Two conventions exist for the node. The mean node smooths out the wobble of the lunar orbit; the true node follows the actual oscillating position. NatalChart.AI shows the true node only, listed as North Node (true), and offers no mean-node option. The South Node is not listed as a body: it is the opposite point, and this page shows how to derive it.
What to look for in your result
- The sign and degree of the North Node.
- Its house, which depends on the birth time and place.
- The aspects involving the node and their orbs.
- The motion column: retrograde is the normal state of the node, not a warning.
A worked example
| Body | Position | House | Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Node (true) | 17°34′ Capricorn | 12 | retrograde, 0.08°/day |
The South Node is not in the result, but it follows from it: add 180 degrees to the North Node longitude. Because opposite Placidus cusps are exactly 180 degrees apart, it also falls in the opposite house.
| Point | Position | House | In the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Node (true) | 17°34′ Capricorn | 12 | listed |
| South Node | 17°34′ Cancer | 6 | derived as the opposite point |
Aspects to the North Node, tightest first:
| Aspect | With | Orb |
|---|---|---|
| Sextile | Pluto | 0.43° |
| Square | Pallas | 1.54° |
| Conjunction | Juno | 1.75° |
| Conjunction | Neptune | 3.48° |
| Trine | Sun | 4.03° |
| Conjunction | Uranus | 7.67° |
Demonstration birth: 1991-09-06 at 18:30 local time, Kyiv, Ukraine (50.4501° N, 30.5234° E), Europe/Kyiv at UTC+3, so 1991-09-06 15:30 UTC. Tropical zodiac, Placidus houses, Swiss Ephemeris 2.10.03. Full result and settings on How to verify your birth chart.
The node moves 0.08° a day here and sits 12.4° from the nearest sign boundary, so no error in the birth time changes its sign in this chart. The house is another matter: the node is only 0.68° past the cusp of house 12, which is at 16°54′ Capricorn. The cusps move forward as the birth time advances, so a birth a little later on the same day would put the North Node in house 11 and the South Node in the house opposite that. A placement this close to a cusp should be treated as provisional unless the time is well documented.
How the nodes are read
In astrology the two nodes are read as one axis. The North Node is often used to discuss a direction of development, the South Node familiar ground and habits. These are reading conventions, not measured traits. The sign gives the theme, the house the area of life, and the aspects the connections to other factors; the aspects use the natal orbs: conjunction 8°, sextile 6°, square 8°, trine 8°, opposition 8°.
Read the node together with the rest of the chart. A node in the same sign as several planets is one situation; a node with no close aspect is another. See what the houses mean and how aspects are read.
Settings and limitations
The node is the true node from the Swiss Ephemeris in the tropical zodiac, with Placidus houses. There is no mean-node, house-system or zodiac switch. Another tool set to the mean node will differ slightly; one set to a sidereal zodiac will differ by about 24 degrees.
The node stays in each sign for a long time, so the date alone settles the sign except when the node is within a fraction of a degree of a boundary. The house is different: it depends on the time and place, and the rate at which the cusps move depends on the place, the date and the sign rising. If no time is entered, the moment used is an assumption, and the house is an assumption with it. See what a chart without birth time can show and how to find your birth time.
Questions
Does NatalChart.AI use the true node or the mean node?
The true node. There is no mean-node option. The two are usually close but not identical, so match the setting before comparing with another tool.
Where is my South Node?
It is not listed as a separate body. It is always exactly opposite the North Node, 180 degrees away, in the opposite sign and, with Placidus houses, in the opposite house.
Why is the node marked retrograde?
The lunar nodes normally move backwards through the zodiac, so retrograde is their usual state, not an exception. The true node also makes short direct movements, which is why the motion is shown at all.
Do I need my birth time for the North Node?
Rarely for the sign, because the node moves slowly. The house does depend on the time and place, and a noon fallback gives a house for an assumed moment, not for your birth.
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