Prescription for Healing: Use Your North Node Sign and Ruling Planet!

The North Node is what our Soul aspires to, and is good compensatory medicine for whatever ails us. And yet, like a good vitamin, we need to remember to “take it!” Look at the sign of your North Node—i.e. is it in Libra? Ponder what Libra represents. Then look up what planet rules Libra, which is Venus, and give yourself a good dose of whatever Venusian things you can imagine—invite a few friends for dinner, paint your bedroom a beautiful rich color, buy flowers and bring into your life more beauty, love, and harmony and connection. Or...is your North Node in Gemini or Virgo? Then your ruling planet is Mercury. Prescription: Communicate! Follow your curiosities; and be a trickster at times. (Hermes, the mythological Mercury was a good trickster...)

Sometimes astrology can get very confusing with signs, houses, planets, and aspects, but when we “honor the gods”—these planetary archetypal energies, then we give them a chance to act magically and synchronistically. Astrologers look to the transits and progressions to see, in a sense, which archetypal voice within us needs attention at any given moment. But if you don't follow your transits regularly, just look at the largest and most penetrating pattern in the zodiac—the Nodes. The Nodes are like the arrow shooting through the astrolable in the photo above--they speak to us of our life direction and soul purpose. They point the way like a compass, and tell us what is good medicine for our Soul.

To take it a little farther, after you see the sign and ruling planet of your North Node, look at where it is in your chart. What house does it occupy? This tells you something about where in your life attention and energy needs to be paid. And then look at the South Node—its sign, its house, and planetary ruler. Follow the threads—especially when you see overlapping patterns. Even though the South Node holds more of the past, it also holds “the gold” in our past, and using the positive higher octaves of the sign and ruling planet is also good medicine that will often yield surprising good results. We are gifted by our past, karmically, and we sometimes forget that! We know in our bones how to use these South Node energies, so allow this into your life as well. But use South Node energies wisely.


The Nodes are an axis, bringing us direction and soulful purpose. They work as a team, and by accessing the highest expression of each we bring ourselves healing, and a sense of purpose into our lives. Try it! Let me know if it works for you……

Elizabeth Spring: Homesite: http://www.elizabethspring.com/ (The photo above is the cover of my new book on rediscovering your life direction and soul purpose which will be out in a few weeks! If you want me to send you an email to let you know when it's available both here and on Amazon.com , then drop me a personal email at: elizabethspring@aol.com and I'll put you on my "to remember list!"

North Node Chart

Yes, I’ve been away! After a two week visit to Ojai, California, I’m now back on-line and here for you on the blog again. I’ve had some feedback from people who are new to “blogs” that it’s not clear where the chart is located to find your North Node. It’s been “hiding” over in the right hand column, but now I’m listing it here, for an easy find, as “The Chart.” Remember that your South Node will always be in exactly the opposite sign, 180 degrees away—so if you have an Aries North Node, your South Node will be in Libra, and likewise with a Taurus North Node; Scorpio will be your South Node.



If you have your birth chart in hand and want to find your Nodes that way, just look for the little glyph that looks like “headphones” for your North Node, and for your South Node look for the glyph that looks like a top “open-ended horseshoe.”



The Nodes are also located in houses, and you’ll need to look at a copy of your birth chart for that. The houses are the areas of your life, or “where” the Nodal activity is happening. The signs describe what the Nodes are about for you.

North Node Chart:
[Beginning day and year through last day and year: = North Node Sign]
 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
 Apr. 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 - July 26, 1950: Aries
 July 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
 June 17, 1958 - Dec.15, 1959: Libra
Dec. 16, 1959 - June 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 - Aug. 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 - July 10, 1975: Sagittarius
 July 11, 1975 - Jan. 7, 1977: Scorpio
 Jan. 8, 1977 – July 5, 1978: Libra
 July 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. 8, 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 - June 21, 2006: Aries
June 22, 2006 - Dec.18, 2007: Pisces
Dec. 19, 2007 - Aug. 22, 2009: Aquarius

Transiting Planets Conjuncting the Nodes

The kaleidoscopic effect of a planetary transit over the Nodes could be thought of as a re-alignment with the evolutionary needs of the Soul. And, it’s good to keep remembering how the Nodes are a polarity—that when one Node is transited by a planet, it reverberates its polar opposite as well. A transiting planet over a Node is read the same way as any transiting planet is read, except that on the Nodal axis we are hitting a harmonic chord about “life direction and soul purpose.” It may be a subtle shift rather than one “event” in the world, but as we know, we’re not in control with how a transit will play out in our lives.


Most of us would like to feel that we do have control over our transits, and we surely have some control by the choices we make and how much consciousness and intention we bring to them. We have control over our response to transits, but because so much of the psyche operates from a base of unconsciousness, there’s a mystery as to how and why things play themselves out the way they do. Perhaps that’s another reason why we need to be gentle with ourselves. What’s good for the ego, is not always good for the soul evolution.


