The South Node can be a place where we get stuck. Since it is a known, familiar place we associate it with a false sense of security. But rather than offering true security it only offers a stasis that keeps us doing the same old things, and if we engage in this repetitive activity too long, the force of evolution will push us forward in ways that can be highly unpleasant. Therefore the South Node has always been thought of in classical Hindu Astrology as a place of danger.
Let’s look at, for instance, South Node in 7th house. This person knows how to interact with others for they have probably been doing it for many lifetimes. They know how to get the response they desire, they know how to negotiate, how to interface, how to connect. But if they get too caught up in all this interaction, it is easy to lose THEMSELVES, to forget WHO THEY REALLY ARE, for when South Node is in the 7th house, North Node, of course, is always in the 1st house – the house of identity.
North Node in 1st house is learning in this lifetime how to play meaningful roles in life that will serve one’s spiritual purpose, be healthy, and be furthering to one’s evolution. They need to adopt these sorts of roles without giving in too much to others, without being overly concerned about the reactions that people have to them – for if they are too concerned with what those reactions are, and become too compromising they would be reverting to favoring their South Node in 7th house over their North Node in 1st house.
The Great Italian Astrologer Alexander Ruperti says that since the Node Move backwards through the chart, to understand their placement once should number the houses backwards, starting with the 12th house and calling it the 1st house. The 11th house would then become the second house, etc.
If we look at the above chart this way, we see that the 7th house, by Ruperti’s reckoning, becomes the 6th house, meaning that the person need to steer away from trying too hard to fix problems, and gravitate more toward their North Node, which, by Ruperti’s system would change from the 1st house to the 12th house. And so what this person needs to focus more on in this lifetime is their deep inner self, and learning how to navigate the energies of this. In other words, they need to develop their connection to their intuition, and follow its promptings.
I think the best way to analyze the Nodes is to look at both the common system as well as Ruperti’s system, always keeping in mind that the Ruperti system address more the hidden aspect, while the common system addresses the outer aspect.
Let’s take my own chart, for instance. I have North Node in the 9th house, meaning that in this lifetime I need to focusing on synthesizing my knowledge into an overall and integrated understanding. I also need to get above things so I can see them as a whole, as well as view them in their spiritual perspective. In Ruperti’s system my North Node is in the 4th house, meaning a need to cleave toward my heart’s desire (“heart’s desire” as an intepretative indication for the 4th house is from Classical Hindu Astrology). It makes sense that if I seek my true hearts desire as my core work, then on a more outward level its bound to lead to greater understanding.
My South Node is in the 3rd house, so I need to be careful of collecting information solely for its own sake, and of amassing tools and learning techniques just because they fascinate me. South Node in 3rd can mean running your mind aimlessly and falling prey to any and all distractions. By Ruperti’s system my South Node is in 10th house. So inwardly, I need to avoid focusing too much on the world, my reputation, or what others think. 10th house can mean “Complexities.” Which makes sense, because if inwardly one is focused on the complexities of life, it can manifest in a passion accumulating mountains of facts and gravitating toward anything one feels is interesting.
And just as the 10th house signifies “complexities,” the 4th house – opposite the 10th – signifies simplicity. For getting in touch and following one’s heart’s desire always magically causes the complex to become simple.