The last lunar eclipse on March 25, 2024 was a beautiful moment of insight, and one to answer a question.
A brief explanation of the lunar nodes in everyone’s natal horoscope. The North Lunar Node (Caput Draconis) and Southern Lunar Node (Cauda Draconis) are the “North-South compass rose of life” in the birth chart.
The South Lunar Node represents the lessons we have already learned and the human skills we bring with us. The North Lunar Node represents the lessons we still have to learn and thus also the associated (true) human skill to learn.
This means that in Western astrology the lessons of the (older doctrine) of the Eastern principle of karma ánd dharma were and are already amply recognized. After all, the Northern and Southern lunar nodes represent “fate in our lives”.
In summary, the South Lunar Node indicates; what life lessons we have had, and the North Lunar Node what life lessons we still have to learn in this life.
We at Astro Reflections exclusively call the mathematical line segment of the South Lunar Node and North Lunar Node in the birth chart: “The parzival” which means “straight through the middle”.
The reason why we call it that, is after the knight of the same name in the British legend King Arthur.
The story of Parzival is one of the “classic Sagitarius”. His father was a knight and died in battle at the court of King Arthur. His mother wanted to prevent him from a similar fate, and raised him in the deepest forest of Soltane, far from the knights and court life and the round table.
As befits a young Sagitarius, Parzival lived the first part of his life from the unconscious Sagitarius part; brash, always active and on the move, with high ideals, through the forest of Soltane. There he meets the knight Karnachkarnanz at a certain point. He tells him about knighthood, the good and bad things that a true knight had to live by in his life, and the noble court of King Arthur.
This struck a higher chord with Parzival and he also wanted to become a knight in King Arthur’s court. In the process the rash Sagitarius, in search of higher morals and values in life, Parzival encounters all kinds of human confrontations in his life. From brashly romantic, to killing the Red Knight in a spear fight after the queen’s honor Guineverre (King Arthur) needed defending and he won, because no one at the round table accepted the Red Knight’s challenge. Parzival, after this victory, took over the armor and horse of the Red Knight, and was from that point on; the new (still unrefined) Red Knight.
After these experiences, he married and intended to return to his mother to give her the good news. Parzival arrived in Munsalvaesche on his journey through the country of his uncle to his mother, the sick Fisher King Anfortas. After his arrival at Lake Brumbane, Anfortas had shown Parzival the way to the Grail Castle. In the evening Parzival ran into a mystical procession carrying the grail and a bloody lance. He then saw two silver daggers and a man lying in state. The sight of the Grail had made him immortal. Repanse de Schoye then donated her cloak to Parzival. Anfortas gave him his own sword. Parzival could not say a word and asked no questions about the miracles he saw there in the Grail castle of Munsalvaesche. Overwhelmed by this profound experience, Parzival babbled like an unwise Sagitarius and lost his chance to truly learn: what the Grail was, who it served, and what its purpose was. He left the Grail Castle in Munsalvaesche the next morning because it was suddenly completely deserted. Deeply disappointed in his own inability to truly face the true moment of this profound confrontation, Parzival traveled on.
Afterwards, he corrected some thoughtless abuses from his youth, and ensures amongs others that Duchess Jeschute was accepted again in love and grace by her husband Orilus van Lalant (with the dragon in his coat of arms), who suspected all along that the Duchess had an extramarital affair with Parzival in his youth.
But Parzival’s fate was not yet completed. Many journeys and experiences later, Parzival returned to the Fisher King’s grail castle of Munsalvaesche, and once again grace fell on Parzival in a mystical experience: this time Parzival took the opportunity to ask Anfortas what his ailment was, which was seen as the ultimate act of human generosity. Anfortas is said to have been healed and brought back to life. Hereupon Parzival gained access to the Grail; and he became the new Grail King and had truly understood his life lesson and concluded it well.
We sometimes get the question: “(…) But if this North Node is someone’s lesson, why doesn’t he/she just do it? (…)”.
Our answer: at the point from A – South Lunar Node – to B – North Lunar Node – lies a life path full of lessons and learning or unlearning. This is not a process of turning a switch or writing a blog post but a gradual process of maturation; until we truly understand who we are, what we have done, where we need to go, and how we need to do it.
We humans walk through winding paths of life, only to eventually see the light and say to ourselves: “(…) if I had known that, then…(…)”. This “straight through the middle” is the path of life that we all walk. Unconsciously and/or consciously, and one person faster than the other.
The story of the Parzival teaches us that we are not born perfect and do not have to be perfect to ultimately find the highest good within ourselves, but more importantly; to convey it truly to live.
The interpretation of the North and South Nodes in the horoscope therefore serves as a compass needle to know; how, at the beginning of your life, you can reach the top of your own inner insights and growth in life as a true human being to your highest potential.