North Node

north nohd

sanskrit: Rahu · latin: Caput Draconis

Definition

The North Node is the point where the Moon's orbital path crosses the ecliptic — the Sun's yearly path — as the Moon moves northward. It and the South Node (where the Moon crosses heading south) form an axis that drifts slowly backward through the zodiac, completing one circuit in about 18.6 years. Solar and lunar eclipses happen when a New or Full Moon falls near one of these nodes.

In Tradition

In Hellenistic practice the lunar nodes were mostly linked to eclipses and carried a note of caution. Later traditional sources came to read the North Node as benefic, with a Jupiter-like quality. In modern evolutionary astrology, the North Node points to the direction your soul is meant to grow.

In Practice

Astrologers follow the nodal axis by sign and house for themes of growth and development. In electional astrology — choosing a good moment to begin something — Valens advised against starting ventures when the Moon conjoins, squares, or opposes the ascending node. The nodes' movement is tracked on their 18.6-year cycle, and reading an eclipse depends on where the nodes sit.

Historical Origin

The lunar nodes appear in Hellenistic texts from at least the 1st century CE. Valens discusses them in connection with elections and eclipses. Their reading as points of increase and decrease developed across the Hellenistic and medieval periods, and the evolutionary interpretation is a modern addition.

Etymology

Origin: Latin. Meaning: "Node" from Latin nodus, meaning "knot" — referring to the point where two orbital paths intersect.

Definition

In Tradition

In Practice

Historical Origin

Etymology

Further Reading