Resilient Simplicity
By
Sarah Varcas
As mentioned in my post about the north node’s journey through Taurus, there are certain points during this eighteen-month period at which the nodal message is particularly pertinent to both personal and global events and experiences. These time periods are as follows:
1st April to 18th June 2022
From 2nd April to 18th June the north node remains in the 23rd degree of Taurus. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is a jewellery shop filled with valuable gems. In his commentary on this symbol, the eminent astrologer Dane Rudhyar speaks of lengthy natural processes catalysed by conditions of intense heat and pressure, such as those that cause the formation of diamonds: precious stones which are then prepared and polished to perfection by the skilled hands of a master jeweller.
As we find ourselves in the lengthy end game of an intense transformational process spanning many years, we are like those diamonds – resplendent with perfections and imperfections, catalysed by intense and unrelenting challenges unimaginable just three years ago. Through the application of our humanity to this time of great upheaval, we can shape its outcome into something of great value. A precious new world born of the unflinching commitment to freedom and truth – which is love by another name.
The opposite degree, where the south node sits, bears the symbol of a rabbit turning into a nature spirit: the baser aspects of consciousness metamorphosing into more elevated states of being. At times of stress we can easily regress into more ‘animalistic’ states of mind, striving to secure our own safety and well-being at any expense. Whilst there are times when such single-mindedness is necessary, the south node always demands that we choose the more evolved and mature expression of its qualities. Allowing ‘I need to look after Number One to survive’ to morph into ‘we can and will get through this together’ typifies a useful orientation during this time-period. But beware, also, of a tendency to sidestep reality by retreating into a quasi-transcendent position of denial. These are tough times during which we must all face difficult truths. Doing so with the intention of building community together will help establish exactly the kind of relationships from which a new world can be born.
Throughout April 2022 the north node also squares Saturn in Aquarius, culminating in a solar eclipse in Taurus on 30th April. The node has bedded into Taurus by now, and this square allows it to make its presence felt by catalysing its first real test of our mettle. The financial world will be on the brink as already rising prices continue to soar and the artifice of national and personal debt places its burdens upon the collective. We will all discover to some degree this month, the extent of our dependence on material security for a deeper sense of well-being. As such, the more reliant we are on external security for inner peace, the more vulnerable we may feel. Conversely, the more deeply we can be faithful to the mystery of these transformative times, the more secure we will be. Even against all the odds!
The North Node in Taurus is steadfast and unyielding, as must we be. It refuses to crumple in the face of challenge or retreat in the face of on-coming disaster. It simply stands there, solid, unmoving, unafraid. It typifies the very best of the Taurean vibration: profound and yet pragmatic wisdom, loyalty to a cause, clarity of vision, faith in one’s own ability to endure and overcome. All these qualities are ripe for development this year. No more should we rely on unsettling externals, and those who control them, for an abiding sense of peace. To this end, this time period will see a significant opportunity to relocate your source of security within, faithful to your innate knowing of what needs to be done and when.
Click here to discover what the north node in your birth chart says about you
24th July to 22nd August 2022
The north node conjuncts Uranus from 24th July to 22nd August 2022, and they both conjunct Mars between 30th July and 5th August. This is a formidable combination of energy that signifies unpredictable events that take everyone by surprise. Minds and hearts free of the distorted perceptions created by anxiety and resistance will be best placed to anticipate events at this time. And to act decisively when necessary. That said, a conjunction of Mars and Uranus at the north node has the capacity to surprise everyone!!
Happily, a sextile from this weighty conjunction to Venus in Cancer, promises support and nourishment through communion with those of like mind. So whilst this may be an unsettling time, especially financially, it’s also one in which we can reap the rewards of past efforts made to forge connections against all the odds, and despite unrelenting efforts to prevent us from doing so! At this point in 2022 we may truly discover that tyranny, no matter how intent on controlling us, simply cannot overcome the innate resilience of the human spirit which lives forever free.
