Planets and Points
North Node and South Node: What Your Nodes Point Toward
Your south node marks the habits that already feel like breathing, while your north node points toward the growth that still feels a little clunky.
⟶North Node Calculator
Your north node points to a less comfortable direction to grow toward, and your south node is the one you already know by heart. Enter your birth date to find both.
What the nodes are
The nodes are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's. They sit exactly opposite each other, so a north node in one sign always comes with a south node in the opposite sign. They move backward through the zodiac and take about 18.6 years to go all the way around, which is roughly a year and a half in each sign, so people born close together share them.
Read them as an axis
The south node is your familiar territory: tendencies that come easily and can turn into a rut. The north node is a less comfortable direction to grow toward. With the north node in Aries and the south node in Libra, the familiar move is going along with the room, and the growth is saying what you want first. Pick one small north node move this week and see how it feels.
Questions
Do I need my birth time?
The nodes move slowly, so your birth date is almost always enough. If they changed signs on your birthday, you'll see both and be asked for a time.
Is the south node a bad placement?
No. It's the familiar side of the axis, strengths included. The risk is getting stuck there, and the north node is the counterweight.
Why does another app show a different node?
This tool uses the true node. Some apps show the mean node, which is usually close but can land in a different sign for a birth near a sign change.
Keep reading
Planets and Points
The Lunar Nodes in the Houses: Where Your Growth Edge Shows Up
Your node signs are shared with everyone born within about eighteen months of you. Your node houses are yours, and they show where you practice.
⟶Planet positions from Astronomy Engine. Birthplaces from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).