Nodes, Draconic Astrology and Eclipses

[etherea]

Decided that we need to have a thread on this, and starting this one is a natural outcrop from the discussion going on about the 12h.

Feel free to discuss the nodes themselves, their transits and progressions, added lore about them, related links, plus the fascinating topic of Draconic charts and their interpretations. Of course, the nodes are one of the key features that determine eclipses, so those are relevant to the discussion in a big way, too.

You can add your own chart for group discussion as well as your own personal insights; charts of public figures, etc. so we can see the shape of their lives from a distance (sometimes easier than looking at our own, close-up).

Two links to start us off, and you can calculate the Draconic charts on astro.com as:

1. A stand-alone draconic chart (on the chart selection page, where you see it say "tropical", etc., just select the button that says "draconic";
2. Progressed stand-alone draconic chart (select progressed chart whilst you still have the above selection; and
3. A tropical/draconic comparison chart (tropical button back on, but on the pull-down chart-type menu, scroll down to near the bottom, past lunar/solar returns, etc. and you will find that option there).

Draconic Astrology

The word ‘draconic’ means dragon-like. Once upon ancient times, people thought lunar and solar eclipses were the result of a dragon living in the Moon’s nodes which periodically ate the Sun and Moon (what we now know as eclipses). How else to explain the curious dimming and occultations of the...

www.astro.com

Draconic Astrology

The term DRACONIC comes from the Latin names for the Lunar Nodes: Caput Draconis, the dragon's head or Moon's North Node, and Cauda Draconis, the dragon's tail or South Node. The Moon's North Node is the point where the Moon crosses the ecliptic from south to north; this intersection is used as...

www.astro.com

I am fine with the discussion veering off into rarefied spiritual areas, because I think this topic lends itself to that tendency.

And I have attached the Draconic comparison chart of the onset of the first forum discussions, which took place on 25 Dec, 2022, at 9.09 pm on ADF based in Dubendorf, Switzerland.

If you have another chart you'd rather discuss, feel free to post.

General principles:

conjunctions within 5deg orb, and
oppositions

are the key factors (read the above links to gather more info).

 

[etherea]

The first thing that jumps out on the above chart is the transit of Mars in opposition to draconic Chiron at early Pisces. Issues of faith presenting difficulties and/or discomfort. This is close to natal Descendant, so has created tension between forum members, lately.

In general, though - Jupiter falls on NN, which is very favourable for the forum itself. This falls in Draconic 9h, so is indicative of its relation to "the higher mind" and all that connotes with that area of endeavour. The proximity of Uranus in 9h is another indicator of surprise insights arising.

I also note that draconic Mars in Aries, so very strong, will be hit by the April 20 eclipse, and is currently squared by transiting Pluto, so intensity of feelings for the immediate while is something we need to acknowledge and navigate.

The other similar echo is draconic Pluto in stellium with Mercury and Venus, Draconic 5h, in opposition to natal Mars/POF, as well as Lilith, in natal 10h/draconic 11h. To me, that looks like unresolved childhood issues coming to the fore in discussions on the forum. That is not brilliant, but it does provide a sense that people may become aware that they need to sort out their own unresolved childhood stuff, and not expect to dump their anger and frustration upon others.

Again, the beneficial conjunction of Jupiter in Aries to NN indicates that this can all be solved and finally laid to rest - like a kind of TrumpCard solution.

This again is repeated in theme - Draconic Moon in d 6h nearing conjunction (i.e. NM) to tropical Sun in natal 5h. Since Sun is tropical Chart Ruler, and Moon is Draconic Chart Ruler, this implies that the forum overall represents a new chapter for participants and members.

 

[etherea]

In general, I have to say I find the visual description of this very intriguing - the concept of a dragon knocking around the sky - and sometimes, I find myself wondering what it looks like.

What we drily refer to as NN or SN and an axis, in more ancient and more descriptive language, is of course the Head of a dragon, the Tail of a dragon.

This brings to mind also the concept of the Worm of the World, Ouroboros, which eats its own tail, giving us the notion of a simultaneous creation and destruction pattern going on, round and round and round and round. The interesting thing is that is eats itself and re-creates itself, which is a very interesting concept to ponder in relation to our own journeys of growth.

