Node Shift
Gateway to Destiny
Do you know where you’re headed? And where you’ve come from?
In this lifetime, I mean.
Is there a particular evolution that you’re meant to achieve whilst journeying through this mortal coil, and just how ‘on track’ are you? (Sorry that’s such a January question – apols.)
Well, you might find a clue in the Lunar ‘Nodes’ of your chart. They’re not a planet or a body of any kind. Instead, they are mathematical points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the path the Sun appears to take through the sky (aka the ecliptic).
These are a big deal in the natal chart, particularly in Vedic astrology, but they have grown in popularity in Western Astrology too. You can find them in your birth chart -the symbols look like horseshoes.
The North Node lies directly opposite the South Node and indicates the lessons we need to learn, and ways we can achieve this during our lifetime. It symbolises our destiny.
The South Node on the other hand, indicates where you’ve come from (past lives, karma), and symbolises a default mode or comfort zone that we tend to get a bit stuck in.
In Vedic astrology, the North Node (Rahu) and South Node (Ketu) represent the head and tail of a dragon. Rather than move towards one and leave the other behind, the idea is to balance and harmonise both aspects during one’s lifetime. This makes more sense to me, and I prefer this concept of balance and harmony. (Too much Libra in my chart!)
The Lunar Nodes change roughly every 18 months, so these characteristics are shared with classmates and others close in age. However, the house and degree they occupy, plus their relationship with other bodies in your chart, yields as much if not more significance for you, personally.
The nodes move backwards through the Zodiac and when they change signs, it signals a shift change for the collective, signposting a collection of themes which we’re dealing with together.
They also dictate eclipse cycles, and this characterises those make-or-break crunch points which we’ll face over the next year and a half.
So, for the past 18 months, the nodes have been in Aries (North) and Libra (South) which unfortunately seems to be playing out in terms of conflict (Aries) versus peace (Libra.)
And yet there are so many ways you can use these when applying them to your own chart. Have a look at your Aries house? Has it been particularly accented in the last year or so? For example, if Aries is your fourth house you may have moved home or confronted family / maternal issues. If it’s your seventh house, issues with marriage or long-term business relationships?
If you’ve been having a tough time of it, there’s a welcome reprieve just around the corner because this weekend, the Nodes are on the move!
On Saturday 11th January, the North Node enters Pisces (South Node moves into Virgo), and we can all take a break from the previous ‘me vs we’ dichotomy that Aries and Libra like to play with. We’re entering more of a micro vs macro vibe.
With the North Node in Pisces, we can zoom out from the detail and see the whole picture. Perhaps this truly is the beginning of an age of enlightenment and awakening, after all? Pisces is about oceanic compassion, generosity, and selflessness. As the 12th house sign, it deals with dreams, the subconscious, spirituality, access to higher realms, and the interconnectedness of all things. But it also has a murky quality. Together with its (modern) ruler Neptune covers intoxication, drugs, chemicals, pollution, and all things make-believe, music, poetry, film, and celebrity.
But what does it mean for you?
Check the Pisces / Virgo houses in your birth chart. They will be opposite one another.
If you know your Ascendant, you can check the list below to find out what house the nodes are transiting and which themes may be highlighted for you:
Aries: 12th House – solitude, seclusion, rest, retreat, dreams
Taurus: 11th House – friendships, social networks, clubs, society, community
Gemini: 10th House - career, public image, reputation, status, achievements, father
Cancer: 9th House - higher education, philosophy, teaching, beliefs, foreign shores
Leo: 8th House - sex, death, taxes, other people’s money, the occult
Virgo: 7th House – relationships, marriage, contracts, business partners, audience
Libra: 6th House – work, health, day-to-day routine, service, pets
Scorpio: 5th House - creativity, children, entertainment, love (dating)
Sagittarius: 4th House – home, family, origins, mother
Capricorn: 3rd House – communication, neighbours, siblings, local area, travel (local)
Aquarius: 2nd House – money, possessions, values, what goes in your mouth
Pisces: 1st House – the body, ego, identity, personal goals
You can also check your Virgo house and the list above, and see in which area you might experience a release. Bear in mind this can be positive, it’s not just about loss in a negative sense.
