It’s officially the second half of 2023, which will also be marked by important shifts in the astrological weather. In just under two weeks, the nodes will end their 18 month stint on the Taurus-Scorpio axis. This new 18 month cycle is taking us away from the intense permanent changes brought about by the past few years of heavy transits through fixed signs. The shift to cardinal energy is taking us into a brave new world of sorts, which is exciting in some ways but stressful in others. In this newsletter, we will explore the nodal journey and key themes of the Aries-Libra axis.

The Nodal Journey

Though many of us are somewhat familiar with the nodes, not enough people are versed in what they represent and their significance for astrology. The nodal axis is a mathematical set of points representing the positions on the ecliptic where the orbits of the Moon, Earth, and Sun come together in perfect alignment. This facilitates the formation of eclipses, events that block or obscure the light of each luminary. Solar Eclipses form when the Moon perfectly blocks the Sun’s light, while Lunar Eclipses form when the shadow of the earth provides a red tint to the Moon’s light. Unlike the other planets, the nodes move retrograde through the zodiac (I know the True Nodes can move direct sometimes, but whatever). Therefore, the nodes allow us to experience the typical zodiacal journey in reverse.

The nodes hold special significance because they are the lunar nodes. Regardless of the tradition of astrology you ascribe to, the Moon has bodily, emotional, and mental connotations and says a lot about the activity of living things on this planet. Where the axis falls in your chart can provide greater context for those primal experiences that motivate us to act.

While many of us approach the lunar nodes from the perspective of past-lives vs current lives, I find that the conceptualization of them from jyotish captures their essence appropriately. The asura (demon), Svarbhanu sat amongst the gods to drink the amrit, an elixir meant to grant immortality. However, Surya (solar deity) and Chandra (lunar deity) quickly noticed an intruder amongst them and ratted Svarbhanu out. As a result, the newly immortal Svarbhanu was decapitated by Vishnu. The head became known Rahu (North Node) with the tail becoming Ketu (South Node). Since the gods associated with the luminaries contributed to his downfall, the nodes have the effect of “swallowing” the lights (eclipses them).

I love the mythology spelled out by jyotish because it allows us to understand that the nodes are halves of a whole. A lot of western astrologers make the mistake of telling you to reject Ketu/the South Node in favor of Rahu/the North Node, but this is incorrect. The Nodal Journey is one of balancing extremes. The head (Rahu/N. Node) houses the intelligence and goals, but lacks the body to ground it in action and know when to cease pursuing desires. The tail and body (Ketu/S. Node) hold the skills and ability to act, without a head to give it direction and desires. I’ve seen some jyotishis suggest that Ketu describes the places that we have conquered and things we have mastered; while Rahu describes that which we have yet to conquer or master. Thinking about the nodes in this manner allows us to appreciate the roles they play in our lives and on the world stage.

The Aries-Libra Axis - Self vs Other

The nodal axis is tasked with the important job of providing us with a masterclass on the two signs that they land in. Since they are halves of a whole, they allow us to see the important duality that signs who oppose each other represent. Signs that oppose each other share modality and polarity, but they differ in one of their elemental qualities and have rulers with opposing objectives. When the nodes come to any pair of signs, they allow us to see these “diametrically opposed energies” as two sides of the same coin.

The movement of the nodes from the Taurus-Scorpio axis to the Aries-Libra one is fascinating for several reasons. First, the nodes are changing from a more receptive polarity to a more active one. Next, the nodes are shifting from fixed to cardinal, which allows for change to happen more quickly rather than gradually. And the most interesting point is that the nodes will be ruled by Mars and Venus, but the planets will switch their ownership of the nodes.

