(«The Mystery of Life» No. 2, 2006) Every person, at least once in their life, asks themselves about the meaning of their birth and existence. For those spiritually oriented, there is no doubt that birth and life are primarily connected with the necessity of soul evolution, the acquisition of certain experiences, and each person’s experience will be unique and necessary precisely for them.
In the individual astrological chart, the program of evolutionary development of the personality, taking into account their past karmic experience, is shown by the Lunar Nodes. A qualified astrologer can say a great deal about an individual’s life purpose, as well as the difficulties, obstacles, and distortions that will arise along their life path, based solely on the position of the Nodes. So, what are the Lunar Nodes? Astronomically, they are the points of intersection of the Moon’s orbit with the Earth’s orbit. Not being real planets but merely points on the celestial sphere, the Nodes, however, have a fateful character, clearly defining the main vector of the soul’s development in the current incarnation. If a person follows their “development vector,” life gives them every chance for successful “functioning” in our incarnate world. But if they turn in the opposite direction, various obstacles, illnesses, and catastrophes arise along their path, as a result of which their structure suffers a blow and ultimately perishes.
The Lunar Node that points to the evolutionary path, the path of spiritual development, is called Rahu (the North Node, or the Eastern Node). It shows the goal of this incarnation. This is always new soul experience. In real life, it is a strengthening factor, an accelerator of processes, a catalyst. Moreover, processes of individuation, separation, and the formation of the personality as such are connected with Rahu. Here, a person receives significant assistance from Providence. Intuitively, everyone feels this direction. By following it, a person gains the opportunity to transform every obstacle into a path toward future growth. With each step closer to the Node, their life begins to take on new meaning. However, one cannot reach their North Node without ascending to the highest lessons of the South Node. The individual must learn to discard their negative habits, reactions, and ways of life that no longer serve a useful purpose in their existence.
The South Node (or the Descending Node) (Ketu) is the key to the past. It shows accumulated experience, both positive and negative. Although we do not remember past incarnations, we often subconsciously use their experience, especially in the first half of life. Behavior according to Ketu slows down any processes, drives everything inward, undermines, and delays. We must become aware of past experience, take into account its unfinished aspects, and draw appropriate conclusions regarding the opposite Node—Rahu. Yet very often, it is precisely the past that arouses curiosity, compelling a return to old behavioral patterns. A person suddenly rushes backward, forgetting the reason for delving into the past, and makes its revival the actual goal of their existence. The South Node can be like quicksand: one can only look back but not take steps. One step backward—and it may take years, or even the help of others, to return to the present day. If a person shifts their life orientation in the opposite direction, attempting to revive past experience and make it the goal of the current incarnation, life situations begin to take on a fatal character.
A striking example in terms of the horoscope is that of A.S. Pushkin. His North Node was in the sign of Taurus, and his South Node in Scorpio. Accordingly, the new experience should have been connected with harmony, art, developing one’s own value system, and, most importantly, the ability to find a positive way out of any situation. The position of the South Node in Scorpio often initiates opposite feelings—such as jealousy, sensitivity to negativity, suggestibility, and manipulativeness. It was precisely the bias toward Ketu’s qualities that contributed to the tragic end. Moreover, the poet’s age—37 years—also points to the fatality of what occurred, as it is the period of the Nodes’ return. (More about these periods later.)
Among the owners of Rahu in Taurus, we can find many representatives of the world of art—Raphael, Aivazovsky, Balzac, and Tsvetaeva. In contrast, Rahu in Scorpio forces its owner to gain in this life the experience of crises and losses, to face all their fears, and sometimes to go through a true hell in this life. In literature, the possessors of Scorpio Rahu were Edgar Poe and Gogol.
An interesting position is the Ascending Lunar Node in Cancer. Here, in addition to acquiring emotional experience and the experience of family life, the personality also develops an exceptionally significant sense of homeland and patriotism. It is no coincidence that many leaders had such a position. Despite the undeniable controversy of the political actions of some of them, there is no doubt that they all desired the best for their homeland and truly lived with its problems. These include Alexander I, Seraphim of Sarov, V.I. Lenin (surprisingly, Hitler, whose death also occurred during the fatal period of the third return of the Nodes at 56–57 years), Fidel Castro, and Gennady Zyuganov.
In a person’s life, the themes represented by the individual placement of the Lunar Nodes will be especially accentuated during the years corresponding to the cycle of the Nodes’ return and opposition. These are times of a kind of life test, a karmic examination, which sometimes entails difficult periods of crisis and the need to make a responsible choice. The full cycle of the Lunar Nodes is 18.5 years, and the opposition phase is 9.35 years. The first return of the Nodes occurs at 18–19 years. A person is offered a choice regarding their North Node. If a person slides toward the choice of the South Node, a strict examination is not yet arranged at this age, because the person is still in the phase of cosmic childhood. The Nodes in opposition occur at 27 years. At this time, a person experiences a spiritual crisis. There is an opportunity to become aware of past experience and free themselves from its burden in order to move forward. At 37–38 years—the second return of the Nodes. If they still have not made their choice, serious trials are arranged for the person, which may not be passed (Bелинский, Pushkin, and Mayakovsky died at 37). At 46–47 years—the Nodes in opposition (Baudelaire and J. Kennedy died). At 56–57 years—the third return of the Nodes (Caesar, Nietzsche, and Hitler died). And further, at 65 years—the opposition phase, at 74 years—the return of the Nodes, at 84 years—the opposition phase.
The format of a newspaper article does not allow for a detailed presentation of the Nodes’ positions in all zodiac signs or a thorough examination of the time periods associated with the phases of the Nodes, nor do we set such a task. To fully understand the motives of one’s behavior, as well as the causes and circumstances of one’s own life, one should always consult a professional astrologer. Nevertheless, familiarity with the topic of the Lunar Nodes allows an astrologically inexperienced person to better understand the possibilities of this most ancient science, which is not limited to prophecies but provides an enriching experience of self-knowledge.
Author: Perestoronina N.M.