And "wormholes" referring to 'the spaces between dimensions'.

The language and the visual associations are very germane as symbols, and hold so much more than the notion of being mere mathematical symbols on an ecliptic.

 

[roja]

If we think about the fact of the nodes being the two points of intersection between the ecliptic and the moon's orbital path around the Earth, we can grasp some more sense around what the nodes themselves represent.

As we know, the ecliptic is, from a geocentric perspective, the Sun’s “apparent path” across the sky. This “sky”, or view of the universe in its totality around the Earth, is called the celestial sphere.

The celestial sphere is an imaginary sphere “surrounding” the Earth and is concentric, that is it shares its centre, with the Earth’s centre. The celestial sphere’s vertical and horizontal axes are defined by the celestial equator and the celestial polar axis, which are used to define the positions and movements of celestial objects across the sky. These two axes are themselves projections of the Earth’s own equator and polar axis onto the celestial sphere.



However, due to the Earth’s tilt on its polar or rotational axis, the celestial equator does not perfectly align with the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. This difference, or obliquity, is called inclination; the degree of inclination between the celestial equator and the ecliptic plane is 23.5°.



The only time the ecliptic does perfectly align with the celestial equator (when the degree of obliquity is 0°) is when the two planes intersect twice a year at the spring and autumn equinoxes. During these two times of the year, night and day are equal, and the longitudinal (or vertical) boundary between the illuminated and the darkened sides of the Earth (called the “solar terminator” or “twilight zone”) are perpendicular (at a 90° angle) to the equator, which means that the amount of light received from the Sun by the northern and southern hemispheres is also equal.

If we were to consider this from an archetypal point of view, we could therefore infer how the spring and autumn equinoxes are in some ways reflective of how conditions on Earth could be if the ecliptic and the celestial equator were perfectly aligned (that is if there were 0° of inclination), as the amount of light the Earth received from the Sun would be equal and consistent all year around.

These conditions would in an archetypal sense be “perfectly balanced”. There would exist a climate of equilibrium and harmony, potentially analogous to what has been described as the “Edenic state”. However, this state of invariable balance in itself also potentially implies a state of inertia, and therefore non-evolution.

From this perspective, it is the tilt of the Earth’s polar or rotational axis that then becomes the catalyst for evolution. Through precipitating the crisis of becoming “unbalanced” emerges the consequential need and desire to restore it: the need and desire to re-establish a sense of balance that has been “lost”, i.e. “the fall” from the “Edenic state”.

However, since whatever sense of balance that is potentially achieved and restored is no longer based upon or within the conditions that constituted the original sense or state of balance, evolution occurs as a result.

The Sun and the movement of the other planetary bodies along the ecliptic path therefore symbolise our ongoing processes of evolution. The Sun as the centre of gravity within the solar system symbolises that constant inner pull towards reclaiming that sense of balance, that desired re-alignment between the centre of the Earth and the centre of the solar system, that re-unification with our cosmic sovereignty.

The cycle of the zodiacal constellations found upon the Sun’s ecliptic path symbolise the particular kind of evolutionary development of life that occurs as a result of that pull and desire towards balance, re-alignment and re-unification. We may call this the Sun or “solar” agenda.

The Moon on the other hand, as the luminary counterpart to the Sun, illuminates and allows for the progressive conscious awareness of the Earth’s internal experiences of its personal relationship with the Sun’s solar agenda, and reflects back to us a means of integrating the experiences that occur through the solar agenda’s cycles of evolutionary development of life.

This lunar agenda, via its own individual path upon the ecliptic, intersects the solar agenda at the points we refer to as the nodal axis: the ascending or north node, and the descending or south node. Astronomically speaking, the lunar nodal axis in its relationship to the ecliptic, is akin to the points of the equinoxes, when the ecliptic as the apparent path of the Sun intersects with the celestial equator, which is the projection of the Earth’s equator upon the celestial sphere.

To consider this from an archetypal perspective, the lunar nodal axis then symbolises points upon the Moon’s own orbital path, where the lunar agenda aligns with the solar agenda, the pull towards reclaiming that sense of balance that acts as a catalyst for evolution.

