The Nodes Know

One of the reasons I am so drawn to astrology is its ability to be an infinite source of information about ourselves.  We can get information from each of the planets and signs and houses in our natal charts.  Then we can look at the symbolism of the angles that each of those bodies makes to the others.  Then we can look at the top half of a chart versus the bottom half, or right versus left.  And then then we can compare our own birth chart to what is going on in the sky at any other time.  And on and on and on . . . . It can be a textbook that serves us our whole life.

On September 2nd, there will be a shift in the Moon’s North and South Nodes.  The Nodes are mathematical points and not physical bodies, but in astrology we can use them in a way that is similar to the planets and signs in our chart.  (For you scientifically-minded readers, the Nodes are the points where the Moon’s orbit intersects the Earth’s ecliptic.)

Now, many of us know our Sun Sign, our Rising Sign, and some might even know the Mercury or Moon signs.  But the Nodes are less commonly known, which in my opinion is a shame.  The Nodes are a wealth of information for those of us on a spiritual or wisdom quest.

In short, the South Node tells us our spiritual starting point in this lifetime.  It represents our unconscious patterns and past-life habits we continue to carry on in our current incarnation.  The North Node is its opposite, symbolizing our spiritual destination.  It is our path to spiritual enlightenment and can bring great fulfillment.

For the past year and a half, the South Node-North Node combination has been Gemini-Sagittarius.  This pairing has given us humans the collective experience of understanding that busy work, spreading ourselves too thin, and multi-tasking may not be the answer; it has been encouraging us to find meaning in our lives instead.

When the Nodes move into the Taurus-Scorpio arrangement, they are nudging us toward deep transformation.  Taurus is strongly attached to stability and security, but Scorpio says that change is the only constant.  We can keep the vision and philosophy we learned from the earlier Nodes, and we can incorporate a surrender of sorts to the natural birth-death cycle of life.

Be open to change, Wisdom Warriors!  Remember that real growth takes “full circle” experiences, so be willing to let some things die in order to live fully!

 

You Payin’ Attention?

The header picture for this blog is a holly.  That holly is, in many ways, the reason for this blog.

One of the most important qualities for a Wisdom Warrior, I believe, is awareness.  As we each walk along our particular path in life, are we paying attention to the lessons and opportunities that come our way?  Whether you amble, sprint, or boogie down your life path, you can still notice the signposts that appear before you.

Of course, noticing is only part of the equation in “paying attention.”  After you notice, do you then ponder?  Do you take the time and effort to study your messages?  Do you research the signs and wonder how they apply to you?

Take my holly, for example.  This particular holly is on one of my favorite trails in Valley Forge Park.  Each time I walk or run past my holly, he catches my eye.  When I took this picture, it was early spring, so he stood out against the bare trees and brownness around him.

As a symbol, the holly signals that it is time to become the spiritual warrior, that it is time to be clear about our purposes.  Native Americans and Druids, among others, believed the holly to be a sacred gift.  While it’s actually a bush, the holly is considered to have all the spiritual power of a tree, and it was often used to make wands, staffs, and prayer sticks.

So when my holly “appeared” to me, I read up on his symbolism and knew it was time for me to be clear about my endeavors and my intentions.  While a challenging one for me, I accepted holly’s message and embarked on a new learning curve.

How about you?  Any signs come your way lately?  Are YOU paying attention?  Share here!