Lecture notes delivered on July 12, 1995, at the Summer School of Company of Astrologers and at the Astrological Association of Great Britain
Astronomically, the Lunar Nodes are the points where the Moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic, the path along which the Sun travels relative to the stars. These are indeed unique nodes that unite the two most fundamental cosmic principles—the solar and the lunar. The Sun is often associated with the monad, the divine spark, the spiritual center of human essence, which journeys through life after life, reincarnating and accumulating experience with each incarnation. The Moon, by contrast, can be likened to the material, mortal vessel, composed of earthly substance and serving as a temporary refuge for the monad—the Sun—in this particular life. If we speak of the Lunar Nodes as the link between the principles of the Sun and the Moon, then they symbolize, in the broadest sense, the chain of incarnations through which the human soul passes. It is no coincidence that the Lunar Nodes are often called the “karmic factor” and are used to judge past and future incarnations. Nor is it accidental that the Lunar Nodes are sometimes associated with near-death experiences—that is, a state in which a person stands on the threshold between two successive incarnations.
However, what interests me in astrology is not past lives but the present one (though I do not deny the value of the “karmic” approach). Within the scope of a single life, the Sun and the Moon are also the most important astrological factors. If a person is born to find in this life their unique creative essence, to understand what happiness is, and to realize it, then we can say that the overarching task of human life is to find one’s Sun. It is not necessary that this task be fulfilled, but the Sun illuminates life and gives it meaning. Within the scope of a single life, the Moon represents what is given to a person, what they are provided with. The Moon is the physical body, the vessel of the spirit, the mother who gave birth and nourished the person, the family that serves as a protective shell between the individual and the hostile outer world. In other words, the Moon symbolizes the circumstances and environment into which a person is born.
A person cannot reach the goal of the Sun without first mastering the circumstances of the Moon, achieving mastery in their use. What role do the Lunar Nodes play here? How do they unite the principles of the Sun and the Moon within the framework of a single life? We can say that the Lunar Nodes symbolize the lunar-solar process or the path along which a person masters the circumstances of the Moon and approaches the goal of the Sun. The line (axis) of the Lunar Nodes in the horoscope can be compared to the river of life along which each of us floats. The current of the river flows from the South Node to the North Node. In other words, the North Node guides us toward the achievement of life’s purpose, though it would be premature to speak of this goal as something that will inevitably be attained. The longer we move toward the North Node, the greater the likelihood that beyond the next bend an even more attractive prospect will open up.
The South Node is the path already traveled by the river. It becomes increasingly significant, growing as we move toward the North Node. The path already taken is familiar, even if not always pleasant, yet it is something we have mastered. The past experience associated with the South Node forms the foundation for progress, though it may also weigh us down. How can we practically understand the position of the Lunar Nodes in the chart? To do so, it is helpful to recall the key words that Frances Sakoian gives to the Lunar Nodes: the North Node is inclusion in the general flow; the South Node is exclusion from the general flow.
The “flow” or “river of life” in real circumstances may be represented by a certain direction dictated by life circumstances, sometimes by societal trends, or by a group of people with which a person identifies. Sometimes a person floats calmly and steadily along the current; sometimes they are tossed from one stream into another—and all these features of human life are revealed to us by the Lunar Nodes. The North Node is the goal, and goals in our lives are generally of a collective nature. Consider how many people in any country dream of buying an apartment, a car, a garage… Even those who aspire to become President number in the dozens, if not more. Hence the key phrase “inclusion in the general flow” for the North Node, the factor of integration. Conversely, the accumulated life experience separates us, since each person’s experience is unique. It is difficult to find two people whose past lives were not only identical but even broadly similar. We are all very different—and this is precisely what the South Node speaks of, the factor of accumulated experience, the factor of disintegration.
The isolating, separating quality of the South Node often manifests vividly in practice. Moreover, the South Node is often more noticeable than the North Node. This is not surprising, for the South Node is accumulated life experience that sets us apart from other people; this experience is linked not only to useful acquisitions but also to problems, the essence of which can be summed up in the words “not like the others,” “something is not right.” To understand what exactly is wrong, we must look at the position of the Nodes in the houses of the horoscope.
