Rahu & Ketu, the Nodes of the Moon

Vedic Astrology uses two planets that are not planets called Rahu and Ketu. In actuality these are mathematical points that are calculated where the moon’s orbit intersects the sun’s apparent path. The north node is called Rahu and the south node is called Ketu. These two ‘shadow’ planets are given rulerships, malefice/benefic qualities, and a central role in karma and life events.

There are several stories relating to Rahu and Ketu. One of them refers to a demon who wanted to become immortal. To do so, he needed to drink Amritam, the nectar of the gods. One day, the gods were having a party and the demon took on a disguise to look like a god. He crashed the party, went to the bar, and received a cup of Amritam. Right as he was about to drink it, Vishnu saw through the disguise and took of the disc around his neck to throw it at the demon. Right before the disc cut off the demon’s head, one drop of the nectar touched his tongue. He therefore became immortal but in two pieces: the head without the body referred to as Rahu, and the body without the head referred to as Ketu.

In your chart, Rahu and Ketu are always opposite each other, in the 7^th house from each other. Unlike the other seven planets, they move in the opposite direction, in the retrograde direction. In transit (in the sky today) they move from one sign to the other about every 18 months. Where Rahu is in your chart (the head without the body) signifies things you obsess over, things you want to do that sometime might get your head cut off if not controlled. Where Ketu is in your chart (the body without the head) signifies things you might feel unsatisfied about, or uncertain about, or things where you have a deep intuition. 

Some say that Rahu and Ketu form a karmic axis that in itself can give you insight about your past (Ketu) and the future (Rahu). The important matter is to understand that the Vedic path of meditation and equanimity helps you deal with the effects of these planets: rising above the desires, detaching from disappointment, connecting to intuition and a deeper meaning.

Until next time, Sherif