Moon's Nodes Change Sign in 2006
Cosmic Phase Switch!

Rob Tillett, astrologer and founder of Astrology on the Web, examines the effects of the Moon's Nodes changing sign from Aries/Libra to Pisces/Virgo in June 2006. The Moon's Nodes are a powerful karmic force in the zodiac. This conjunction of the Moon's north node, the Dragon's Head, with the first degree of Aries, the most potent degree of the zodiac, has a 19 year cycle. This change of sign, coinciding with the Solstice and and a conjunction of the malefics, Mars and Saturn, will produce dramatic changes in the world, some of which have already begun.

In astrology, the Moon's Nodes (the Dragon's Head and Tail) are not planets in the strict astronomical sense, but rather sensitive points on the ecliptic, where the Moon crosses from south to north latitude and vice versa. The body of the "energy dragon" is the fourth-dimensional path of the Moon by declination, as she weaves her web around the earth.

The nodes are also known as the Dragon's Head (Caput Draconis), the North Node, and Dragon's Tail (Cauda Draconis), the South Node, although in Indian Astrology they are known as Rahu and Ketu. In mythology, this Dragon sought to devour the Sun and Moon, causing the eclipses. The North Node, the Dragon's Head, is called the ascending node, because it marks the point where the Moon crosses the ecliptic from southern to northern celestial latitudes, and the South Node is called the descending node, marking the descent from northern to southern latitudes. All the planets have nodes except the Sun and the Earth, but the Moon's Nodes are by far the most significant, in terms of human destiny. For more on the nodes, please click here.

Flicking the Cosmic Switch

The movement of the nodes is normally retrograde, so from June 1 to June 19, the Moon's mean north node will be in the first degree of Aries, the dynamic, aggressive sign of the Ram. This is the first degree of the tropical zodiac and, interestingly, on the 19th of June the Moon will also be in Aries, as the nodes change sign from Aries to Pisces, marking a major shift of cosmic intent. Also on this day, Mars the Warrior forms the stressful square aspect to Jupiter, Lord of the Gods, ruler of Kings and Presidents, as revolutionary Uranus, master of chaos, catastrophe and change, turns retrograde.

On the 18th of June, Mars the Warrior is conjunct Saturn, the Grim Reaper. These two are the traditional malefics (bad boys) of the zodiac. Notably also, on June 22, Mars and Saturn are in parallel aspect, a deep, longlasting energy, a "super-conjunction" that extends the force of the conjunction. On this same day, Jupiter squares Saturn, the culmination of an ongoing square between these two chronocrators that is part of the current underlying Grand Cross aspect which has stimulated the extraordinary developments of the last two years (since Jupiter entered the Via Combusta in mid-December 2004, producing among other things, the Boxing Day Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina). This Grand Cross activates the massive Solar Eclipse and Grand Cross aspect of August 1999, perhaps the most potent eclipse in human history.

The Moon's Mean Node is an averaged position, as the Mean Node is always retrograde, but the True Node oscillates according to the Moon's "wobble". This is caused by the gravitational effects of the Earth/Moon interaction, so the True Node sometimes has periods of direct motion. The Mean Node averages this "wobble" out. On June 22 UT (Universal Time, formerly GMT), leading into the eve of St John the Baptist's Day, the True Node enters Pisces, completing the phase-shift at the New Moon in Cancer on the 25th. The New Moon is always a time of beginnings. How apt!

The Solstice happens on June 21 in the midst of all this cosmic gear-crunching. It marks the transition of the Sun into Cancer and the activation of the Cardinal Cross. This is the cosmic cross that lies at the heart of tropical astrology – and at the centre of the Christian system. The astrological symbolism is deep, and underpins our archetypal responses to the energies that will be released at this time.

