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Astrologer's Notes: |
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The Nodal Horoscope In Synastry
Part 1
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by Basil Fearrington |
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In last month's essay, I wrote about the important link between self-worth and relationship fulfillment that is so important in a synastric analysis. The discussion of synastry continues in this month's essay but from what will be a new angle for many readers.
The process of synastry requires an analysis of each individual's horoscope and is followed by measuring important aspect contacts between the horoscopes of the principals involved. The more contacts there are (within 3-4 degrees and especially the conjunction and square), the more chemistry and energy exchange potential there is between two people. The aspect emphasis is usually focused more on the interactions with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Venus in each horoscope. However, of equal importance, perhaps in a more far-reaching way, is the symbolism of the Moon's Nodal Axis in synastry.
A Mythology of The Lunar Nodal Axis
In my private practice, I am quite comfortable with the symbolism of the Nodal Axis as a barometer of the reflection of a heightened maternal influence in one's life. But there are many who use the Nodes differently.
In astrological tradition, the Moon's Nodes are associated with soul growth. The North Node (for beginners, the symbol looks like a set of stereo headphones - ") has been thought to represent, by Sign and House, the nature and area of life experience in which the greatest level of soul growth can and should take place in one's life. The South Node (Á), by Sign and House, is said to represent the nature of and the area of life experience that is comfortable, a place that one retreats to under duress because of the soul's familiarity with those dimensions in experience (ostensibly from past lives).
The Moon's nodes are called the Dragon's head and tail (north and south respectively) in western astrology and Rahu and Ketu in Vedic astrology. The word dragon is etymologically derived from the Greek word drakon, which means "large serpent." Rahu and Ketu are recognized as serpent powers in Hindu astrology so there is a direct association between the dragons of the west and the serpents of the east.
Where the Moon's orbit crosses the apparent path of the Sun (the ecliptic), two crossing points are formed: The Moon moves northward across the ecliptic and the Moon moves southward across the ecliptic. The northern crossing is named the North Node. The southern crossing is named the South Node. Ancient astrologers saw these points of contact on the ecliptic as being representative of the points where the divine could enter into our lives. This quickly became associated with an act of Grace, an act of Karma and many mythologies surround the Nodes because of this.
The most popular myth connected with the Nodes is the Greek poem, "The Quest of the Golden Fleece." In this poem, Greek hero, Jason, searches for a prized fleece that is guarded by a dangerous serpent-dragon that never sleeps. Accompanied by the enchantress Medea, she lulls the dragon to sleep in order to give Jason a chance to capture the fleece. Jason ends up getting swallowed anyway and is later regurgitated by the beast. He is revived by Medea who charms the beast enough for Jason to finally capture the fleece and continue along his journey. The operative theme words in this myth are "swallowed" and "regurgitated," which is really another way of saying death and rebirth. Any number of myths regarding the Nodal Axis that are recounted along these lines all have to do with the idea of birth and rebirth, of past and present lives, thus karma, reincarnation, and soul growth. Stated simply, the Nodal Axis is linked with personal karma.
The Nodal Axis in Synastry
Keeping with the idea that the Nodes have a karmic symbolism, it becomes easy to understand how the use of the Nodal Axis in synastry is very important in gauging relationship potential.
There are relationships that come and go without much of a lasting effect in one's life and then there are relationships that make a lasting impact forever. In some cases, these kinds of relationships are bigger than the two people. It is as if some power beyond the two people is calling the shots of the relationship to a significance that goes beyond the norm. Two people are seemingly swept away with what happens between them and important life lessons are learned. We can be glib and suggest that these kinds of relationships exist because the souls of two people have a kind of recognition that goes beyond what can be understood with the eyes on the physical level. Whatever the reason might be, there is simply no question that there is major relationship potential suggested when the planets or an Angle of one horoscope makes contact with the Nodal Axis in another horoscope.
Because the Lunar Nodal Axis is the symbol of the Moon's (female) intersection with the Sun's (male) apparent path around the Earth (ecliptic) and because of the association with birth and rebirth, thus past lives, we see it as being a very primary symbol to be used in synastry. Using a three degree orb maximum, contacts (conjunction, square, and quindecile) made from one person's planets or Angle to the other person's Nodal Axis is an indication of a link between two people that is of such potential profundity that it cannot be fully understood (I also count trines but with no more than a two degree orb). We assume that the relationship has strong karmic implications about it that heavily impacts the lives of the two people in the relationship.
Personal Examples
Anyone who knows me well knows of my love of music, astrology, and nutrition. Music and astrology are my professions. The practicing and studying of nutrition sets the foundation for the kind of lifestyle that I enjoy. There are three key people who have contributed so mightily to my growth in each of the aforementioned topics that their contributions to my life are invaluable. My life was changed through my relationship with these three people.
Noel Tyl
Without any shadow of a doubt, astrologer Noel Tyl has championed my work, ability, and progress in astrology as no one else has. Much of who I am as a teacher, writer, and counselor in astrology is due to his teaching, influence, example, and assistance. If this was an essay about synastry-in-general, I could easily devote all of it to the olympic synastry between our horoscopes but, for purposes of this essay I am focusing on the Nodal Axis contacts.
Noel's planetary positions appear in the middle inner wheel of the quad-wheel horoscope shown here. You can see that his Sun at 10 degrees Capricorn conjoins my Nodal axis at 13 degrees Capricorn. In turn, my Mars conjoins his Nodal axis. I am the only person in the world whom Noel has entrusted to teach his Masters Degree Certification Course, which I did for one year on his behalf in South Africa. My first book is a presentation of his innovations in teaching and synthesis and there is so much more to what has now been a 27-year relationship that I could write a chapter in a book on it.
