Astrology Birth Chart Calculator to Find North & South Node

Use this free North Node calculator to find which Tropical Zodiac signs and houses your North and South Nodes occupy in your astrology chart.

What is a North Node Calculator?

A North Node calculator, sometimes also known as a birth chart calculator or natal calculator, uses your date and place of birth to calculate the zodiac signs and houses occupied by the lunar Nodes in your natal chart.

A bit of a mouthful, but essentially this astrology software is said to provide you with information related to your karmic path and soul purpose.

The North and South Nodes are always in opposite signs on a chart, separated by 180°.

What Are the Lunar Nodes in Astrology?

In terms of astronomy, the Nodes of the moon are geometrically calculated mathematical points representing the two junctures where the moon’s orbit around the Earth intersects with the path of the sun from our perspective (known as the ecliptic).

Just as they are on a compass, the North and South Nodes are always separated by 180° on a map of the sky, ie. in opposite signs on a chart.

Astrologically speaking, the significance can be traced back to a mythological story about a dragon in Vedic astrology.

What’s the Difference Between True Nodes and Mean Nodes?

True nodes use the true position of the nodes at a given date.

The nodes of the moon travel backwards, often called retrograde, around the zodiac. While their actual movement can fluctuate, oscillating between retrograde and direct stations, their progression is ultimately always in a backward motion.

When you see nodes referred to as Mean Node (instead of True Node), the formula used has levelled out the discrepancies, producing an average, or mean calculation of the total movement.

True nodes, on the other hand, use the true position of the nodes at a given date (your birth time).

The True Node tends be more popular, however neither one is better or worse than the other.

The discrepancy between the two is small, but for a few people it can be enough for the nodes and house to change according to which calculation is used.

The True Node tends be more popular, however neither one is better or worse than the other and plenty of astrologers prefer to use the Mean Node. Astrologers will usually choose to use one or the other, similarly to deciding which house system to work with.

What Are My North and South Nodes?

Use the below North and South Node calculator to find your true lunar nodes, as well as house placement of the North Node and South Node. Simply input your place and date of birth and your results will appear immediately.

Below this simple north node calculator, you’ll also find a full natal chart calculator, which provides even more information, with diagrams.

Astrology Birth Chart Calculator

If you’re interested in your full natal chart with a diagram and full list of planets and aspects, use the following chart (you will also find an optional report to purchase, if you wish):

What Your Nodes Mean For You

The Nodes of Destiny, also known as the Nodes of Fate, are meant to provide an insight into an individual’s undeniable purpose.

When a New or Full Moon occurs near the North or South Node (roughly every 6 months), an eclipse occurs. 

When a Full Moon occurs within 11° 38′ of the North or South Node, a lunar eclipse takes place. When a New Moon occurs within 17° 25′ of the North or South Node, it coincides with a solar eclipse.

Let’s take a closer look at the different areas of life each represents…

The North Node of Destiny

North Node qualities facilitate and guide growth and understanding.

North Node aspects are highly significant in astrology. The karmic energy of the North Node, or Ascending Node, underpins our life purpose and the fate we are moving towards.

The North Node of the moon represents insatiable hunger and its qualities can be helpful in getting us out of our comfort zone. It facilitates and guides growth and important lessons that our soul has chosen to learn in this lifetime, promoting a deeper level of understanding about ourselves.

The South Node of Destiny

South Node energy helps us to discern which past life patterns of thinking are beneficial.

Conversely, the South Node of the moon is supposed to symbolise past lives. The fundamental quality of the South Node, or Descending Node, depicts all that we are releasing and leaving behind in this lifetime, as we learn and evolve.

South Node energy can give us a feeling of déjà vu, as we navigate the old patterns of thinking and feeling from our past life. It helps us to discern which are beneficial, and those which should be purged as they no longer serve us on our current life path.

Important Nodal Events

Three notable events to be aware of during your lifetime include:

• Nodal Return
• Nodal Square
• Nodal Opposition

Let’s take a look at each one and their significance.

What is Nodal Return?

When the Nodes of Destiny return to the degree and signs they were on your birth date, this is known as Nodal Return (just life Solar Return is when the sun returns to its natal position).

During these times, which take place every 18 years, you can expect to experience positive transcendental shifts in your life. 

What is Nodal Square?

Every four and a half years the nodes form a square with the nodes in your birth chart, and this is known as Nodal Square.

Each Nodal Square is an opportunity to purge the past and realign with your life purpose.

What is Nodal Opposition?

Nodal Opposition is said to be a mystically significant time for your karmic path.

Nodal Opposition occurs once every nine years and is when your natal nodes (in your birth chart) align with the transiting nodes (where they are today).

For example, if your natal North Node is in Pisces, meaning your natal South Node is in Virgo, when your Nodal Opposition occurs, the transiting North Node will be in Virgo, and the transiting South Node will be in Pisces.

Nodal Opposition is said to be a special time for organically fulfilling your destiny.

How to Manually Find Your North and South Nodes

While the calculator above is super handy and perhaps the best way to find your lunar nodes, you may also be interested in the below charts which show how to manually determine your true nodes.

The following table shows the exact time of the above North Node sign changes, from 1940 to 2040.

What the Science Says

As we’ve explored in other astrology posts, there’s no scientific evidence to support the modality.

Studies suggest the popularity of horoscopes is likely due to a combination of the Barnum Effect and ‘self-attribution bias’.

Read more in our birth chart calculator post.