Nodes In Astrology May Be The Key To Connecting With Our Past Lives
Astrology is a powerful tool for self-reflection, revealing the innermost workings of your being if you care to dive into the wisdom of your natal (birth) chart. For centuries, the heavens have been looked to for predictions of the future. Before the 17th century, astrologers worked closely with political and cultural leaders, offering predictions based on the current and upcoming placement of planets and asteroids.
One aspect of astrology that isn't as well known is its ability to reveal the past rather than the future. This power of reflection can be very helpful for those on a healing journey who wish to confront and process the wounds they carry from earlier in life. However, if you're interested in going even farther back in history, your natal chart contains a secret weapon for revealing truths about your past lives. Here is everything you need to know about lunar nodes — sometimes called the nodes of destiny or fate — and their ties to the distant past and future.
What is a lunar node?
Unlike most other astrological placements within your natal chart, the lunar nodes are not planets, asteroids, stars, or any other type of physical celestial beings. Instead, they are two mathematical points that represent the intersection of the sun's orbit and the path of the moon. These points always remain in exact opposition on the zodiac wheel and work together to represent where you're coming from and where you're going on your life's karmic journey. If the north node — also known as the dragon's head — is in cancer on your natal chart, then the south node — also known as the dragon's tail — is automatically in Capricorn.
When the sun and the moon manage to align with these two nodes, we experience it as an eclipse. Astrologically, each node and its placement in your natal chart has its own significance that can span from distant past lives' unhealed wounds to this life's lessons to your karmic mission in the future. Grab your free chart from a free app or site like Co-Star to dig into the placement of each node and what it may mean for you.
How to find your lunar node placements
When you look at your natal chart, you will see a wheel divided into 12 sections. Placed within and around these sections are various symbols, numeric degrees, and lines depicting angles. At first glance, the amount of information contained in a chart can feel intimidating or even overwhelming. Don't worry, however, locating your lunar nodes is simple and doesn't require any prior knowledge of astrology or chart reading (although it certainly doesn't hurt).
In order to spot your lunar nodes, scan the wheel for a symbol that looks like a horseshoe. This glyph represents the north node. Once you've located the north node, it's super simple to find the south node. Since the two points are always located exactly opposite one another, simply look directly across the wheel for the same symbol, but upside down. This represents the south node. Take note of the zodiac sign represented by the section that at least one of the nodes is located in. Then, just keep in mind that the other node's placement is in the direct opposite sign.
Significance of the north node
The placement of the north node in your natal chart reveals where you'll be expected to grow and learn throughout this lifetime. Rather than focusing on your inherent gifts, challenges, and traits, the lessons of your north node placement are not with you at birth or during early life. They are laid out as future challenges to be faced. If you are able to learn all these karmic lessons, you'll be led by the north node to fulfill your energetic soul's mission here on Earth.
Since the lunar nodes work together as opposite sides of the same coin, you can learn about the lessons of your south node placement by revealing those of your north node. For example, if your north node is in Taurus, your future lessons and soul's mission are centered around emotional stability, trust, comfort, openness, and calmness. This automatically reveals that your struggles that remain from early in this life and in past lives can be found in the sign of Scorpio.
Significance of the south node
Just as the north node expresses the areas in life where it is your mission to grow in this lifetime, the south node reveals what needs to be grown out of. In the case of an individual whose north node is in Taurus and south node is in Scorpio, past life trauma likely revolves around emotional turmoil, betrayal, pain, secrecy, and upheaval. Opportunities to face, challenge, and overcome these themes will be provided over and over again until they have been mastered.
Your south node can be thought of as the shadow side of its north node. It's difficult to understand where you're going if you don't know where you've been. The south node provides the context of the past that you need to appreciate the importance of where this lifetime's mission is directing you. It allows you to understand the purpose of the challenges that seem to surface again and again in your life while also offering a lens of compassion to view yourself through.
Where to turn next
The lunar nodes are an excellent jumping-off point for getting in touch with the lessons of your past lives and how they impact the challenges you face today. If you'd like to dig deeper into your natal chart for additional clues that can help to piece together where your soul has been, there are several other revealing placements. First, look to the twelfth house ... this is the house of both karmic lessons and past lives. The planets located there can reveal everything from the circumstances under which you came into this life to the unlearned lessons you brought with you from the previous one.
Next, consider the placement of the asteroid Chiron in your natal chart. Chiron is named after the Greek mythological centaur who was abandoned by his mother at birth and poisoned by an arrow that resulted in unending pain. Where Chiron is located in your chart can reveal the areas of your current life that are most affected by your struggles and pain points in previous lives. Once you have access to this information, you can be set free from unknowingly allowing it to hold you back from reaching your true potential.