(Courtesy of Steve Hines)
Monthly Archives: January 2025
North Node In Pisces, South Node In Virgo 2025-2026
(Astrobutterfly.com)
On January 11, 2025, we have one of the most important ingresses of the year: the Lunar Nodes switch axis, so the North Node enters Pisces, and the South Node enters Virgo.
North Node In Pisces – Quo Vadis, Domine?
“Quo Vadis, Domine?” meaning “Where are you going, Lord?” originates from Christian tradition, where Peter, after having a vision of Jesus carrying a cross on the road, decides to accept his fate, return to Rome, and face martyrdom.
In the Quo Vadis novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Latin phrase serves as a metaphor for the tension between personal survival (Aries) and selfless devotion (Pisces).
The characters face moral dilemmas – choosing between love and belief systems – and in the process, they find their true purpose.
Similarly, the departure of the North Node from Aries and its ingress into Pisces will bring us to a crossroads. We can no longer continue down the same path. We have to change course.
The focus on the “me,” who’s right, and conflict has taken us as far as it can. Perhaps conflict is not the answer. Perhaps there’s a different way forward.
With the North Node in Pisces, our mundane existence is no longer fulfilling. The realities we’ve clung to are no longer the answer. Instead, we yearn for something deeper, something more meaningful.
We feel the call of the unknown. The temptation of the mysterious. The song of the mermaid. And we know we have to embark on a long journey to lose ourselves – and find ourselves again.
The North Node Vs. South Node
Lunar Nodes transits are very important.
The Nodes spend 18 months in a pair of signs, bringing into focus the “unfinished business” or lessons that need to be addressed within those signs. The role of the Nodes is to rebalance what has become misaligned – they act as karmic recalibrators, helping us restore equilibrium.
The North Node amplifies; it lifts us up and propels us forward, pushing us to explore uncharted territory and grow.
The South Node distills; it pares down to the essence, asking us to release what’s been accumulated.
Think of the North Node as an unripe, half-green, half-red tomato – full of potential and eager to mature. And think of the South Node as a sun-dried tomato – its flavor concentrated, its lessons condensed, its work largely complete.
North Node And South Node – Previous Transits
Whenever the Lunar Nodes shift to a new axis, this dynamic of expansion (North Node) and contraction (South Node) highlights a specific area of life, inviting us to grow while letting go.
When the Lunar Nodes were in Gemini and Sagittarius (2020-2022) we had Covid and restrictions of movement, particularly in international mobility (South Node in Sagittarius) – as well as changes in how we conducted our everyday lives (North Node in Gemini).
The North Node inflates, and the South Node deflates. The North Node is more, and the South Node is less.
So with the South Node in Sagittarius, we had fewer flights – long-term travel being a Sagittarius theme – and more couriers delivering takeaways in the neighborhood (Gemini).
In early 2022, the Lunar Nodes moved into Taurus and Scorpio. The South Node in Scorpio brought us the energy crisis. Energy became scarce, as energy and shared resources are Scorpio themes. This scarcity naturally led to “more” Taurus, or inflation – Taurus rules money and physical resources.
Over the past 18 months, the Nodes have been in the Aries/Libra axis. We’ve seen “more” Aries – self-assertion, conflict, and wars – and “less” Libra – diplomacy, cooperation, peace.
You’ve got the idea. The South Node often highlights an area of stagnation or overemphasis – something that has run its course – and the North Node brings in ‘new life,’ and finds a solution.
That’s how the Lunar Nodes work: in tandem, always balancing and recalibrating.
Just because the North Node signifies “more” doesn’t mean that it’s inherently positive, just as the “less” of the South Node isn’t inherently negative.
“More” can mean more conflict (North Node in Aries), inflation (North Node in Taurus), or traffic, chaos, and Zoom overwhelm (North Node in Gemini).
If we really want to understand the Nodes, we need to move beyond the simplistic “North Node is good” and “South Node is bad” paradigm.
The Lunar Nodes are meant to work together. They complement each other – we can’t have one without the other.
So, what can we expect from the North Node in Pisces and the South Node in Virgo? How will this new axis challenge us to recalibrate our focus and find balance?
North Node In Pisces – The Divine Promise
With the North Node in Pisces, we’re drawn to go deeper, beyond the obvious. We truly want to understand: what’s behind all this?
