I have the same question!!! I have an Aquarius NN in the 5th house so its been interesting to intellectualize this placement as the Aquarius description says one thing and the 5th house one says almost the opposite!! My guess is that since houses are areas of our lives and the signs are like the flavors or style , we are meant to practice self and artistic expression and by doing so authentically we end up benefitting others and helping the progression of humanity.

I was wondering the same – I’m Aquarius North node & Leo rising. I find that so interesting – I have a Gemini sun, Virgo moon & cancer Venus. Once i started studying all of the meaning in my natal chart, my life starting making so much more sense. I also just joined AmeriCorps and I’m halfway through my service year. This info couldn’t be more accurate! I’m serving in a field that i worked in out of college, and struggled with my beliefs of grandeur through the process.

The South Node is the thing you most want in the whole world. It’s the thing you’re always going for and never get. I am not sure you ever really “get over” it ever, and I have seen people even at the end of a long life trying one last time to finally have whatever experience the South Node represents to them, only to be disappointed one last time. It makes me sad, but in the sense that desire is the root of all suffering, I think it’s part of life to want what you can never have.

In this particular case, the desire that causes suffering is for validation as a unique and special individual with unique and special talents. However, with the South Node in Leo, validation of the individual’s talents and achievements only feed the ego and lead to an even more voracious appetite for attention and validation. The native thinks, “If only I could win an Oscar…” or “When I get that award for such-and-such…then I’ll be happy.” But they’re just chasing their tail. No one else’s adulation will ever be enough to satisfy them.

You’re asking how to support someone who doesn’t seem to be getting it. I am not sure I have the answer, but here are a few thoughts I had in response to your comments —

You mentioned a Venus-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio and a Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer. That’s a lot of water! I can see why social networks would be appealing since water has to do so much feeling and relating. Water is also self-absorbed, so I can see how the Aquarian North Node would be especially hard to reach. Water’s privilege is to take everything personally. Aquarius asks us to detach and not put ourselves first all the time. Ultimately, though, there’s a big difference between the self-absorption of water and the selfishness of ego (fire), and that she will have to sort out, probably through a lot of intense personal encounters. You mention discussing what love is, and I think caring is a good approach to take. Caring about others means putting their needs first or perhaps just putting everyone’s emotional needs on an equal par. Venus-Pluto in Scorpio is obsessive, to say the least, but they usually focus on one person with that energy, so maybe you can make some headway in all the other relationships outside of the obsessive one.

The issue of self-sabotage comes up a lot with Eighth House South Nodes. I don’t think of it as a way for Leo-Aquarius to work itself out so much. Typically, the universe conspires to show you that fame and popularity are shallow and fleeting, and the more you have the more you will want. Finally, a person realizes that it will never be enough. In the examples you give about the soccer players, I wonder if there’s something going on with Saturn there. When we talk about life cycles, about limits and failures, about career ups and downs, Saturn is more often implicated. With professional athletes — as with all young people — one must watch for the Saturn Return. “The world breaks everyone,” Hemingway said. Saturn determines when and how. Saturn is also the thing that takes you off your path. It can tempt you to stray, entice you to indulge, suck up all your resources until there’s nothing left. Sometimes that can appear to be sabotage although what’s really going on is the person is working something out, usually figuring out how to limit something or establish boundaries.

My best guess here, or at least the tack I would take — if I understand the dilemma — would be to really delve into the person’s motivations for his/her athletic career. What is it that makes this worthwhile for you? What are some goals you can set and achieve that will be meaningful to you personally? So, let’s say the response is, “I want to win a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.” You would say something to the effect of, “We really can’t control whether you win a medal at the Olympics or not. We can’t even control whether you go or even if there is an Olympics. Let’s set a goal of…” and then suggest something like a time goal for a long-distance runner, or a personal best for the number of goals scored, or if a team sport some sort of contribution that makes sense like being the first to show up and the last to leave for all practices. (I’m sorry I can’t make better suggestions here, but I hope you get the point.) The idea would be to make the work of being a professional athlete meaningful and personal and challenging without it being about fame and accolades. If you can get there, the centeredness and maturity will take you the rest of the way to “How can I now contribute to the group?”

I certainly wish you the best! Let us know how it’s going.

~C

I think it means putting the needs of the group first in any project, whether that be raising a family, making a movie, playing a team sport, or developing software. It doesn’t have to mean giving up all worldly possessions or taking a vow of poverty. I think what’s really indicated is a need to detach and move away from the ego. One can still be grounded in reality and do that.

I wonder what do you mean by “selfless humanitarian”? Does it mean that a person with this placement shouldn’t care about money/work/love? How can someone truly be selfless (if not Jesus or Mother Teresa) ?