Pressure on President Bush

President Bush has his natal Sun in partile (exact) conjunction with the US natal Sun in the 14th degree of Cancer, so what happens to his chart and so to him resonates deeply with the US psyche. For those who are interested in the effects of the Fixed Stars, Sirius, the Dog Star, the prime Sun of our Galaxy, is also conjunct this degree. Sirius traditionally rules ambition, pride, emotionality, fame, leadership, wealth, fires, drought and danger through impetuosity. Moreover, President Bush has the degree of his ascendant conjunct North Asellus in the 8th degree of Leo, marking him as a courageous and defiant leader. Transiting Uranus is stationary retro from Pisces in a trine to this degree, promising a sudden or unexpected development that will moderate the evils of the other aspects, so it may be a death in his immediate family, as indicated by his progressed chart, where we see progressed Mars right on his natal Moon/Juno conjunction and progressed Moon slamming his natal South Node. However, since Mars and Saturn in their conjunction are also conjunct the South Asellus stimulating blindness, mass murder and other horrors through military action and overconfidence, despite long planning, great danger is to be feared.

The Cardinal Cross

Adriano Carelli, in The 360 Degrees of the Zodiac gives as the symbol of the first degree of Aries:

"An armed warrior of herculean build tilling the soil"

He notes that this degree is passionate, aggressive and prompted by a spirit of contest. It is enduring and idealistic, outstanding, independent and original. The degree is self-oriented, lacks human solidarity and seeks tangible results. So there we have it!

The movement of the nodes affects signs in opposing pairs, as the Dragon's Head and Tail are an axis, where the Dragon's Head (North Node) always exactly opposes the Dragon's Tail (South Node). Because the key factor is the activation of the first degree of Aries, the Cardinal Fire sign, the prime recipients of this cosmic blessing will be the Cardinal signs: Aries (Cardinal Fire); Libra (Cardinal Air); Cancer (Cardinal Water) and Capricorn (Cardinal Earth). This is the Cardinal Cross, the four quarters of the tropical year, defined by the Solstices (Cancer/Capricorn) and the Equinoxes (Aries/Libra) which themselves mark the seasons. On June 22nd, the day of the Solstice, when the Sun enters Cancer, this sets up a partile T-square with the nodes, a Tau, exactly on the Cardinal Cross.

The Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) don't get away scot-free, however, as they are the recipients of the Grand Cross in Fixed signs that has been active to one degree or another for quite some time. The conjunction of Mars and Saturn in Leo the Lion, squaring Jupiter in Scorpio and opposing Neptune in Aquarius is activated by the presence of Venus in Taurus from May 29th up to June 24th. This causes severe confusion and disorientation, perhaps even destructive violence, especially to those with the Fixed Signs strong in their charts.

The Mutable signs begin their nodal awakening at this point, when the Dragon's Head enters the last degree of Pisces and the Dragon's Tail slithers into Virgo. Remember the nodes normally travel in retrograde motion, so karmic awakening is from that day on the purview of the Mutables, Pisces/Virgo and Sagittarius/Gemini at least until December 2007. Gemini is the focal point during June of the Cosmic energies expressed by the Festival of Goodwill, whilst Sagittarius has its own cross to bear with Pluto hovering around the Galactic Centre at 26° Sag. between April and December 2006. The Full Moon at the 21st degree of Sagittarius on June 11, 2006 is the Gemini Full Moon, the Festival of Goodwill, conjunct dark Pluto and the Galactic Centre. This extends much potential for enormous personal and social transformation between the Moons of June 11 and July 11, the Full Moon in Capricorn, which is Cancer's Moon.

How Does the Cosmic Gear Shift Affect Each Sign?

As the Dragon takes her last gasp of Fire and Air before sloshing into the muddy pond of Earth and Water, we are due for a rapid realisation of karmic debts that have accumulated and must be repaid before this cycle ends. Hence we can expect dramatic developments with regard to the position of the nodes in your own chart, as well as in the world at large through the effects on the charts of countries and their leaders.

Karma is not just a mindless force, though the energies of the nodes do tend to bring out the unconscious side of things, but is a force that is designed to wake us up and shake us into a new state of awareness. Here is a brief commentary for each sign, with the current crisis point noted (due as the karma matures this June) and the side of life that will provide karmic experience in the period between July 2006 and January 2008.