So when a planet transits our Nodes this may be as Steven Forrest says, “the time when the karmic wave breaks.” For example, a transit of Jupiter to our Nodal axis may bring us into surprise contact with a mentor or supporter, and with a transit of Pluto we might find ourselves exploring “regression therapy.” Always, it’s not about good or bad, despite how it feels. Lunar feelings change so fast and are unreliable in judging the long term effect of what the evolutionary intent is—again we must be gentle with the “universe” as well as ourselves.


And we don’t always get what we want! Or what we think we want—but think of it—would you really want to get that lover you lost when you were sixteen? Now that you’re older you see how what you may have wanted at times in your past, would not be right for you now.


The bottom line? Acceptance, yes, and transmuting what you know into action: transmuting knowledge into wisdom. That’s the catch. That’s the Nodal transit. It amazes me how many times I “know something” but when the “karmic re-action” happens I’m often still shocked! But of course, this is the way it works! All our “digging around in the psyche” is really quite fruitful in helping us understand and accept things, but it takes time for the mind to descend into the heart, and for us to open to things as they are. “Go gently into the night…”
~elizabeth spring www.elizabethspring.com

Where Jungian Psychology and Astrology Meet: "Surrendering to the Gods"

Where Jungian Psychology and Astrology Meet: “Surrendering to the Gods”

I’m just finishing writing “North Node Astrology; Rediscovering Your Life Direction and Soul Purpose.” It’s been much more work than I originally thought, and so lately I’ve been wondering, why did I write this book? And then I remember—I love making connections—to people and ideas. And I crave the sense “of belonging to the world” and of making heartfelt and thoughtful connections with others--people who playfully and seriously like to entertain these ideas. Jungians and Astrologers. Bloggers and readers. You and Me. I like to bridge the gap.


I love to hear from readers, yet sometimes I’m too blood-shot in the eyes to respond. So many hours on the computer—but what would I rather do? I love to write my thoughts and hear yours…


I also fear that we sometimes are afraid to speak to each other; bloggers, for example, mostly respond with “Anonymous.” So much for the personal response! And, there’s a gap between the two worlds I hold so dear to my heart: the Jungians and Astrologers.

The Jungians often view popular predictive astrology with distain, yet quietly study astrology and talk about it with their friends or their astrologer. They tend not to write about it in their professional journals.

The Astrologers hear the reserve in their attitude, but often don’t know what the Jungians are really talking about! To those astrologers who focus on pragmatic approaches, the oohing and aahing of the Jungians and their general quacking over the “obvious” may make them seem like odd ducks. And to what use? These astrologers will help their clients, like coaches, find their jobs or careers, but forget that the word “vocation” has its roots in the ability “to listen” to our deep selves. How do we get to that place of deep listening to the Self?

The Astrologer can sit with someone once, for a couple of hours, and talk with them about “their map of the psyche” and how they can use it best. A Jungian will sit with someone, for hours over many years helping their client listen to the various inner voices in order to discover who they essentially are. They give time for the inner work and the “alchemical process” to truly evolve and they support the client in the process. A sense of safety and love develops. It’s powerful!

Both astrologers and Jungians honor the complexity of the Self, and the variety of our inner personalities—call it what you will: voices, archetypes, planets. Both know that we need to understand the “gold” and the “shadow” parts of ourselves. We need to understand the unique gold of Jupiter and the North Node, and the shadowy wounding of Pluto and the South Node. We need to bring responsibility into our lives—Saturn, and yet dare to take our freedom—Uranus.

Different words, same ideas. Dreams or divination? Both astrologers and Jungians would agree that we project ourselves out into life and yet swim in the deep wine-dark sea of the unconscious. There are reasons beneath reasons why we do what we do, and our outer choices and inner revelations echo each other. The outer pragmatic solutions of the coach or astrologer will reverberate with the inner “Jungian” nourishing and unfolding process of the Self, and it will reverberate with life in the outer world. Neither better—both needed.

Carl Jung was a trickster, a shaman, and a scholar as well as a spiritual man. His psychology came out of his life; he broke some rules, he kept to some. As John Perry, a Jungian scholar and friend of Jung once said: “There was always a little something magical about the way Jung’s mind worked. He said that he felt himself to be more shaman than psychiatrist.” And Jung studied and practiced astrology and alchemy. He was a bridge maker.


I do not aspire to be Jung. But I have “an inner Jung” within me that desires to make connections and bridge gaps. I want to keep encouraging all the ways we can “attend to our inner life”. We come into this life bringing woundedness and a sense of wonder and possibility. It’s a great thing if we can stay aware of both, and how they continue to play out in our lives. And so then we ask….can I accept my fate and live it out well? Can I work within the limits that I have, and yet stretch to be all I can be? Yes, I think yes….we can all do that. And make bridges… Elizabeth Spring http://www.elizabethspring.com/