Nodal Return in Astrology simply refers to a time where the Lunar Nodes will transit in the same position that they are in your birth chart. For instance, if you have Rahu (North Node) in Aries, between 2022-2023 would be your Nodal Return. As the Nodes take around 1.5 years to transit a sign, this means that a return will occur about every 18 years. So the Nodal Return ages are around 18, 36, 54, or 72.
Of course, this is only the basic concept and timing, not the actual experience and process of the transit. To understand that, we must first understand the Nodes themselves.
Understanding the Lunar Nodes
Rahu is the name of the North Node, Ketu is the name of the South Node. North and South are modern names, Rahu and Ketu are the names used by Vedic Astrologers, like me.
Mythologically, the Nodes are said to come from the splitting of a snake-like creature. This snake defied the gods by swallowing the nectar of immortality, and was cut in two as they attempted to kill it. As it became immortal from swallowing the nectar, it was forced to remain alive split into two parts, the head and the body.
The head, Rahu, represents the forward thinking part. Dealing with our desires for the future, what we want to accomplish and the biggest obsession of our lives, the thing that caused us to reincarnate. Rahu represents this one area where we desperately want to achieve, as it is a great desire emanating from our karmic past.
The body, Ketu, is the larger portion of what remains, showing all our past baggage. A lot of times, modern astrologers give a negative connotation to this. But Ketu represents the whole past, bad and good too. It can represent excesses, or areas where we overextended ourselves in past lives. But it can also represent talents, great skills, and long cultivated fruits of past lives.
The main mission when dealing with the Lunar Nodes in astrology is to find balance. To find equilibrium between the past, and what comes from Ketu; and our desires and aspirations for the future, that come from Rahu.
Going back to the mythology, we have a split creature, trying to be whole again. That is the big mission of the Lunar Nodes, being whole again. Honoring and dealing with our past, while embracing and building the future.
Nodal Return experience
During a Nodal Return, with Rahu transiting close to natal Rahu, and Ketu transiting close to natal Ketu, both points will be strengthened. You have a supercharge of your karmic energy active during this transit.
Through that, you come in contact with many impulses. From Rahu, you will strongly feel your desires and needs for the future. For instance, someone with Rahu in the 5th could feel a strong need to express themselves, or deal with creativity. Someone with Rahu in the 2nd would feel a strong need for material security.
From Ketu, you will enter in contact with your past. Talents, contact with people from your past, new found activities that come easily to you are some expressions of that. Another point could be a degree of repulsion, or fear, of certain activities. For instance, someone with Ketu in the 5th could feel repulsed by the idea of dealing with arts, preferring more intellectual pursuits and a more down to earth approach to things. Someone with Ketu in the 2nd could deal with things like investing and trading, finding ease and talent in dealing with money.
The Nodal Return is always a fated time for a person, where they come in contact with their future and past very strongly. Events, encounters and ideas seem to lead you towards a direction. There is always some sense of synchronicity happening with this transit.
First Nodal Return (18 years)
The most important Nodal Return tends to be the first one, around 18 years old. This is a time in life where we are usually allowed new responsibilities and freedoms, as we reach the start of independence from our parents. It is also the time of making big decisions, choosing a path for life, deciding a career.
An important point of advice for this first return is that mistakes are possible. You might make the wrong decision, and need to make a change later on, that is okay. This strong energy active during the Nodal Return can, in some cases, create illusions. Making us overvalue some things, and undervalue other important points when choosing the path ahead.
When we reach 19, and the Nodal Return ends, is a special time where we can really see through the illusions and phantasies we nurtured. In certain cases, we might be completely fine with the decisions we’ve made, and happy with the path chosen. In other cases, we could see our error and find a need to fix it.
Again, at such an early age, everything seems like a big deal. So we could be afraid of making a change, moving to another path, maybe undoing plans that we’ve shared with others. But that’s life, and it’s fine. We can always change, it is not the end of the world. So we shouldn’t beat ourselves up because of this.
Other Nodal Returns
The later Nodal Returns in life tend to come as a jolt of energy, bringing change in our lives. New found desires and projects can bring a rise in life around this transit, specially around 36 and 54 years.
An increasing theme, with each Nodal Return, tends to be our orientation when dealing with the nodes. Again, the goal of the nodes is always about balancing both energies. But in some cases, there could be an emphasis towards either Rahu or Ketu.
An emphasis on Ketu, would show someone lacking desires, someone with not that many ambitions. Barely going through the motions of life.
An emphasis on Rahu would show someone with excessive desires, strong needs and will. A great example of that are politicians. Politics is an area strongly influenced by Rahu. And we frequently see older politicians, much past their prime, possibly creating trouble for younger generations, but still insisting on maintaining power forever.
That is the impulse of an excessive Rahu, unending desires. They want to feel that power, they want to feel that praise until the very end. They’ve never found a balance, their desires just kept going and going.
A balanced approach to the nodes would have the person letting go, reducing their desires with time, while still maintaining and reaching some goals. No excess on the side of letting go, and not caring about anything. But no excess on the side of wanting, and never letting go of anything, trying to eternally cling to the rush of life.
The latter nodal returns, around 72 or 95 years old, will represent for most people a time of letting go. Learning to accept the flaws of life, learning to accept that not everything can or has to be perfect, and letting go of excessive concerns. With this letting go, some relaxation and calm is achieved, as the native stops concerning himself with battles that do not matter to him. The native finds solace in having achieved his desires, and enjoys the fruits of them.