“Protection” is the keyword that the great 20th Century astrologer Marc Emund Jones gave to the North Node. How do we access this protective quality of the node? First, it is important to understand that according to Kabbalah there are two forms an individual’s spiritual light takes: the “internal light,” and the “surrounding light.” The “internal light” is that part of the divine energy we have already integrated into our being. The “surrounding light” is that which we have yet to take in, that part of consciousness, which, when embraced and made a part of us will result in our enlightenment.
Kabbalah states that there are two paths of evolution: the path on which every aspect of us suffers, and the path on which only the ego suffers. Therefore the way to avoid suffering is to consciously and deliberately put ourselves in positions and contexts in which the ego suffers.
The North Node could be called the “Point of the Surrounding Light.” It represents that part of the light which we are yet to evolve into.
Even though suffering often seems to be meaningless it has a very specific purpose. It pushes us toward higher states of consciousness. We are not expected to become enlightened overnight. We are given time to evolve. But if our progress is too slow, then situations arise in our lives which push us forward, and those situations most usually involve suffering. How can we avoid this? By cleaving toward our North Node, by making a conscious effort to assimilate our surrounding light.
The only thing that stands in our way is our ego. Our ego likes routines, safe limits, the known. This is symbolized by the South Node – our past lives, the progress we’ve already made in the past, our internal light. When we fall back on this we betray ourselves by forsaking our evolutionary path. This is why Marc Jones called the South Node a point of betrayal.
When we follow our North Node we don’t need suffering. We ward it off. We are on our path and so the universe does not goad us to get on with it. The following gives some indications of actions that can be followed to protect ourselves on all levels, based on the house position of the North Node in our chart.
It has been often noted that there tends to be a resistance to pursuing our North Node – doing so can threaten the ego, which can be relentless in seeking out ways to avoid connecting with the North Node. All efforts toward actualizing our North Node, though, are of utmost importance, for they inevitably pull us forward and will eventually guide us toward completing our spiritual work.
North Node in 1st House
Always try to be yourself, and allow yourself to change. Don’t let other determine who you are. Don’t feel you have to change yourself so they can relate to you. Beware of compromising – you could easily lose too much by doing so.
North Node in 2nd house
Use what you have, do something with it to help other people. Cultivate your talents. Don’t allow feelings of inferiority to prevent you from developing your skills. Realize that you may have untapped abilities that you have not yet discovered. Think carefully about what you are going to do with your resources, including money.
North Node in 3rd house
Let others know what you think and where you’re at as much as possible. Communicate, and when it seems to not be working, try another way. Learn as many techniques as you can that will facilitate you in your work
Try to always be finding new ways of saying things that will make your ideas more clear to people. Try to be specific rather than vague.
Engage vibrantly with your enviroment. When circumstances place you with people you don’t know, communicate with them — introduce yourself to your neighbors, talk to the person who works at the desk next to you.
Be attentive to what is near at hand, and organize your immediate world so as to make it more efficient.
North Node in 4th house
Follow your heart’s desire. If you feel you need privacy, set up good boundaries with the world so you can have it. Connect with the earth and with nature. Allow yourself to have a family, which may or may not be your blood relations, but might include friends as well. Overcome your fears of intimacy.
Always be aware of the foundations in your life — your home, your health, the nurturning connections that you have with other people. Maintain and nourish these foundations so that they remain strong.
North Node in 5th
Allow yourself to play and to experiment, and to not take in the criticisms and judgements of people who may try to prevent you from doing this. Let out your creative, primitive and playful urges. Take risks when you feel the impulse to do so, and let yourself be adventursome. Don’t worry so much about the future — trust that it will take care of itself. Learn to enjoy the moment.
Don’t fear wasting time and energy. Think of your life as a laboratory and know that sometimes time and energy have to be used up in the process of experimentation, a process that is so very nourishing to your soul.
North Node in 6th
Define your problems clearly as clearly as you can, and figure out what you’re going to do about them. Learn to work on them piece by piece, so that you don’t get overwhelmed by them.
Always try to look deeper into the causes of problems so that you can get closer to the root of them. this will help you to solve them more effectively and completely.
Don’t allow others to put responsibilities on you that you don’t want. Be responsible in working with other people — tell them about any problems you have with them and share your feeling about your interactions. Try to find people who can help you with your problems, and who you can work with productively.
North Node in 7th
Take the initiative to negotiate with people and be willing to compromise. Reach out to others, and be open to connecting with people. If you don’t see opportunities for what you want to do, create them, maybe by moving into a new context or finding a new field of action.
Don’t be afraid to tell people what you think, but try to be diplomatic. If you get “no” for an answer, try approaching the same situation from a different angle. You are working on your negotiating skills in this lifetime.
North Node in 8th
Let yourself change, even when it seems scary, or difficult. Remember that the more you allow yourself to die, the easier it gets. If you feel you’ve gotten off the track, renew, rejuvenate and regenerate yourself. When things go wrong, don’t buy into the idea that there’s nothing to do — you can always make a comeback.
Find others who can help you market your talents, who can act as an agent for you, or people whose talents and resources you can promote. Get a clear picture of the expectations that others have of you, and whether or not you are able or willing to fulfill them.
North Node in 9th
Keep working to rise above stress, negativity and other distractions. Take time to get away from it all, maybe through meditation or other rejuvenative techniques. If you can’t physically “get away” as much as you need to, learn to “get away” by surrounding yourself with white light so as to shut out the world’s static.
Share your understanding of things with others. Consider moral, ethical, spiritual and philosophical questions carefully, and when feeling dejected or lost, learn to remind yourself of spiritual truth as a means of uplifting yourself.
North Node in 10th
Question authority and try to listen to and be guided by only those authorities who exemplify what you feel is right, and whose energy is nurturing, supportive and empowering to you. Try to overcome shyness so that you can share yourself more fully with the world.
Taking on leadership roles and being in positions of authority is good for you, as is being a parent and giving nurturing and guidance to other people.
North Node in 11th
Cultivate friendships and try to get close to people. Seek out people who will positively reinforce your best aspects, rather than those who will be codependent with you and retard your growth. Engage in networking. Find groups that share your common interests.
Always keep checking in with your feelings and thoughts about the future. Make plans, trying to make them as realistic and do-able as possible, and modify them as circumstances change. One of the most important things you are learning in this lifetime is that your beliefs shape your future.
North Node in 12th
Listen to your intuition, and even if it tells you something that your logical mind can’t make sense of. Try to follow its guidance, and when possible to do what it tells you to do. Do not ignore thoughts, images or impulses that keep coming to you. Ask your intution to tell you what they mean.
North Node in 12th can benefit greatly from meditation techniques of all types, shamanistic soul travel, guided imagery work, etc.