For many years I had a Moon’s Nodes obsession: perhaps not unconnected with the North Node exactly conjunct my Midheaven at 29 degrees Taurus, square a Twelfth House Sun/Moon conjunction……to read Part One of my Moon’s Nodes series, click HERE
And now, Part Two…
The Moon’s Nodes
1. ‘ Major’ and ‘ minor ‘ Nodal activity
Transits and progressions weave in and out of life – there may be years for example which are dominated by Pluto, others by Neptune, or very heavily Saturnian years. There are the few occasions eg where a planet changes sign by progression, or the MC progresses over Uranus, or the Moon.
But there is Nodal activity of some kind going on all the time, as the Nodal axis regresses through the horoscope, transits come to the Natal or progressed Nodes, and progressions touch off the natal Nodal pattern. The Nodes appear to me to function both as witnesses (the Sun) and midwives (the Moon), symbolic translators of the archetypal energies of the planets into the medium of Life as it is lived in the Sun/Moon/Earth system.
Where, then, does this leave the contention that Nodal times have a particularly powerful, fateful “charge” to them? That can’t be true of every year in life, surely?If it were, the intensity of it would pretty quickly reduce people to cinders! What, therefore, distinguishes those special moments or turning points in life where either at the time, or later, we realise we have crossed an important threshold?
From the research done on Marc’s life in particular, I have concluded that there are two kinds of Nodal activity : major and minor, as it were. As already discussed, there is always some “minor” Nodal activity going on.
The really powerful “major” times on the other hand, which are few in any lifetime, are characterised by not just one or two, but a cluster of transits and/or progressions involving the natal, and/or progressed, and/or transiting Nodes.The outer planets, especially Pluto with its strong “fated” feel, stand out. This was an impression I had already formed after 15 years of chart reading – but I’d never tested it out in formal research before.
Pre-natal eclipses are very much part of the weave, as can be seen from the case study material. The most striking example is seen in Mary Shelley’s horoscope where the pre-natal solar and lunar eclipse degrees appear as the actual Ascendant and South Node degrees in her horoscope, and the charts of all the key people and events in her life with reference to her authorship of‘Frankenstein’. (Mary will be getting a post all to herself, complete with horoscope, as part of this series! )
I’m quite clear now, as the Nodal axis regresses through the chart, identifying via the highlighted houses the overall territory up for change, that the transiting eclipses function as “battery chargers”, gradually building up the energies of the person’s life in preparation to receive major change.
An image comes to mind here from the female menstrual cycle, of the egg gradually being primed and prepared until it is at its maximum point of readiness to receive the male sperm, conceive and begin new life. I think the eclipses begin their work of charging-up as soon as the relevant eclipse season begins, which may be as long as eighteen months before the turning point in the person’s life appears. (i)
References and Notes
(i) A very clear example comes to mind from my own life, linked to the Virgo/Pisces eclipse season of Spring 1997-Autumn 1998. In the Spring of 1997 I decided to hire an office out of my home to create space, mainly to write this thesis. My Asc/Desc axis is 9 degrees Virgo/Pisces.
The Virgo/Pisces eclipse season started on 9 March 1997 with a total solar eclipse at 18.5 Pisces, opposite the asteroid Urania at 19 Pisces in my First House, clsely linking in Mary Shelley’s and Marc’s North Nodes at 19 and 21 Gemini respectively. It was at this time that I chose Marc as a main case study subject along with Mary Shelley.
On Friday 7 March I saw the office I decided on 10 March to rent, paying for it for a year from an insurance policy I had taken out 18 years previously. At that time, I had a feeling I might need money for a future adventure of some kind – long before I knew anything about either astrology or the 18- year Nodal cycle. My bank manager, of course, thought I was mad….
The middle period of that eclipse season saw me well settled into the writing as the 9 Virgo eclipse fell exactly on my Ascendant in the Autumn of 1997. The following year, the day before the total solar eclipse (7 deg 55 min Pisces) of February 26 1998 fell on the Sixth House side of my Descendant, I had a call from my landlords saying they needed to know by the next day whether I was going to renew my lease, which ran out on 9 May 1998, since the building was being sold. I decided to renew for 6 months and sent my rent cheque off just before the lunar eclipse on 13 March 1998 at 22 Virgo.
The lease ran out on 7 November 1998: the day I graduated with my Diploma from the Centre for Psychological Astrology!
To Be Continued!
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You are most welcome to download the full research study from which my conclusions are taken: it was FREE for several years, but I am now charging a small fee of $7. The simplest way to get it is to send the money to my PayPal account: contact.anne.w@gmail.com
PayPal will notify me and I will send you the e book within 24 hours.
Thanks!
Zodiac
900 words copyright Anne Whitaker 2016
Licensed under Creative Commons – for conditions see Home Page of Writing from the Twelfth House
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Astrology: Questions and Answers 
BIG Thank you .
MEYA
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Meya, you are most welcome. I hope you’re going to follow the series…
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Ah, thanks for this insightful article! So interesting to read it and put some pieces together of my life path. A little story:
My ASC/DESC axis is 9+Virgo/Pisces. I had forgotten that March 1997 eclipse fell right on my ASC, I was focused on Pluto transiting over my IC and conjunct my Moon later that year. I left a 17 year relationship starting that autumn, evolving for the next few months until January/February 1998, when the Nodes were right on my ASC. Also, progressed MC hit natal Uranus in 1998 which was also the degree of my pre-natal solar eclipse. (I also went through a powerful change in 1979, tr. Saturn conjunct the tr. North Node conjunct my ASC.)
