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North Node calculator

The lunar nodes are the two points where the Moon's tilted orbit crosses the Sun's path. They slide backward through the zodiac, about a year and a half in each sign, so everyone born within the same stretch of months shares a North Node sign. The South Node sits exactly opposite.

Birth time barely matters here: the node moves about 3.2′ of arc a day, so a whole day shifts it by 0.05°. It decides the sign only within a day of a sign change, and the result says so when that happens. Times are treated as UTC.

Where the North Node is now

27°31′ Aquariusmean North Node
Aug 18, 2026in this sign since
Mar 7, 2028moves into Capricorn

The South Node is in Leo. Everyone born from Aug 18, 2026 until that change shares this North Node sign.

Mean node or true node

There are two ways to place the node. The mean node is its average position: it moves backward at a steady 3.2′ a day and never turns around. The true node adds the wobble caused by the Sun's pull on the Moon's orbit. It swings up to about 2° either side of the mean, now and then moves forward for a few days, and can cross a sign boundary more than once.

This calculator uses the mean node, computed from the formulas in Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms and checked against published ephemeris tables to within a minute of arc. If another site gives you the neighboring sign, check which node it uses: near the start or end of a period the two can disagree for up to about 5 weeks.

The twelve North Node signs

North Node in AriesRead as practicing direct action and independent judgment while remaining considerate of others.South Node in LibraNorth Node in TaurusTraditionally read as learning steady self-reliance without making every choice a test of trust.South Node in ScorpioNorth Node in GeminiTraditionally read as learning to ask better questions rather than defend a finished answer.South Node in SagittariusNorth Node in CancerRead as learning to express needs and accept care without giving up competence or responsibility.South Node in CapricornNorth Node in LeoRead as practicing personal expression and warm leadership without losing concern for the group.South Node in AquariusNorth Node in VirgoRead as practicing discernment and useful skills while keeping Pisces compassion intact.South Node in PiscesNorth Node in LibraTraditionally read as practicing fair partnership while retaining the courage to state a preference.South Node in AriesNorth Node in ScorpioTraditionally read as learning to accept support and speak plainly about difficult feelings.South Node in TaurusNorth Node in SagittariusRead as learning to choose a direction without losing curiosity or the ability to reconsiderSouth Node in GeminiNorth Node in CapricornRead as learning to make plans, set clear limits, and follow through without giving up care.South Node in CancerNorth Node in AquariusRead as practicing equal participation without giving up creativity or personal warmth.South Node in LeoNorth Node in PiscesRead as learning to accept uncertainty without trying to perfect every detailSouth Node in Virgo

The sign is the first layer. The house the node falls in and the planets touching it are what a reader uses to make the axis specific to you. Ask a reader about your nodes →

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North Node sign by birth date, 1940–2040

Every stretch the mean North Node spent in one sign, with the South Node opposite. Dates are in UTC; if a birth falls on the first or last day of a period, run the calculator above with the birth time.

