South Node in your chart - sign & house meanings
In this blog post, I share how to locate your South Node, the meaning of your South Node through signs and house placement, and I invite you to reflect on how it manifests in your life.
South Node meaning in your natal chart
In astrological terms, the South Node (also known as Ketu or the descending node) is linked to:
your ingrained habits
talents that come more naturally to you
the values and belief systems of our family of origin and ancestors
the collection of characteristics your soul has developed over the course of many lifetimes
Comfort is the currency of the South Node. It represents the cozy familiarity of well-trodden paths, the comfort zones we carve for ourselves based on learned behaviors.
As with any comfort zone, there lies the risk of stagnation. The South Node's gravitational pull towards the known and familiar can hinder personal evolution, creating challenges for those reluctant to venture beyond its cozy embrace.
The South Node represents traits and behaviors that may be familiar and comfortable but which are also tendencies that your soul wants and needs to move beyond (towards your North Node) in the current life in order to ensure personal growth and your soul’s evolution.
How to find the South Node in your natal chart
How to find your South Node sign and house placement is easy when you pull up your chart at astro.com (it’s free!).
But before you generate your chart, make sure to select the Whole Sign House system and tick “descending node” to see where your South Node is located.
In the quick video below, I show you how to go through these steps on astro.com:
How to interpret your South Node
Astrology's richness lies in its complexity, and the South Node is no exception. The zodiac sign in which the South Node resides offers insights into the inherent qualities you possess from previous incarnations.
However, the story doesn't end with the sign alone. The house placement of the South Node refines its expression, casting a spotlight on the specific areas of life where its influence is most potent.
To interpret your South Node placement, follow these steps:
first, seek to understand the nature of the sign
then, identify the house where your South Node is located
finally, reflect on how the themes of your South Node sign have manifested for you in the sphere of life where your South Node is located
South Node through the signs
The nature of your South Node sign (and your North Node sign) is more important to understand than the house placement as the South Node-North Node axis is about developing new traits and ways of being in life that your soul wants to master in this lifetime.
Reflection questions:
How does your South Node sign speak to how you instinctively operate in the world?
To what extent has your family of origin (consciously or subconsciously) encouraged or modelled for you to behave according to your South Node sign?
South Node in Aries
You may find comfort in independence, assertiveness, and a need to be right. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. While these traits can empower you, there's a potential downside. The challenge lies in tempering impulsiveness, thoughtless self-assertion, and self-centeredness. Embracing cooperation, interdependence and considering others' needs is a central theme in your soul’s growth (North Node in Libra).
South Node in Taurus
Your may find comfort in stability, accumulating possessions, material comforts and a desire for the familiar. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. While these traits offer security, there's a potential pitfall. The challenge lies in overcoming possessiveness, stubbornness, and an attachment to the status quo. Embracing change, considering others' input and partnering up is the way to profound growth and a true sense of self-worth (North Node in Scorpio).
South Node in Gemini
You may excel in communication, adaptability, and seeking knowledge. While these traits are valuable, potential pitfalls include second-guessing, indecisiveness, and an incessant need for information. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. Your Achilles' heel lies in the pursuit of mental security through understanding others' thoughts. This can lead to an endless search for information, believing it will bring eternal certainty. The key is to trust your own truth, even if it’s not the universal truth, so you can attract the right people to you (North Node in Sagittarius).
South Node in Cancer
You may possess nurturing qualities, sensitivity, and a strong connection to home and your loved ones. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. While these traits are comforting, potential pitfalls include the desire to be taken care of, moodiness, and an avoidance of personal risk. The key to truly feeling safe is to embrace personal responsibility, taking charge, and pursuing goals that deeply resonate with you (North Node in Capricorn).
South Node in Leo
You may find comfort in radiating with passion, authority, and a flair for risk-taking. While these traits are magnetic, potential pitfalls include insistence on getting your way and an attachment to external validation. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to risk disapproval, embrace unorthodox ideas and apply yourself to humanitarian causes to feel a deeper sense of meaning (North Node in Aquarius).
