I recently asked a friend of mine who is a Spiritual Director what people were generally needing in their sessions. After a reflective pause, she said that they were needing to be held and also to deepen their connection to the earth. Upon hearing of this general deep need of humans in these times, I couldn’t help but think of the nodes of the moon (the points at which eclipses occur, thought to reflect karmic patterning) which are currently transiting (traveling) through the signs of Cancer and Capricorn.
Why this connection? A few strands came together for me in this moment.
First of all, we have the general symbolic understanding of what these two placements are thought to suggest. The transiting South Node in Capricorn could be thought of as clearing out old rubbish that has become stagnant. It’s a bit like composting, really. This decomposition is happening at once on a global scale and at a personal level. Capricorn is structure, organization, long-term management, and simple practicality. It is bones, teeth, knees. With this clearing energy moving through, it’s like stirring up the matted leaves in the underbrush of the forest to get some aerobic bacteria in there to facilitate the kind of compostition that results in rich humus (rather than a putrid bog, where the anaerobic bacteria lurk).
The South Node is stirring up our compost heap so we can reap rewards. It has joined Pluto in Capricorn, who is making the long trek- almost as if underground- maybe moving the whole compost pile from this side of the yard to that! Powerfully, but also so slowly as to be just-what’s-happening-in-the-background. Then, we have Saturn, who entered Capricorn at the turn of the year and is interested in creating the cordoned-off sections for the different steps of the compost; making a structure in which to host this compost party (before Jupiter comes along next year and really gets it growing its goodness).
And, that’s just the South Node!
The North Node, playing counterpoint to this whole party of composters, is across the wheel in watery Cancer, sign of mothering, nurturing, cycles, the stomach, and the breasts. The North Node can also be ‘disruptive’, yet it seems to ask us to grow or cultivate what it passes by, whereas the South Node often seems to shake things loose to let the detritus fall away. So, while the composting is happening out back, Mother is inside the home, cuddling a crying babe, offering some sustenance, giving a gentle caress.
And, it is this gentle caress that interests me.
I came across a Ted Talk on YouTube that was all about the ‘brain’ in our skin. In this talk, the speaker mentioned that most neurons ‘fire’ at a speed that rivals jet planes! On the other hand, she said that when we are caressed, the ‘signal’ travels at a speed that is much closer to the speed of walking. That is a FAR CRY from the speed of a jet plane! This caught my attention.
The reception of the kind caress is wired such that it has to be slow and sustained in order for it to *mean* something. In order for it to be a true signal of “it’s ok, you’re safe, you can relax, I’ve got you”. This blows me away and makes me want to walk around gently caressing everyone! While that would obviously be a little weird (and might get me into trouble, besides), I can at least advise you to try gently running your fingers over your own forearms, or your face, or neck. I believe this is also why petting our pets is said to be so soothing.
This trick seems amazingly apt for this time with the North Node in Cancer, asking us to nurture our Cancerian mojo!
All year long, the lovely Elizabeth Russell has been bringing up the importance of the North Node in Cancer and how it may be acting as the antidote to our times. In her monthly New Moon Cafe, she has mentioned how Cancer can be thought of as the ‘Manger’ even moreso than the ‘Mother’ or the ‘Home’ (fun side note is that ‘manger’ means ‘to eat’ in French, and I always think of ‘feeding’ with Cancer). A manger, as we have come to know it, is a sacred and humble beginning, meant to protect and provide for animals, no matter their origin or destiny!
Elizabeth has been encouraging the practice of lovingkindness, a practical and peaceful mindfulness protocol. That was her idea for nurturing the North Node energy. I didn’t actually fully ‘get it’ until I heard this news about our skin’s neurons and this deep human need that was reported to me as a common thread of the current state of certain seekers from my Spiritual Director friend!
Now, I get it.
I feel it in my body. So, as the North Node completes is passage through Cancer, I have some tools to help me through. The nodes will remain in Cancer and Capricorn—giving you several months in which to cultivate your own version of North Node in Cancer—until May of 2020, when they will shift into the Gemini and Sagittarius polarity. We’ll chat about that next year.
So, if you care to join me in lovingkindness practice, or gentle, motherly caresses, or some other form of cultivating caring, please do! I’d love to hear about your practice and how it has been working for you this year.
>If you’d like to sign up for my email list, click here.
>If you could use some Spiritual Direction with a Wild Feminist and wonderful coach, click here.
>And, if you’d like to join Elizabeth for a New Moon Cafe, click here! You can find out more about them by listening in to our conversation on The Beautiful Astrology Podcast, here.
