Planetary node
The moment at which a planet crosses the ecliptic. In the biodynamic planting calendar the twelve hours before and after count as unfavourable for sowing and planting.
What is a planetary node?
Every planet moves on an orbit that is slightly tilted against the plane of the Earth’s orbit. Twice in each orbit it crosses this plane, at the ascending and at the descending node. In the sky it crosses the ecliptic. The nodes of the planets correspond to the lunar nodes and come more or less often depending on the planet.
Mercury crosses the ecliptic about eight times a year, Venus about every 112 days, Mars about once a year. Jupiter takes about six years for it, Saturn just under 15. Because the Earth itself lies in the ecliptic, the passage is seen from the Earth at the same moment as from the Sun.
Planetary nodes in the biodynamic calendar
Biodynamic practice avoids the time around a planetary node for sowing and planting. Dyyna blocks twelve hours before and twelve hours after the node passage, whatever the day type. It is the same fixed width as for perigee. For the lunar node the window follows the Moon’s disc; the planets appear too small for that.
Planetary nodes 2027
| Date | Time | Planet | Node | Unfavourable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb | 16:37 | Mercury | ascending | 4:37 – 4:37 (2 Feb) |
| 11 Mar | 23:31 | Mercury | descending | 11:31 – 11:31 (12 Mar) |
| 13 Mar | 13:19 | Venus | descending | 1:19 – 1:19 (14 Mar) |
| 30 Apr | 16:52 | Mercury | ascending | 4:52 – 4:52 (1 May) |
| 7 Jun | 23:47 | Mercury | descending | 11:47 – 11:47 (8 Jun) |
| 4 Jul | 17:44 | Venus | ascending | 5:44 – 5:44 (5 Jul) |
| 27 Jul | 16:08 | Mercury | ascending | 4:08 – 4:08 (28 Jul) |
| 11 Aug | 20:40 | Mars | descending | 8:40 – 8:40 (12 Aug) |
| 3 Sep | 23:02 | Mercury | descending | 11:02 – 11:02 (4 Sep) |
| 23 Oct | 15:24 | Mercury | ascending | 3:24 – 3:24 (24 Oct) |
| 24 Oct | 7:06 | Venus | descending | 19:06 (23 Oct) – 19:06 |
| 30 Nov | 21:18 | Mercury | descending | 9:18 – 9:18 (1 Dec) |
Times for Central Europe (CET, CEST in summer). In 2027 only Mercury, Venus and Mars cross the ecliptic.
Sources
- Orbital node, Wikipedia
- Planetary positions: VSOP87 (Bretagnon and Francou 1988)
Frequently asked questions about planetary nodes
What does planetary node mean in the planting calendar?
The hours in which a planet crosses the ecliptic. The biodynamic calendar counts twelve hours before and after as unfavourable for sowing and planting.
How often are there planetary nodes?
In 2027 on 12 dates, most of them for Mercury.
What is the difference from a lunar node?
Both are passages through the ecliptic. The Moon crosses it twice a month, the planets less often, depending on their orbital period.