The North Node as Your North Star

In Evolutionary Astrology, your natal chart represents an imprint of where you left off from a previous life and where you are headed in your current life.  Thus, your whole chart is karmic.  In some areas of life, you’ll have to clean up after yourself; in others, you’ll reap the rewards.  The reason the North Node is so significant is because it helps us bring out the best of ourselves and achieve our life purpose.    

For a quick review, the North Node is a mathematical point in the sky where the Moon crosses the ecliptic.  There are two points you want to become familiar with: a north point which is the North Node and correlates to your highest potential, and a south point which is the South Node and correlates to your karma from a past life. 

Having the North Node to reference in your chart is like having the North Star to guide you in the sky.  Both focus your attention and point you in the right direction.  The North Node tells you, “Okay, here’s what you have to do, here’s how you have to act, and here’s where you have to focus for best results and optimal progress in this life.”

The North Node as Your Higher Self 

Another way of looking at the North Node is as the result of you living in alignment with your Higher Self.  The North Node can be viewed as your Higher Self because it’s literally the part of you that you came here to be!  The North Node shows us the qualities of character you came here to develop so you could become the best version of yourself.   

So much of the time, in life, we seek guidance outside of ourselves instead of within. Whether through a coach, a teacher, a business mentor, or a religious figure, there are many people we entrust with the task of telling us what’s best for us.  But what if we just came to ourselves for advice?  What if we learned how to sit quietly and listen to that still small voice within?  And what if that voice was represented by your North Node sign? 

I understand that our personalities sometimes need outside help from people with more experience in the 3D/material world, but what I’m talking about here is a guide for your Soul.  That’s what I think the North Node symbolizes in your natal chart. 

When you look at your entire natal chart with the attitude of “This information is here to help me and make my life easier” and you understand the meaning of your North Node – as an embodiment of your Higher Self in this lifetime – then it makes sense to learn to adopt the qualities of your North Node sign!  

The House Placement of Your North Node Sign

The house placement is also very significant for you in determining what area of life you are here to devote most of your time to.  Like the North Star, the house of your North Node is a directional spot on a map (your natal chart) that guides you to where you need to be. 

Let's look at an example. A North Node in the fourth house implies more time spent at home cultivating a strong emotional base and a healthy family life.  In the tenth house, a North Node suggests taking a dedicated approach to developing a career and a positive public image so you can leave an impactful legacy behind. 

Neither placement is better than the other; they are each simply a reflection of where you’ve been and what you’ve already done in the past.  So, if you came in with your North Node in the fourth house and you are struggling in your career, it may be because you are meant to work from home or not work in the “conventional” way at all.  This all has to do with the fact that, in a past life, you already had a big career and made an important impact in that area.

Remember: Your Soul is here to evolve, and that means trying new things.  It’s not concerned with how successful you are or how much money you earn.  What it wants from you is spiritual growth through new life experiences.

Your South Node, on the other hand, is the spot you are moving away from. It is always exactly opposite the North Node, so, if you came in with your North Node in the fourth house, your South Node is in the tenth house - and this is how we know you no longer need to focus your attention on the tenth house (career).  There may be exceptions to this if you have other planets in the tenth house, and that would take more time and analysis to review, but what would remain the same is the fact that you are headed in the direction of the fourth house to fulfill your life purpose.

Do a Personal Experiment

If you feel intrigued, you could do a personal experiment and follow your North Node for a year.  During this time, you could see what changes occur for you, how you feel on the inside, and what manifests for you on the outside.  When I say “follow your North Node for a year” I’m not talking about the transiting North Node in the sky, but rather your own personal North Node that remains in the same place in your natal chart.

In my own life, when I did this, I met my soulmate, I got married, I changed my career, and I’ve never been happier.  I wish the same for you!  But it takes trust in your natal chart (and trust in astrology) to act on its directives.  But what do you have to lose?  In the worst-case scenario, you will have developed more positive traits as a human being by learning about a zodiac sign that you may never have researched before (your North Node sign)!

What About Free Will?

Evolutionary astrologers believe we all have free will.  So, what if someone doesn’t like what their North Node has to say about their life purpose?  Then they don’t have to follow it!  No one has to abide by anything in their chart.  It’s all just a suggestion from the stars (or in this case, the lunar nodes of the Moon).  But what people usually find – especially around mid-life - after they’ve had enough time doing everything on their own for a while, is that they are ready for a change, open to some suggestions, and receptive to guidance. 

Moreover, the North Node does not say: “You are destined to become a lawyer in New York” or “You are meant to serve the less privileged as a social worker in Louisiana.”  What it does do is develop your character and your innate skills which help you align yourself to a career or a way of life that is most meaningful to you. 

The Chiron Link to Your North Node

Another benefit to following your North Node is that it can be medicine for your Chiron wound.  If you focus on your North Node and align yourself with the qualities you are here to embody, you will naturally heal the wounded part of your Soul.

It is when we get stuck living out the habits and behavioral patterns of our South Node sign that we get stuck replaying the behaviors of our “past self.”  When, what we need to do, in this life, is embrace a new path and one that will stop limiting our ability to heal and start enhancing our ability to feel… to feel passion, to feel excitement, and to feel like we are living our lives on purpose! 

This is why it’s so important to understand the sign and house placement of your North Node as well as the sign and the house placement of your South Node.  Once you can differentiate between these two energies, you know which behaviors to activate and which to disengage.  Then your options in life become clearer as the pathway narrows, and you effectively pinpoint careers and opportunities that you are most likely to excel in and enjoy.

In Conclusion

The North Node is just a mathematical point in the sky, and yet, it holds the potential for our greatest happiness and our Soul’s evolution in this life.  It can help you move away from unhealthy and unproductive behaviors while supporting you in adopting new traits that will assist you in healing your core wound, Chiron.  Just as the North Star is always shining for us in the sky, the North Node is always guiding you from your natal chart.  If you feel rudderless, lost at sea, or confused about where you need to be, turn your attention to the North Node and learn what hidden potentials are there waiting for you to see.