Guided by the Nodes - An Embodied Healing Practice

by Cassandra Joan Butler

© Cassandre Joan Butler - published by The Career Astrologer, March 2022 / 06.07.2022

Shiatsu treatment
Source: Kai Miano from Pixabay

It’s May 25th, 2022, and I’m exhausted. For the past twelve days, I’ve done extensive astrology counseling with clients torn apart and heartbroken following the massacre at a Buffalo supermarket. As a native Buffalonian, the hate-filled killing hit me hard and many people I love. Their grief, my grief, and the world’s grief are compounded by the horrors of another mass shooting in Texas just yesterday, which snuffed out the lives of innocents.

I realize I need to apply the Astro-therapy I’ve cultivated for many years to myself. I call it Universal Healing Protocol, a fusion of shiatsu (Asian finger pressure) with the precepts of astrological wisdom.

Carefully I slip into the tub, filling it with Epsom salts and steamy hot water. I breathe deeply and surrender to the jets massaging my back. I then apply both index fingers to that sweet spot just below each nostril. Deep breath again, now holding it as my fingers bore down deep into the crevice on my face where large intestine #20 resides. Tears stream down my face. When I emerge from the water, I feel refreshed and renewed.

I have explored ways to connect the dots between the 12 zodiacal energies and the 12 paired meridians encompassing our bodies for twenty years. I indulged this interest when I worked as a college professor teaching shiatsu, as I balanced my astrology practice. What I discovered was a synchronistic connection between these two very different systems. There is a way to match the 12 major meridian pairs with the 12 zodiacal signs in terms of function. The result is a dynamic healing protocol. A reading of the client’s chart illuminates which of the 12 meridians can be manipulated for maximum healing. I apply the shiatsu (finger pressure) treatment and instruct the client on self-massage techniques.

The Cycle of Trying Times

Could the Universal Healing Protocol be effective as a healing technique during differing astrological times?

As astrologers, we know that the transiting lunar nodes create something like background noise or a gestalt affecting us collectively and specifically within individual charts. The transiting nodes color our worlds in subtle but profound ways.

I have found a strong connection between the polarity of the Scorpio and Taurus archetypes and the shiatsu meridians for the Large Intestine and Lung. If true, working with the paired meridians during 2022-2023 can be a helpful healing tool, and I want to share this mind-body-spirit technique.

Whenever a planet makes an ingress or the nodes shift, I observe the news cycle. Invariably the news pundits focus on the meaning of the shifting cosmic cycle, albeit unconsciously. January 19th, 2022 was the day of the nodal shift into Taurus and Scorpio. I recall that day well. It was the first time since May 2020 when COVID news wasn’t dominating. In its place was a story about the threat of planes falling from the sky due to the 5G roll-out, plus a foreshadowing threat relative to the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine.

Scorpio is the archetypal energy of death and transformation, power, manipulation and control, intrigue, secrets, terror, and emotional intensity. What could be more fear-provoking than the possibility of world annihilation hinted at by the possible threat of nuclear war in Europe? That, of course, is the shadow fear of any conflict involving a nuclear superpower, especially a Scorpio country like Russia (based on the inception chart dated November 7, 1917).

The evolutionary action of the transiting South Node is to expose the negative underbelly of the meaning of the energy. The exposure lends itself to its release, as the South Node is expressed as the tail of the Dragon, and the transiting North Node is its mouth.

Dane Rudhyar wrote on the need to evacuate the darkness of the transiting south node.

Then it suddenly came to me that if the South Node truly represents a function of evacuation or release, procreation at the biological level and artistic creation at the cultural level also constitute a process of release of materials which the organism seeks instinctively to eliminate. (i)

Are we now needing to eliminate the negative manifestation of the Scorpio energy?

The eclipse month of any particular year highlights the lessons of the transiting nodes. What could be more devastating than two mass shootings occurring within days of the May 16th Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio? What stirs our grief centers more than senseless killing?

Healing Grief with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Source: Wuxing_fr.svg: Benoît Stella alias User:BenduKiwiderivative work: Ju gatsu mikka, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Traditional Chinese Medicine organizes its wisdom through elemental theory. There are six essential elements used: absolute fire, supplemental fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each element encompasses a series of intricate associations from time of the day to seasons, to colors to emotions.

The emotion of grief is encapsulated in the metal element, including the lungs and large intestine organs.

The parallel between these two organs is found in their similar functions. Both eliminate, and both are necessary for life itself. How do we describe the moment of life and death? We refer to the moment of the first or last breath when noting the doorway between living and dying. We can’t live without breathing in the life-giving oxygen and eliminating the byproducts of respiration.

Your doctor won’t discharge you from the hospital unless you can eliminate the waste products of food. The expression “Death begins in the colon” has been credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates of Cos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) and to Nobel prize-winning Russian biologist Elie Metchnikoff (1845-1916),” a scorpionic phrase. (ii)

Coincidentally, the colon or large intestine is a body association for the sign of Scorpio. The lungs traditionally are under the purview of Gemini. However, the function of breathing is a life-or-death action. So, Taurus, the sign of what matters, relates to the lungs for our purposes.