I came across a post on social media the other day where an entrepreneur was complaining that all the new business ideas they encountered at an entrepreneurship conference weren’t ‘serious.’
They mentioned that all new entrepreneurship projects were around divination, breathwork, astrology, crystals, coaching – and dismissed them as frivolous compared to, let’s say, traditional brick-and-mortar or production-type businesses.
These so-called woo-woo, esoteric pursuits were being looked down upon, as if they weren’t real or valuable. However, these areas are important – and with the North Node in Pisces, they’re likely to become even more significant.
Just because something doesn’t exist in a tangible form, and just because it’s not fully understood, doesn’t mean it’s not meaningful.
Finding meaning in life is essential. Feeling fulfilled and connected to the universe is incredibly important. Searching for answers beyond what’s visible or measurable is a fundamental human drive.
Is there a danger of getting lost in Neptune’s foggy illusions? Yes, of course. But “not all those who wander are lost.” And sometimes, you have to get lost to find yourself.
When the North Node is in Pisces, we’re encouraged to take those mindless strolls into the unknown. To let our imagination seduce us and lead us to places we could never have dreamed of.
The beauty of the Nodes is their balance. This search for meaning is not just ‘just another dream’.
The South Node in Virgo’s practicality will ground this journey, reminding us to build stepping stones over the water so that we can actually reach those mystical destinations.
South Node In Virgo – Clearing Up The Path
The Nodes always work in pairs, so the South Node will work in tandem with the North Node.
In Virgo, the South Node’s focus will be to clear up the path so we can actually make progress and navigate effectively.
Things get too foggy? South Node in Virgo will bring us vision glasses to cut through the haze. The sun is burning? South Node in Virgo will come up with a protection hat.
Our dreams seduce us to cross the ocean? The South Node will help us build a boat – or give us the means to buy a plane ticket – to get us to our destination.
The South Node is also a point where we can easily get stuck. So with the South Node in Virgo, it’s important to recognize those areas where we’re pedantic or overly fixated on doing things “the right way” just because it’s the way they’ve always been done.
At its worst, South Node in Virgo is OCD – concerned more with “preserving procedures” than finding actual solutions. At its best, it’s about being smart, adaptable, and practical, coming up with solutions and fixes that solve real-world problems.
Animated by a new Piscean vision, the South Node in Virgo’s role is to adjust the systems and routines in our everyday lives and make the necessary changes to accommodate the higher purpose and dreams inspired by the North Node in Pisces.
How would this work in Virgoan, practical terms?
For example, it might involve changes at work or at home. A new job, or a new way of working or organizing your daily routines. If you worked from home, you might decide to start going to the office – or vice versa.
It could also mean exploring different approaches to diet and exercise. The South Node in Virgo doesn’t necessarily push us to exercise more or follow stricter regimens (that’s North Node in Virgo). Instead, it encourages us to find ways of adjusting our lifestyle that feel natural and sustainable for our unique needs.
The South Node in Virgo is about achieving maximum efficiency with minimal effort. This isn’t about being lazy – it’s about being smart and productive. It’s about tuning into our bodies, adapting to our unique circumstances, and doing what truly makes sense for us.
It’s about getting ‘more’ done with ‘less.’
Whatever these changes mean will vary for each person. However, with the South Node in Virgo, we’re likely to see shifts in how we run our lives and operate on a day-to-day basis.
With the South Node in Virgo, our lifestyle will need to align with and support our newly awakened Piscean dream. We will become smarter in how we navigate everyday life, learning to focus on what truly matters and letting go of what doesn’t.
Lunar Nodes – The Aspects
The aspects the Nodes make with other planets during their journey through the Virgo/Pisces axis will reveal the key themes and events we can expect from this transit.
And the Nodes, especially the North Node in Pisces, will be very active! The most important transits the Nodes will engage in are the North Node conjunct Neptune in Pisces, the North Node conjunct Saturn in Pisces, and the North Node and South Node square Jupiter in Gemini.
North Node Conjunct Neptune in Pisces
As soon as the North Node enters Pisces, it applies a conjunction to Neptune. The North Node and Neptune will eventually meet in an exact conjunction on February 7th, 2025, at 28° Pisces.
We know that the North Node represents a “more” type of energy, amplifying everything Neptune in Pisces stands for: an intense longing to merge with something greater than ourselves. A deep craving for answers or a vision that transcends the mundane.