From the point of the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the position of the Sun shifts further northward away from the equator, causing the days to become longer and leading to warmer temperatures. These conditions allow for the emergence and nurturance of new life to develop and grow within the evolutionary cycle.

From the point of the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere, the position of the Sun shifts further southward away from the equator, causing the days to become shorter and leading to colder temperatures. These conditions trigger the gradual effects of decay and the ending of life as it has been in preparation for a new evolutionary cycle of development to begin.

Likewise, the lunar nodes also share these correspondences, with the lunar ascending or north node symbolising the emergence of new ways of being and the lunar descending or south node symbolising the gradual decay of old ways of being.

(More to add later)

 

[etherea]

beautifully written, @roja

 

[etherea]

There is the concept of the "spiral", in terms of our spiritual development.

it is easy to view the nodes as going round and round and round, but if we instead view it as they are reaching the same point but from a higher level, so we can examine any issues from a more elevated vantage point than when we last looked, this fits into that spiral concept.

The spiral denotes growth, evolution - and so do the nodes.

 

[etherea]

And it's going to be interesting to watch the Jupiter/NN conjunction happening shortly.
The Venus dispositorship indicates fruitfulness if energy is directed towards diplomacy, resolutions, etc. mitigating the beating of war-drums.

 

[roja]

There is the concept of the "spiral", in terms of our spiritual development.

it is easy to view the nodes as going round and round and round, but if we instead view it as they are reaching the same point but from a higher level, so we can examine any issues from a more elevated vantage point than when we last looked, this fits into that spiral concept.

The spiral denotes growth, evolution - and so do the nodes.

Hi etherea, this is akin to the actual fact that the planets in the solar system do not simply revolve around the Sun on a static orbital path, but are in fact “spiralling” through space.

 

[roja]

In general, I have to say I find the visual description of this very intriguing - the concept of a dragon knocking around the sky - and sometimes, I find myself wondering what it looks like.

What we drily refer to as NN or SN and an axis, in more ancient and more descriptive language, is of course the Head of a dragon, the Tail of a dragon.

This brings to mind also the concept of the Worm of the World, Ouroboros, which eats its own tail, giving us the notion of a simultaneous creation and destruction pattern going on, round and round and round and round. The interesting thing is that is eats itself and re-creates itself, which is a very interesting concept to ponder in relation to our own journeys of growth.

And "wormholes" referring to 'the spaces between dimensions'.

The language and the visual associations are very germane as symbols, and hold so much more than the notion of being mere mathematical symbols on an ecliptic.

Hi etherea I've been wanting to add further here that the "energetics" of consciousness - as reflected by the birth chart - could be similar to that of an organism.

Consciousness creates reality, but consciousness also consumes reality. The reality that consciousness creates refers to our perceptions of and projections upon reality, our individualised and personalised experience of what reality is. This is the consciousness, or reality, that we could say pre-exists the reality that is actually being experienced - a cumulative by-product of all that has been experienced and integrated previously.

The reality that consciousness consumes on the other hand, is the reality that we could say pre-exists consciousness, the aspects of reality that we are yet to experience which are unknown, unfamiliar, and that desire and require integration, which then through this consumption becomes the catalyst for the structural changes that occur within consciousness and penetrating into the deeper layers of psyche, as a process of perpetual evolution.

However as Jung says whatever remains unconscious directs our life and we call it fate, so the reality that apparently pre-exists consciousness, the reality consciousness consumes, is in fact the unconscious, unknown, unfamiliar, unintegrated aspects of itself.

In the first point, we could align this with our understanding of the south node, in the second with that of the north node.

The perpetual confrontations with reality, or the unconscious aspects of consciousness, that occur via our experiences with the north node serve to balance the extreme and most crystallised orientations within consciousness symbolised by the south node. This relates to the concept of "enantiodromia".

 

[etherea]

That's very interesting, @roja - the question then is, "what lies at the centre of the nodal axis?", the NN/SN, or in other words relating to your aforementioned model, "what lies between the conscious and unconscious?" and we come then across the 'doors of perception' as Huxley put it (the Conscious Critical Faculty'), acting as the filter and with your model as above, the balancing factor between the two.