A shiatsu practitioner might suggest repeated deep breathing exercises for a client going through a mental imbalance or grief. When we are managing sorrow, we tend to unconsciously and automatically sigh. Check in to see if you have been doing more than your share of sighing since the nodal shift. Weeping and crying are extreme examples of the natural physiological tendency to breathe in and out rapidly. The lungs get a workout when we manage grief. The inhale and exhale of the breath signals life itself.

Since the color of `metal’ in Traditional Chinese Medicine is white, eating `white foods’ such as onions, potatoes, cauliflower, turnips, and egg whites are recommended. Consciously applying predictable structures and routine is essential to keep grief at bay.

Most critically is the conscious ability to let go, to release, and allow oneself to be supported.

Apart from the acute grief, the collective is processing; now, we face the chronic grief of navigating a world post-COVID. There has been so much loss. We mourn the loss of loved ones directly attributed to the scourge of the pandemic, the loss of careers and businesses, and even a loss in the faith of our leaders. Grief has been all around us since the nodal shift.

Unlocking Body Wisdom with Self-Shiatsu

The points used in shiatsu (finger pressure) and acupuncture (needling) are distributed along meridians dispersed upon and within the human body; some pathways zig and zag, and some run vertically and along nerve dermatomes. Think of these points as ‘cities located along highways’ (meridians).

You can view a points correspondence like the astrologer’s 360-degree wheel at the link https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/207635/Standard_acupuncture_nomenclature_1991_partI_eng.pdf. This report identifies 361 acupuncture points. (iii)

Acupuncture point LI #20
Source: Adobe Stockphoto - free use on website

The first step in applying the self-massage for the Universal Healing Protocol is to locate key acupuncture points on the body. For this brief introduction to healing grief during the nodal shift of Taurus and Scorpio, we will focus on only two key points, Lung #7 associated with Taurus, and Large Intestine # 20, associated with Scorpio. An actual session with a trained shiatsu practitioner would be more comprehensive. The image below illustrates these points.

Large Intestine #20 is located right at the base of both nostrils. Find it with your index finger. It’s located in the nasolabial groove, at the level of the midpoint of the lateral border of ala nasi. You know you have found that sweet spot because it feels tender. It’s the point associated with the transiting Scorpio South Node, the repository of grief.

Many people automatically touch this point when they are in the throes of sorrow. Our bodies have an innate wisdom to self-soothe. Our fingers know what to do! This is one of the points used to balance sorrow so it doesn’t get stuck in our bodies.

Acupuncture point LU #7
Source: Adobe Stockphoto - free use on website

The next point to find is Lung # 7. This is a powerful point and is sometimes referred to as a command point. It stimulates circulation and activates the imagination. It is located above the wrist on the inside of the arm. Interlock your thumb and index finger of one hand with the other to find this point. The point lies on the edge of the index finger, in a depression between the tendon and the bone. You’ll get the point because it will feel tender. Think of this point as the gateway to activate the gifts of transiting Taurus North Node in your chart.

An Exercise: Balancing the Metal Element by Releasing Scorpio and Rebuilding Taurus

No matter where the nodes are transiting your chart, the following exercise may assist you in balancing your grief during these troubled times. The ‘metal element’ in traditional Chinese Medicine represents the positive qualities of resiliency and connectivity. In its negative manifestations, it represents grief. Before you practice the self-massage protocol, become familiar with the location of the points and their meaning.

1. Release what you need to eliminate where Scorpio falls in your chart by activating the shiatsu point ‘Large intestine #20.’Imagine that you are housecleaning where Scorpio falls in your chart, and this exercise is like pressing the vacuum button to suck up what needs elimination. You can activate the point by pressing firmly on both the points located right below the nostrils.
2. Next, imagine how you would feel if you successfully achieved a specific goal in the Taurus area of your chart as you activate shiatsu point Lung #7. Imagine that your entire body is positively emanating a sense of happiness. Imagine feeling relaxed and alert at the same time. Think about what Taurus teaches you in the topics of this House.
3. Practice pressing each point for about 7 seconds and release for 7 seconds.

When you have identified where the points are and what they represent, proceed to the following expanded example of the exercise. Have fun with it, and trust your body’s wisdom; gentle, slow specific pressure is the key.

Expanded Exercise

Ideally, connect with the water element through imagination or direct experience. Perhaps do this exercise before showering or bathing. Touch the water. Feel its buoyancy and healing properties. We honor the Scorpio elemental nature of water as we attempt to balance the grief within our bodies.

Then, get comfortable in a seated position as though you are preparing to meditate.

Take a deep breath and hold to your comfort and as you exhale, consciously envision what physical aspects you need to release, pain, tension, discomfort, etc.

