A Question: Where is my North Node? Where's my South Node?

North Node Chart: Find your birthday below to find the sign of your North Node based on your birth day and year. Your South Node, automatically and always, is

the sign directly opposite it in the zodiac

--180 degrees away.

June 7, 1913-Dec. 3, 1914: Pisces
Dec. 4, 1914-May 31, 1916: Aquarius
June 1, 1916-Feb. 13, 1918: Capricorn
Feb. 14, 1918-Aug. 15, 1919: Sagittarius
Aug. 16, 1919-Feb. 7, 1921: Scorpio
Feb. 8, 1921-Aug. 23, 1922: Libra
Aug. 24, 1922-Apr.23, 1924: Virgo
April 24, 1924-Oct. 26,1925: Leo
Oct. 27, 1925-Apr.16,1927: Cancer
Apr.17,1927-Dec.28,1928: Gemini
Dec.29,1928-July 7,1930: Taurus
July 8,1930-Dec.28,1931: Aries
Dec.29,1931-June 24, 1933: Pisces
June 25, 1933-Mar.8,1935: Aquarius
Mar 9, 1935-Sept. 14, 1936: Capricorn
Sept. 15, 1936-Mar. 3, 1938: Sagittarius
Mar. 4, 1938-Sept. 12, 1939: Scorpio
Sept. 13, 1939-May 24, 1941: Libra
May 25, 1941-Nov. 21,1942: Virgo
Nov. 22, 1942-May 11, 1944: Leo
May 12, 1944-Dec. 13, 1945: Cancer
Dec. 14,1945-Aug. 2, 1947: Gemini
Aug. 3, 1947-Jan. 26,1949: Taurus
Jan. 27,1949-Jul 26,1950: Aries
Jul 27, 1950-Mar.28,1952: Pisces
Mar.29, 1952-Oct. 9, 1953:Aquarius
Oct.10,1953-Apr.2, 1955: Capricorn
Apr 3,1955-Oct.4,1956: Sagittarius
Oct.5,1956-June 16,1958: Scorpio
Jun. 17,1958-Dec.15,1959: Libra
Dec.16,1959-Jun 10,1961: Virgo
June 11,1961-Dec.23,1962: Leo
Dec.24,1962-Aug.25,1964: Cancer
Aug.26,1964-Feb.19,1966: Gemini
Feb.20,1966-AQug.19,1967: Taurus
Aug.20,1967-Apr.19,1969: Aries
Apr.20,1969-Nov.2,1970: Pisces
Nov.3,1970-Apr.27,1972: Aquarius
Apr.28,1972-Oct.27,1973: Capricorn
Oct.28,1973-Jul 10,1975: Sagittarius
Jul 11, 1975-Jan. 7, 1977: Scorpio
Jan. 8, 1977-Jul 5,1978: Libra
Jul 6 1978-Jan.12,1980: Virgo
Jan.13,1980-Sept.24,1981: Leo
Sept.25,1981-Mar.16,1983: Cancer
Mar.17.1983-Sept.11,1984: Gemini
Sept.12,1984-Apr.6,1986: Taurus
Apr.7,1986-Dec.2,1987: Aries
Dec.3,1987-May 22, 1989: Pisces
May 23, 1989-Nov.18,1990: Aquarius
Nov.19,1990-Aug. 1,1992: Capricorn
Aug.2,1992-Feb.1,1994: Sagittarius
Feb.2,1994-Jul 31, 1995: Scorpio
Aug.1,1995-Jan.25,1997: Libra
Jan.26,1997-Oct.20,1998: Virgo
Oct. 21, 1998-Apr.9,2000: Leo
Apr.10,2000-Oct.12,2001: Cancer
Oct.13,2001-Apr.13,2003: Gemini
Apr.14,2003-Dec.25,2004: Taurus
Dec.26,2004-Jun 21, 2006: Aries
Jun 22,2006-Dec.18, 2007: Pisces
Dec. 19, 2007-Aug 22 2009: Aquarius

Artwork by Elizabeth Spring from http://www.elizabethspring.com/

The Meatloaf Meltdown; Crisis in Confidence

"The Meatloaf Meltdown;”
Crisis of Confidence

My daughter, Sarah, who has always identified with not being a domestic goddess of any sort—especially in the kitchen--decided to make meatloaf for her husband and baby girl last night. She had found some loose directions from an old recipe, and the Moon that night in Scorpio must have stirred something in her. I thought it was a good omen that my husband had dropped by her house late in the afternoon and had proudly returned home telling me of the good smells coming from Sarah’s kitchen.


Two hours later, she called me back, with both a cry and a laugh in her voice. She was seriously considering that perhaps she could have poisoned her family by undercooking the meatloaf. In fact, she went on to say, she was so upset by this possibility that when she placed the dish before her family she became nauseous just looking at the slightly runny meatloaf. She could barely eat it, and worst of all, she completely ruined the dinner for her husband who thought it was quite a tasty meal, except for the running commentary on it. Or maybe—worst of all she feared, they might now all have to go to the emergency room with food poisoning.


In good grandmotherly style, I proceeded to reassure her (for all the various logical reasons) that she hadn’t done anything deadly to her family, and I went on to ask if she could possibly see the humor in all this—about how hard she tried and yet how poignantly sad and deliciously funny it all was—especially since her husband insisted it was quite yummy and there was no pinkness except for the delicious bits of tomatoes.