Following this conjunction, Uranus stations retrograde in Taurus on 24th August, remaining so until January 2023. Uranus is notorious for delivering the sudden twists of what we call fate, but what are, in fact, aspects of our own nature reflected back to us. When retrograde it rearranges our inner world: the beliefs, thoughts and feelings, behaviour patterns and perspectives that keep us trapped. Events of the previous six months become the catalyst for inner changes that occur now. Uranus retrograde reveals where we’re limited by a particular self-image or belief, when there’s so much more to be expressed. We can harness its power, now, to release our most cherished perspectives and become who and what we truly are – sovereign beings, born free and untouched by those forces that seek to control us.
Uranus reminds us that to awaken is to be roused from the comfortable slumbers of believing we know who we are and what we need, what we can bear and what we can do. Seeing through the limitations imposed by the outside world is one thing but shattering those we unwittingly place upon ourselves is quite another. When the north node and Uranus share the same sign they make available ever greater depths of liberation. For only once inner bonds are broken, are we truly free.
Click here to discover what the north node in your birth chart says about you
25th September to 9th December 2022
Between 25th September and 9th December, the north node lingers in the 14th degree of Taurus. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is children playing on a beach while shellfish grip at the water’s edge. This depiction of the border lands between water and earth – the world of emotions and the realm of matter – speaks to the inner and outer work of this time. To create substance out of experience we must attend to and process our emotional world yes, but we must also know when to climb from it, into the mundane world of responsibilities to be met and much to be done. We cannot live in the emotions all the time, nor can we simply attend to our spirit and neglect our physicality. Balance is vital, and at this point in the north node’s journey through Taurus we can rediscover the simple pleasures of self-care, the care of others, the nourishment of community and the beauty of meeting our basic needs with humility and grace.
The Sabian Symbol for the south node now, is telephone linesmen installing new connections. Communication is important, yes, but sitting at the south node, this image alerts us to the trap of reliance upon technology when a simpler and more relational approach is needed. In this hyper-connected world of the past two decades, it’s been easy to overlook those in our immediate vicinity in favour of more interesting connections far afield. This is not all bad, of course. Bonds of friendship have been forged between many of us who may never meet face to face, and they’ve sustained us through a great deal. But be sure to forge real-time, real-life connections too. And exchange real world addresses. Who knows when we might need them? Know where someone is on this planet so you can get specific when you send them love!
Absolutely everything lays upon the sacrificial altar of change now. And as much as we’ve been conditioned to shape our lives in a certain way these past few years, we can choose to shape it in a different way now. What would your world look like without technology? If that prospect scares you, reflect upon why. How did we manage before all these gadgets and devices?! Have they simplified life or complicated it beyond measure? Or maybe it’s something in between? Wherever you stand on the continuum of ‘technology is terrible’ to ‘technology is the best thing ever’, these final months of 2022 will challenge us to simplify, simplify, simplify. And to be content with the pared-down life that appears before our eyes.
The manipulated and rampant materialism of recent decades will fall away rapidly this year, and as the north node lingers in this single degree we must be prepared to focus on the basics and discover what really sustains us in times of need. For in that discovery is revealed our true face: spirit occupying matter, matter animated by spirit. Thoughts of lack and fear of loss may haunt us now, but this robust north node reminds us it is in simple pleasures that we can find security and peace. So much can be allowed to fall away now. It’s okay to let it go. We may well discover we never needed it in the first place. Everything is changing. Nothing unnecessary will endure beyond this time. We are being stripped back to basics, to build anew from scratch. It simply cannot be any other way.
A solar eclipse in Scorpio on 25th October 2022 and a lunar eclipse in Taurus on 8th November 2022 serve as focal points for the energy of this nodal degree. Whatever life presents you at these times, prioritise simplicity of approach and action. Refuse to be distracted from what truly matters in your life. Use wise discernment to cultivate faith and trust – in yourself, in others, in the mysteries of life as they unfold all around us. Know when to act and when to wait. And if in doubt, wait until the doubt has cleared. Patience in all things is the Taurean way, and bright blessings await those who embody great patience now.
