South Node in Aries, Moon in Aries

The Moon and South Node both hold the emotional memories from our childhood and from the forgotten “emotional memory” of a past life. From the reincarnational perspective, these points show the particular emotional “hangover” from a previous life that is most impacting you in this life now. We do not usually remember facts from very early in life, nor do most of us remember our past lives, but what we do feel is an emotional tone—a lunar feeling—that something in our past is unresolved, like waking from an uncomfortable dream but not remembering the facts—and this is the unresolved issue that the South Node and the Moon in our birth chart describes. By bringing this to consciousness we can move into deepening and enriching our present story by releasing these old patterns that no longer serve us now.

With your Moon or South Node in Aries, you’ve sharpened your reflexes for survival, and you know the rush of adrenaline as you begin a new project, speak your truth, or rise in the middle of the night to soothe a crying baby. In this life, as in a previous one, you’ve made yourself rise to the occasion when the need to act arises, as you’ve come to know the path of the warrior, the survivor, and the passionate pilgrim. You’ve had to go it alone many times, and courage has been instilled into you as you’ve “felt the fear, and did it anyway.”


Aries gives us the fuel to act and it arises out of many things: out of fear, anger, necessity, or simply for the experience of knowing “I did it myself.” We have seen the dragon, and we have lifted our sword….we won and lost many a battle, and it is the way we have survived.


In this life now, from the point of view of reincarnational/evolutionary astrology, it is time to look to the larger story—how does the attitude of survival and spiritual warriorship impact others? Sometimes it saves lives! Yes, but as a default pattern in this lifetime it also has been an overused pattern for you. Now it’s time to bring in the significant Others…to say, how can we do this together—without fighting or over-working? Can we bring in more Venus from the opposite sign of Libra? Can we relax a little of the Mars energy that fueled us before? Now you can ask yourself: Do I need to act first, and think later, or might I reflect more, and look elsewhere for a softer, more “Venus” response? Because Mars is the ruler of Aries, we look to the Venus response as the balancing factor. When we honor and balance the assertive with the receptive, we win.


How does this relate to Love? Aries Moon and Aries South Node know the world of passion, but love itself is bigger than passion, and sometimes less exciting. Love sabotages us when we act out of a passion that is overly dramatic and that has you as the only hero/heroine on stage. Love saves and heals when we call on the wisdom of our Aries courageousness and do what must be done without the competitive or adrenaline-laced attitude of an unhealed Aries attitude. Aries may be fueled by necessity, but the Aries Moon/South Node vision can be larger than the “every man for himself” attitude that is the low road for Arians.


The “emotional memory of love” for Aries Moon and Aries South Node has a tinge of solitariness to it. Can it trust? Who will help it survive? At times, the Soul may have died alone—the family wasn’t gathered around the bedside, but you may have died on the battlefield or in the hospital bed waiting for the nurse that didn’t arrive in time. You know instinctively that you had to be quick and self-watchful to survive in the past—but now, with this in your past, you are called to develop the trust in others as well as trust in yourself. If you can pause in your reactivity long enough in this life (slow down that response to “fight of flight”!) you may find that loneliness turns into soul-nourishing solitude, and instead of dying, you find that the numinous “Other” was there all along.
Elizabeth Spring www.elizabethspring.com

"Let's Talk!" Interview...

“Let’s Talk!” Interview~

Question: Elizabeth, what’s been the most challenging part of writing your new book: “North Node Astrology”?


E: Well, first I had to create a website and blog to see if people were interested enough in the subject! So for several years I wrote this blog on North Node Astrology, and from the blog, and the articles on my website, (www.elizabethspring.com) I formed the book. The learning curve in creating the website myself and learning blogging was a tough beginning! Whew! It continues to be an exciting challenge because I work by myself, and it’s intense trying to balance the time it takes to do personal readings with the time it takes to blog--and write a book. “North Node Astrology” was compiled from 3 years of blog posts, and from articles I published in various magazines--- and some of those articles go back ten years or so…


Question: --so would you say there’s a good reception to your book: "North Node Astrology"?


E: Yes, there’s been an excellent response. The book is doing great on amazon.com (it’s been in their top ten in astrology books lately) and I have about 400 readers a day that stop by the blog. So that feels like a real interest.


Question: So it sounds like it’s a full time day job for you?


E: Absolutely. And more…..! Last winter on a few gray Sundays I decided to do a couple of book trailors, you-tube videos, to spread content about the new book and I’m hoping to figure out podcasts soon for the new blogsite, South Node Astrology. And eventually, there will be a book made from that site….


Question: ….and what’s the name of the new book?


Elizabeth: Right now I’m calling it: “South Node Astrology; How Love Sabotages and Saves Our Lives” It’s the working title at the moment. It basically going to be the sequel to "North Node Astrology."


Question: Strong title! Sabotage is a powerful word, what do you mean by that?