1940–1959 14 periods
FromToNorth NodeSouth Node
Oct 9, 1939Apr 27, 1941LibraAries
Apr 27, 1941Nov 15, 1942VirgoPisces
Nov 15, 1942Jun 3, 1944LeoAquarius
Jun 3, 1944Dec 22, 1945CancerCapricorn
Dec 22, 1945Jul 11, 1947GeminiSagittarius
Jul 11, 1947Jan 28, 1949TaurusScorpio
Jan 28, 1949Aug 17, 1950AriesLibra
Aug 17, 1950Mar 6, 1952PiscesVirgo
Mar 6, 1952Sep 23, 1953AquariusLeo
Sep 23, 1953Apr 13, 1955CapricornCancer
Apr 13, 1955Oct 30, 1956SagittariusGemini
Oct 30, 1956May 20, 1958ScorpioTaurus
May 20, 1958Dec 7, 1959LibraAries
Dec 7, 1959Jun 26, 1961VirgoPisces
1960–1979 13 periods
FromToNorth NodeSouth Node
Dec 7, 1959Jun 26, 1961VirgoPisces
Jun 26, 1961Jan 13, 1963LeoAquarius
Jan 13, 1963Aug 2, 1964CancerCapricorn
Aug 2, 1964Feb 19, 1966GeminiSagittarius
Feb 19, 1966Sep 9, 1967TaurusScorpio
Sep 9, 1967Mar 29, 1969AriesLibra
Mar 29, 1969Oct 16, 1970PiscesVirgo
Oct 16, 1970May 5, 1972AquariusLeo
May 5, 1972Nov 22, 1973CapricornCancer
Nov 22, 1973Jun 12, 1975SagittariusGemini
Jun 12, 1975Dec 29, 1976ScorpioTaurus
Dec 29, 1976Jul 19, 1978LibraAries
Jul 19, 1978Feb 5, 1980VirgoPisces
1980–1999 14 periods
FromToNorth NodeSouth Node
Jul 19, 1978Feb 5, 1980VirgoPisces
Feb 5, 1980Aug 25, 1981LeoAquarius
Aug 25, 1981Mar 14, 1983CancerCapricorn
Mar 14, 1983Oct 1, 1984GeminiSagittarius
Oct 1, 1984Apr 20, 1986TaurusScorpio
Apr 20, 1986Nov 8, 1987AriesLibra
Nov 8, 1987May 28, 1989PiscesVirgo
May 28, 1989Dec 15, 1990AquariusLeo
Dec 15, 1990Jul 4, 1992CapricornCancer
Jul 4, 1992Jan 21, 1994SagittariusGemini
Jan 21, 1994Aug 11, 1995ScorpioTaurus
Aug 11, 1995Feb 27, 1997LibraAries
Feb 27, 1997Sep 17, 1998VirgoPisces
Sep 17, 1998Apr 5, 2000LeoAquarius
2000–2019 14 periods
FromToNorth NodeSouth Node
Sep 17, 1998Apr 5, 2000LeoAquarius
Apr 5, 2000Oct 24, 2001CancerCapricorn
Oct 24, 2001May 13, 2003GeminiSagittarius
May 13, 2003Nov 30, 2004TaurusScorpio
Nov 30, 2004Jun 19, 2006AriesLibra
Jun 19, 2006Jan 7, 2008PiscesVirgo
Jan 7, 2008Jul 27, 2009AquariusLeo
Jul 27, 2009Feb 13, 2011CapricornCancer
Feb 13, 2011Sep 2, 2012SagittariusGemini
Sep 2, 2012Mar 22, 2014ScorpioTaurus
Mar 22, 2014Oct 10, 2015LibraAries
Oct 10, 2015Apr 28, 2017VirgoPisces
Apr 28, 2017Nov 16, 2018LeoAquarius
Nov 16, 2018Jun 4, 2020CancerCapricorn
2020–2040 15 periods
FromToNorth NodeSouth Node
Nov 16, 2018Jun 4, 2020CancerCapricorn
Jun 4, 2020Dec 23, 2021GeminiSagittarius
Dec 23, 2021Jul 12, 2023TaurusScorpio
Jul 12, 2023Jan 29, 2025AriesLibra
Jan 29, 2025Aug 18, 2026PiscesVirgo
Aug 18, 2026Mar 7, 2028AquariusLeo
Mar 7, 2028Sep 24, 2029CapricornCancer
Sep 24, 2029Apr 14, 2031SagittariusGemini
Apr 14, 2031Oct 31, 2032ScorpioTaurus
Oct 31, 2032May 21, 2034LibraAries
May 21, 2034Dec 8, 2035VirgoPisces
Dec 8, 2035Jun 27, 2037LeoAquarius
Jun 27, 2037Jan 14, 2039CancerCapricorn
Jan 14, 2039Aug 3, 2040GeminiSagittarius
Aug 3, 2040Feb 21, 2042TaurusScorpio

Questions

Does my birth time change my North Node?

Rarely. The mean node moves about 3.2′ of arc a day, so even a whole day of uncertainty shifts it by 0.05°. That changes the sign only for births within a day of a sign change, roughly one birthday in 567, and the calculator flags those dates.

Why does another calculator show a different North Node sign?

It probably uses the true node. The true node swings up to about 2° either side of the mean one, so near the start or end of a period the two can sit in neighboring signs for up to about 5 weeks. Neither is an error; they are two conventions, and this page uses the mean node.

Where is my South Node?

Exactly opposite the North Node, at the same degree of the opposite sign. A North Node at 10° Aries puts the South Node at 10° Libra. The two are read as one axis: the South Node as the familiar habit, the North Node as the direction that takes effort.

How long does the North Node stay in one sign?

About 19 months (567 days for the mean node), and 18.6 years to go around the whole zodiac. It moves backward, so it passes from Aries into Pisces, not into Taurus.

What is a nodal return?

The node comes back to its position at your birth every 18.6 years: around ages 18.6, 37.2, 55.8 and 74.5. Astrologers read these returns as checkpoints for the questions of the North Node sign, often lining up with moves, job changes or the end of a long chapter.

Other points of the Moon

Black Moon Lilith calculatorThe far point of the Moon's orbit, about nine months in each signMoon sign calculatorWhere the Moon itself stood when you were born
Your nodes, read in fullA personal reading on life direction
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