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Nodes of the Moon - Moving From Karma to Dharma
Both in our individual birth chart and in the transits we all share, the Nodes of the Moon play an important role:
The South Node of the Moon reveals
aspects of our karmic past
The North Node of the Moon reveals
the path to our dharma or highest potential
In this regard, the North and South Nodes of the Moon reflect the movement from karma to dharma in our life and act a significant guide on the mythic journey of the soul we are each navigating.
We all seek to understand our karmic past whether that be via the past experiences of our current lifetime or from past lifetimes. Our karma is the sum total of our past actions. Many people view karma only as negative, which is both not true and very unhelpful. We each have good karma and unhelpful karma.
Attaching fear or guilt related to being fated to our karma is very unhelpful, especially in our modern world, as this keeps us too engaged in our unhelpful karma and slows our progress of releasing this karma. We often re-experience karmic situations in life (especially early in life) so that we can form new responses, new habits and new ways of thinking.
This leads to the connection between karma and dharma.
Good karma is created when we are act and think in accordance with dharma. To live a dharmic life and create good karma for our next lifetime means that we act with compassion and all of our actions are undertaken with Source (God, Spirit, Light, Universal Energy, Your Choice Here) in mind - bringing us closer to Source (again, as you individually define that).
This is the movement from karma to dharma: the sum total of our karma exists within us and we strive to create good karma with every action and thought by acting according to dharma.
The more we are connecting with our good karma from the past (as opposed to clinging to our unhelpful karma), the easier it is for us to embrace and understand our individual dharma or highest potential in this lifetime.
In each birth chart, the North and South Nodes will exist in a sign, in a house, have a ruler and be aspected by important planets or chart angles. This astrological signature illuminates the qualities of our individual karmic thread carried forward into the present and also our dharma or the gifts or highest potential we are meant to give.
One person's South Node karmic signature might be related to home and family, while another person's might relate to career and social status. One person's dharma might relate to working with groups of others and leading teams of people, while another person's might be related to working one on one with individuals on individual goals. Understanding our natal signature fully is helpful as we navigate our course.
In the heavens, the transiting North and South nodes are about to change signs ushering in a new energy by which we can understand our own personal journey better.
The Nodes of the Moon Changing Signs
Since March 2014, the transiting Nodes of the Moon have been in the signs of Libra and Aries. On October 10, 2015, the transiting Nodes will change signs.
The North Node will move from Libra into Virgo and
the South Node will move from Aries to Pisces
The Nodes will remain in Virgo and Pisces until the end of April 2017. So, for the next 18 months the Nodes in Virgo and Pisces will color the unfolding mythic journey of the soul for each of us.
The Changing of the Guard - The Nodes Changing Signs
When I think of the changing of the guard, I imagine myself standing before the gates of Buckingham Palace in England. In London, the changing of the guard comes with a marching band, loudly proclaiming the ceremonial change. If you are near one of the three sites, Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks, you know something is happening.
The historic role of the guards are to be gatekeepers, controlling who and what can pass through the gates and into the grounds of the royal castle.
Astrologically, when the transiting nodes of the Moon change signs, it is quite similar to the changing of the guard as the quality of our experiences changes.
The transiting South Node brings forward aspects of your personal karma and this karma can be either favorable or unfavorable, depending your past thoughts, words and actions.
The transiting South Node unfolds aspects of our own karma (as defined by your natal South Node) so that you can further recognize and embrace the gifts you have developed in past lifetimes, as well as providing opportunities to recognize and eliminate the unhelpful habits you have established in past lifetimes.
The North Node is concerned with the next steps we are meant to take on the journey of the soul. The North Node in your birth chart is a guide to the direction and path you are meant to move forward on. In transits, the North Node introduces to people, circumstances and possibilities that serve to guide you on your path.
Movement From Cardinal To Mutable Signs
The Nodes are currently in Aries and Libra, which are Cardinal signs and share two characteristics:
- First, Cardinal signs are concerned with the topic of identity.
- Second, their habit is to initiate action so that we can express ourselves and our identity in life.
The Nodes are moving into Pisces and Virgo, which are Mutable signs with two very different characteristics from the Cardinal signs:
- First, Mutable signs are concerned with the topic of meaning in life.
- Second, their habit is to make adjustments we need to make so that our lives are more in harmony with the meaning of life.
So, the "changing of the guard" from Cardinal to Mutable signs signals a change in favor of greater sensitivity and recognizing the adjustment and change that is in harmony with the unfolding of dharma and meaning each of our lives.
From Aries & Libra to Virgo & Pisces
Aries and Libra share a quality of being relatively extroverted. Aries says "time to take action and express my desires", while Libra says "time to build relationships and build bridges with others".
Alternatively, Pisces says "time to slow down and to become sensitive to the more subtle aspects of life", while Virgo says "move gently and lovingly in bringing practical service to life".
So, this next 18 months is a gentler time, a time to slow down, so that we can be aware of the messages that come through life and that represent the transiting Nodes. This is a nice transition as transiting Saturn has moved into the mutable sign Sagittarius.
The change in energy with the shift from Aries to Pisces is particularly strong.
Aries is about action, action, action.
Pisces is about being sensitive to all of life and
the slowing down that is necessary to become sensitive.
Pisces wants us to be inspired, by a book of poetry, a sunset, a full moon, or just the feelings that arise gently like the tides on the ocean. To quote the title of a poem by Swami Rama, with the transiting nodes in Virgo and Pisces, "Love Whispers" to us. To hear the gentle whispers of love, we need to take the time to slow down and become aware of those gentle whispers.
Summary
In order to "move in harmony with the Sun, Moon and stars", the first step is always awareness. As the transiting Nodes change signs, be aware of the subtle change in tone in your experiences. Give yourself the permission to be more sensitive to the quality and direction of your experiences, so that you can truly "move in harmony" and embrace the journey of the soul with greater joy and fulfillment.
Move in harmony with the Sun, Moon and Stars!
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