny and your major area of learning.
The South Node is said to be where you retreat to, your comfort zone, your habitual place and in traditional astrology it can indicate your downfall and what’s not good for you. If you believe in past lives, it’s thought that you’re stuck in your South Node destiny until you can break free, stop repeating the same patterns and move on.
The Lunar Nodes & Eclipses
The Lunar Nodes are an integral part of the eclipse cycle and in fact, it’s not a true eclipse if the nodes aren’t close to the eclipse degree. If you want to know more about this, here’s a link to a previous article entitled The Almost Eclipse.
We are already in a Leo/Aquarius eclipse cycle and the fact that the Lunar Nodes are now in Leo and Aquarius too means that the coming eclipses will be all the more powerful.
Eclipses are not by their own nature good or bad. Yes, they can sweep in to move things forward in life, sometimes at a fast rate and they tend to bring what’s hidden to light. So it’s hard to plan for them other than recognise that they often coincide with life’s highs and lows. They symbolise a time when the pendulum of fate swings dramatically and that can be both exhilarating and scary.
Sometimes change happens close to the eclipse date or seeds are sown and events build towards a major turning point. Remember that each eclipse cycle focuses on opposite signs of the zodiac and one cycle lasts for a couple of years.
Here are the dates of the current Leo/Aquarius cycle – August 2017 is the next important month in this respect, especially the Solar Eclipse on August 21st that is being called ‘The Great American Eclipse‘ as it will only be visible in the USA. It promises to be a pivotal moment for Donald Trump’s presidency as it triggers his natal Mars conjunct his Leo Ascendant:
- August 18 2016 – Lunar Eclipse [25 Aquarius 52]
- February 11 2017 – Lunar Eclipse [22 Leo 28]
- August 7 2017 – Lunar Eclipse [15 Aquarius 25]
- August 21 2017 – Solar Eclipse [28 Leo 53]
- January 31 2018 – Lunar Eclipse [11 Leo 37]
- February 15 2018 – Solar Eclipse [27 Aquarius 08]
- July 27 2018 – Lunar Eclipse [ 4 Aquarius 45]
- January 21 2019 – Lunar Eclipse [0 Leo 52]
The Leo/Aquarius Axis
With the current shift in the nodal axis, it’s important to think about the signs involved and what they represent. The Sun shines bright in Leo, the sign most closely linked to royalty. A few days before the North Node moved into Leo, it was announced in the UK that Prince Phillip will step down from public duties later this year. There may well be more significant changes within the royal family in the next 18 months.
On a personal level, the essence of Leo is to be at the heart of proceedings, the centre of attention. The big cat of the zodiac thrives when it receives plenty of stroking, accolade and admiration. Leo is a creative sign, so this is about your identity, your unique skills and talents, what makes you ‘you’.
Aquarius, the opposite sign to Leo, rules the collective rather than the individual. The Sun finds it hard to shine in Aquarius because it has to share the limelight. Aquarius isn’t about self-interest, but instead what’s good for everyone, common goals, a shared mission or purpose.
So you may experience issues around fitting in or not now, where do you belong, who can you team up with to achieve mutual goals? Do you find your light is dimmed if you compare yourself unfavourably to others, if other people don’t get who you are, if your contribution goes unwanted?
Alternatively, are you ready to shine bright, share your natural talents with the world, make a difference? This is an important time to consider the groups you belong to, your friendships, your associations. You may decide to leave or move on from one set and find a new group or alliance.
As with all oppositions, we can either focus on what divides us or work together to create unity out of polarity.
What does the new Lunar Node cycle mean for your star sign?
Here’s a quick guide to the Lunar Nodes in Leo & Aquarius in relation to your Sun sign.
Aries:
The North Node falls in your 5th house ruling your creativity, children, entertainment and love affairs. It’s your turn to have fun and to find ways to express yourself and show off your unique skills and talents. You’re at your best when you’re creative for your own sake rather than helping others discover their creativity. Your default mode is to disappear into the crowd but your destiny lies in declaring your heart and following your passion. For some, this includes having a baby or prioritising a love affair.
Taurus:
The North Node falls in your 4th house ruling your home, family and where you come from. It’s the people cl0sest to you who matter the most. You may be starting a family or taking a break from work to be at home. Your default mode is to be outwardly ambitious but your destiny lies in creating a safe place you can call home and caring for the people you love. You may also feel inclined to do this at work, to bring people together in order to create a close bond.
Gemini:
The North Node falls in your 3rd house ruling communication, transport, siblings, neighbours and your local community. You’re the messenger and gathering knowledge and passing on ideas becomes more urgent. You discover your voice and how to use your words to make a difference. Your default mode is to retreat into your ivory tower and develop your ideas on your own but your destiny lies in connecting with others locally and online to share ideas and make the wheels of your chosen industry run smoother.
Cancer:
The North Node falls in your 2nd house ruling your personal money, your possessions and what you value. You can learn many lessons about money now, what it means to you, how to attract money into your life and how to make your money go further. Your default mode may be to rely on others for your financial well-being but your destiny lies in learning about your own money mindset and realising that when it comes to cash and being rich or poor, you’re in charge.