Repeat. As you exhale, release emotional aspects, including a need to control, grief, anxiety, and fear.

Repeat. As you exhale, release specific things you need to let go of, like clutter, toxic thoughts, toxic relationships, and the past.

When you are sufficiently relaxed, begin applying both index fingers to the base of the nostrils. This is large intestine #20. Breath in deep and hold the breath as you simultaneously focus on what you are releasing… If tears come up freely, allow them to flow without judgment.

Next, find lung # 7. Remember this is on the inner wrist, located by interlocking the index finger and thumb.

Deeply inhale. Imagine what life-giving projects you want to manifest. Ask yourself what truly matters most in your life. As you exhale, imagine where Taurus falls in your chart, and next begin to pulse and activate Lung #7 as you imagine what and how you want to rebuild your life.

Repeat this stimulation of Lung # 7 and kinesthetically feel the emotion of gratitude as you identify what life-giving goals you wish to manifest. Imagine that the plans are already in your `here and now.’ Smile as you stimulate Lung #7. Perhaps add a visualization of your favorite Taurus images, a beautiful garden, a crystal, beauty, bounty, safety, and security.

With this DIY exercise, be mindful not to apply undue pressure that equates with pain. I’d suggest making it a part of your self-care morning and evening routine. The magic of this exercise is to embody the balancing dance of the Taurus/Scorpio polarity within yourself. It’s one way to connect mind-body-spirit by blending two ancient wisdom paths.

Conscious Management of Grief

According to mental health professional Sarah Epstein, the emotion of grief goes beyond dealing with the loss of a loved one due to death. There are four additional grief producing situations that tear at the fabric of our souls: (iv)

1. Loss of identity (inability to work in one’s profession due to mandates)
2. Loss of autonomy (a financial or physical setback)
3. Loss of safety (community members traumatized by targeted violence) 
4. Loss of dreams (an inability to afford a home purchase)

Each of these extraordinary situations is a hazard of our current times.

We may collectively be past the acute time of the COVID crisis, with its pulsing fears and anxieties, but there is a new form of malaise, a feeling of sorrow for the loss of stability. If the Scorpio Lunar Eclipse coincided with the news of horrific deaths, the Taurus Solar Eclipse of April 30th coincided with security themes, including a collapsing economy as the stock market plunged, inflation, soaring energy costs, and the baby formula shortage.

Breathing deeply while relaxing on a dragon
 Source: silviarita from Pixabay

Taurus and Scorpio reflect the metal element of structure and connectivity, the ability to integrate and release, inhale and exhale. As individuals, we may not have the agency to affect any of the challenges out there. Still, we can affect positive change within our bodies by practicing conscious management of grief. If the theory is correct—grief is the emotion magnified during transiting South Node in Scorpio—then we have at least a year left of conscious releasing.

You can’t overdo the frequency of using the Universal Healing Protocol. Apply it as needed.

At the very least, mental health experts agree that deep mindful breathing can modify any stress. Deep breathing activates the vagus nerve, cranial nerve #10 which connects the brain to the belly. From science writer Christopher Bergland,

Diaphragmatic breathing (also referred to as "slow abdominal breathing") is something you can do anytime and anywhere to instantly stimulate your vagus nerve and lower stress responses associated with "fight-or-flight" mechanisms. (v)

With deep breathing and the Universal Healing protocol, you have accessible tools in your survival toolbox during these difficult times.

References:
 1. Retrieved 6/1/2022 from http://www.khaldea.com/rudhyar/astroarticles/interpretlunarnodes.php 
 2. Retrieved 6/1/2022 from https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/death_begins_in_the_colon
 3. World Health Organization (1991)  Retrieved 6/1/2022 from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/207635/Standard_acupuncture_nomenclature_1991_partI_eng.pdf
 4. Epstein, Sarah (2019) Retrieved 6/1/2022 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-the-generations/201904/4-types-grief-nobody-told-you-about
 5. Bergland, C. (2017) Retrieved 6/1/2022 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve

Published in: The Career Astrologer, June 2022.

Author:
Cassandra Joan Butler BSW, MS, LMT, has been a noted practitioner of astrology, spiritual development, and bodywork since 1987. Her background includes college teaching, adult community education workshops, and international astrology and spiritual conferences. She serves as a faculty teacher in astrology at Fellowships of the Spirit. Cassandra is an astrology columnist for Audacy radio and the mid-western journal 'Pathfinder.' Memberships include OPA, NCGR, AFAN, ISAR, and the CIA. Cassandra is the founding pastor of the Divine Grace Fellowship Church, which blends astrological wisdom with a healing ministry. Cassandra offers weekly FB live sessions on astrological and spiritual reflections. When she’s not doing astrology or healing, she’s deep breathing and walking in the woods of Western New York.

© 2022 - Cassandra Joan Butler - The Career Astrologer

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