Our thoughts creating our destiny also plays into how we see the nodes (Fate, or 'the tides of men').

And this would work out on both a personal level and a wider level, if we accept the concept of the collective unconscious.

I like your choice of word, "consume", because this also tallies up with the Ouroboros, consuming its own tail, which I really like as a model for the axis.

The bit I would sit and ponder is your concept that reality pre-exists consciousness. If we are collectively projecting - an ongoing process - then for sure, that reality pre-exists from a personal level as we come into bodies as infants, etc. but (and I suppose we can never check this out), what if the collective ends its projection? Do we go back into the Source, cease to manifest as human beings...?

Or maybe that's just an imponderable

 

[roja]

That's very interesting, @roja - the question then is, "what lies at the centre of the nodal axis?", the NN/SN, or in other words relating to your aforementioned model, "what lies between the conscious and unconscious?" and we come then across the 'doors of perception' as Huxley put it (the Conscious Critical Faculty'), acting as the filter and with your model as above, the balancing factor between the two.

Hi etherea I would say what lies at the centre is the Moon itself. Jeff Green has said that the natal placement of the Moon is the ongoing integration that occurs between the polarities of the SN and NN on a moment to moment basis. The natal placement of the Moon in respect to its relationship to the nodal axis (its phasal relationship) signifies where we are at with respect to the "nodal journey", how the tension between the SN and NN placements is experienced, as the "stepping stone" between the two.

Further to that, in respect to our experience on a moment to moment basis, this is reflective of the ever ongoing tension and balance occurring between the "past" and the "future".

It is within this "space" also where consciousness and reality are "one" with each other.

The bit I would sit and ponder is your concept that reality pre-exists consciousness. If we are collectively projecting - an ongoing process - then for sure, that reality pre-exists from a personal level as we come into bodies as infants, etc. but (and I suppose we can never check this out), what if the collective ends its projection? Do we go back into the Source, cease to manifest as human beings...?

Or maybe that's just an imponderable

Yeah I am not sure what the answer is here. My guess would be what you say as well. Looking at reality and existence from the broadest and deepest points of view possible - but is that possible? I think it is ponderable, but only within the limitations of our own experiences and our own minds.

 

[roja]

That's very interesting, @roja - the question then is, "what lies at the centre of the nodal axis?", the NN/SN, or in other words relating to your aforementioned model, "what lies between the conscious and unconscious?" and we come then across the 'doors of perception' as Huxley put it (the Conscious Critical Faculty'), acting as the filter and with your model as above, the balancing factor between the two.

Just thinking further... : ultimately the "centre" of this would be the Earth itself, as the symbol of us individually as the "experiencer". The Moon, and likewise the other planets, are projections of the defined archetypal functions/processes "experienced" within us, as symbolised by the Earth.

 

[etherea]

Further to that, in respect to our experience on a moment to moment basis, this is reflective of the ever ongoing tension and balance occurring between the "past" and the "future".

It is within this "space" also where consciousness and reality are "one" with each other.

Interesting thoughts, @roja - in this model, then, the Earth symbolises a funnel, or the portal of the processing of our experience relating to both time and space, as well as thought and emotions that arise/have arisen therefrom, and gives us recognition of the Eternal Now. But it does also require our attention, which is another feature coming in.

Yeah I am not sure what the answer is here. My guess would be what you say as well. Looking at reality and existence from the broadest and deepest points of view possible - but is that possible? I think it is ponderable, but only within the limitations of our own experiences and our own minds.

I agree with that, too - that is the "growth" process, e.g. expanding those limitations - should we choose - via the duality of the earth plane (depicted by the polarity of the NN/SN). Like our subconscious processing, it is hard to define where those limitations lie - we cannot "see" them, in the way we cannot see the nodes in physical terms - but we do get the flavour of the placements, recognised or not.

The Earth in our chart is (of course) opposite our Sun, which is also an interesting concept and partner relating to duality (another axis). The shadow is not shown overtly in the chart - we have to look for it, and it's not just the Moon. A bit like Jeff Green's "Polarity Point" relating to Pluto.

 

[etherea]

Several members have stated that they have found eclipses to be too elusive in their influence to bother with.

