lunar nodes

Astrological update for the week of January 17 2022: Cancer Full Moon and Aquarius Season begins

 

This week we have Mercury retrograde, having just changed direction, so I hope you all are being careful with your communication and reading instructions carefully.  😃  Venus is retrograde also, and you may be thinking more about people from the past who you’ve lost touch with, or repairing broken relationships. We also have Uranus changing direction this week, turning direct after about six months of retrogradation, meaning all of that impetus for change and authenticity will begin to find a route of action.  Three planets retrograde is about average – we need that slight pull to the past in order to stay in balance – but when planets change direction like Uranus will this week they do demand more of our attention. What in our lives isn’t really working, what tweaks or major adjustments need to be made? You may be pressed to do something about it this week.

The lunar nodes change signs every eighteen months or so, and they shift to the Taurus/Scorpio axis this week (read more about that here). I like to think of the nodes traveling backwards through the zodiac, helping us to clean up past karma and be released from the past as we continue to grow and evolve. For the next eighteen months this axis of power in fixed signs will help us to find balance between the intensity and passion of Scorpio and the need for serenity and peacefulness of Taurus.  Both are fixed signs: stubborn and powerful, with a tendency towards rigidity and difficulty letting go. This can lead to some conflict, and those of us who are conflict-averse may find this more of a challenge but it will help us to become more fully empowered and authentic.

Finally, […]

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By |2022-01-17T08:36:40-05:00January 17th, 2022|Planetary news this week|1 Comment
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The lunar nodes enter a new portal of change: Passion and Comfort with Scorpio and Taurus

 

art by Cathy McClelland

The lunar nodes mark the intersection of the apparent (from our perspective on Earth) paths of the Sun and the Moon, and symbolically this marks the crossroads of consciousness (Sun) and instinct (Moon). The ascending, or North Node, points the way to the future, and the descending, or South Node, describes the journey’s origin and the energies we are moving away from and which will sometimes hold us back.

Because of precession and the way the earth orbits relative to the Sun, these points we call the lunar nodes move backwards through the zodiac unlike planetary bodies which move through the natural progression of signs from Aries to Pisces. I like to think of this as part of the karmic aspect of the nodes – an opportunity to retrace our past steps to clean up any lingering unfinished business.

There is a great deal of debate in astrological circles whether to use the True Node, the actual position of the lunar nodes which wobble back and forth almost daily, or the Mean Node which averages the nodal position. In a natal chart I use the True Node because the actual position is, to me, important to the symbolism of its meaning in the chart. The True Node will enter Taurus (at 29 degrees) on January 30, 2022.  The Mean Node (the averaged position) actually entered Taurus on January 10th. In any case, this is a major shift of focus for humans living on Planet Earth and changes the narrative a bit, as well as the style in which we encounter the experiences around us.

For the past eighteen months or so (since May 2020) the North Node has been in Gemini, with the South Node […]

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By |2022-01-14T14:28:25-05:00January 14th, 2022|Planetary cycles|0 Comments
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The Virgo New Moon and a choice for the future

photo by Mary McIntyre

Virgo is what we call a mutable sign – it’s the third in a series of signs that begin with the June solstice in Cancer and prepares us for the turning of the next season as we shift into Libra the September equinox.  The dance of the “modalities” as they are called always begins at the entry into a new season with a cardinal sign of action.  The second sign is of the “fixed” nature and teaches endurance and patience.  The last sign before the seasonal shift is “mutable” – these energies enable us to let go and make that transition into the next season as marked by the solstices and the equinoxes.

The Virgo New Moon is not only the passage point to the September equinox, it also marks the end of the first half of the zodiac which focuses primarily on the personal.  In the second half we are more focused on interaction with the outer world.
Virgo teaches us to create order from chaos.  Under the influence of Virgo we learn to manage the details that are required of humans who live in a physical body, such as personal hygiene and the need to work in order to keep food on the table and a roof over our head.  At this Virgo New Moon, a new lunar cycle, we can more easily begin a new organizational routine or exercise/nutrition program to support us in the changes that are coming.
And come they will – we are in the middle of so many different evolutionary changes.  Climate change. Political change.  And not […]
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By |2020-09-17T08:14:44-04:00September 17th, 2020|Moon|2 Comments
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A shift in direction when the lunar nodes change signs

The lunar nodes mark the point at which the path of the Moon crosses the ecliptic, the path that the Sun takes through the constellations as we observe its movement from Earth.  The Nodes are connected to experiences which feel fated, and we can see this idea in practice when we look at an eclipse.  Eclipses occur at a lunation (lunar event) in which the Sun and Moon are within 15 degrees of the Nodes, activating a trigger of the past which requires something to happen before we can move forward.

Unlike other planetary bodies, the nodes move backwards in their apparent motion from our perspective on Earth.  (This excellent article explains why.)

The South Node is exactly opposite the North Node as they move backwards through the signs, moving from one polarity of opposites to the previous one.   Unlike the traditional order in which we progress from the initiation of Aries to the solidification of Taurus, and then on to the diversification of Gemini to the connectivity of Cancer (and so on), the Nodes take us on a journey to retrace our steps into the past where we must clean up past karma before moving forwards.

The North Node has been in Cancer (family, feelings) since November 2018, with the South Node in Capricorn (career, societal expectations), setting up a polarity between the Moon, ruler of Cancer, and Saturn, ruler of Capricorn.  Where Capricorn says “suck it up, and just do what’s required with every man for himself,” Cancer says “but the world is bleeding and I can’t bear it.”   It’s not an accident that the US elections in November 2018 marked historic wins for women, since the Moon is Cancer’s ruling planet and strongly […]

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By |2022-01-14T13:59:02-05:00April 9th, 2020|Planetary cycles|1 Comment
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Uranus square the lunar nodes: Change is inevitable, progress is optional

Over the past week, and throughout November, the planet Uranus and the lunar nodes will be locked in a square (90 degree) formation.  The nodes of the Moon are points where the journey of the Moon through the sky crosses the path of the Sun, and these points are associated with the soul’s journey from past to future.

I view the outer planets as transformational forces which inspire us, activating something in the personality in order to create change where change is necessary.  Uranus is the planet of change itself – under the influence of Uranus we tend to become restless with anything in our lives that feels stuck, and sometimes we find ourselves faced with shocking events that serve to knock us from our comfort zone.

Our lives are built on patterns of expectation.  We expect that we will wake up in the morning, and that we will follow our normal routines during the day.  Uranus tends to break apart those expectations, at best helping us to see our lives through new eyes.  At its most difficult, Uranus can bring about a drastic change that forces a change in perspective.

Planetary cycles occur on several planes at once.  The alignment of the planets in the sky (which I write about in my Planetary Illuminations newsletter) affect everyone on the planet on a macro level.  When these alignments interact with the planets in our own natal chart, they stimulate change or evolution on a much more personal level.  There are other layers of planetary influence as well: to our relationships, to our communities and countries, to our evolving selves.

The current square between Uranus and the lunar nodes could bring about surprising events in our lives that shake us […]

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