Exhales and Exits: How to Work with the South Node

It’s the end of a long day. Your eyes are bleary. Your mind is mush. It’s time to wind down and disconnect. You decide to draw a bath. As you sink into the water, it’s like you can finally exhale for the first time in hours.

This is what the South Node can feel like. Frequently misunderstood and typically feared, there’s a softer side to the South Node that you might just find relaxing. In this blog post, explore how the South Node can help you create more space and clarity in your life.

Lunar Nodes 101

The lunar nodes are those two horseshoe-shaped symbols in your birth chart. They operate as a pair (the North Node and the South Node) and are directly opposite one another in the zodiac. Although they move through the zodiac like the planets do (but in reverse order), the nodes are actually points. They designate where the Moon crosses the ecliptic, or the apparent path of the Sun. 

When a New or Full Moon occurs near a node, it’s an eclipse. Eclipses are disruptions in the Moon’s normal cycle, and so the nodes are associated with a shift or disruption in our personal cycles, patterns, or circumstances. 

Traditionally called the dragon’s head and the dragon’s tail, the lunar nodes indicate points of uncertainty and instability. (I mean, you never know what a dragon’s going to do, right?) And although we don’t need to be afraid of the nodes or view them with as much anxiety as perhaps the ancient astrologers did, we can still learn a lot from this original symbolism.

The North and South Node have very distinct yet complementary actions:

The North Node is an entrance. The South Node is an exit.
The North Node is a beginning. The South Node is an ending.
The North Node is up. The South Node is down.
The North Node is an inhale. The South Node is an exhale.
The North Node increases. The South Node decreases.
The North Node welcomes. The South Node says goodbye.
The North Node accumulates. The South Node releases.
The North Node is a faucet. The South Node is a drain.

I think you get the idea. The North and South Node work as a team, or like a swinging door. And although it may be subtle, when one node is working, the other is working too. For example, whenever something ends, something new begins. Remembering that the nodes don’t act in isolation, but operate as a regenerative pair, helps me view them with less fear.

Making Friends with the South Node

Our culture is very North Node-y. It teaches that more is better, beginnings are best, and that accumulating and clinging to things is the way to security. It’s insatiable and hungry and full of craving. And yes, new things are exciting and possessions are necessary. But my point is, either node can bring about suffering and dissatisfaction in excess. However, as modern humans, the North Node may feel more natural or appealing. The South Node isn’t negative or bad, it’s just different. It goes against the modern grain, and its mode of operation may feel foreign at first.

It’s easy to label the South Node as negative since its action is to decrease and remove, but I encourage you think more creatively about those words. What are the many benefits of letting something go or bringing something to completion? Ah. There you go.

There’s something very healing about the South Node’s action. It’s like setting down a heavy pack after a long hike, changing into your sweatpants, finishing up a project, or having a really good poop. (Yes, I went there.) The South Node can help you release your burdens and mark important milestones or transitions. It completes the task and clears the path so that you can move on.

The South Node is also about detachment. It’s about turning away from more visible, external success markers and reconnecting with your spiritual roots and motivations. For example, if the South Node is transiting your tenth house, your career goals for the next couple of years may be less about climbing the ladder and making money and more about feeling fulfilled or emotionally connected to your work.

I also like to think of the South Node as pouring someone a drink or watering a plant. The South Node doesn’t hold onto things. It shares. It gives back. It’s generous. The question is no longer, How can this support me? But, How can this support others? The South Node gives you an opportunity to be of service.

And sometimes the South Node really is just about letting something go or bringing something to a close. But remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It can just be a cathartic clean-up. As the South Node passes through your chart, it can help you refine and sort through different areas of life. What’s left over? Only what’s necessary and true.

The Transiting South Node in Your Chart

Just like the planets, the Nodes “walk around” or transit your chart and stir up certain areas of your life. As I’m writing this post, the transiting North Node is in Pisces and the transiting South Node is in Virgo.

Have a look at your birth chart. What houses do Pisces and Virgo occupy in your chart? What topics do these houses represent? These are the life areas that are being stirred up by the nodes and the eclipses. The house that the South Node is moving through describes the life area that’s being cleaned up and cleared out. The house that the North Node is moving through describes the life area that’s growing and expanding.

The South Node can also pass over (conjunct) one of your natal planets. When the transiting South Node makes a conjunction to a natal planet, that planet’s themes and the topics of the houses it rules are where the reducing action takes place. The South Node has a diminishing effect, like a light dimmer. It can temporarily weaken a planet, or make its expression more internal.

For example, if the South Node conjuncts your natal Mercury, you might experience some mental fatigue or exhaustion. Another possibility: maybe you’re “pouring out” a lot of words in the form of a book or creative project. Or perhaps you’re going through a time of “cleaning up” your thought patterns with the help of a therapist or coach.

Pro tip: In my practice, I don’t pay attention to other aspects from the transiting Nodes. The conjunctions are the most powerful and notable.

South Node Eclipses

Remember that when a New or Full Moon happens near a Node, it’s an eclipse. The Node that the eclipse is next to can tell you a lot about how that eclipse will feel. Both new and full Moon eclipses near the South Node are about cleaning up, they just do it slightly differently.

When a New Moon eclipse occurs near the South Node, it turns the typical New Moon themes inside out. We usually think of the New Moon as, well, new. But the South Node requests that we bring something to an end first. This is a good time to simplify and clear some space so that you can start fresh in a few days or weeks. 

When a Full Moon eclipse occurs near the South Node, it reinforces the usual Full Moon themes of culmination and release. Something has come to its fullest expression, and now it’s time to celebrate and move on. For example, finally sharing something publicly that you’ve been working on for a long time.

No matter if its new or full, South Node eclipses can be quite fatiguing. The Sun and Moon represent our vital energy, and when their light is disrupted, it may correlate with a time of lower energy or just feeling a bit under the weather. South Node eclipses are especially good for taking things down a notch and allowing yourself to completely reset on a physical and spiritual level. You may notice you need a personal day or just some extra TLC before or after a South Node eclipse. Releasing is hard work! Treat your body well and support your ability to be brave and let go with nourishing food and plenty of rest.

Practical Things You Can Do with the South Node

Since the South Node’s action can be a little ethereal, it can be helpful to channel the energy into something tangible and specific. Here’s a few ideas to get you started: 

• Clean out your closet

• Free up space on your devices

• Minimize your commitments, say no to something

• Volunteer

• Donate money or time

• Have a garage or yard sale

• Make an exit plan for something

• Edit something

• Wash and detail your car

• Clear out and recycle old papers

• Weed your garden

• Clean up your spice cabinet

• Break a sweat in your favorite way

• Trim your hair and nails

• Exfoliate or enjoy a scrub

South Node Journaling Prompts

Now that you fully understand the South Node, take some time to process and personalize it by playing with a few of the writing prompts below. South Node writing is free and uninhibited. Again, think about pouring something out. Allow the words to just spill from you without censoring or holding back. Try not to edit while you write. (I know that’s easier said than done!) Be messy, scribble, and let your hand be free.

I’d feel so free if…

I’d love more space in…

I’m ready to move on from…

I’d like to simplify…

I want more fulfillment and connection in…

Something that’s ready to pour out of me is…

I’m willing to give away or share…

If you enjoyed this post, you'll love my free webinar on Planet Channeling - an astrology-informed journaling and visualization technique. Connect with the South Node and see what it has to say! Watch for free here.