Publicado por primera vez en mayo 2020 en la revista The Astrological Journal.
The Draconic zodiac is based on the lunar nodes, which are related to matters concerning the Moon, so this zodiac is about emotions, the past, unconscious motivations. Its name derives from the Latin denominations for the lunar nodes: Caput Draconis or Head of the Dragon, which is the North Node, and Cauda Draconis or Tail of the Dragon, which is the South Node.
Because the nodes are points in space that result of the intersection of the solar and lunar orbits, symbolically they combine two fundamental aspects of our being: the Sun, our active consciousness, with the Moon, our receptive awareness and emotional realm.
There are two kinds of nodes: the True node or the Mean node. They are never more than a few degrees from each other, and the difference between them is in the way they are calculated. The Moon’s orbit makes a wobble, has a vibrating effect, and the True node is calculated taking this vibration into account. The Mean node, on the other hand, does not take in these minor perturbations and averages its position. While the former stations and even goes direct a couple of days a month, the latter is always retrograde.
Both the tropical and draconic zodiacs consist of 12 equal signs of 30 degrees each. The tropical zodiac is oriented to the Sun and uses the Vernal Point as its starting point or 0º Aries, whereas the Draconic is oriented to the Moon and takes the North Node as 0 degree of Aries (with the result that in a draconic chart the North Node is always placed at 0º of Aries).
Each zodiac is the result of the intersection of two different planes and therefore combine two dimensions of being. The tropical zodiac is about our psychological traits, our day to day behaviour. The draconic zodiac alludes to memory, habits and roots which influence our present-day as described by the tropical chart. It is impressed within the tropical, and both interact.
Draconic transits
The nodes move retrograde through the zodiac and take about 18 years and 6 months to return, this means that draconic planets move at a different pace than tropical ones. For instance, as one can see form the ephemeris pages below, draconic Uranus will be transiting Aquarius from March 20th 2020 to May 7th 2021 (I used the True node), so it will take only thirteen and a half months to transit through a sign instead of the seven years it usually takes in the tropical zodiac. Draconic Saturn will be in Scorpio from April 2020 to April 2021, and so on and so forth.
Because the North node acts as a starting point for the draconic zodiac, in order to calculate draconic transits, simply subtract the North Node from the current position of the planet or cusp. For example, on May 4th at 8pm in Argentina, the True node was at 0 º Cancer and tropical Venus was at 20º degrees of Gemini; this means that Draconic Venus was at 20º Pisces. There are online programs such as astro.com and Astro-Seek that offer draconic ephemeris.
Draconic transits can be used on both the draconic and the tropical charts; I have also seen impressive results using tropical transits on draconic charts. Conjunctions and oppositions are mainly used, and orbs should be kept tight (up to 3 degrees).
They are often felt as life altering events that have a major impact in the course of our life. They bring to the present issues pending from the past, can give closure to problems from former experiences and are often felt as inevitable.
In the following examples, the True node was used.
Example 1: Kobe Bryant dies in an accident
- Draconic transits on tropical chart: on the day of his fatal accident, draconic Saturn and Pluto, a combination associated to death, falling and destruction, were at 16º 13’ and 15º 02’ Libra respectively, making a conjunction to natal Mars, Pluto and Venus at 12º 08’, 14º 52’ and 16º 08’Libra respectively.
- Draconic transits on draconic chart: on comparing the draconic natal chart to the event chart, once again there is a contact between Saturn and Pluto to the natal stellium formed by Mars, Pluto and Venus. In this case, transiting draconic Saturn and Pluto at 16º 13’ and 15º 02’ Libra respectively, form an opposition to Bryant’s draconic Mars (15º 07’ Aries), Pluto (17º 50’Aries) and Venus (19º 06’Aries). In addition, transiting draconic Mars at 8º 54’ Virgo is opposing draconic natal Saturn at 6 º 17’Pisces).
Inner chart Kobe Bryant natal chart 8/23/1978 unknown time.
Outer chart: event chart for accident 1/26/20 9:06am; L.A., California
Astro-Seek
Example 2: China announces the Coronavirus outbreak
On December 31st 2019, draconic Uranus was at 24º 18’Capricorn, and tropical Pluto was at 22º 22’ Capricorn. Uranus announces an unexpected event which will rapidly affect the whole world, affecting Pluto, a planet associated with state control, power issues, things that are kept secret or hidden, death and destruction.
Example 3: WHO announces pandemic
On March 11th 2020, draconic Uranus (29º 34’Capricorn) was conjunct tropical Saturn (29º 05’Capricorn). The WHO announced the Covid19 pandemic, an illness which has many uranian characteristics because of its global reach, its suddenness and its ability to spread in record time, mostly due to people travelling world- wide by plane. Saturn is very well represented by the fact that it specially affects old people and has led to lockdown and isolation.
To sum up, one could say that draconic transits provide striking information and a better understanding of events. It is further proof of the fact that everything that takes place in our lives is written in the stars.
Maria Blaquier
May 2020
