North Node Calculator
Type your birth date. The nodes move slowly, about 19 years round the zodiac, so the date is enough.
What the lunar nodes are
The north node is not a planet. It is the point where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's path, going north. The south node sits exactly opposite. Eclipses happen near these two points, which is why the nodes have been watched since antiquity.
Modern astrology reads the north node as the direction of growth, the unfamiliar qualities you are meant to develop, and the south node as the familiar talents you fall back on. The pair always sits in opposite signs, such as Aquarius and Leo.
The nodes move backward through the zodiac and take about a year and a half per sign, so people born in the same season of the same year share them. There are two versions. The mean node moves smoothly; the true node wobbles around it by up to about two degrees. We show the true node and let you switch.
What each north node sign means
| North node in | Grow toward | South node habit to balance |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | Self-reliance and courage | Libra: pleasing others |
| Taurus | Simplicity and patience | Scorpio: crisis and control |
| Gemini | Curiosity and listening | Sagittarius: knowing best |
| Cancer | Home and feelings | Capricorn: status and duty |
| Leo | Joy and self-expression | Aquarius: hiding in the group |
| Virgo | Practical service | Pisces: drifting and escape |
| Libra | Partnership and fairness | Aries: going it alone |
| Scorpio | Depth and shared trust | Taurus: holding on to comfort |
| Sagittarius | Faith and the big picture | Gemini: endless detail |
| Capricorn | Maturity and goals | Cancer: staying in the nest |
| Aquarius | Community and ideals | Leo: needing the spotlight |
| Pisces | Compassion and surrender | Virgo: worry and control |
Worked examples
- Born 1990-03-05, true north node:
Aquariusso the south node is in Leo. - The same date with the mean node, at
15°05′Aquarius, about one degree from the true node. - Born 2001-09-09 in London, south node in
Capricorn - Born 1983-05-25 in Los Angeles, north node in
Gemini
How this is calculated
Mean ascending node from Meeus (47.7). True node = mean node minus 1.4979 sin 2(D - F), 0.1500 sin M and 0.1226 sin 2D, plus 0.1176 sin 2F, minus 0.0801 sin 2(M' - F) (Meeus ch. 47), with the fundamental arguments of ch. 47. The south node is 180 degrees away.