You’ve obviously thought a lot about this, and I was particularly interested in your comments about curing some of Leo’s excesses with periods of isolation. I had never heard that before. I see your point.

My thoughts as I was reading your post run contradictory to the conclusion you draw at the end in some ways, but I will share them anyway in case they are helpful.

Venus and Mars in Leo. That’s some big time energy there! You mention others have thought you an asshole until they got to know you. Some interesting social commentary has been done on what an asshole is. I point to one definition as an example: “…the asshole is the guy who systematically allows himself special advantages in cooperative life out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunises him against the complaints of other people.” (https://www.philosophersmag.com/essays/76-the-meaning-of-asshole). What’s interesting to me about that is from the astrological perspective, this is Leo’s privilege. Leo is exceptional, and, of course, immune to criticism and other social obligations. The sun gives life. What’s to question there? In some sense, then, I would encourage you not to worry what others think. You may take a social privilege commoners are not entitled to now and then, but that is why Leo is associated with kings (who are entitled to just about everything). It sounds like you are aware that this must be balanced with the realities of not actually being a king (or worse a Superman), and that’s probably the best that a heavy Leo energy can do. I guess I’m trying to say don’t be too hard on yourself for being yourself.

The relationships for heavy Leo energy can at times be difficult — you mention having expectations that might make things challenging — but you will work it out. Leos hold court more than they relate, but you also have some beautiful Virgo and Taurus energy to nurture relationships and some Aquarius energy to detach and see the other person as something other than a royal subject.

You seem to be saying that you want to destroy the ego. I guess you don’t see it as an asset? I definitely do. A strong, healthy ego can mediate well between the competing needs of the psyche.

My greatest concern in charts with a heavy Leo signature is the need to always be the hero. So long as you are working on relating to other people as actual individual people (and not royal subjects or entities to be saved), the Leo energy should support and not hinder you.

Best of luck, Celestina

So melodramatic so controlling of my relationships it has almost surely been the cause of much distress, as if I am always expecting to be treated a certain way. It is extremely hard for me to open up to anything(criticism and self criticism alike), I have great musical abilities and still I never feel comfortable enough to use it because they are always coming from a place of EGO even when its not the objective I cant seem to get away from the feelings of “not being deserving yet”, I notice that when I give myself a higher cause for the group I tend to feel better but its a tough call in this placement to feel like you’re doing something correctly for the group without taking personal reward for your actions unless the situation is extreme and requires such(life threatening or split second decisions) .. I constantly feel like im trying to fight what my south node gives me, since in a way it directly opposes what my objective (north node in aqua) brings.. So I constantly control what I show as to try and not seem like the “asshole” stuck up guy, and even then I’m usually judged as so by the crowds(even before they truly know me) so many times I’ve heard “Oh I thought you were an ass before I got to know you”. The only real problem I see is that I can never feel comfortable taking any compliments or owning up to my own achievements because I feel guilty and also that I self sabotage my own accomplishments to not get personal or egotistical confirmation of my correct actions even when they are leading me to my north node objective. They say a healthy deal of isolationism solves this for SN Leo people, and I have done it, it pains us to feel alone and abandoned even by your own choice since you always feel you deserve to be praised be it relationships of love or friendship. But separation helped tremendously as to get a bigger picture how to not “need or seek” the attention you got so easily in a past life. I was the guy who couldnt go to the club and not be approached by at least one other person, if i didnt, anger resentment and even insecurities flourished like a well watered garden.

I am currently dealing with it after a toxic relationship filled with mistrust and lies, I pushed everyone and everything I was away to get the so called perspective of being one more of the crowd instead of always thinking I was there to leave a mark.
That has recently begun bringing me closer to people I was already close with but when blinded by ego I saw their accomplishments even in my life as mine to claim.

I am now seeking a career as an EMT as I feel I can give back to the whole while still taking some incredible damage to my psyche which is enough sacrifice to destroy that ego(despite hidden it is great within me), after that I plan to seek a humanitarian cause of some sorts to open up my eyes and soul to the fact that just as in relations, you cannot control every outcome to be favorable towards your view and you cannot force your hand on anything, for even if you could the outcome would not be satisfactory, since as in the past life it would have been too easy(or fake by the ones giving the confirmation of your great ego).

It is a tough placement and im sure the venus and mars in leo do not help, since the way I have fun and seek relationships is basically always based on being praised in some way which is extremely against the true objective.

Only pointers I have, face your fears, don’t judge, find your true skills and find a way to work them for the greater good, be the one to make the higher sacrifice, not because you’re better but because you’re another soul on the way to learning experiences that add to the whole of humanity. And as with everything else, balance is key, learning how to own your accomplishments without making your ego feel great and expecting more greatness with no work seems to be the trend.
And also guilt, when we feel guilt we self destruct as quickly as we rose.