Click here to discover what the north node in your birth chart says about you
7th March to 8th May 2023
Between 7th March and 8th May 2023, the north node remains in the 5th degree of Taurus. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is a widow at an open grave, with Dane Rudhyar commenting upon ‘the impermanence of all material and social bonds’. This degree conjures images of the blank rune – that one rune that bears no symbol and no guidance. The unknown and unknowable territory that requires an act of surrender and faith from those who traverse it. And traverse it we must at this point in the north node’s journey through Taurus. As our relationship with the material realm was changed beyond imagining in 2022, these final months of the journey reveal what remains and how well, or otherwise, we have protected what truly mattered, to secure our own well-being despite all who’ve sought to erode it.
The south node in the 5th degree of Scorpio, through its Sabian Symbol of a rocky shore that resists the pounding of the sea, offers some wise advice. At one level, this image reflects exactly the kind of steadfast resilience needed in these times, but sitting at the south node it reminds us how even new systems and communities can become rigid and unyielding if we let them. Beware seeking security in the same kind of rigid, hierarchical systems that led us to the brink of destruction in the first place. We need a totally new way, not just a recreation of the old. We cannot and must not go back, and with the north node entering Aries in July 2023 we will receive an influx of forward-thinking dynamic energy to ensure we never do!
But at this point in the nodal cycle, be sure to reflect deeply on all structures and systems sustaining your new world. Tease out any that simply recreate the same ‘top down’ power dynamic typical of the old ways that must be brought to an end. Allow the strength of new structures to be their capacity to yield and shift when necessary, to remain vibrant and free. It is time to find a different way. This is the blank rune energy: what comes next can neither be seen nor known at this point. But we must dive into it anyway, intuiting what’s needed as we go. Such is the great mystery of life: that when the stakes are highest, we encounter the least certainty and the greatest risk. But alongside them we find all that is needed to light our path ahead, one fateful and mysterious step at a time.
Click here to discover what the north node in your birth chart says about you
25th May to 8th June 2023
During this period the North Node in Taurus squares Mars in Leo (25th-30th May) and is also conjunct Jupiter (25th May – 8th June). The square to Mars sees a potential struggle between those in power (Leo) and those choosing to live in the new reality. There may be conflict, even within newly formed systems and communities as they strive to find their way and birth a cogent identity. But Jupiter on the north node promises strength, support and generosity of feeling and attitude. Even those with very little can find something to share, and never was this more important to realise than now. Just a simple smile, which costs nothing at all, can bridge an isolating divide at the most critical of times. This alliance between Jupiter and the North Node in Taurus serves to root deeply within us the Taurean principles of loyalty, strength, resilience and pragmatism as we prepare for the nodal shift into Aries in July 2023.
The past is gone forever, and with it people, places, hopes, dreams and priorities. In its place we have a present we simply could not have imagined just three years ago. The nature of this present will reflect the quality of the efforts and intentions invested in its creation since then. If we covered our eyes to avoid the challenges we faced, we may feel unduly diminished at this point. But if we’ve done what we must to birth the new world, we’ll find ourselves ready to release any final remnants of who we once were, if they prevent us from fully embracing a fresh path replete with promise and potential.
The choice is ours and the challenges are many. So be gentle with yourself as well as robust. Allow yourself to fail as much as you strive to succeed. Be as honest as you can be, with yourself and others. No one is perfect. We have all been stretched beyond our wildest imaginings these past few years. But we are still here. We are still standing. And the future is ours to birth and behold. This final Taurean initiation will reward the commitment of all who have retained faith in the possibility of renewal these past eighteen months. This is not the end of the process by any means, but we’re well on our way and the north node’s arrival in Aries in July 2023 will find even more sovereign beings inspired and raring to go!
Sarah Varcas
If you’d like to learn more about astrology and deepen your understanding of your own birth chart check out my self-study astrology course, currently available for £25
Click here to discover what the north node in your birth chart tells you about your life
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