Lunar Nodes into Aries + Libra: The Art of Self-Awareness

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

Today, July 17, 2023, the (True) Lunar Nodes shift from the Taurus-Scorpio axis where they've been for 18 months into the Aries-Libra, the axis of relating. For the next 18 months, the North Node will activate the Fire sign of Aries and the South Node will echo through the Air sign of Libra.

As eclipses are formed by lunations conjunct the Lunar Nodes, these signs are where most of the coming eclipses will fall. We actually had the first of the series of Aries-Libra eclipses starting with an Aries Solar Eclipse on April 20, 2023 at 29 Aries, the series will end with a Solar Eclipse March 29, 2025 at 9 degrees Aries.

These past 18 months, the eclipses through Taurus-Scorpio have correlated with a transformation of values, with an emphasis on money and finances, self-sufficiency and survival. Many of my clients had significant transitions in these areas. I found myself living my own bucket list, believing why not enjoy life's pleasures (Taurus) before I die (Scorpio)?

During this time, the North Node was being ruled by Venus (ruler of Taurus) and the South Node was being ruled by Mars (traditional ruler of Scorpio). With this shift, the reverse will be true - the North Node will be ruled by Mars (ruler of Aries) and the South Node ruled by Venus (ruler of Libra).

The North Node in Aries will emphasize independence, self-awareness, assertiveness and initiation. Jupiter only recently left Aries after a year-long transit from May 2022 - May 2023 and while Jupiter may have offered new opportunities and optimism for new beginnings, the North Node suggests that fresh starts taken now can have long-term impact, shifts of fate and transformation of destiny.

The April 20 Solar Eclipse in Aries was conjunct my IC, the root of my Natal Chart and what happened was my dear friend Sherene Vismaya told me about a silent retreat she was doing that was aligned with the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. I was curious and listed to his Power of Now and it had a profound impact on me. I'd listened to his audiobook over 20 years ago and it didn't really register - but THIS time, I heard it and I received it. 

At it's best, the North Node through Aries could be a time for self-awareness at an entirely new level. So many ancient and spiritual teachings say a version of the same thing - that in order to evolve spiritually we must work on ourselves and our responses, that's the only thing we can truly control. However, the dark side of the North Node in Aries could be an emphasis on self-interest at the cost of others, selfishness, competition, anger, impatience and an over-dominant ego. 

The work of the South Node is to bring forth patterns, experiences and echos of the past for release and resolution. It's been said that the South Node material is the fertilizer that can nourish the soul for growth of what the North Node is seeding to blossom. The South Node in Libra will have many re-evaluating their relationships, how they relate and the value of compromise.

While the North Node tends to point the way toward areas of growth and evolution, I find that the South Node - North Node axis is inextricably linked. They are a spectrum and you cannot disconnect them. At best, they are meant to be balanced and it's in this balancing that we re-align our destiny.

Some themes to observe during this time:

• Respecting one another's independence, freedom and personal needs
• Finding the courage to be a self-advocate
• Witnessing our patterns in codependency and over-compromising
• Diplomacy versus direct aggression; equality versus self-interest
• Observing your impulses and reactions in anger, impatience or frustration
• Reflecting upon how relationships help or hinder your self-development
• Personal transformation through deep self-awareness
• Competition with others versus beating your personal best.

For personalized astrological insight, I've opened my calendar for 1-1 astrology readings through August. Book your Astrological Insight Session here: https://RadiantAstrology.as.me/