The Nodes of the Moon
The Moon's Nodes are not physical entities, but points in space. As such their influence in a natal chart is much more subtle than the planetary influences, but the Moon's Nodes have much to teach us.

The Moon's Nodes are points in space representing the points where the moon's orbit around the earth crosses the ecliptic. The North Node is the point where the Moon's orbit rises above the Ecliptic, and the South Node is the point where the Moon's orbit falls below the Ecliptic. The North Node and the South Node are always exactly opposite each other in the chart.

The North Node is also called Caput Draconis, or Dragon's Head, whilst the South Node is also called Cauda Draconis, or Dragon's Tail.

Both nodes are extremely important in Indian astrology, where the North Node is seen to have a 'good' influence in the chart and the South Node is seen to have a 'bad, evil or malefic' influence. This interpretation is a little too cut and dried for my tastes, and I have not found this to be so in Western Astrology.

The Moon's North Node represents, in simple terms, what we need to learn, and how we need to learn it, in order to grow in this lifetime. The Moon's South Node represents what we have already learnt in previous lives. The challenge is to learn to use the past life knowledge (South Node) in such a way as to grow with and towards our new destiny (North Node). How to work off karma, if you like. Often, though, we are more comfortable with the familiar South Node and resist the challenge of moving on to the North Node - for this reason, the South Node is also likely to represent the way in which we tend to rest on our laurels or shy away from challenges.

The house position of the Nodes is just as important as the signs. The house position of the North Node represents the area of life in which we will have most to learn in this lifetime. The house position of the South Node indicates the area of life with which we probably feel most comfortable - not to say that all is rosy in that area, just that we feel a certain amount of closure in that life area and no longer struggle with it the way we did in a previous life. Again, the challenge is to use the security of one life area (South Node) in such a way as to be better able to meet the challenge of the more difficult life area (North Node).

The Moon's Nodes are therefore very important when looking at the karma or spirituality of a birth chart. They also have much to tell us in a synastry analysis: aspects from a badly aspected planet in chart X to the North Node in chart Y would indicate that X can do much to help Y better work out the energies of this troublesome planet. Aspects from a reasonably well aspected planet in chart X to the South Node in chart Y might tell us that this relationship is likely to lead to X finding that the relationship holds him back in some way associated with this planet, and keeps him from moving forwards in that area of his life.

Of all the features to be found in an astrological chart, the Nodes are perhaps the greatest enigma, the most controversial and least understood. Even after 30 years of studying astrology, I can not say I truly say I have come to gripes with them. And yet I find that I can’t ignore them either. Far to often they seem to coincide with significant events it the charts I cast, For this reason I continue to watch them in my personal attempt to grasp they really play in astrology.
Dane Rudhyar saw the North Node as dealing with destiny and the South Node with human will. Some authors see the North Node as a beginning point and the south as an ending. Others consider the north node to be areas we need to develop and the south to be talents we already have. In Hindu astrology the Nodes are seen as karmic points with the north roughly the nature of Jupiter and the south with a Saturn like influence. Some of the older western astrologers saw the north as having a Sun like nature and the south as a lunar nature.
Aleister Crowley in his book “The General Principles of Astrology”, referring to the Nodes as the Head and Tail of the Dragon, writes, “Neither the head nor tail of the dragon forms aspects with the planets. Their only importance is their position in the horoscope.” Robert Hand, in his book Planets In Transit, did not include the nodes. He writes, “Although I believe that the Moon’s node has an effect, at this point I am not sure enough of its meaning to speak about it with confidence.
The range of views on the roll of the Nodes is almost as vast of astrology itself. While I do not use the Nodes in my interpretations of Natal charts, I do place much value to them when doing Transits and Progressions. I can not say with any particular certainty what influence they might bring to bear, but I always make note when any planet crosses a Node. Both the North and South Nodes seem to coincide with a vast range personal events in the lives of my subject. Transits of the Nodes have marked everything from heart attacks to the birth of children and grandchildren, from financial lose to the meeting of future spouses, from personal accidents to the winning of a legal decision. The planets crossing the Nodes seldom seems to matter.
From my own perspective, The Nodes represent “Event Marker.” Whether these events are karmic or merely serendipitous, I can not say. The most I can offer it that the nodes are not to be ignored.

Hi swetha,
Evryday I login to this amazing forum and I am sort of getting addicted to it. Its great to see how much material and information you have added here on so many topics. I really salute u for this mammoth task ur carrying out. The topic made gr8 reading.
Once again
Hats Off to You!!!

thanks arian,
but i feel we still have a lot to achieve:)
get more experts on the board, more posts , more interaction.. i guess this will all come with time:)
great to have u here.
swetha