With the North Node and Neptune, we feel there is more to life, and we are inspired to embark on a journey to seek something that brings a deeper meaning to our existence.
However, since Neptune is an outer planet and inherently elusive, we might also experience confusion, uncertainty, and a lack of clarity about where to begin or what direction to take.
The North Node’s nervous energy, combined with Neptune’s dreamy and boundless qualities, can manifest as restlessness, insomnia, or emotional and mental overwhelm.
Yet, if we can move beyond the overwhelm, the North Node conjunct Neptune has the potential to stir something profound in our soul – a deep longing for connection and a realization that we have a greater purpose waiting to be fulfilled.
How we channel this yearning and bring it into tangible form will become clearer later in the transit, when the North Node aligns with Saturn.
North Node Conjunct Saturn In Pisces
On April 21st, 2025, the North Node will reach Saturn at 26° Pisces.
Some could call this transit the “wake up call” or the “reality check” – since these are key words for Saturn transits.
However, given that we are talking about Pisces, the North Node and Saturn conjunction will likely manifest as a strong drive to bring that dream awakened in January-February (at the Neptune conjunction) into reality.
Something like “Let’s make heaven a place on earth”.
The drive is there, but let’s not forget that while the North Node is passionate, it lacks experience.
We might not yet know exactly how to proceed – and this is where it’s important to stay connected to the other Node, the South Node.
The South Node in Virgo does what Virgo knows best: pays attention to practical realities and focuses on what actually works in the 3D world. As a result, the South Node in Virgo can help manifest that Piscean vision by using Virgoan methods of expression. This could look like:
- Working (South Node in Virgo) steadily and methodically to bring a dream to life
- Channeling the North Node in Pisces through rituals like meditation, structured practices, or wellness routines like diet and exercise
- Finding practical solutions (South Node in Virgo) to support abstract or spiritual ideas; for example, if you want to share your vision with the world, building a website might be a first step
Embracing the South Node in Virgo is AS important as answering the North Node in Pisces’ call. Remember, the 2 Nodes always work together!
The Lunar Nodes Square Jupiter
In May 2025, the Nodes will square Jupiter in Gemini, asking us to reassess and adjust our beliefs.
If we want to make our dreams come true (North Node in Pisces) but we struggle with implementation (South Node in Virgo) perhaps there are some adjustments to be made – and with Jupiter it means examining those ingrained beliefs we might not even realize we hold.
“I can only fulfill my dream if I work myself to death”. OR “I can only succeed if I find a partner/win the lottery”.
Whatever narrative you’ve internalized, this is the time to bring it into the light and work through it.
Jupiter in Gemini is the stories we tell ourselves – the ones we’ve been repeating since forever, because these were the stories we’ve been brought into. This is what our family/society/TV told us the TRUTH is.
Jupiter is what coaches and psychologists call “mindset” – a deeply ingrained framework that holds so much power over our lives, it goes so deep, that we don’t even consider questioning it.
Yet, with the Nodes squaring the planets of beliefs that’s exactly what we need to do.
Lunar Nodes squares are actually amazing aspects, full of potential – even though squares generally have a reputation for creating tension. However, when it’s the Nodes squaring a planet, we have an opportunity to really break free from past conditioning.
A planet square the Nodes solves that karmic puzzle because it approaches the dynamic tension from both angles – the past (South Node) and the future (North Node) – creating a bridge that helps integrate and resolve the lessons of both.
Saturn has been squaring Jupiter for a while, and it’s been tough. Jupiter square Saturn pointed to issues “Look at this big thing that doesn’t work in your life” but it might not have been very helpful in actually helping us move forward.
The Nodal-Jupiter square, however, should do the trick, offering us a real catharsis and release of the unconscious blockages that have kept us stuck in the past.
The result? A healthier, more authentic belief system that will empower us to embark on our true soul journey.
To get deeper insights into how the Lunar Nodes’ transit will impact you, look at the pair of houses where you have Virgo and Pisces in your chart.
Additionally, if you have personal planets or angles between 20-30 degrees in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), this transit will be especially significant for you.