"AJ"
I have worked professionally in music since the age of seventeen, initially as a bass guitarist but also as a writer, producer, and arranger. I could bore you silly here with name-dropping of all of the prominent people that I have been fortunate enough to have toured or recorded with. Early on, I was very fortunate to meet another bass player whose prowess and greatness, then and now, has been the single-most important influence in my development as a bass guitarist. As Noel champions me in astrology, this man, who is also one of my two best friends, has assisted me so much on my instrument that I could write a novel on it. We have been close friends for some 31 years now and there isn't a week that goes by or the passing of a major event in either of our lives that passes without sharing it with each other.
"AJ's" planetary positions appear on the middle outer ring of the quad-wheel horoscope. As is the case with Tyl, the synastry with "AJ" is noteworthy without inclusion of the Nodal axis but their inclusion emphasizes the strength and importance of our relationship with one another: his Moon, Uranus, and Meridian (Midheaven-Nadir) all conjoin my Nodal axis and my Pluto is in exact conjunction with his Nodal axis. The mutual Nodal Axis contact underscores the "lifelong potentials" in our relationship as well as anyone else's.
"N"
Lastly, my other best friend has been invaluable as far as my nutritional and spiritual growth is concerned. We played together in the very first band that I ever played in. He has shown me the ways of nutrition, eating correctly, inner body maintenance, etc., in a way that was so profound that the lives of my children were beneficially impacted by it. And as is the case with Noel and AJ, there is much more that I could share about our relationship.
"N's" planetary positions are shown on the outer ring of the quad wheel. From the Nodal axis perspective, a comparison of our horoscopes shows his Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune in close aspect contact with my Nodal axis and my Moon conjoins his Nodal axis.
In my opinion, the Nodal Axis synastry is deeper when the contacts are mutual. In other words, person A's horoscope has a contact with person B's Nodal Axis and person B's horoscope has a contact with person A's Nodal Axis. That there is any contact at all (conjunction, square, quindecile) is important but when it is mutual, the emphasis is very strong in its potential.
In the horoscopes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, his Sun at 26 Leo squares her Nodal Axis. This is a clear statement of her benefit from him, mostly in terms of his charisma (please see my essay on Hillary Clinton at www.NoelTyl.com under the Analytical Techniques on the main menu).
You will notice that I have made no specification about a particular meaning being associated with a particular planet making the Nodal contact. This is because I do not believe it is necessarily important. In other words, if someone else's Mercury makes contact with my Nodal Axis, I do not think that an intellectual, cerebral, or communicative exchange is necessarily the basis for the closeness. The contact itself is what's important regardless of the planet or Angle making the contact.
The Nodal Horoscope
The term, "soul mate" is commonly used as a description of the "perfect partner," one who fits the ideal that is desired. The longing for a soul mate is what frequently leads people to seek a consultation with an astrologer, usually as a result of too great a frequency of failed relationships. The failed relationships create a sense of self-protection that then manifests idealistically as the desire for the perfect partner. The perfect partner (human), of course, doesn't exist and neither does a soul-mate. But the soul does exist and we know that there is a link between the Nodal Axis and soul dimensions. Therefore, a system of astrology, a zodiac that is nodal-based is going to theoretically reflect soul dimensions.
When we begin discussions of the soul dimension, we must refer back to the Lunar Nodal Axis. We have seen how there is an association between the ideas of karma and past-lives that is connected to the Lunar Nodal Axis. The Nodal Horoscope is based on the Lunar Nodal Axis so the entire horoscope reflects the state of the soul just as a Tropical horoscope reflects the state of your physical interaction with the environment.
The Origins of the Nodal Zodiac
The Nodal system of astrology has been in existence for centuries. However, the awareness of it came into being strongly through the astrological work of the late, great psychic, Edgar Cayce.
Anyone who is reading this site will be familiar with Edgar Cayce as one of the most gifted psychics ever. Working in a trance state, he was able to help thousands of people with health concerns, spiritual direction, practical advice, etc. Cayce could memorize the contents of a book by sleeping on it! In response to what actually happened within him during his trance states, Cayce explained that he was able to contact the great hall of records called, "Akasha." He said that the information came through him, that it was given to him by the Godforce, by the universe.
In the wonderful biography of Cayce, titled, "There Is A River," we learn that a man named Arthur Lammers contacted Cayce to see if he could use Cayce's gifts to get questions answered about various metaphysical subjects, one of which was astrology. Cayce was presented with birth information while in his trance state. However, the things that Cayce said in describing a horoscope did not make sense. He would say, for example, that a certain planet is prominent when the planet was not Angular or prominent in any way. As time passed, we learned that what Cayce was given in his trance state when doing astrology was the Nodal system, not the Tropical system. And we have to assume that this is the system that came through him because it describes the state of the soul's evolvement at this point in time (or in this incarnation).
In next month's essay, I will write show examples of how this system is used in synastry, how to calculate the system, what it symbolizes and much more!
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Basil Fearrington,
Astrologer
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Basil Fearrington is the author of "The New Way To Learn Astrology." He has been a professional astrologer for 22 years.
Basil's articles have appeared in the leading astrological publications around the world. He was the Inaugural Chairman for the MilleyDome project in Johannesburg, South Africa and taught astrology there for one year.
Basil has twice been a faculty member of UAC and spoke at Astro 2000. In addition to his work in astrology, Basil is a professional musician who has toured with and/or recorded for artists such as Stevie Wonder and George Benson.
He was on a team of composers who did the music for a network show called "New York Undercover." The same team won a Grammy award in 1980.
bfearr@aol.com
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