Once I had to work with a person whose birth time was known only approximately, and so the birth horoscope was merely a hypothesis arrived at through a long and difficult process of rectification. To test how acceptable this hypothesis was, I took several of the most striking factors from the resulting horoscope and met with the client, intending to learn how characteristic these factors were of his life. One of the most notable configurations was the exact conjunction of the South Node with the Ascendant. Of course, the North Node was also conjunct the Midheaven, but for the reasons stated above, I preferred to focus on the South Node. What question could I ask? The 4th house represents roots, origin, family—most likely the father’s side—and if the South Node is indeed located here, then something special must have been connected with the client’s family. The question was phrased roughly as follows: “Was there anything connected with your paternal family that set them—and thus you—apart from the general milieu, as if excluding you from the general course of events?” The answer was stunning: “My father was imprisoned and died in prison.” Could anything more vividly illustrate the isolating, separating quality of the South Node on the Ascendant?
In another similar case, a woman had the South Node in the middle of the 4th house. It was not on the cusp, so the situation was not as striking, but still interesting. Her grandfather was Indian, though all her other ancestors were entirely Russian, and she had spent her entire life in Russia. Again, we see an exception to the general flow. It is interesting that in the key words for the Lunar Nodes (Munkasey), tunnels, channels, pipes, and similar objects often appear. The pair of Lunar Nodes very aptly describes a pipe: after all, a pipe allows for a general flow (the North Node), but thanks to the separation of its inner cavity from the external environment (the South Node). It is also interesting that many people who have had near-death experiences recall moving through a certain tunnel. Could this not be a direct perception of the theme of the Lunar Nodes?
The South Node is inseparable from the North Node. They form a complementary pair, and in the horoscope, we can represent a vector or arrow that rests on the South Node and points toward the North Node. The pair of Lunar Nodes in the horoscope sets the vector of an individual’s evolution, indicating the path they should take to transform collective goals into individual experience, to live within the circumstances of the present life, and gradually approach the purpose of their existence. The remaining question is: what does this vector signify?
Here, I would like to move from theory to practice and offer a key to the interpretation of the Lunar Nodes.If you seek brevity, you can put it this way: go where the North Node points, and the problems of the South Node will resolve themselves. Trying to address the South Node’s issues directly will only worsen them. Recall the image of the “river of life.” You can choose not to swim toward an uncharted goal but instead return to familiar shores. You will immediately feel you are wrong—for you will be going against the current. This will not solve the North Node’s task, as you will not be moving toward your goal. Yet the South Node’s problem will also remain unresolved; it will stagnate, for the path already traveled will no longer grow. At one of my seminars in Moscow, we examined the chart of a woman present in the audience. An interesting feature of her chart was that the axis of the Lunar Nodes coincided with the horizon line. The North Node was exactly on the Ascendant, and the South Node, accordingly, on the Descendant. The South Node’s position on the Descendant may be linked to issues in partnership. The partner, in particular the husband, is not like others, and this may be troubling. Perhaps it would be better to find another partner? Yet it turns out this does not solve the problem, as the new partner brings nearly the same difficulties as the old one. Sometimes, the more we focus on the South Node’s affairs, the more problematic they become. So what should we do? Using the proposed approach, we can formulate the following advice: “Find yourself (North Node on the Ascendant), and you will find your partner (South Node on the Descendant).” In other words, you must pay more attention to yourself, your place in life, and then the problem in relationships will resolve itself, almost automatically, as a result of striving for self-determination. The chart’s owner was asked to share her thoughts, and she confirmed that she had faced significant difficulties in her first marriage. But then she became immersed in astrology, found her path in life, and made new friends. Her partnership changed almost on its own. She remarried, and her second marriage proved far more successful than the first, though she had not sought to divorce her first husband or find someone better. We see how the proposed rule works here: “Find yourself, and you will find your partner.”
