In my last blog post I talked about the psychology underlying the Nodes Of the Moon in terms of the South Node being old patterns, unconscious motivations and behaviors that keeps us looping in painful and frustrating life situations. And how the North Node is the key to liberation and freedom from that stuckness.

But today, I wanted to go a little bit more in depth in terms of what that looks like on a more granular level.

There are 12 signs in the zodiac, and each of the Nodes is in a particular sign. But the South Node is always in the OPPOSITE sign from the North Node. Each of the signs is symbolic of a particular set of values, needs and desires and when we are living solely out of our South Node the needs, desires and values of that sign are running the show.

What makes accessing the North Node SO difficult is because THAT way of being is so diametrically opposed to the familiar, falling off a log experience of the South Node. And trying to embrace and live from those North Node energies can feel just plain weird.

The North Node is awkward. It’s hard to understand because it just doesn’t FEEL right. It’s wildly uncomfortable. Which is why we keep reverting back to the South Node, over and over again, even if doing that causes us pain and makes us crazy. At LEAST it’s a pain that we know. And that feels like home.

So here’s some brief descriptions of what that looks ( and feels) like, sign by sign. In this article, I will talk about the first six nodal combinations starting with Aries. And in a follow up article I will address the second set of nodal combinations beginning with Libra. So if you don’t see your particular nodal structure reflected here, stay tuned!

Also, it’s important to remember as I go through the South Node descriptions, that I will be focusing on the shadow aspects of each sign, which are by definition the more problematic expressions of each of these archetypes.

ARIES/LIBRA

Aries South Node: You are a fighter. Kind of rough around the edges. A go-it-alone pioneer. And identified with being a survivor which means you see the world through the dog-eat-dog lens of competition where everything is a battle.

Your life is filled with all kinds of ongoing stress that seems to come from nowhere, but you are actually unconsciously creating it. Being on hypervigilant alert is unquestioned second nature and just seems like the way to be.

Libra North Node: It’s time to relax some of that hyper-vigilance and learn to cultivate the experience of inner peace, balance and calm. And you can begin to do that through putting more of your attention on things like beauty, art and love. You need a bit more elegance and grace and sweetness in your life. It’s also time to let go of your militant self reliance by allowing yourself to courageously trust in the power of relationship and even some scary interdependence.

TAURUS/SCORPIO

Taurus South Node: You are addicted to comfort and somewhat allergic to change. Which means that you are attached to staying in relationships or situations longer than is good for you, just because they are familiar. It might be hard for you to look at the dark side in other humans or yourself, which can lead to you being somewhat naive and vulnerable to being hurt by others unconscious shadow selves. You’re also not too terribly interested in turning over the rocks in your psyche associated with the stormier emotions and the more complicated aspects of human psychology.

Scorpio North Node: It’s time to dive into the shadow realms of your psyche. And to take a journey into your inner psychological worlds. No matter how uncomfortable it is, it’s important to allow yourself to FEEL the complexity of all your feelings. Especially those emotions that are intensely honest and real and in the domain of the forbidden like rage, grief, fear, power, jealousy, hatred, powerlessness and despair. You also need to be willing to develop a healthy suspicion of other humans by recognizing that everyone has a dark side and learning to act accordingly.

GEMINI/SAGITTARIUS

Gemini South Node: You came into this world full of energy, a ton of ideas and a no-stop, all-go approach to life. You love data for data’s sake which leads to your mind being restless and scattered. You have a hard time concentrating on any one thing for very long. Which can lead to you feeling incredibly busy, and pulled in a million different directions but essentially unfocused and not terribly productive.

Sagittarius North Node: It’s time to sit your ass down, sort through all of that amazing info that flows through your sparkly brain and use your intuition to discover what actually has heart and meaning for you. Doing this allows faith and purpose to be your North Star, providing clarity and guidance for how you can live your life as a wisdom filled, spiritual adventure.

CANCER/CAPRICORN

Cancer South Node: You are a caretaker par excellence but can tend to take your role as mother, healer and helper way too far, ignoring yourself and your own needs, and not allowing others to actually ever grow up. You can get so immersed in family dynamics that you become invisible as a separate person. Even to yourself.

Capricorn North Node: It’s time to toughen up and learn to have boundaries, baby!!! You are the grown up and need to take care of yourself first and to allow other folks to take responsibilty for themselves, even if they stumble and fall in the process. It’s also important to be clear about your expectations and standards for yourself and others, in order to support everyone to live up to their full potential.

LEO/AQUARIUS

Leo South Node: Your sometimes insatiable need for validation, admiration, adoration and applause can lead to you using your innate star power and vast gifts as a performer into twisting yourself out of shape into a false version of yourself that others want and expect in order to gain approval from the outer world.

Aquarius North Node: It’s time to throw off the shackles of conformity to dominant culture ideas or ideals of what it means to be successful in business, art or life, and to live your life on your own terms even if no one else sees it or understands who you are or why you do what you do. Your challenge is to devote yourself to the practice of liberation from internalized oppression. And to claim the freedom to be unapologetically yourself by developing a fierce practice of not caring so much about what others think.

VIRGO/PISCES

Virgo South Node: Your perfectionistic desire to continually pressure yourself into becoming the best you can be can also develop a nasty inner critic that leads to you feeling inadequate and disappointed in yourself and believing that you are never good enough. That relentless drive to improve and control yourself, can lead to ongoing feelings of self doubt, frustration, exhaustion and anxiety.

Pisces North Node:  You are invited to surrender to the mystic in you which is that aspect of your being that knows we are totally beloved just for being ourselves. It’s OK to stop trying so hard and to just allow yourself to be held by the divine forces of love and compassion without having to prove anything. Ever. Take time to do nothing. Meditate. Cultivate your playful imagination and remember that you are both sacred and magic.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will explore the final six combinations of the nodal structure!!!! 

If you would like to explore your own nodal story with some expert guidance and creative facilitation click on the image below to learn more about our upcoming Paint Your Stars workshop focusing exclusively on the Nodes Of The Moon.