by Jana Astanov
Featured imaged depicting Rahu, The North Node, the Dragon’s Head.
Please note this article was posted in 2017.
ECLIPSE – the act of seizing or occultation
An Eclipse – “the act of seizing or holding” or occultation – occurs when the Sun/Surya or Moon/Chandra is obscured from view due to a specific alignment between the Earth, Sun, and Moon.
A lunar eclipse happens during a Full Moon (when the Sun opposes the Moon), as the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, blocking the Sun’s rays from reaching the Moon.
A solar eclipse occurs during a New Moon (when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction), as the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, blocking the Sun’s light.
Origins of the Moon’s Nodes
In Vedic (Jyotish) astrology, the Nodes are seen as the demons who cause eclipses. For the full story of how eclipses came to be, check out my article: THE STORY OF A WOMAN AND THE SNAKE, in which I relate the Hindu myth about the churning of the ocean of milk, and how the Nodes and eclipses were formed. It is an important event in Hindu philosophy, and the most common form of the story is from the Mahābhārata – perfectly describing the symbolism of the Nodes and Eclipses.
The Churning Of The Ocean, watercolor and gold on paper from the Gita Govinda manuscript ca. 1785 Kangra court Pahari School India, San Diego Museum of Art.
Unlike planets with form and substance, the Nodes are mathematical points—places where the orbit of the Moon intersects with the apparent path of the Sun. The point where the Moon crosses from South to North is called the Ascending Node, or North Node.
Rāhu or the Dragon’s Head
Across cultures this point is known as the Dragon’s Head. In India it is Rāhu, described in the Purāṇas as the demon who swallows the Sun and Moon to create eclipses. Rāhu is a disembodied head—always devouring, never digesting—symbolizing insatiable appetite. In the natal chart, Rāhu is said to share qualities with Saturn: material, disciplined, calculating, and capable of creating worldly entanglement.
The Descending Node, or South Node, is known as the Dragon’s Tail. In India it is Ketu, the severed body without a head. It carries heart but no reason, inspiration without strategy—artistic, mystical, yet wasteful and volatile. Ketu was once identified with a comet or smoky mass, which later became mythologized as the serpent’s tail. In the birth chart, Ketu is said to resemble Mars: action-driven, fierce, able to sever, and sometimes destructive.
Because the Nodes were thought to devour the Sun and Moon during eclipses—momentarily robbing the heavens of their light—they were feared as malevolent, disruptive forces. They govern the foreign, the unconventional, the technical, the intoxicating, and the extreme. Rāhu and Ketu are cosmic intruders, uninvited guests who destabilize the order of things—yet their disruptions often carry the power to transform, awaken, and reveal what lies beyond the ordinary.
Ketu or the Dragon’s Tail
Ketu is the South Node, also known as Dragon’s Tail as well as a comet or smoky mass to add to its symbolic dimension.
n Western astrology, the Nodes are interpreted as points of evolution. The South Node represents what is familiar—our comfort zone, often linked to past-life patterns or ingrained habits. It is where we tend to remain because it feels safe. The North Node, by contrast, points us toward what is unfamiliar yet necessary for growth: the direction we are compelled to move toward in order to evolve and fulfill our potential. True balance comes not from choosing one over the other, but from holding both—their signs and houses—in dynamic equilibrium.
Shadow Planets
The Nodes are often called shadow planets, because they work behind the scenes, shaping events from the invisible realm. During an eclipse, their presence becomes unmistakable. Suddenly, what has been hidden is exposed. Secrets rise to the surface, truths demand recognition, and circumstances compel us to face and transform them—or risk being overwhelmed. Eclipse season carries this unmistakable “sink or swim” quality.
The intensity of an eclipse also depends on its planetary company: when other planets conjoin the eclipse point, their qualities fuse with the event, amplifying its impact. The house in which the eclipse falls in your natal chart further colors the themes and arenas of life most likely to be stirred. Together, these factors make eclipses profound turning points, revealing what was once obscured and setting transformation into motion.
What is a Lunar Eclipse?
A lunar eclipse can only occur during a Full Moon (when the Sun and Moon are in opposition), as the Earth moves directly between them, blocking the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. When this alignment takes place, the Earth casts its shadow across the Moon, dimming or darkening its surface
The Earth’s shadow consists of two distinct cone-shaped regions. The penumbral shadow, the outer portion, blocks only part of the Sun’s rays, causing a subtle shading on the Moon. The umbral shadow, the darker inner core, completely blocks direct sunlight, resulting in a dramatic darkening or reddening of the Moon during a partial or total lunar eclipse.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
A Solar Eclipse can only occur at the New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are in exact conjunction and the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun. If the Moon’s shadow falls upon Earth’s surface at that time, part or all of the Sun’s disk is hidden, or “eclipsed.”
When the umbral shadow (the darker, central portion) touches Earth, observers in its path witness a total solar eclipse—the Sun’s light fully obscured for a brief, awe-inspiring moment. When only the penumbral shadow (the lighter, outer part) reaches Earth, a partial eclipse occurs instead. Partial eclipses are especially dangerous to observe without proper eye protection, as even the smallest sliver of the Sun still emits intense and damaging rays.
Eclipse Symbolism
In astrology, an eclipse’s symbolism mirrors its physical occurrence—what happens in the sky reflects something deeper. When the sky goes dark and the Moon is blocked, we lose a familiar light. Similarly, during an eclipse, something we are used to seeing or understanding may become obscured or hidden. In ancient times, eclipses were seen as omens, often linked to significant events like the rise and fall of rulers, wars, or natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
What Do Eclipses Bring to Our Personal Lives?