Another time, one of my clients was a young man, awkward and shy. In his chart, the axis of the Lunar Nodes also coincided with the horizon line, but the South Node was on the Ascendant. Based on this, I suggested that my client belonged to those who stand apart from society, who strive to follow their own path rather than a well-trodden one. The young man admitted that he had his own opinion on every matter and that he deliberately did not do as others did. But we can further assume that the South Node on the Ascendant creates significant psychological difficulties for a person. He thinks: “I am not like everyone else”—which could mean either the unrecognized genius or the complex-ridden failure. Either way, he erects barriers around himself, isolates himself, and thereby intensifies all his difficulties. What advice do the Lunar Nodes offer in this case? Find your partner, and you will find yourself. Do not strive to prove you are unlike others, nor be disheartened by it. Simply take a step toward people, and you will realize that being together is always better and easier than being alone. I do not mean to say that by learning relationships, the owner of the South Node on the Ascendant will lose their separateness. He will simply understand that separateness, once a lack, becomes a strength when one knows how to interact with others.
Another client of mine became a very successful businessman over several years. With the South Node on the Ascendant and shunning any “public stage,” he still learned to interact with those around him, to find common ground. It was in business partnership that he achieved his greatest success (North Node on the Descendant), though he continues to live very much alone, even in isolation, and chooses his path based solely on his own understanding.
What has been said will be more or less significant for all people whose Lunar Nodes in the natal chart are in the 1st and 7th houses—not only on the horizon line. Additionally, the Lunar Nodes repeatedly transit through all the houses of our horoscope, wherever they may be located at birth. At one time or another, for example, the North Node will transit your Ascendant, making the theme of “finding yourself” relevant in your life.
So far, I have spoken only of houses. But what significance do the signs in which the Lunar Nodes are placed hold? It seems to me that the signs in the horoscope act as scenery, coloring the actions of other factors with various details and giving them depth. For instance, in the case of my last client, the South Node was in Aries, and he came from a military family, served in the army for a long time himself, and perhaps it was this experience that gave him the energy and boldness to seek his own path. The North Node, accordingly, is in Libra, and he began his business as a guide-art historian, leading foreigners through the most beautiful places in Moscow. Now, as far as I know, he has become a business partner in the sale of expensive designer clothing.
Let us now consider another position of the Nodes: the North Node in the 2nd house, the South Node in the 8th. How can we interpret the arrow, or the river of life, directed from the 8th to the 2nd house? I would suggest the following reading: do not rely too much on what others give you. You can lean on their support, but be sure to find something of your own—something valuable to you personally and belonging only to you. The 2nd–8th house axis is traditionally associated with finances, but this is not just about money, nor even primarily about money. There are things more precious than money.
Consider, for example, Jung’s chart. In it, we see precisely this configuration: the North Node in Aries in the 2nd house, the South Node in Libra in the 8th house. It seems to me that the axis of the Lunar Nodes in Jung’s chart figuratively describes the problem that arose in his relationship with Freud. At the beginning of his path, Jung relied on what belonged to another person—the psychoanalysis of Freud, his theory of sexuality. But then he began to seek his own understanding, his own way. The signs here are also informative: he started from collaboration (Libra) but always strove to be a pioneer (Aries).
In Jung’s 8th house, there is Jupiter in Libra. Could this not be Freud—the teacher who enriched him with his knowledge and was also a friend (Jupiter rules the 11th house)? Looking at Freud’s chart, we see that Freud’s South Node is in exact conjunction with Jung’s Jupiter. A teacher seeks to pass on to a student what he himself has traversed. If the Lunar Nodes in Jung’s chart truly speak of his relationship with Freud and Jung’s desire to find his own path, they should manifest in the unfolding of the chart during a period of significant change in their relationship.
Take the year 1909. According to research by Maggie Hyde, this was the most pivotal turning point in Jung’s life in general and in his relationship with Freud in particular. In March of that year, Jung visited Freud in Vienna and received an offer to become the “crown prince” of the psychoanalytic movement. And at the same time, a supernatural episode occurred with a bookshelf, marking a significant divergence in their views on the occult.