Shrinking trees and tuskless elephants: the strange ways species are adapting to humans
As people have shaped the natural world, so wildlife – from mahoganies to magpies – has had to evolve to survive
The age of extinction is supported by
Mon 6 Jan 2025 (TheGuardian.org)
From the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean, humanity’s influence has touched every part of planet Earth. Many plants and animals are evolving in response, adapting to a human-dominated world. One notable example came during the Industrial Revolution, when the peppered moth turned from black and white to entirely black after soot darkened its habitat. The black moths were camouflaged against the soot-covered trees, surviving to pass on their genes to the next generation.
As human influence has expanded, so too have the strange adaptations forced on the natural world. We asked researchers around the world for similar changes they have noticed in the 21st century.
Shrinking mahogany trees
Famed for its durability, resistance to rot and deep-red wood, mahogany has become synonymous with luxury. The largest trees, crucial pillars of rainforest ecosystems, were razed for their timber, with populations falling more than 70% in some countries since 1970. While old-growth trees have largely disappeared, the species itself is still widespread in many areas, says Dr Malin Rivers, a conservationist with Botanic Gardens Conservation International. But now, it grows in a different form. “Now considered commercially extinct in many parts of its range in the Caribbean, the species still remains and is even abundant in some areas. But these younger trees no longer take the large towering form of commercial Swietenia mahagoni and will never grow to heights this species had previously been famed for,” she says. While mahogany trees once grew to – and sometimes exceeded – 20 metres in height, says Rivers, “mahogany now exists as smaller, shrubby trees with little commercial value. As the largest trees were cut, they were not able to reproduce and share their diverse gene pool which promoted the tall growth of the species.”
Magpie nests with anti-bird spikes
The sight of birds’ nests built on poorly designed anti-bird spikes is not an uncommon sight in urban areas. But researchers have found that magpies – who cover their dome-shaped nests with branches from thorny bushes to deter egg-thieving predators such as crows – have started ripping out anti-bird spikes to use in their nests. PhD student Auke-Florian Hiemstra found that the use of bird spikes was part of a growing trend of birds using artificial materials for their nests.
Brittle stars that like beer bottles
First described by scientists in 2018, Astrophiura caroleae, a new species of brittle star, is found at depths of about 300 metres off the coast of Curaçao in the Caribbean. The pentagonal creature, a relative of the starfish, was collected in a submersible by the Natural History Museum’s (NHM) longtime curator of echinoderms, Dr David Pawson. Scientists have since found it favours living in curious places. Dr Hugh Carter, a starfish expert at the NHM, says: “Live specimens have only ever been observed on discarded Heineken bottles about 300 metres deep, which had probably been thrown overboard by day fishers with the exception of one specimen that was living on a discarded rubber tyre. “Interestingly, the members of the genus are thought to be hard substrate specialists – so mostly living on rocks – and it seems as though this species is carrying on the tradition quite happily on human-made detritus,” he says.
Snails with paler shells to counter city heat
Using pictures of grove snails collected by thousands of citizen scientists in the Netherlands, researchers found that snails living in the city centres had evolved shells with paler colours. Scientists believe this change is the result of warmer temperatures in cities, which can be up to 8C (14.4F) higher than rural environments. Prof Menno Schilthuizen, a Dutch evolutionary biologist, says: “Snails inside dark shells tend to heat up more, risking death by overheating. Probably, the pale shell colour keeps the snails just cool enough on the hottest days of summer in the city.”.
Swallows with shorter wings to avoid cars
Cliff swallows in south-west Nebraska, which often nest under bridges, have frequently been hit by passing cars. But a long-term study published in 2013 found that the birds have adapted to the risk of being hit by developing shorter wings. Shorter wings made the birds more agile, allowing them to avoid rapidly approaching traffic, while birds with longer wings were more likely to be killed. “It’s like the difference between a U2 spy plane and a fighter jet,” according to the late Mary Bomberger Brown, of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who led the study.
Elephants losing their tusks to beat poachers
During the Mozambican civil war, heavy poaching by fighters meant that African savannah elephant numbers plunged by more than 90% in Gorongosa national park. With populations now in recovery and representing one of the most important examples of global restoration, many of the female elephants have no tusks – a consequence of tuskless elephants being less likely to be targeted by poachers, say researchers. The same change has also been recorded in Tanzania.