Anything with great power and influence on a global scale is bound to affect us individually. If the degrees of the eclipses align with a significant point or planet in our natal chart, the impact can feel similar to an outer planet transit. Even if none of your personal points or planets are directly involved, the eclipses will always activate a house in your chart.
It’s essential to observe where the nodes and eclipses fall in your chart, particularly if they align with a planet or personal point. If they do, especially in combination with a retrograde, they will activate that area of your life, bringing hidden aspects into focus. These revelations can be positive or challenging, but they will demand your attention.
Classical Vedic Texts
There is nothing in classical Vedic literature that directly connects eclipses to the natal chart. Yet when we observe the symbolism and the events that often unfold during eclipses, we gain valuable insight into how these celestial shadows can touch our lives. When an eclipse aligns with a sensitive point in your chart, its effects can be especially heightened.
Traditionally, eclipses were seen as moments of disruption, when it was advised to avoid gazing at them directly. Today, many of us are drawn to witness these rare cosmic alignments. If you do, consider balancing observation with inner practice: prayer, meditation, retreat, or quiet centering.
Soothing rituals help navigate the intensity and restore equilibrium as the veils shift and the atmosphere grows charged.
Remember: the Indian scriptures counsel focus and inwardness—meditate, step back from the mainstream current of the eclipse, and reflect deeply, so that you may gather strength to move through whatever transformations the eclipse brings.
Planetary Stations
Eclipses amplify energy, and when they coincide with planetary stations—especially retrogrades of challenging planets—the results often ripple across the globe. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, political upheavals, violence, and sudden world events tend to leave an imprint on collective consciousness. These phenomena, though not uncommon, take on deeper resonance when synchronized with an eclipse, as if the slowed weight of a retrograde planet and the sudden obscuration of Sun or Moon combine to magnify their impact.
2017 eclipse cycle – key dates
The 2017 eclipse cycle illustrates this dynamic. The key dates surrounding the August 7 Lunar Eclipse and August 21 Total Solar Eclipse include:
- May 15, 2017 — North Node (Rahu) conjunct the eclipse point
- August 21, 2017 — Total Solar Eclipse at 6:30 pm GMT (New Moon)
- September 3, 2017 — Mars conjunct the eclipse point
- September 19, 2017 — Venus conjunct the eclipse point
- December 31, 2017 — South Node (Ketu) conjunct the eclipse point
- January 24, 2018 — Mars square the eclipse point
- January 31, 2018 — Total Lunar Eclipse
- February 15, 2018 — Partial Solar Eclipse
With Mars aligning with the North Node on August 27, followed by its conjunction to the eclipse point in early September, upheaval was to be expected—both in the United States and on the global stage. Events in one region reverberate outward, weaving all of us into the shared drama of celestial timing.
Houses meaning in Tropical – Western and Sidereal – Vedic systems
Western (Tropical) Houses:
First House — Personality, body, appearance
Second House — Finances, possessions, values
Third House — Communication, siblings, short journeys, learning
Fourth House — Family, mother, home
Fifth House — Children, creativity, recreation, entertainment
Sixth House — Health, service, pets, daily work
Seventh House — Marriage, contracts, partnerships
Eighth House — Shared resources, business transactions, sexuality, life-and-death matters
Ninth House — Higher education, long-distance travel, publishing, law, philosophy
Tenth House — Profession, public status, reputation, father
Eleventh House — Gains, friendships, community, hopes, dreams
Twelfth House — Compassion, spirituality, limitations, solitude, the unconscious
Vedic (Jyotish) Houses – Bhavas:
- Tanu Bhava (Ascendant / Lagna) — Self, body, vitality, character, general life path
- Dhana Bhava — Wealth, possessions, family, speech, values
- Sahaja Bhava — Siblings, courage, short journeys, communication, skills
- Sukha Bhava — Mother, home, property, inner peace, vehicles
- Putra Bhava — Children, creativity, intelligence, romance, spiritual merit
- Shatru Bhava — Enemies, debts, diseases, daily service, discipline
- Yuvati Bhava — Marriage, spouse, contracts, partnerships, sexuality
- Ayur Bhava — Longevity, transformations, occult, hidden matters, inheritance
- Dharma Bhava — Higher knowledge, religion, philosophy, teachers, long journeys
- Karma Bhava — Career, authority, public life, actions, father
- Lābha Bhava — Gains, income, aspirations, elder siblings, community
- Vyaya Bhava — Loss, expenditure, liberation (moksha), isolation, foreign lands
Wishing you a peaceful and transformative Eclipse season.
Take time to meditate, to turn inward, and to align with the stillness of this celestial moment.
Agni Jnana Yannanda, AstroCreatrix
The One Who Speaks With The Stars
Triple Moon Goddess performance ritual by Jana Astanov. Venice, Italy, 2019.
Agni Jnana is an astrologer and an artist (Jana Astanov) originally from Mazury Lake District of North-Eastern Poland and currently living in the Shawangunk Mountains of the Turtle Island. Agni Jnana, which translates from Sanskrit as Mystic Fire, comes from Old Slavonic, Agnieszka, one of the oldest Slavic names associated with the Goddess of Fire, and Joanna being Slavic Dziewanna, the Goddess of Life and Wisdom (Sanskrit Jnana) presiding over the Summer Equinox and life re-affirming rites.
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