Skyscript Astrology Forum

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to asses the temperament of the north and south node.

AbuMashar mentions in his Great Introduction that the North Node is hot and wet and that the South Node is cold and wet (page 151, Dykes trans).
This would make the NN more benefic (like Jupiter which is hot and wet), but if we want the south node to be malefic than it should be cold and dry (like Saturn).
In traditional sources often the NN is portrayed as more benefic than the SN.

Dorian Greenbaum in her temperament book writes that John Partridge, in his Mikropanastron, mentions the following: (page 146, in Greenbaum)
NN is a benefic like Jupiter or Venus and SN is a malefic like Mars or Saturn.
In terms of temperament this seems rather unclear, as the common denominator for Jupiter and Venus is wetness, while Mars and Saturn have no common denominator, in terms of temperament.

I think that in the very least, the NN should be hot, or maybe hot and wet.
The NN after all is about increase and hotness is about expansion and wetness about making connections.
And that the SN should be cold, or maybe cold and dry.
The SN is about decrease, and coldness is about going inwards, or lowering the energy, while dryness is about reduction in a sense.

What do you think?
Are you familiar with additional sources for categorizing the nodes, in terms of temperament?

I don't think the nodes have temperament. They take on the traits of planets conjoined to them or aspecting them. This is how I see them, and is a traditional astrological view. From India? I'm not sure, but I have always understood the nodes this way.

The nodes are mathematical points. It seems that if they have any character at all, they would simply reflect whatever degree of the ecliptic/zodiac where they happened to be located. This means that they would constantly be changing as they "move" through the zodiac. They might be reflecting the longitude of stars? Lots of questions to think about.

thanks therese

i concur!! cheers james

Thanks, James. This is a reminder that everything we read in older texts (and newer texts for that matter) isn't necessarily gospel truth. We really have to question everything, which I know you are very good at. Astrology: always a language of discovery!

Sorry guys,

I'm still going with Abu Mashar, John Partridge and Guido Bonatti (who was the one who said NN is like Jup in nature nad SN is like Sat in nature).

Moreover, as this is the Traditional Techniques Forum, I feel well placed to do so

lol

sorry guys and girls you mean??

they can say that and you can stick with it too... gospel truth, lol...

Dima,
I think the Nodes are like cornerstones where the energy is shifting. Like equinoxes, solstices and Angular houses.
You can view them as Jupiter or Saturn but I prefer the keywords up or down, more or less, increase or decrease, rising or falling.
Something along that way.
Ouranos

ouranos

your comment reminded me of judith hills comment from her book 'eclipses and you' and i am paraphrasing here - north node is 'tide is coming in' and south node - 'tide is going out'.. so i can see how someone can say north node jupiter and south node saturn, but it is a bit more nuanced then that just like the meanings of the planets are more nuanced and varied then not...

Yes a tide is another way to look at it.
Another look as defined by Rudhyar is spiritual vs material. When the Moon moves in Latitude North, it searches a spiritual fulfillment as opposed to a material fulfillment when in Latitude South.
The last planet contacted before changing direction can sometimes offer a clue as to how the spiritual (goal) will manifest (incarnation) or vice-versa.
And a planet near the Nodes becomes very important because Eclipses will happen during our life on these planets indicating areas of change. Like something written at birth.
Ouranos

One meaning doesn't excludes the other.

I tend to find the lunar node in personal events in encounter aspects. Meaning of the sign Libra.