Here is an article from AD that might redress that situation and gives a lot of very useful info on both a personal and mundane level:

The predictive power of eclipses

This lecture – delivered on 27 June 2020 at the online Astrological Association Conference – traces the development of eclipse analysis which is regarded as one of the most powerful tools in astrology, as demonstrated in a series of amazing examples by a leading financial and world affairs...

www.astro.com

The concept that the eclipses around one's birthday affect one's whole chart is a very interesting concept, especially where he states that exact progressions of that eclipse chart to the natal positions are significance in one's life.

The ACG patterns - also very illuminating (I seem to recall the ACG facility to see an eclipse path was once on ADF, or is that my imagination?).

 

[joke n]

here is also an interesting astrology podcast on eclipses.

and part 2;

a lot about royals with their natal eclips and events in their live.

 

[joke n]

Several members have stated that they have found eclipses to be too elusive in their influence to bother with.

The concept that the eclipses around one's birthday affect one's whole chart is a very interesting concept, especially where he states that exact progressions of that eclipse chart to the natal positions are significance in one's life.

The ACG patterns - also very illuminating (I seem to recall the ACG facility to see an eclipse path was once on ADF, or is that my imagination?).

do you recognize this in your own chart and events?
the only thing I recognize is that the solar eclipses before and after my birth are in a place where the asc/desc of the 1 and the mc/ic of my other child are. exactly square my sun. maybe should look better for the progressed chart, but until now, nothing.

I had an eclips on and in MC/10th house a few times. but didn't really noticed anything. someone at ADF already suggested that I shouldn't think too big. Now because of the astrology podcast I get stuck on endings and beginnings. I can do something with that. just in houses and not necessarily in aspect. On the day of the last eclipse there was indeed some endings and new beginnings that were spot on.. not to big indeed.

But if i look at big events in my life. the solar eclips prior to the event , it was spot on.( house and some time conjunct a planet) but there are also some solar eclipses which made a conjunction or was on the angles and nothing (big ) was happening.

 

[joke n]

regarding the nodes, when the nodes are exactly conjunct an angle in the solar return. then this is an important year. Does anyone have experience with that?

 

[etherea]

do you recognize this in your own chart and events?

I have never had an eclipse exactly around my birthday, so couldn't say. However, I am due an exact conjunction of the progressed Moon of this chart to my natal Moon, fairly imminently, and will report

Oddly enough, when this p. Moon hit my natal Saturn, I did embark upon something that was very arduous in terms of what was required. Neither was it comfortable on an emotional level, but I did stick at it, through thick and thin, so with that placement, I have to say "yes", I do recognise it.

Interestingly enough, when p. Moon passed over something in synastry with someone else's natal chart (Pluto, if you are asking), that triggered a chain of events that I totally did notice - but this is not something stated in the linked article.

Also, with that particular person, another solar eclipse happened - a tough one - so it's hard to tease out which was responsible (e.g. the p. Moon transit, or the eclipse at that time).

 

[Lunasel]

I checked my draconic chart. I have D. Asc Cancer and D. Moon on 0 degree Capricorn. What a karmic revelation .
D. Sun at 27 Virgo conjunct SN. So within less than 5 degrees in opposition to NN 0.00 Aries. With the opposition, there is so much to do to pay off my karmic debts.
Interesting enough, as you mentioned Etherea regarding the synstry, my daughter has her D. Sun and D. Mars conjunct my D. Moon within less than 3 degrees orb.
My D. Mars and her father's D. Sun conjunct her D. Chiron.
She has her D. Chart placements all in opposite signs to the natal. Since she has her NN in natal chart at 5 degrees Libra.
So, It is also a karmic issue to deal with in this life.

 

[etherea]

Thus your draconic Moon is on a Cardinal Point Does this make more sense to you, with your Moon expressing in a Saturn-toned way?

With Virgo Sun, this is an earthy energy, despite the Cancerian Draco Asc.

In my post to you on another thread, I was referring to the self-synastry, e.g. the synastry between your tropical natal chart and your draconic natal, as given by astro.com in the 'comparison' option. These are very instructive chart comparisons for our own development add self-understanding.

Has this shown up any conjunctions or oppositions?