Leo:
The North Node falls in your 1st house ruling your physical body, your appearance and your personal goals and ambitions. This is an interesting experience for you as it’s about learning to put yourself and your own needs first and enjoying a relationship without losing your own identity within it. Your default mode is to rely on a partner to make decisions, either in your personal or professional life, but your destiny lies in focusing on what you want in life and developing a strong sense of personal identity.
Virgo:
The North Node falls in your 12th house ruling retreat, solitude and inner quiet. When life gets too busy and too noisy, you can’t hear the call of the universe and you lose your way and your natural intuition. This is about finding a balance between work & service to others and enjoying and appreciating time alone for you. Your default mode is to take on too many obligations but your destiny lies in developing your spiritual path and leading a slower pace of life. This is about being less Virgo (efficient/perfectionist) and exploring the qualities of your opposite sign of Pisces (sensitivity/learning how to surrender to life).
Libra:
The North Node falls in your 11th house ruling friendship and your involvement with a group, club or society. You benefit from networking and teamwork and recognising that when you forge alliances you can make more of a difference in what you do. Your default mode is to have fun, be creative and enjoy a playful approach to life but your destiny lies in developing a strong sense of group consciousness and putting your creative talents to good use in a community setting or a social or political organisation.
Scorpio:
The North Node falls in your 10th house ruling your career and vocation and where you’re heading in life. This is a powerful placing for you and it’s about finding your personal mountain to climb and creating ambitions and goals that are bold and help you make progress in your life. Your default mode is to stay at home and keep safe within the comfort of your family but your destiny lies in fulfilling your ambitions, taking on new status and achieving your career goals. It’s also about supporting the ones you love by aiming high in your career and fulfilling your potential.
Sagittarius:
The North Node falls in your 9th house ruling travel, higher education and your personal philosophy on life. This is about expanding your horions and widening your vision for what you want in life rather than getting too caught up on the ideas without also embracing the experience. Your default mode is to talk about what you want to do or read books endlessly but your destiny lies in taking action, seeing the world or moving abroad, studying for new qualifications and taking your learning to the next level.
Capricorn:
The North Node falls in your 8th house ruling joint finances, the hidden mysteries of the world and taboo topics, such as sex, money, death & rebirth. You may be interested in exploring unknown realms and looking at what lies beyond the ordinary and everyday. Your default mode is to hold on tight to what you have but your destiny lies in realising that money is more than just a commodity and joining forces with others raises money to a powerful force that can help transform your own and other peoples’ lives.
Aquarius:
The North Node falls in your 7th house of relationships. This is a powerful placing for you as it means the big area of learning is in your 1-to-1’s. You will experience many lessons now around giving and receiving and how to function effectively as one half of a couple. Your default mode is to retreat into yourself when things go wrong but your destiny lies in creating a powerful union either in love or professionally. If you find yourself feeling lonely or cut off, reach out and enjoy your intimate connections.
Pisces:
The North Node falls in your 6th house ruling your work, service and your health. This is about dealing with the practical aspects of life. The more efficient your routine and the more you factor in exercise and diet to create a healthy lifestyle, the smoother your life flows. Your default mode is to lose yourself in spiritual pondering but your destiny lies in finding a way to serve others and recognising that your everyday skills can make a difference in the world. Be wary of an over-active imagination or day-dreaming your life away. Take practical steps instead to find contentment.
Hi Sally – I last contacted you in January 2015 when there was a New Moon directly on my natal Sun. At the time you told me there would be fresh beginnings, and indeed some 9 months later I found a new job, albeit temporary, that I really loved, so you were spot on. Hence you can imagine that this latest post sounds a bit worrying in a way, if it’s going to be a repeat of 1998-2000.
In 1998 I got divorced and had to move back up to my native Yorkshire with my small son as I couldn’t afford to stay in London. This meant selling my house, leaving my dream job and being unemployed for a year until I found a new (and short-lived) post. I ended up temping and scrimping to get by, eventually starting to retrain as a teacher in 2001. It was a time of huge emotional upset and upheaval. Fast forward to now and I’m unemployed yet again, which has been the pattern on and off for the past 5 years – and haven’t been in a relationship for that period, either.
I note that the eclipses come quite close (1-2 degrees) to my natal sun (29 degrees of Aquarius), either directly or in opposition in Leo. Is this close enough to have an effect, or does it have to be exact? On the bright side, I did eventually have 11 years in the same teaching job having retrained, so hopefully my current attempts to get into textiles will be fruitful! Thanks as always for your beautifully-written posts – once I get a “proper” job I am thinking of properly subscribing 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Rachel. Always helpful to hear how the astrology is playing out. Well, it sounds like new beginnings are on the cards for you. I usually use a 1 degree orb with eclipses but the one on August 21st 2017 (28 Leo 53) is mirrored by the one on February 15th 2018 (27 Aquarius 08) so they both trigger your natal Sun Aquarius. Perfect timing to be starting a new career as there’s often ‘rebirth’ symbolism involving the Sun.
Also, even though there will be similar themes playing out now as to 1998-2000, the purpose of astrology is to help you see the patterns in your life more clearly and learn from them, i.e. be master of your own destiny.
Hope that helps and let me know how you get on.
best, Sally