North Node calculator
What's your North Node? See where you are headed.
True and mean nodes are both calculated.
The axis, not one point
The North Node and South Node are always opposite. The reading is about the tension between the familiar pattern and the direction of growth.
The lunar nodes are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. The North Node is the direction of growth, the South Node is the familiar pattern you already know how to do. They always sit opposite each other, so the reading is about the axis, not one point on its own.
How this is calculated
The position
The true node is calculated from the Moon's instantaneous orbital plane at the birth instant. The mean node uses the standard averaged formula. The full reading shows both, because they can differ by up to a degree and a half.
The zodiac
The nodes move backwards through the zodiac, spending roughly 18 months in each sign.
The clock
The house placement comes from the same house system as the rest of the chart. With an unknown birth time there is no house, and the reading says so.
Questions
What is the difference between the true and mean node?
The true node follows the Moon's actual orbit, which wobbles. The mean node is a smoothed average. Most astrologers use one consistently; the sign is usually the same, and the degree can differ by around a degree.
What does my North Node mean?
It describes a direction of growth that can feel unfamiliar at first. The South Node describes the pattern you default to. The useful reading is the tension between them, not a command to abandon one side.
Why is my North Node in a different sign on another site?
True and mean nodes can fall on either side of a sign boundary. The full reading shows both so the difference is visible instead of hidden.