You Want It Deeper? Let’s Get Draconic.

The theme of the year for me (at least symbolically), is serpents and dragons. From initiating ‘The Way of the Serpent’ group back in February, to exploring earth energies (the dragon and serpent lines), the year has a distinctly serpentine vibe. And while there’s not been quite as much transformation as last year (thank God) I feel that I have certainly shed a skin or two.

In astrology, I have been exploring the draconic chart; draconic astrology uses the lunar nodes as the basis for the chart. This method is said to provide an exploration of a person’s soul, unconscious motivations, and spiritual purpose. It goes much deeper than the personality we have developed in this lifetime; it snakes back through the timeline of our soul’s journey.

Revealing the more subtle aspects of our purpose, the draconic chart considers the unconscious elements of ourselves- the self within the self. It is believed to shine a light on our spiritual challenges as well as provide information relating to our karma and karmic debts.

Whie the draconic chart is different to the tropical one (used by most western astrologers), it coexists with the tropical chart and cannot work independently. The Sun and Moon work together to show a richer map of soul, past, present, and possibly future. In shamanic terms it incorporates the lower, middle, and upper worlds.

The term draconic comes from the Latin name for the lunar nodes: Caput Draconis, the head of the dragon, or the lunar north node, and Cauda Draconis, the dragon’s tail, or the lunar south node.

In the draconic chart, the north node is set to 0° of Aries (the Draconic Equinox) and all other planets and angles are moved accordingly. This is calculated by adding the degrees between the natal placement of the north node in the tropical chart and then moving all other planets and angle by the same number of degrees (don’t worry, you don’t have to calculate this yourself, Astro.com. Solar Fire, or any other astro calculation software will do this for you)… or else book an appointment with me.

You must decide if you want to use the mean or true lunar node, although usually there is very little in it. Dane Rudyhar tended to favour the mean node while, draconic astrologer Pamela Crane favours the true node. Though I’m a big Rudhyar fan, when it comes to nodes, I tend to use the true node.

In my own chart my lunar north node sits at 5° Aquarius. The difference between this point and 0° Aries, is 55°, so although all aspects remain the same in the chart, everything is advanced by 55°. My draconic Sun, then, is positioned at 12° Pisces and not 17° Capricorn.

This is very significant for me because my natal tropical astrology chart has no planets or angles in water (though I have Vesta and 2 of the centaurs in Pisces).

What fascinates me is that my progressed sun at 11° Pisces 42′ is about to conjunct my draconic sun at 12° Pisces 10′. This will happen in less than a year- in fact around about the exact time that Pluto conjuncts my tropical lunar north node at 5° Aquarius 24′, on April 15, 2026.

I feel this is hugely significant. It suggests that at that time, my soul purpose aligns with my conscious mind, merging the inner and the outer, spirit and soul… the inner marriage. This is already underway and I am feeling the effects. Of course, it could mean any number of things, but whatever happens, in terms of my soul’s journey, it is huge.

I also find it interesting that the number of degrees between my tropical natal true lunar node and the draconic equinox (0° Aries) is 55° degrees. At the time when Pluto makes a conjunction to my natal north node, and my progressed sun makes a conjunction to my draconic sun, I will be 54 years old, and therefore in my 55th year!