Lunar Nodes

The ☊north node is viewed a point of opportunity for growth and development, while the ☋south is thought to represent karmic repression or tendencies that restrict growth. The ☊north node carries the positive tone of ♃Jupiter, while the ☋south node expresses the restrictions of ♄Saturn. The ☊north node represents positive objectives and the ☋south node denotes the easy way out with little opportunity for growth.

The lunar nodes are represented by a horseshoe symbol. The horseshoe is open on the ☊bottom for the ☊north node and open on the ☋top for the ☋south node.

The lunar nodes, ☊north and ☋south, are not real planets. Lunar nodes are points that mark the intersection of the ☾Moon's orbit around the ⊕Earth with the ecliptic path. The ecliptic is the illusory path of the ☉Sun as it revolves around the ⊕Earth during a year. Actually, it is the ⊕Earth's circle around the ☉Sun in the annual orb.

The nodes are merely the interception of these two orbit lines. One when the ☾Moon is passing ☊south to north, and the other when ☾Moon is passing ☋north to south. All the planets form nodes but only the ☾Moon's are considered significant enough to be included in horoscopic analysis.

The ☊North Lunar Node is the point at which the interception is made while the ☾Moon is ascending from the ☊south to the north. Hence it is also called the ☊Ascending Node. In Hindu astrology it is called the ☊Dragon's Head. The ☋South Lunar Node is also known as the ☋Descending Node or the ☋Dragon's Tail. These two nodes are always exactly ☍opposite of one another.

When the ☉Sun and ☾Moon are in ☌conjunction, and either lunar node is also in conjunction with both, a 🌑solar eclipse occurs. When the ☉Sun and ☾Moon are in ☍opposition, and each is in conjunction with one of the lunar nodes, a 🌕lunar eclipse occurs.

The lunar nodes travel backwards at the rate of about 3 minutes a day. It takes 18 1/2 years for a lunar node return to occur. The lunar nodes are taken seriously in compatibility analysis between two characters.