The North Node

The North Node tells us quite a bit about our soul purpose in this lifetime. We can think of the North Node like a soul compass in which we are trying to reach the direction which we have agreed to move towards in this lifetime. Unlike the planets, the North Node is an invisible mathematical point where the orbit of the Moon intersects with the ecliptic. When we look at the placement of our North Node in the individual's birth chart, we can get clues about the life lessons we are meant to discover in life's journey. The North Node is sometimes referred to as the soul's path. We get clues to our higher soul purpose when we look to the house placement, sign, and degree of the North Node.

Karmic Axis

The North Node and South Node form an axis which is sometimes referred to as the "karmic axis". The North Node describes where we are hopefully moving towards with regard to our soul journey. I think of the North Node of that ideal direction in my soul journey that I have agreed to experience and learn through in this lifetime. In contrast, we can think of the South Node as all the experiences and lessons we have brought into this lifetime from a previous lifetime. We are likely quite familiar with the lessons of the South Node--and at times, perhaps too comfortable. The South Node is like the "been there, done that before" feeling. However, sometimes we cling to what is way too comfortable and then it stagnates our soul growth.

Sometimes we can see karmic patterns of the South Node influence in relationships. For example, when the South Node of one person is in a difficult hard aspect to their partner, this can make for challenging and tumultuous relationships. When one person's South Node is square another individual's Venus, then perhaps there was a difficult romantic relationship in a past lifetime which was not sorted out. When we are unexplainable feelings that you seem to know someone when you first meet them and are extremely attracted to them, and feel very comfortable immediately, it is possible that there is a nodal connection. That is why astrology is so interesting to look at two people's charts to see what sort of prior lifetime connection there is.