Elizabeth: Of course, love itself never sabotages, but our ideas about what love is supposed “to look and feel like” do sabotage--they get distorted or contaminated by our ideas, expectations, and assumptions about how love is supposed to look and feel-- and of course all this is influenced by our past life/early life default patterns. We hold the emotional memory of love from life to life, and this is seen astrologically in the story the South Node holds for each person.


Question: So its based on the theory of reincarnation, or as you said in the book--whatever gets transmitted along with the DNA--the family karmic inheritance, and the Soul's past karmic inheritance. So, will the new blog and book be about these sabotaging and saving ways of thinking and feeling that the South Node describes?


Elizabeth: Yes, but that will only be a part of it, as I also want to write about the importance of how two kinds of love: human love, as described by Venus in the birth chart, and divine/compassionate love, as shown by Neptune in the birth chart. They are two very different ways of loving….and of course Venus love is messy and imperfect, whereas Neptune love is the Ideal and perfect. Our culture, especially in music and movies, combines these two into one in which we think that “romantic love” is going to save us….but I don’t think this is the most helpful way to think about what love is. I tend to think of loving as a verb for one thing. Our culture tends to put too much weight on our lover or partner to “love us.” Whereas we are all personally summoned to do the loving and spiritual work ourselves. So, I guess you could say I’m advocating more self-love that overflows into love of others.


Question: Interesting! Carl Jung wrote about the illusory and confusing part of love when he talked about the anima and the animus projections. Other people like John Welwood and Harville Hendricks also remind us that our psyches may have a very different agenda in relationships…..


Elizabeth: Yes! And there’s always a mixture of “grace and grit” in relationships especially when the honeymoon period wears off and the more unconscious dynamics start moving in….that’s what we don’t hear about in the songs, or in the romantic movies. I believe we need other ideas and expectations about mature love, and especially love in the second half of life. I don’t mean that relationships can’t be romantic, but it’s going to take more than romance to keep two people together.


Question: You were married for 20 years, divorced for 5 years, and then remarried the same man. Did you think you learned much from that?


Elizabeth: I hope so! In those five years of my divorce I had a lot of despair as well as having lots of “adventures in dating.” And I became engaged to another man as well, but I broke it off even though consciously there was a lot of goodness in that relationship. However the expectations were not matched well, and our projections on each other were getting seriously “tarnished.”


Question: So why did you remarry your first husband?


Elizabeth: We remarried after five years, because we still loved each other and felt our story wasn’t finished yet. It’s not always an easy relationship because we’re quite different, but it’s got a good “growing edge” to it, and we communicate better than before. We’re happy we’re continuing our story…


Question: Does this tie in with the South Nodes, Venus and Neptune in your birth charts?


Elizabeth: Absolutely. And that’s a long story…you’ll have to read the new book! It will all be there, although the long chapter on relationships in “North Node Astrology” is autobiographical for the most part.


Question: Sounds like “South Node Astrology” will be a great complement to “North Node Astrology.” So, the career/life direction aspects and soul purpose is the focus in the North Node book and the relationship aspects more in the South Node book…sounds like you’ve got something here.


Elizabeth: I think so…thanks so much. And as I mentioned, the North Node book has a long chapter on the alchemy of relationships as well, so it’s not totally divided. They work as a pair, the Nodes and the books. This work ties in with what Steven Forrest and Jan Spiller and others have done in the field, but it has a different slant—I draw a lot on the psychology and inspiration of Carl Jung and James Hollis, and try to create a blend of the psychological and astrological with personal stories….so we’ll see how people relate to this. I’m hoping readers will comment on the new blog: South Node Astrology, so that I’ll get some feedback on all this.


Question: I’m sure you will. Thanks, Elizabeth.

"Addicted to Anguish" by guest blogger Donna Cunningham

Addicted to Anguish—

a Sketch of one Neptunian Type
©2009 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Every planet in the birth chart and every trait associated with that planet exists along a scale of one to ten, with one being miniscule to ten being way over the top. People with Neptune, Pisces, or the 12th house strong in their charts are often compassionate, with great empathy and a willingness to help those who are suffering. When you shoot past seven on the scale for compassion, it begins to morph into something else—occasionally sainthood, but more often into being a sucker or rescuer.

If you’re familiar with addiction/codependency literature, rescuers (a.k.a. enablers) get enmeshed with people they’re trying to save in ways that are toxic for both. Over time, codependency becomes a full-blown addiction of its own. It eats up more and more of the rescuer’s life force and attention, leaving no room for growth or fulfillment. Worse, the addicted or otherwise dysfunctional person doesn’t get any better, because the rescuer protects them from consequences of the addiction. Enough—read the literature or go to the groups if you think this might apply to you.

