North Node in Taurus/South Node in Libra - Here the soul is confronted with some of the most difficult karmic lessons in the zodiac. Past lives have been strewn with endings as the Plutonian force of Scorpio worked through its process of transformation. Now the individual is so frightened by the memory of having the rug constantly pulled out from under his feet that he develops a defensive attitude toward all who offer him regenerative advice. In past incarnations he literally went through the fires of hell to burn away his false values. Now instead of falling back on the remains of Scorpio still within him, he must build through Taurus a new set of substantial values to live by. Nearly all with these Nodes have at one time touched the force of Witchcraft, and so in the current life there is to be a rude awakening about any remaining residue of the lower self. In past incarnations, this individual also had to deal with a powerful sex drive which kept throwing him off balance. As a result, he is used to seeking gratification through all sorts of relationships which ultimately become destructive to the personal ego. Then, confused and embittered by all he sees toppling around him, he is almost glad to aid in the destruction of whatever little remains. Most of the conditions in this life are still controlled from his subconscious level, buried deeply below the scrutinizing eyes of society. He may appear jovial and friendly, while he is in fact planning some mysterious adventure of intrigue inside. The chart must be studied carefully to see just how far the soul has come out of Scorpio before an accurate interpretation can be given. For those already closer to Taurus, the violent churning of Scorpio is purposefully avoided at all costs. For those just barely out of Scorpio the internal revolutions are still going on. Planets conjunct either Node will pull the individual toward that Node and literally force him to live through it in the current life. For all with these Nodes the past residue of revolution is of such powerful intensity that there is bound to be some after-effect spilling over into their present life relationships with family members and close loved ones. Each day seems to be filled with new emergencies, until one crisis built upon another creates such a turmoil of conflict that the individual is reduced to his most very basic struggle for survival. He doesn’t yet know the art of moderation or how to take things at face value for he still believes that others always have an ulterior motive. Inside he feels that he must constantly escape from punishment, and in his escapes he leaves behind him a tornado-like shambles of all he once held dear. At times he sees others turning on him, but rarely does he stop long enough to understand that he is the cause. Whether he is still acting out his past incarnations in Scorpio or advancing through Taurus his fixed stubbornness is very much a part of his ingrained way of doing things. He will make much growth when he is able to see the actions of others as reflections of his own subconscious! From past incarnations he has become accustomed to attuning himself to a peculiar brand of intensity, which when not allowed to express itself, turns to anger. He has been deeply scarred with the pain of being hurt, and now like a wounded animal can be deadly to any who represent the slightest threat. On the lower levels of consciousness, individuals with these Nodes can pursue their prey with a personal vendetta. Then when the pieces fall, they appear to be the innocent victims, while they are in fact the carefully planned victors. Due to the intense emotion constantly seeking expression, a variety of creative outlets are needed. Sexual desire must be transmuted into Divine Love. All embittering conditions from past incarnations must be dropped from the consciousness until the new seed of peace is discovered. The Scorpio South Node must burn the bridges of the past and resolve to benefit from the lessons of Lot’s wife: “Never to look back!”

Through the Taurus North Node he must learn not to dissipate or waste in valueless areas all the power that flows through him. His greatest achievements in this life occur when through the development of a great love for the earth he lives on, he starts to appreciate glimpses of the source of his unfailing supply and support. For lifetimes he has misused his energy, his drives and his desires, feeling himself alone against all the oppressions and afflictions that affect mankind. Now, through the sensitive impressions of his Taurus North Node he is to be brought to the awareness that the abundance in the universe is so great that he will always have what he needs when he needs it. He must learn to distinguish the difference between the words want and need, for although he may not always be able to realize what he wants, he is at every moment surrounded by all he needs! As he reaches for his Taurus North Node, he is reaching at last for stability. He can stop chasing all he has ever felt cheated of by seeing all that is now offered to him. Ultimately, he is destined in this life to reach a state of contentment as the seething volcanoes of Scorpio melt into the blue spirit waters of harmony in Taurus -- where the beloved Gautama Buddha left his blessing. Truly this is the transition from lifetimes of war into a garden of peace.

