know your nodes.
a soul curriculum beyond our sun sign 🌚
I’ve returned from my month-long stay in Jamaica, where I reconnected with my family and the land after four years apart. While this extended visit soothed my spirit, it’s been an adjustment being back in the states, and specifically, the suburbs. It just doesn’t feel as vibrant or alive here. But, on the bright side, Spring has finally arrived and with it, I feel dormant parts of myself blossoming, ready to take action on the ideas and insights that developed during the winter doldrums.
One such insight is that my energy is best suited for self-employment, at least in this chapter of my life. Instead of going after a slightly less soul-sucking marketing role, I feel called to build a sustainable business around my expertise and what I enjoy creating (more to come on that.)
I need agency over my time, the projects I take on, and where/how I work each day. After 10 years of seeking safety in large companies with established systems and internal cultures, can I truly build something sustainable around my authentic self, instead of the mask that helped me survive?
Cue the anxiety. And the doubt.
When I start to question my path, I find it helpful to refer back to systems that remind me of who I am at an energetic level. Lately, that has been astrology and my natal chart.
The deep irony here is that just a few years ago, I would secretly judge people who “believed” in zodiac signs, horoscopes, and typical pop astrology despite being fascinated by it myself. Now, I understand at a deeper level that everything is energy. Astrology is simply a language and tool for describing how our individual energies may play out in our lives. Studying my chart made it easier for me to accept myself as I am, and understand the areas I’m here to develop.
While most of us have dabbled in Co—Star and know the “big three” that describe who we are at our core (our sun, moon, and rising sign) there are other placements that illuminate what we’re here to learn. The North Node and South Node have entered the chat.
These aren't planets, but rather mathematical points on our birth chart that fall in two opposite zodiac signs (and houses.) Here’s a further description from The Astro Twins:
The North Node represents our karmic paths and the lessons we came here to learn—or the language we are learning to speak. The South Node reveals the challenges and gifts we bring in from previous lifetimes.
In other words, our south node characterizes our comfort zone and to a degree, what we need to let go of, while the north node (the opposite energy) is what we’re here to stretch into; to integrate. I see it as a window into our “spiritual curriculum” for Earth School.
Below are descriptions of my node placements to bring the concept to life, starting with the houses (or areas of life) and then the signs. Both add color to the story.
North Node in 1st House and South Node in the 7th House — via Advanced-Astrology.com
According to karmic astrology, the north node in the first house suggests prioritizing the needs of others in the past, especially your partner’s needs. This placement might mean that you made a lot of sacrifices for your spouse, or you gave up on yourself in some other way. You didn’t get to be who you are or establish a strong sense of self. It can be hard for you to stand up for yourself. It makes you feel uneasy, as it is outside of your comfort zone. (This placement) suggests that you have to learn to be your first choice in your own life.
Cosmically, it sounds like it’s ME SEASON. I dig it.
North Node in Capricorn and South Node in Cancer — via Alice Sparkly Kat
The Capricorn north node / Cancer south node is learning how to build their own safety. There are many forms of safety—financial safety, social safety, housing security, or safety in one’s own body. But none of these types of safety arise spontaneously. They are all cultivated. They all take intentional effort. They are all constructed.
The more I learn about myself and experiment with life, the more these astrological insights resonate. I need to channel the intuitive, sensitive nature that I’ve developed over lifetimes into creating a stable material reality that feels right for me. Work is one critical aspect of that. Perhaps embracing my north node energy, instead of fighting it, will invite more ease into my life.
I’m curious what your nodal placements have to say. What have you already mastered at a soul level? What are you here to learn? Are you open to stepping out of your cosmic comfort zone?
resources for remembering
🪐 A few astrologers I’ve learned from lately: