Lunar nodes are points in the sky that are (almost) always moving retrograde. The points are fairly slow moving; about 18 months per sign. When I use the word "points," I do not mean that they are planets, asteroids or even stars. They are mathematical locations that are calculated based on the amount of time and space between Eclipses along with the placements of those Eclipses. As explained by Bernadette Brady, Predictive Astrology (1999), the Nodes are established at the two points where "two circles intersect." The Earth's circle (or path) around the Sun and the Moon's circle around the Earth are known as ecliptics. While there are a number of other factors to consider, the most basic explanation is that when the two ecliptics (circles) cross paths, then the two points for the Lunar Nodes are established.

Suffice it to say, you will always find the Lunar and Solar Eclipses occur very close to the placement of the North or South Node. This is not a coincidence. This is because of the calculations used in order to establish the North Node and South Node paths as a result of those Eclipses. The calculations are not a new feature of astronomy, but originated hundreds of years ago when "science" was still in its infancy. Astrologers were able to determine the dates and times of future eclipses by using the calculations for Lunar Nodes.

Some astrologers referred to the Lunar Nodes as the Dragon's Head (North Node) and the Dragon's Tail (South Node). I assume the reference was that the Dragon's Head was controllable -- the Tail was not. It was and still is believed, in many cultures, that the Ecliptic events carry karmic significance and can portend great changes in society, especially if the event of an eclipse results in the total obscuration of the other planet. Because of this, it is believed that the placement of the North and South Nodes within an individual's chart also carries significant importance in the individuals' "fate" in life. This may be carrying it a bit far, considering that, in today's concepts of life, the majority of the industrialized cultures believe that human beings have free-will to choose their paths in life. Hence, Karma becomes more of a "choice" rather than a destiny.

There are not very many quality interpretative manuals available concerning the Nodes. In fact, the popularity of using Nodes in charts by modern-day western astrologers is quite low. Many of the Vedic astrologers will translate the Nodes. The Vedic chart will use the Mean Nodes, while this article is addressing the True Nodes. And, as you can see, this starts to become very complex, very quickly. This leads me to believe that, in a sense, the Nodes may not be so easy to interpret because there are no "established" interpretations or consistent rules to start from. The book Measuring The Night (2000) by Steven Forrest and Jeffrey Wolf Green does attempt to explain some of the reason for the mystery and the confusion. Additionally, the authors believe that Karma may not be the overpowering negative force as has been expressed by the old style Hindu and Vedic astrologers.

Forrest and Green describe Karma to be more like a "habit" (2000). It is described as an activity or behavior that we do to excess, a repetitive behavior, and that we are not learning/gaining from it. This would also include ingrained activities that are detrimental to us. To move beyond the "habit" we need to push to the North Node's energies. The effort of redirecting our energies to the North Node helps us to gain new insight and feel improved self-worth, fulfillment or, generally, a sense of growth. Additionally, Forrest and Green believe that we can "over do" the North Node energies. So we could assume that, with the polarity of the North Node and the South Node, balanced activity is the key.

Moving along to the significance of the North Node's placement in Taurus for the next 19 months. The North Node path will take it backwards (clockwise) starting at 29 degrees Taurus from April 13, 2003 to 0 degrees Taurus on December 26, 2004. It will then move into the zodiac sign of Aries. It is believed, that the "purpose of life" during this time is to become more practical in everyday life. We should strive to become more sensible in our use of materials as well as how we maintain our physical bodies. Money is likely to take on more importance within all cultures. That does not mean that "having money" is important, but more about how money is utilized, since money is generally equated to "material resources." Our concepts of "logic and control" are generally connected to the North Node. Taurus or the second house in astrology charts help to establish how we value objects and how we define our own personal self-worth. The Taurus energy lends itself the consistency and calm, as a means of establishing security. At a societal level, we may find more logic in establishing our security (or sense of security) in sound material objects. It will be interesting to see if more discussions ensue about investing in art objects or real property as a means of "securing" our financial futures.

The "Ego and subconscious" side of human behavior is typically connected to the South Node. The South Node is considered to be the "lower side" of human behavior. The South Node is directly opposite of the North Node - ALWAYS. This means that the South Node will transit through Scorpio. Now, please note, I am not picking on Scorpio! My descriptions are based simply on the nature of the South Node gravitating toward the less than positive features of any sign that it happens to reside. This time, it happens to be Scorpio. We may observe an increased interest/use in the addictive substances that take our minds elsewhere. Additionally, many forms of "Passion" are associated with the sign of Scorpio. The most common association is lust, sex and desires for sexual satisfaction. We may sense an increase in discussions about sexual dysfunction while the South Node moves through Scorpio. Chaos can be quickly found with the Scorpio South Node. Crisis and crisis intervention may begin to feel like a normal event. Another area that may pick up some discussion steam is the "shared material resources." We may find that greed and manipulation involving shared resources could become the hot topics, at many levels.

Again, these are simply speculations, since we are only in the beginning stages of the North Node in Taurus. You might want to do some investigation about activities when the North Node was in Taurus the last time. The transit took place from September 1984 to April, 1986. There may be some recurring themes pop up.

On a societal level, balancing the Dragon's Head with the Dragon's Tail is simply not practical. What typically happens is that there will be a sudden awareness of activity in one direction (usually the South Node energy as a deviant or detrimental activity) with a flurry of reactive attention that sparks alarm. The impulse is to look for other situations to confirm that things are out of control. Then groups of people will push back in an attempt to bring in some sense of balance and common sense (logic). Sometimes the attempt to "correct the problem" gets pushed too far with extreme measures, rules, and sanctions. We all see this effect, time and again, and we typically describe it as the "swing of the pendulum."

In our own personal lives, we can work toward finding the balance between the two sides. I enjoyed Helen Garrett's description in Nodes: Life's Purpose (1996), "The balance to be gained is between the spiritual and physical elements. Physical includes not only material possessions, but sexual practices." As a whole, our own personal values need balancing in order for us to feel a sense of satisfaction. We might ask ourselves, "Is this a 'Want' or is this a 'Need'?" Where is the balance if we are only choosing wants over needs or only choosing needs over wants? Finding ways of giving to others, receiving from others, and being willing to share without depleting all our personal resources helps us to meet those obligations. The resources do not necessarily need to be "physical" resources, since shared knowledge can also help others to build up their own personal worth. The energies of Taurus can seem so simple and basic. Perhaps that is what makes it so difficult to accomplish in real life.

In the individual's chart, the transiting North Node will move over all the natal astrological placements during an 18 year period. For the next 19 months, any planets in a person's chart in the sign of Taurus or in Scorpio will be receiving a Conjunction from either the North Node or the South Node. See the Table below to get a sense of how those transits can impact the individual.

Finally, I'm not sure if there is really a "fuss" about the North Node moving into Taurus. I'm more inclined to think that there is merely an observation of the transition with the usual increased speculation that comes as a result of any transition. We'll see the changes. Hopefully, we will learn new concepts and gain new insights as a result of our observations. Then, near the end of December, 2004, there will be a new "fuss" about the North Node moving into Aries. I hope that this quick summary helps to answer your questions.