What I want to talk about here are the high sixes and sevens on the compassion scale. It’s a sliding scale with adjustable costs depending on your available resources. It’s a case of pay as you go, and then keep on paying, because enough is never enough, not for the rescuer and not for the rescued.

I have a friend who’s at least a seven on the compassion scale, though she can slide to an eight at a moment’s notice. She’s got a great heart and is forever befriending those who are ill or down and out. The scruffiest, most bedraggled animals and humans we encounter on the street engage her sympathy immediately. Though a city-dweller in her mid-60s, she remains naïve, seldom recognizing signals that the individual is playing her.

She’s a loving person, and I admire her for her great empathy with the suffering souls of the world. A recovering New Yorker, I feel hard-hearted next to her. I recognize that she’s a far, far better person than I am. But, really, it’s sometimes a bit much. We went out for breakfast this weekend, and I caught a glimpse of a nine on the scale. I grasped for the first time the not so saintly underpinnings of her need to be needed. I saw why certain Neptunians live to suffer, to be martyred. I got that she is addicted to anguish.

So that you understand the foundation of these observations, I should mention that I earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1967 and have been observing human behavior intently through more than 40 years of astrology and psychotherapy consultations. I’m not just some cynic.

Still, I don’t know how to describe her demeanor in a way that doesn’t make me look like a hard case. She….okay, wallowed sounds bad, I know. But she appeared to thrive on the welling up of empathy…to get enmeshed in the angst. That morning I could see that it’s a bit of living vicariously through other people’s sorrows. Most of us, when we live vicariously, love to partake of others’ joys or successes. As a people, we’re fascinated with the lives of the rich and famous, drinking in every detail.

As I tried to console her, I could sense a strange sort of excitement about being in that state, an almost sensual immersion in anguish. There was a glow about her that doesn’t usually exist, a tinge of ecstasy.

Experts in psychotherapy write that people who engage in self-inflicted pain—like compulsively cutting themselves with razor blades—tend to do so when they feel deadened, numb, and need intense stimulation to feel alive. On the emotional level, martyrdom—another Neptunian quality—can serve much the same purpose.

I spent time later that day trying to sort out what was going on—reflecting on my friend’s history and what’s been going on in her life the past several years. I came to the conclusion that feeling for others with the intensity she does may start out as compassion, and Lord knows she does a lot of good in our world. But part of the payoff is that when she merges with their pain, she no longer feels dead inside.

I’d guess we all feel deadened at times, and we all have our ways of coping. Neptune rules addictions, and addictions are one way, whether they be to substances, exercise, retail therapy, the various ISMs, dysfunctional relationships, or some combination of the above. My friend’s way of coping with numbness is probably better than most, and in the long run, makes the world a kinder place. It is not to be confused with saintliness, though Neptunians are often confused on that score. ~

Donna Cunningham is an internationally-respected author of books, articles, and columns about astrology, flower essences and other metaphysical topics. Her insights reflect her dual background in astrology and psychotherapy. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and over 40 years of experience in working with people. Her ebooks can be found at Moon Maven Publications (http://www.moonmavenpublications.com) Visit her blog at http://skywriter.wordpress.com.

Book Review (with comments!) from "New Paradigm Newswire" for new book: "North Node Astrology"

“The question after all is said and done is just how accurate and satisfying is the North Node section of the book…when I finally read my own North Node analysis, I was happily impressed by the accuracy of its description. For me, it was a true mirror of my past and current life and spoke to me of the transition I find myself in now. I actually brought the book in to discuss with my therapist.”

(Wow…thanks Jeff…I’m impressed by your personal self-disclosure there!)

He goes on to say: “The author studied astrology for the past 40 years but only in the past 15 became fascinated with the North and South Nodes. For her they have provided a reminder of the negative core beliefs that had previously kept her out of alignment, disembodied and not authentically herself. Each of us is a wounded healer, a “Chiron” that knows the best medicine that cures. She calls it the North Node.”

(That’s true. There’s a lot of my self-disclosure and a bit of raw edginess that permeates the book. Now the next book—South Node Astrology-- and the new blog-ing posts will focus on the South Node, because the Nodes are on an axis that truly can’t be separated. The South Node will bring up the huge importance of how our “emotional memory” of love --both from this life and previous lives as shown on the birth chart-- both saves and ‘sabotages’ us.)


He continues to say: “Looking at life symbolically invites magic and synchronicity, disturbs the status quo, and renews a sense of faith and trust because you begin to see how your personal life story synchronizes with patterns that are larger than you and touch your connectedness to the whole of life. Meaning underlies apparent chaos. So to answer my initial question, can this book be of value, I would now answer a resounding yes. It combines the wisdom of a visionary psychologist with the synchronicity that astrology and particularly “North Node” astrology offers.”


Again…thanks Jeff! The full review can be found on Jeff Hutner’s site: http://newparadigmdigest.com/1498/northnode/