Questions and bridges
What Are the Lunar Nodes?
The lunar nodes are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, the Sun's apparent path. Eclipses happen near them. In the astrological tradition they are read symbolically as the North and South Node, an axis of direction and habit.
Short answer
The lunar nodes are two opposite points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees to the ecliptic, so the Moon usually passes slightly above or below the Sun's path. It crosses it only at the two nodes.
The astronomy
The nodes are not objects but geometric points. When a New or Full Moon falls near a node, a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse can occur. The nodes drift slowly backward along the ecliptic, completing a full circle in about 18.6 years. For more on the scientific side, see Lunar nodes in astronomy.
The astrology
In the astrological tradition the North Node (Rahu in Sanskrit) stands for growth and the unfamiliar, while the South Node (Ketu) stands for the familiar, inherited habits and past skills. The pair is read as an axis for reflection: what do I already know, and where might I like to grow? This is a symbolic reading offered for inspiration, not a proven causal influence. See also Lunar nodes in astrology.
Questions and answers
Can you see the lunar nodes in the sky?
No, they are invisible mathematical points. Only their effects, eclipses, can be seen.
Why don't eclipses happen every month?
Because the Moon's orbit is tilted to the ecliptic, and a New or Full Moon rarely lines up with a node.
Related articles
Lunar Nodes: Where the Moon’s Orbit Crosses the EclipticThe North and South Nodes in the Astrological TraditionThe Ecliptic: The Sun’s Path Across the SkySolar Eclipse: How It Happens and How to WatchLunar Eclipse and the “Blood Moon”Lunar Nodes by Sign: The Six Axes in AstrologySources
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