The Taurus-Scorpio axis speaks to the relationship between acquisition and loss, while the Aries-Libra axis speaks to the assertion of our individual will versus our capacity for connection with others. Rahu in Taurus wanted us to focus more on creating containers we could consistently derive pleasure from. Since we have built new containers to sustain our burning desire to acquire more, now we can focus on reasserting ourselves with the shift of Rahu into Aries. Ketu in Scorpio reminded us of the depth of loss and its inevitability, leading to a necessary purging of things in life that had outgrown their utility. The shift of Ketu into Libra will make us realize all that we have mastered in the realm of building relationships with others, perhaps making us complacent when it comes to building new contacts. Rather than prioritizing the Venusian principles of relating and acquisition by receiving, we will fixate on Martial principles of individualization and conquest.

On a personal level, this can look like reclaiming personal agency in an area of your life that is somewhat influenced by the actions of other people. If you are easily influenced by the values of people around you, you may feel brave enough to pursue new actions if their support is already implied. On a societal level, this may look like prioritization of individuality in places where it might have been flattened by the need for social equilibrium. We are already seeing a preview of that with the recent court decisions coming out of the US Supreme Court. While this is a great time to pursue bold new actions, don’t forget that the ability to act does partially depend on who is around to support your decisions. The pursuit of hyper-independence and individuality is also an illusion, as knowing yourself and what you want to pursue allows you to cultivate relationships with others. This imbalance between themes may be exacerbated by the square to Pluto in Capricorn at the beginning, since Pluto’s gasping breaths through that sign signify last ditch efforts to build structures that can cement disparities in power between groups.

Supercharged Solar Eclipses

This nodal cycle is interesting because it coincides with a period where we do not have total lunar eclipses. As a result, the solar eclipses occurring while the nodes are on this axis are total or annular. These solar eclipses are supercharged since they are occurring on the axis of the zodiac where the Sun has its exaltation (Aries) and is fallen (Libra). I love to consider the essential dignity of the luminary being eclipsed since it can provide context for how constructive the energy of the eclipse can be. However, eclipses are “malefic” by default since they can bring erratic and unstable qualities to their typical manifestations.

i love you to the moon — Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash

When the Sun is debilitated in Libra or Aquarius, there are struggles with projecting the most valued facets of the self. The Sun is fallen in Libra, the sign where Venus rules and Saturn exalts, since there is a focus on the needs and values of others. The projection of the essence becomes heavily filtered through the restrictions (Saturn) and values (Venus) of public opinion. The Solar Eclipse in Libra on October 14th takes place close to the degree where the Sun has its maximum fall. Some key themes may involve the humbling of an authoritative figure or the “humbling” of someone by diminishing their claim to authority within a certain sphere of their life. This eclipse is ruled by a fallen Venus in Virgo, suggesting that some of the underlying themes may reflect a failure to live up to extreme standards in some fashion.

When the Sun is dignified in Aries or Leo, it can indicate strength in embodying the highest forms of the self and projecting them outward for others to see. The Sun exalts in the Mars ruled sign of Aries, and demonstrates the bravery required to assert one’s will in the world and the ability to distinguish oneself from others. The Solar Eclipse in Aries on April 8th, 2024 is interesting because it is situated right on the Sun’s maximum exaltation. This may result in the elevation of someone under extreme circumstances. Since the eclipse is ruled by a Mars in Pisces conjunct Saturn, it is possible that someone becomes elevated by necessity after an authority figure abandons their post, or if a crisis of faith in someone requires someone new to step up and restore credibility in a particular area.

The Nodes on the Aries and Libra axis provides opportunities to create new beginnings by finding opportunities to assert yourself where you cared too much about public opinion. However, it is equally a time to express yourself in ways that reflect an innate understanding of themes that inherently appeal to others. If you want to learn more about the ways the nodal shift and other transits fit into your life’s journey, please book a consultation with me! I am open to subscribers of my newsletter, existing clients, and referrals at this current point in time. If you are a Saturn in Pisces, I have a discount code on one consultation of your choosing. Please contact me for the code if you are interested!

Book a Consult!

The Lotus Garden

Nodal shift in Aries-Libra 2023-2025