Using the simplest symbolic direction, we see that in 1909 the direct axis of the Lunar Nodes formed a square to Uranus in the 7th house—might this not be where we see the strange incident that marked the beginning of the end of their relationship?
But let us also examine transits. In March 1909, the transiting South Node conjoined Mars, which can be understood both as Jung’s departure from the theory of sexuality and as his rejection of friendship and the honors associated with it (Mars in the 11th house, ruling the 10th) in favor of individual creativity (the transiting North Node in the 5th house). The transiting Mars in March formed a square to the axis of the Lunar Nodes from the 12th house of the chart.Occult forces burst forth with power, altering the life path of a person. Finally, the ruler of the Ascendant, Saturn, in that March connects with the natal North Node—the person firmly steps onto their own path. Here, the topic of the Lunar Nodes in aspect to planets has already emerged. I will not
It is important to distinguish between natal aspects and, say, transits, since they manifest similarly but on different timescales. When studying lunar node transits, it is crucial not to forget the theme they carried in the natal chart. This theme will continue to resonate, though refracted through other areas of life.
The most interesting case is when one of the nodes forms a conjunction with a planet. Only in this aspect can the qualities of the planet be primarily associated with one of the nodes. A planet conjunct the South Node is a person’s support, the wealth given to them to overcome their future path—but also the burden they must carry. A planet on the South Node seems to push a person forward, and its qualities manifest best when used to move ahead. If one stands still or retreats, the backpack taken on the journey becomes unbearably heavy.
A planet conjunct the North Node is a guiding star that attracts us. We have not yet reached what this planet symbolizes, but we strive to do so. The longer and more confidently we move toward our North Node, the better we master the qualities of this guiding planet. Otherwise, this planet may symbolize unfulfilled dreams or lost opportunities.
Other aspects to the lunar node axis—when a planet lies away from this line—indicate a turning point in life, as we have seen in the case of Jung. If such an aspect is present in the natal chart, life may resemble one continuous turn, with a person constantly changing direction, as if trying to hit a moving target. The nature of this turn varies: sometimes one must fully mobilize their strength to overcome internal and external obstacles (squares to the node axis), while other times a new path simply appears, and one calmly chooses it (sextiles and trines).
For example, in Freud’s chart, Venus in Aries in the 6th house conjuncts the North Node, driving him to heal people (6th house) through his sexual theory (Venus in detriment, combining Venus and Mars energies). Freud’s South Node is in the 12th house, and in his approach, he seems to extract traumatic relationship consequences (12th house, Libra, Venus in detriment) from the unconscious (12th house).
Another example, related to the 2nd–8th house axis, is Winston Churchill. His North Node is in the 8th house in Aries conjunct Neptune, while his South Node is in the 2nd house in Libra conjunct Jupiter. Advice for someone with the North Node in the 8th house: do not remain satisfied with what you have—find a way to use your wealth. Share what you possess with others, and your true riches will grow.
How does this theoretical advice align with what we know about Winston Churchill? I turn to facts and quotes from the book Eclipses by Derek Appleby and Maurice McCann. From birth, Churchill was essentially a member of the privileged ruling class. Wealth was always his foundation in life—the South Node conjunct Jupiter in the 2nd house (what is given initially). Yet he was never content merely observing his wealth; he always sought politics, striving to influence world affairs. Churchill achieved his greatest influence and fame during wartime: “He was a master of words, an orator who captivated his audience, whose radio addresses to the nation on the brink of defeat, on the brink of invasion, stirred in every heart a chord of defiance and optimism, inspiring all to stand firm until the war was won—since it never would be.”
Translating this quote into the language of Churchill’s astrological configurations yields: “North Node in Aries in the 8th house conjunct Neptune, Venus in Sagittarius in the 3rd house trine, and Fortune in Gemini in the 9th house sextile.”
I will conclude this topic with brief formulations for the positions of the lunar nodes in different houses of the horoscope. Do not take them too literally. As always in astrological interpretation, everything depends on the chart as a whole and on whom it belongs to. In some cases, the lunar node axis may prove a very significant factor in the horoscope, while in others, it may be less informative. Yet it is always useful to consider where and how the river of our life flows.