South Node in Virgo
You may find comfort in attention to detail, your analytical prowess, and a pursuit of perfection. While these traits showcase excellence, potential pitfalls include hyperanxiety, excessive worry, and an insistence on order. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to release your grip on control, trust the unfolding of the universe, and accept that perfect order resides within surrendering to a higher power (North Node in Pisces).
South Node in Libra
You may find comfort in being kind, fair, and operating from your innate sense of justice. While these traits embody harmony, potential pitfalls include selflessness, a preoccupation with justice, an endless search for an ideal partner and a "tit for tat" mentality. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. A key shift involves setting boundaries, not giving beyond what feels comfortable and finding fulfilment in caring out your individual journey (North Node in Aries).
South Node in Scorpio
You may find comfort in intensity, psychological insight, and transformative life experiences. While these traits embody depth, potential pitfalls include attraction to crises, overanalyzing others' motivations, and an overreactive nature. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to ground yourself, focus on your self-worth, and detach from others’ affairs/various crises (North Node in Taurus).
South Node in Sagittarius
You may find comfort in truth-seeking, spontaneity, and a fearless approach to life. While these traits exude confidence, potential pitfalls include self-righteousness, pursuing an unattainable absolute Truth, and assuming others' understanding. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to release your fixation on absolute Truth, being curious and open to learning from others to find genuine connection (North Node in Gemini).
South Node in Capricorn
You may find comfort in being responsible, determined, and in control. While these traits showcase leadership, potential pitfalls include the need to control everything, ignoring the process in pursuit of goals, and doing things for the sake of your reputation. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to let go of being responsible for others, to self-acknowledge your contributions and nurture others in a supportive way (North Node in Cancer).
South Node in Aquarius
You may find comfort in being unique, detached, and inclined to go along with what the group wants. While these traits embody cooperation, potential pitfalls include need peer acceptance and excessive daydreaming. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. Becoming your own best friend, being self-driven and pursuing individual happiness independent of group belongings (North Node in Leo).
South Node in Pisces
You may find comfort in being compassionate, sensitive, and someone with a vivid imagination. While these traits showcase empathy, potential pitfalls include victim consciousness, inner helplessness and avoidance of planning. Your family of origin may have even encouraged or modelled these traits for you as the way to navigate the world. The key is to stop looking for a saviour, take charge of your life through careful planning and organizing your life in a way that honors you (North Node in Virgo).
South Node through the houses
While the nature of the sign of your South Node (and North Node) holds greater significance in your soul's evolution, the house placement can provide additional insight into where in your life you are likely to experience the themes of your comfort zone most intensely.
A single house may encompass multiple spheres of life, so trust your intuition to identify which option is particularly relevant in your case. Not all of them need apply to you!
Reflection question: How do the themes of your South Node sign manifest in this area of your life?
South Node in 1st house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to leadership, self-development, independence, your body and appearance.
South Node in 2nd house
Your comfort zone themes may be related material wealth, your values, self-confidence, sense of security.
South Node in 3rd house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your thought processes, learning and sharing information, your siblings, local community.
South Node in 4th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your family, physical home, ancestors, motherhood.
South Node in 5th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your creativity, self-expression, children, hobbies, dating.
South Node in 6th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your daily routines, health, therapy, work environment, colleagues.
South Node in 7th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to partnerships (romantic or business), work with clients.
South Node in 8th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to transformations, intimacy, relying on others, joint resources, the occult, psychology.
South Node in 9th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to travels, higher education, spirituality, international affairs, law, justice.
South Node in 10th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your career, social status, public role, being recognized.
South Node in 11th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to your group belongings, friendships, your network, your hopes and dreams.
South Node in 12th house
Your comfort zone themes may be related to the subconscious, spirituality, solitude, hidden work, things you do when you’re alone.
If you’re looking for deeper and more personalized insight into your soul’s purpose, book a reading with me.