Tanya Smith, a senior adviser at WWF-UK, says: “One tragic adaptation in response to the devastating pressure of poaching in previous decades has been an increase in the proportion of African elephants born with shorter tusks or no tusks at all. A disastrous example of how human pressure could mean elephants lose one of the things that makes them so iconic.”
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage.
Word-Built World: towardly
How to feed 10 billion people — without destroying nature
Andy Jarvis | TED Countdown Dilemma Series: Food
• June 2024
Feeding 10 billion people without wrecking the planet means rethinking protein, from plant-based and fermented foods to lab-grown meat that tastes like the real thing. Presenting an exciting menu of sustainable options, food futurist Andy Jarvis highlights innovations, investments and policies that could help drastically lower our carbon footprint and provide everyone with the nourishment they need — without telling anyone what to eat.
TED is supported by ads and partners
About the speaker
Report: Terrible Thing That Just Popped Into Your Head Would Make Loved Ones Turn On You Immediately
Published: January 6, 2025 (TheOnion.com)
NEW YORK—According to a report released Friday by experts who know all about what has been happening in your mind for the past few seconds, the terrible thing that just popped into your head would make your loved ones turn on you immediately. “Everyone you know, everyone you care for, would abandon you instantly if they ever knew about that awful, awful thing that just occurred to you,” read the report, which acknowledged that friends, coworkers, and even casual acquaintances would immediately disavow you after hearing about that one repulsive thought that recently flitted through your consciousness. “Even your own parents would cut off communication with you. Think about that. Your mother. Your father. Both too disturbed to answer your call. How could you ever think something so horrible? Well, because you’re a sick individual, obviously. And if anyone ever gets wind of this, you’ll be evicted from your house and driven from polite society like the monster you are. And social media? Forget about it. You’d be lucky if you ever worked again. Frankly, you’d deserve it. Oh God, you just had that despicable thought again, didn’t you? Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with you?” The report concluded that this was why you had to keep such thoughts quiet and push them down, down, as far down as you possibly could for the rest of your life.
Tarot Card for January 8: Victory
| The Six of Wands The Lord of Victory is a powerful and happy card, which offers us satisfaction and contentment. We may have had to struggle hard in order to achieve the success this card promises us, but when we achieve this breakthrough, we are well rewarded.So on a day which is ruled by the Six of Wands, we can feel confident that the things we place our energy on will finally yield to our efforts. Pick things that have been particularly difficult to follow through on, and see whether the energy available today will bring them to completion.Also remember that, with the Six of Wands, there is a strong element of competitiveness. So when looking for things to work on when ruled by the Lord of Victory, seek out those areas where you see yourself as a contender. And go whole-heartedly after the opportunities offered.Finally remember to count your blessings – I know I’m forever going on about this one, but it’s relevant often with the Tarot – know who you are, know what you’ve got, and choose where you are going. It’ll come up again!! Affirmation: “Success and victory enter my life like welcome friends.” |
(Angelpaths.com)
Rumi on separation
Jung and Freud’s first meeting in 1907
After reading Freud’s monumental The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) and having begun a correspondence with him, Jung was invited to Vienna in 1907, when he finally met the master himself. The two men spoke without interruption for 13 hours–from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (See Jung, 1963: 149)
Much later, in an interview with Kurt Eissler, Jung is reported to have said of the meeting: “A world happened then . . . [it was like giving birth]. At birth everything is already there! In reality there is no time! Time is nothing! That’s what one realizes on such occasions. Those are . . . moments, that are completely timeless (reported in Bair, 2003: 117)
–from Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched (2013)
What Can We Learn From Bizarre Phenomena? with Bernardo Kastrup
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove • Jan 6, 2025 Bernardo Kastrup, PhD, is a computer scientist. He is author of Rationalist Spirituality, Why Materialism is Baloney, Dreamed Up Reality, Meaning in Absurdity, Brief Peeks Beyond, More Than Allegory, and The Idea of the World. He has published several papers in Scientific American arguing for metaphysical idealism. In this interview, rebooted from 2019, he reviews a number of nonsensical events ranging from bizarre UFO encounters to religious miracles to psychedelic visions and dreams. He suggests that there are certain common themes that run through dreams, fantasies, and reports of paranormal occurrences — and that they all speak to us symbolically. He also proposes that the deep archetypes of the Jungian collective unconscious can manifest in what we think of as the physical world. New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director (with Callum Cooper) of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on January 3, 2013)