Tip: you can even cast your mind back to the previous Pisces / Virgo dates (2006-7, 1987-9, 1969-70) and see if these themes resonate. If they don’t, try moving one house backwards, and it may be a better fit. Sometimes the degree of your ascendant can put things out a little., it depends on which house system you’re using.
We can also check archetypal themes that arose on the world stage during these previous Pisces / Virgo periods. Throughout the three most recent there are several recurrent and unfortunate themes: countless air crashes, rail crashes, oil slicks, sporting disasters, nuclear catastrophe, typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes.
There were also war protests and troops withdrawals in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, conflict in the Middle East, nuclear tests, threats and treaties, huge paradigm shifts in technology. And travel, space travel, flashpoints in both LGBTQ issues and Islam, are consistently threaded through this recurring Pisces / Virgo axis.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown for the history geeks. (Info from takemeback.to/events)
Apr 20, 1969 – Nov 2, 1970
Technological innovations such as first artificial heart transplant, first Concorde flight, QE2 Maiden voyage, The ‘Moon Landings’ (inverted commas for the sceptics!) Soviet Union land a probe on Venus, the first internet connection established, IBM launches the software industry, biologists isolate a gene for the first time, and the first home video game console was launched!
There were also mass anti-Vietnam War protests, Kent State, Altamont, Sirhan Sirhan convicted for the assassination of RFK Sr, The Stonewall Riots, & First Pride March. Prince Charles becomes Prince of Wales, Manson Family Murders, British Military deployed in Northern Ireland start of ‘The Troubles,’ Woodstock Music Festival, John & Yoko’s Bed-in, Beatles release Abbey Road, first episode of Sesame Street, Sy Hersh reports the Mai Lai Massacre, US Troops withdrawal from Vietnam, UK abolishes the Death Penalty, Roe v Wade, Thalidomide compensation ruling, the Beatles split, the Red Army Faction and the PLO / Black September.
Dec 3, 1987 – May 22, 1989
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Gorbachev Reagan sign nuclear peace treaties, the first Intifada West Bank, Voyager Aircraft round the world trip, US in Nicaragua, Iran / Iraq Chemical Warfare, Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, Chernobyl Disaster, UK Section 28 Act introduced, Lockerbie Bombing, George HW Bush becomes President, Palestinian Declaration of Independence, PLO recognises State of Israel, Tim Berners Lee proposes the World Wide Web, Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses and the Ayatollah’s Fatwa issued, Tiananmen Square protests.
Jun 23, 2006 – Dec 18, 2007
Israel / Palestine Gilad Shalit (Hannibal Directive), Israel fights on several fronts, Gaza, Lebanon, war in Darfur and Somalia, the disgrace of Abu Ghraib, Tony Blair resigns, Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the US House, Pope Benedict insults Islam, and the BBC reveals his cover-up of child abuse in the Catholic Church, Google buys YouTube, Apple introduce the first iphone, Obama announces presidential campaign, chaos in Iraq, disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Myanmar, California Wildfires.
January 11th 2025 - July 26th 2026
As we approach the Nodal shift, the city of Los Angeles has a Virgo Sun (cities have charts too) and it is approaching its Pluto Return. Currently, the city faces a tragic loss and collective trauma after the horrendous wildfires of the past few days, not to mention vast environmental challenges - it was a city built in the desert after all.
On a more symbolic level as the North Node heads towards Neptune next month, and Neptune finishes up its Piscean story, typified by the decline of Hollywood and the music industry – it’s safe to say the City of Angels will continue to be front and centre of the news.
I also looked at the Geodetic map of the world, which divides it up into signs via longitudinal territories. I’m no expert in this, please let me know in the comments if you have any insights. I know we have a wealth of astrological knowledge here :) But the areas highlighted by the node in Pisces appear to be Greenland (hmm interesting!) The UK, Spain, and Western Africa. Then some other resource-rich but chilly places; Alaska, Western Canada and its US Border and Eastern Russia appear to correspond with Virgo, as does Eastern Australia and New Zealand. Might we expect those areas to feature heavily in the coming nodal transit? I think so
Let me know how the old Nodes have been working for you. Maybe you’re glad to see the back of Aries / Libra, but what are you looking forward to with this new shift for yourself and the collective?
Wishing you all a transit of dreamy, compassionate Piscean love and oneness.
Until next time!
Not sure whether to be relieved or terrified! Going to do some detective work. Great opening question. One to ponder during my wide awake hours! X