Oh, by the way, they’re all fine, but Sarah’s courageous attempts at “domestic goddessing” and her second guessing of these efforts, struck a chord with me. How often do I set myself up for a challenge, do it, and then criticize myself for the flaws? Where is this nasty genetic or astrological gene that wracks us with our lack of perfection? I don’t think it’s worthy of a full astrological analysis, but it could have deep roots in our maternal legacy. But that’s another story.


Today, Sarah and I are affectionately calling this crisis of confidence, a “meatloaf meltdown.” There are no specific astrological correlates for this, although perhaps she was reaching for her North Node in Virgo, (with its down side of perfectionism) and the Moon that night in Scorpio might have whipped up her worse fears. However, since all you good readers of the Nodes are scrutinizing your lives in terms of the life direction and soul purpose, I would plead with you to be compassionate with yourself and all your attempts at living towards your North Node. We all have “meatloaf meltdowns” but they can quickly pass into sweet words and moments of humor and empathy for ourselves and others. ~elizabeth spring from: www.elizabethspring.com

Uranus; The Wild Card

Understanding the Wild Card: Uranus


It takes the maverick planet, Uranus, 84 years to make a full revolution around your chart, spending 7 years in each sign. Everyone has Uranus transiting somewhere in their lives at all times, but not everyone embodies or carries the Uranus energy as a primary archetype. Some people could be said to be more Saturnian, or Neptunian, or Venusian, but there are four times in our lives that everyone experiences the havoc and synchronistic magic of Uranus .

Uranus, the archetypal planet of the inner rebel, unexpected change, and individuation, accelerates our desire to act on the North and South Nodes in our chart. Because the Nodes give hints as to our life direction and soul purpose, then when those important transitional times come---especially at around the ages of 21, 41, 64 and 84, then the Nodes come to life again.

At approximately these ages, people tend to have transformative, rebellious, liberating, freedom-desiring, enlightening, unexpected, erratic, unconscious eruptions, and changing circumstances. These four transits, the waxing square, the opposition, the waning square and the return, are transformative passages that arise from unconscious movements deep within us. There’s an eruption of energies that have been repressed and are now seeking to come out and be made manifest. These are the days when epiphanies and life style changes are most obvious. Take a moment to consider these times, and particularly the profound effect of the Uranus opposition that happens between ages 38 to 43.

How to understand Uranus in your chart:

1--What “house” or area of your life is the action of Uranus happening in?

2—What “sign” describes the nature of how Uranus works for you?

3—What aspects to other planetary archetypes is Uranus making? If it is conjoining (sitting next to within 8 degrees) to another planet they link their energies together, either harmoniously or not, in a conjunction. If they are linked by a 90 degree square, then they internally create friction, resistance, and a challenge for you. When Uranus is opposed (180 degrees) to another planet it operates like a square, but the challenge appears to come from others outside yourself, rather than internally. If Uranus is linked by a trine (120 degrees) this triangle shows that the two planets support and enhance each other. Conjunctions, squares, and oppositions are not only motivating, but they “irritate” us to positive action and accomplishment. The Uranus opposition, around age forty, is the time when this planet effects are truly felt.

Astrology is a symbolic system, and is best understood as being about “the positive contemplation of change.” This kind of archetypal astrology is based on our free will choices, and asks us to think symbolically, and to ponder the internal or mythic quality of events. Archetypal astrology sees life through a lens in which change is ultimately always for our highest good, and is related to our past choices both in this life and in previous lives. And in this way, we can see that the Nodes, hinting at those past life choices and future probabilities, tend to get re-activated in Uranian times and flavor our experience. Uranus’ motto could be: “Let’s do something different!” That's usually a good thing, but occasionally may feel like you are sitting in "the theatre of the absurd." Elizabeth Spring www.elizabethspring.com

Mandala of the Birth Chart (Part Two)

The astrological chart sometimes reminds me of a round conference table, with all the planets, or internal voices, or “gods” sitting around the table, at a committee meeting. The lines in the center of the “table” represent the lines of conversation between the different voices in our psyche, or parts of our self. Your Sun can be seen as the chairperson of the board meeting—of the often riotous committee it tries to bring to order! Each planet represents a different aspect of oneself: the Moon is our emotions, memory, and nurturing instincts, Mercury, the communication ability, Venus the feminine and the anima, Mars the masculine and animus, Saturn, the reality principle of the Father and Cronos, and the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto representing various aspects of the unconscious.

However when our lives—that is, when the map of our reality, as represented by the chart, no longer echoes the terrain of the chart, then all kinds of neurotic pain can erupt. Jim Hollis, a Jungian analyst and writer once told a story about a woman with a history of great suffering, and at midlife her world tumbled even more. She described her ordeal as feeling “fragmented.” When he asked this woman what she did when she felt fragmented, she answered in terms which told him that she would make it through to a more authentic life. She simply said “When this happens, I talk to this part of me, and then I listen. And I talk to that part and I listen. And I try to learn what Psyche wants of me.” This woman was assisting the dialogue between all the various parts of her psyche---she was honoring the gods within, rather than trying to silence or distract them. She wasn’t becoming a prisoner to unheard and cut-off parts of herself. She was attempting to give voice all the various personalities within her, or as an astrologer might say--she was discovering the committee within her, and she was finding meaning in the conversation. What a wonderful mandala the chart is—what a unique way to observe our Self! And like the ancient “astrolobes” with the arrow piercing through the center, we find the North and South Nodes piercing our charts, and giving direction and meaning to the committee within us….. ~elizabeth spring http://www.elizabethspring.com/