Nodes of the Moon – Our Environment
In the mystical sense we all have a lunar body, for our geometry is conditioned by the nodes of the moon.
The nodes are not physical bodies but points in space. The nodal orbits arise from the intersection of the Moon’s orbit with the plane of the ecliptic (the path of the Sun and planets as they appear to revolve around the earth).
The north or ascending node shows where the Moon crosses the Sun’s path from south to north.
The south or descending node conversely is formed when the Moon travels from a northerly to southerly celestial latitude.
The lunar nodes do not operate in the same way as the planets, by influencing the solar neutrino stream. The nodes are windows into interstellar space, showing us our alignment and trajectory within the cosmos itself. Since the Big Bang, every one of us has been following a geometric line through space. By looking through the window of the lunar nodes, it is possible to see the themes of our current line of geometry. In human terms, this is what we call our destiny.
You will notice that there are in fact two nodes, the south node and the north node. In traditional vedic astrology, the south node governs where we have come from, in other words the past, whilst the north node governs where we are going, the future.
In Human Design, we turn to the revolution of the planet Uranus to fully understand how the nodes work. As we have seen, Uranus has an orbit around the sun of approximately 84 years, giving us our average modern lifespan. However, it is the midpoint of this cycle that is important when looking at the nodes. The midpoint of our life cycle, the Uranus Opposition, falls between the ages of 38 and 44. This is the fulcrum of the 2 geometries of our life. From birth until approximately 42 (it varies from person to person), we are governed by our south node theme, and from 42 until our death, we are governed by our north node theme.
In Design Analysis the Nodes of the Moon divide the life into these two basic dynamics. As a metaphor, it is the breath of life. The ‘prana in’ is the developmental stage; the breathing in of life experience, and the ‘prana out’ is the process of our maturation and the eventual stage of our true flowering. It is only really after our Uranus Opposition that we can really begin to make our full contribution to the world. The midpoint of the Uranian cycle (between 38 and 44) is like the still-point between breaths. It is a time of great change in our lives; the so-called midlife crisis.
“There is no one else like you, and only you can live out the magic and power of your unique gifts and contributions. I would love to help you validate the truth of who you are, and how you’re designed to interact profoundly and compassionately with others, as well as provide you with practical tools specific to your design that will create a greater experience of ease and grace, and alignment in your life.” ~ Ruth Brennan
Ruth Brennan is an IHDS Certified Professional Analyst, Certified BG5 Career & Business Consultant and Certified Teacher of Human Design. She currently lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwestern area of the U.S.