In and out of moon and sun
The words spiral around my mind, but I have not been making the time to articulate them here. And much as I am tempted, I am not going to promise to find that time, because I am immersed in study, trying to finish my astrology diploma which I started way back in 2004. My natal chart is full of fixed energy, and I don't like to leave things unfinished. But right now I am between studies, so I come back here to wax astrological.
The moon's nodes are on my mind, lately. The point on the ecliptic where the path of the moon crosses that of the sun, the nodal points are often linked to karma, relationships, a place where we can bring inner (moon) and outer (sun) selves together. The South node, also known as the Dragon's Tail, is where we act out of habit and from unconscious patterns, laid down in past lives or in early childhood. The south node is our comfort zone, a place and way of being which is easy, but not very helpful. We don't learn anything from these behaviours, and ingrained habits can be detrimental if we don't question them and try to change the cycle.
Which is where the North node, or Dragon's Head comes in. This is the point in the natal chart where we develop, explore and find new ways of being. The North node takes effort and initiative, and probably involves facing the fears we are avoiding by staying in our south node patterns. When the nodal axis (for the north and south nodes exist on a continuum, like any opposition, and we act from different points on the continuum depending on our current circumstances) transits the natal planets, powerful energy is released for change. The nodal points are linked to the Saros cycle of eclipses, and so spiral back to the same point every 18.6 years or so. I had a nodal return last year, an opportunity to become aware of past patterns and to grow away from them. And that is certainly what I am doing, as I try to build a more fulfilling life for myself and my family.
To do this, I need to move to the North node end of the continuum, and so it is hard work. The first half of this year has brought new opportunities to connect to the nodes, as the North node has been transiting other key points in my natal chart. In March it crossed my Midheaven and then natal Neptune in rapid succession, bringing my attempts to follow a new and more spiritual path in life into focus. It was around then that I committed myself to finishing my astrology diploma - I have Saturn conjunct South node in Gemini so achieving a study related goal is a nice friendly place for me. And it has been concerning me a little, sitting in my comfort zone of study instead of moving more, for example, into North node in Sagittarius teaching. But I am learning new things, new areas of astrology and new ways of applying astrological knowledge. In the last couple of weeks, the nodal axis has squared my natal Mercury (so that's literal - the nodal axis on my mind!), which brings communication, study, the life of the mind to the fore. As I work to find the balance between that studying comfort zone and a new approach, I have been pushing my boundaries a little. Finding my voice, doing natal chart readings to help people find their creativity and spirituality just as I am exploring my own. I have been talking things through with a mentor, a very good friend who pulls me out of my habitual Saturn in Gemini conjunct south node trine Mercury reserve.
Astrology teaches us about the cycles of our lives, about why we find ourselves re-visiting past energies and goals when we do, and about how we can develop them. When I started my formal astrological studies eight or nine years ago, the North node was transiting Gemini, passing over that Saturn South node conjunction and moving on to square my natal Mercury in Pisces, from the opposite side to its current position. And so once again I am using Mercury mindfulness to become aware of those outdated South node patterns, spiralling along the continuum to the awareness of the North node. In and out, around and around.
The moon's nodes are on my mind, lately. The point on the ecliptic where the path of the moon crosses that of the sun, the nodal points are often linked to karma, relationships, a place where we can bring inner (moon) and outer (sun) selves together. The South node, also known as the Dragon's Tail, is where we act out of habit and from unconscious patterns, laid down in past lives or in early childhood. The south node is our comfort zone, a place and way of being which is easy, but not very helpful. We don't learn anything from these behaviours, and ingrained habits can be detrimental if we don't question them and try to change the cycle.
Which is where the North node, or Dragon's Head comes in. This is the point in the natal chart where we develop, explore and find new ways of being. The North node takes effort and initiative, and probably involves facing the fears we are avoiding by staying in our south node patterns. When the nodal axis (for the north and south nodes exist on a continuum, like any opposition, and we act from different points on the continuum depending on our current circumstances) transits the natal planets, powerful energy is released for change. The nodal points are linked to the Saros cycle of eclipses, and so spiral back to the same point every 18.6 years or so. I had a nodal return last year, an opportunity to become aware of past patterns and to grow away from them. And that is certainly what I am doing, as I try to build a more fulfilling life for myself and my family.
To do this, I need to move to the North node end of the continuum, and so it is hard work. The first half of this year has brought new opportunities to connect to the nodes, as the North node has been transiting other key points in my natal chart. In March it crossed my Midheaven and then natal Neptune in rapid succession, bringing my attempts to follow a new and more spiritual path in life into focus. It was around then that I committed myself to finishing my astrology diploma - I have Saturn conjunct South node in Gemini so achieving a study related goal is a nice friendly place for me. And it has been concerning me a little, sitting in my comfort zone of study instead of moving more, for example, into North node in Sagittarius teaching. But I am learning new things, new areas of astrology and new ways of applying astrological knowledge. In the last couple of weeks, the nodal axis has squared my natal Mercury (so that's literal - the nodal axis on my mind!), which brings communication, study, the life of the mind to the fore. As I work to find the balance between that studying comfort zone and a new approach, I have been pushing my boundaries a little. Finding my voice, doing natal chart readings to help people find their creativity and spirituality just as I am exploring my own. I have been talking things through with a mentor, a very good friend who pulls me out of my habitual Saturn in Gemini conjunct south node trine Mercury reserve.
Astrology teaches us about the cycles of our lives, about why we find ourselves re-visiting past energies and goals when we do, and about how we can develop them. When I started my formal astrological studies eight or nine years ago, the North node was transiting Gemini, passing over that Saturn South node conjunction and moving on to square my natal Mercury in Pisces, from the opposite side to its current position. And so once again I am using Mercury mindfulness to become aware of those outdated South node patterns, spiralling along the continuum to the awareness of the North node. In and out, around and around.