Now I’m going through more huge shifts as the eclipse 9/1/2016 evolves, this time with Saturn-Neptune involved (I was born with Saturn-Neptune partile conjunct). I’m leaving another long term relationship, my current job–which started 7/1/98. So much food for thought–I’ve realized some of these pieces, but this is very helpful!
Definitely those outer planets give some serious oomph to Nodal transits! Radical new paths open up–Uranus is also now transiting natal planets in Libra and Cancer (Tr. Uranus-Eris is right around the opposing midpoint of this 9/1/16 eclipse and Saturn square, including the Full Moon this week).
I have this little joke about what I call my conjoined twins, Saturn and Neptune: “Nothing left in my right brain, nothing right in my left brain.” I’ve been in a very analytical and left brain mode and I’m going through a huge shift toward expressing my deepest interests in intuitive and creative work–also astrology which is quite helpfully both. I have to express both dimensions, those conjoined twins just can’t get anywhere without each other. 😛
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Hi Melody, delighted with this great feedback, thanks! And if I may I’m going to share your Saturn/Neptune joke with my astro-friends: ‘Saturn and Neptune: “Nothing left in my right brain, nothing right in my left brain.”’ I love it!
Also – it’s so interesting to meet MY Asc 9 Virgo twin, and to read of the significant events for you also which have clustered and are once again clustering around the Virgo/Pisces eclipse seasons. Mine, once again, concern my writing life…but more of this in another post. perhaps. I really enjoy sharing my research findings, and it’s good of you to back those findings up from your experience.
May you walk those radical new paths well, you and your twins…
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Thanks, Anne! Yes, indeed, share that joke, but just a disclaimer that I thought about adding to my comment: I didn’t invent it. Long ago–in the mid-90’s, I worked in a metaphysical bookstore and we had a bowl of (wearable) buttons with oddball sayings–one of them had that saying on it. I immediately adopted it and applied it to Saturn-Neptune.
It is great to meet an ascendant astro twin, especially one that is so interesting! I should have probably described my Asc as 10 Virgo as it is close to that degree, so we are a bit divergent, but still, I am struck by the parallels! I definitely want to read the post about your writing life and what’s happening to you! I downloaded your Moon’s Nodes book some while back and really enjoy your research and storytelling mindset. We parallel some on this writing thing, too. I have wrestled with a lot of resistance to writing–yet I’ve always wanted to write more and have a long-unfinished novel hanging out in my computer’s back closet. I do write poetry and long-winded comments . . . however, I seriously have in mind to write–and finish! another book now, about creativity, the body/environment/earth, and authentic being. I’m also intrigued by narrative therapy, the healing power within our patterns of stories and images. For a long time I’ve been focused on visual art and photography, but now I seriously want to write again. You’ve helped me immensely to start to see why that is based on these eclipse patterns.
I look forward to reading more about the Moon’s nodes and major and minor chords–as well as exploring many other things you’ve written!
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Hi Melody
many thanks for this. You are focused on art forms I love but for which don’t have any great talents…it’s my pleasure to help you and nudge you in the direction of writing, and I’m glad my material on the Nodes has been helpful. Yes, do have a good old trawl through some of my other stuff. And remember that I really enjoy getting comments, especially from interesting folk like yourself – my astro-twin axis-wise!
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Caroline Owen-Doar
Via Facebook:
12.10.16:
That was awesome thank you. I have a Pisces 11 degree ascendant and have felt the transiting nodes for some time now. Pluto has also been squaring my my intercepted natal nodes. I am highly interested in this subject .
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Glad to be offering you some clarification,Caroline. You can go onto my blog and download the free e-book on the Moon’s Nodes if you wish…
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Angel Wharram
Via Facebook:
12.10.16:
I’m looking forward to the next post. Is there a link to the Ebook?
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Hi, Angel – you just click on the cover on the right side of the blog’s Home Page – but here is the link anyway! Enjoy the read, and do let me know what you think in due course. Glad you’re enjoying the series!
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Reblogged this on Lost Dudeist Astrology.
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Thanks, folks!
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You are most certainly welcome! You have inspired me to more deeply examine the nodes. I routinely mention them in my analyses, and include them as a “planet” when examining patterns. An eclipse occurred shortly before I was born, I was born on almost the exact perfection of a lunation (within 2 degrees), and the (natal) North Node is only 4 degrees away from my (natal) ascendant. Furthermore, I know I had a nodal return “not too long ago,” probably near the time when the traffic to my blog(s) exploded. So, maybe it is time to examine these more closely.
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Many thanks, GT! My main aim these days is to offer inspiration – and if you want to read the whole research study here is the link:
I think you would find that it helped you to put your – and your clients – experiences in perspective regarding unfolding life pattern and direction. There are two more posts to go in this series, so keep tuning in!
Re exploding traffic:that’s good to hear although no doubt it brings its own challenges, eg too many comments to answer etc. I cannot include a Follow button on my blog because of spam attacks every time I do – so any suggestions re expanding my traffic in other ways would be welcome…I think you have my email address…
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