May your roots find rich compost to earth in, may your arms find kindnesses to give—whether to yourself or another—or many others! And, may we all receive such gifts and be most grateful for them.
Wishing you the calm of a gentle caress,
~Melanie
>If you are interested in working with me, sign up on my interest list, here.
Why this connection? A few strands came together for me in this moment.
First of all, we have the general symbolic understanding of what these two placements are thought to suggest. The transiting South Node in Capricorn could be thought of as clearing out old rubbish that has become stagnant. It’s a bit like composting, really. This decomposition is happening at once on a global scale and at a personal level. Capricorn is structure, organization, long-term management, and simple practicality. It is bones, teeth, knees. With this clearing energy moving through, it’s like stirring up the matted leaves in the underbrush of the forest to get some aerobic bacteria in there to facilitate the kind of compostition that results in rich humus (rather than a putrid bog, where the anaerobic bacteria lurk).
The South Node is stirring up our compost heap so we can reap rewards. It has joined Pluto in Capricorn, who is making the long trek- almost as if underground- maybe moving the whole compost pile from this side of the yard to that! Powerfully, but also so slowly as to be just-what’s-happening-in-the-background. Then, we have Saturn, who entered Capricorn at the turn of the year and is interested in creating the cordoned-off sections for the different steps of the compost; making a structure in which to host this compost party (before Jupiter comes along next year and really gets it growing its goodness).
And, that’s just the South Node!
The North Node, playing counterpoint to this whole party of composters, is across the wheel in watery Cancer, sign of mothering, nurturing, cycles, the stomach, and the breasts. The North Node can also be ‘disruptive’, yet it seems to ask us to grow or cultivate what it passes by, whereas the South Node often seems to shake things loose to let the detritus fall away. So, while the composting is happening out back, Mother is inside the home, cuddling a crying babe, offering some sustenance, giving a gentle caress.
And, it is this gentle caress that interests me.
I came across a Ted Talk on YouTube that was all about the ‘brain’ in our skin. In this talk, the speaker mentioned that most neurons ‘fire’ at a speed that rivals jet planes! On the other hand, she said that when we are caressed, the ‘signal’ travels at a speed that is much closer to the speed of walking. That is a FAR CRY from the speed of a jet plane! This caught my attention.
The reception of the kind caress is wired such that it has to be slow and sustained in order for it to *mean* something. In order for it to be a true signal of “it’s ok, you’re safe, you can relax, I’ve got you”. This blows me away and makes me want to walk around gently caressing everyone! While that would obviously be a little weird (and might get me into trouble, besides), I can at least advise you to try gently running your fingers over your own forearms, or your face, or neck. I believe this is also why petting our pets is said to be so soothing.
This trick seems amazingly apt for this time with the North Node in Cancer, asking us to nurture our Cancerian mojo!
All year long, the lovely Elizabeth Russell has been bringing up the importance of the North Node in Cancer and how it may be acting as the antidote to our times. In her monthly New Moon Cafe, she has mentioned how Cancer can be thought of as the ‘Manger’ even moreso than the ‘Mother’ or the ‘Home’ (fun side note is that ‘manger’ means ‘to eat’ in French, and I always think of ‘feeding’ with Cancer). A manger, as we have come to know it, is a sacred and humble beginning, meant to protect and provide for animals, no matter their origin or destiny!
Elizabeth has been encouraging the practice of lovingkindness, a practical and peaceful mindfulness protocol. That was her idea for nurturing the North Node energy. I didn’t actually fully ‘get it’ until I heard this news about our skin’s neurons and this deep human need that was reported to me as a common thread of the current state of certain seekers from my Spiritual Director friend!
Now, I get it.
I feel it in my body. So, as the North Node completes is passage through Cancer, I have some tools to help me through. The nodes will remain in Cancer and Capricorn—giving you several months in which to cultivate your own version of North Node in Cancer—until May of 2020, when they will shift into the Gemini and Sagittarius polarity. We’ll chat about that next year.
So, if you care to join me in lovingkindness practice, or gentle, motherly caresses, or some other form of cultivating caring, please do! I’d love to hear about your practice and how it has been working for you this year.
>If you’d like to sign up for my email list, click here.
>If you could use some Spiritual Direction with a Wild Feminist and wonderful coach, click here.
>And, if you’d like to join Elizabeth for a New Moon Cafe, click here! You can find out more about them by listening in to our conversation on The Beautiful Astrology Podcast, here.
May your roots find rich compost to earth in, may your arms find kindnesses to give—whether to yourself or another—or many others! And, may we all receive such gifts and be most grateful for them.
Wishing you the calm of a gentle caress,
~Melanie
>If you are interested in working with me, sign up on my interest list, here.
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