The house position of the South Node indicates the area in life where any remaining residue of the Scorpionic battles must be conquered. The house position of the North Node shows the area in life where the new awareness of trust and security can ultimately replace the underlying struggles.

from: Schulman, Martin, Karmic Astrology - Volume 1, 1975, Samuel Weiser, Inc., New York

North Node in the 12th House/South Node in the 6th House -- Here the individual undergoes a crisis in consciousness. Whether he is actually aware of it or not, much of his life is spent in deep thought. He finds the physical world exhausting. From time to time he has to deal with illnesses which take him out of the competitive arena, strongly afflicting his abilities to work. When he is working he finds conditions intolerable. He feels rather underpaid or at the very least unappreciated for all he has to offer. He becomes so wrapped up in the circumstances surrounding whatever he is doing that he allows his attitudes towards his job to permeate all areas of his life. He has much prior-life memories of order and organization, yet everywhere he goes he sees chaos. In past incarnations he was a perfectionist, critical of the world around him. Now the imperfections he sees weaken him to the point that he feels unable to cope. The world is perceived as not quite giving him all that it could. Some with these Nodes tend to dwell in self-pity, while others nourish an embittered resentment. There are feelings of jealousy directed towards other people’s well-being, which they perceive as being less earned than their own. Usually there is an inflated sense of ego at the source of the problem. The self as developed in past incarnations is now seen as a perfected ideal, stationed above the rest of humanity. In his own private thoughts this individual will rarely admit that he has a tendency to look down upon others. Yet, secretly he sees everyone as less perfect than himself. He would sooner go unemployed than work at a job which he feels is beneath him. It is certain, however, that circumstances will force him to do such work even though it is against his every principle. Having tendencies to internalize his anger at feeling put down he creates one very real illness after another, until ultimately he reaches a point that he feels justified in blaming his work conditions for his poor state of health. Carrying a past incarnation feeling that society has shut him out, he sees himself as a neglected child deprived of the central core of richness in life which is there for others but somehow not for himself. He spends too much energy trying to impress others and not enough in developing a fullness within himself. More than anything else he must learn to look inside, where he will find the answers to all of his problems. Many with these Nodes watch life pass them by, spending too much of their time and energy wrapped up in petty thoughts. There is a strong residue of past-life nervousness in the sixth house South Node wherein this individual literally eats away at himself by trying to digest into his system of order every tiny detail that comes to his attention. He must learn how to discriminate between what is important in terms of his life’s values and what are just transitory upsets which will pass in due time. Through his constant questioning he creates for himself a sexual problem, rooting itself deeply in fears of failure. And so unable is he to face his fears that he will compound the problem by developing a pattern of abnormal sexual response designed to mask his feelings of inadequacy. Though he tries not to, he keeps seeing himself as a helpless pebble on a beach of thousands. In prior lives he managed to control his universe. Now the world seems larger than he would like and he does all he can to prevent himself from feeling too small by comparison. His growth starts the moment he begins to see himself not only as a part of a greater whole but containing within himself the essence of the entire universe. He must break his past incarnation tendency to put the world in little boxes and search for the seed of all within himself. Here he will find the abundant richness he has been so desperately seeking. Periods of forced isolation help to bring him to a higher consciousness through which he ultimately learns that things can be different without one necessarily being better or worse than the other. By going deep into himself he will realize that all of life’s conditions depend entirely on how much he can relinquish his hold on trying to overturn the world and rechannel his energies towards overturning himself. He does well by immersing himself in the works of a large institution where he can develop a group-consciousness, focusing on the collective good of the whole rather than dwelling in the collected residue of his past-life bitterness. He will be tested many times in the areas which help him to develop compassion, until he ultimately sees that judging others actually prevents his own happiness.

His past-life karma is erased when he learns how to flow rather than allow his life to keep interrupting itself by petty distractions. He must attune himself to the essence of the universe rather than attempt to sort everything into neat little compartments. The compartments are like a house of cards, and only after they topple does he start to realize that his purpose in life is very far from what he originally thought. He can then learn how to loosen up and bathe in the beauty of all God’s creation, rather than seeing only a part of God and calling the part he sees All. As soon as he can greet change willingly, bending while the winds of circumstance flow through his being, he is on the path. Eventually he will leave the world where people manipulate each other and walk through the doorway to a higher harmony. In preparation, he must transcend the subconscious past-life memories of physical problems that still weigh him down and start to climb the cosmic ladder which leads to the realization of his soul. He must learn how to appreciate the wonder of all he sees without enmeshing himself in the details of why or how. His life will represent the ending of an idea much as the works of Dante symbolized the end of a period in literature. When he accepts this, his life’s work can be a great culmination of all that has come before him. Although his work may bring him behind the scenes there is a good possibility that it can come to public attention. He must also learn that the physical state of his health is totally dependent upon the purity and stability of his inner mind. Truly this is the Nodal position of mind over matter, and the life will be a karmic transition from the world of matter into the consciousness of infinite light.

The sign which contains the South Node indicates the ways in which former incarnations brought the individual to preoccupy himself with physical matter. The sign which contains the North Node shows how he can now transform his soul into the pure essence of Divine Mind.

from: Schulman, Martin, Karmic Astrology - Volume 1, 1975, Samuel Weiser, Inc., New York