Rahu and Ketu through the Signs
by Laura Barat | Nov 7, 2016 | Uncategorized | 3 comments
Copyright © Laura Barat 2014 – 2016
Rahu and Ketu are the most important
factors of an astrological chart. Their influence cannot be overstated or
overemphasized. According to Hindu myth, Rahu is the reason a Soul incarnates
on the Earth plane. Many spiritual traditions say that as Spirits in human
bodies, we are here to learn and grow, to experience that which cannot be
experienced in other Spiritual Realms. Human beings have accelerated karma.
When a person is born, he meets with physical matter. This matter, whose
distinctive feature is the Earth element, accelerates the rate of experience
and therefore, spiritual evolution. Rahu, which is not a planet but a point in
the sky where total eclipses occur, reveals to us the earthly realm of
experience where most spiritual evolution will occur. Ketu reveals the earthly
realm of experience that needs to be perfected and effectively released.
The Myths of the
Moon’s Nodes, Rahu and Ketu
The myth of Rahu is a myth of
creation and the myth of Ketu is a myth of dissolution. Throughout world
cultures there are myths of creation. Many of them involve a great flood or of
water covering the entire Earth. Water represents consciousness, but not
manifest creation. It is within this consciousness that creation can come
forth. If we have an idea, it is not yet manifest in physicality, but can be
through hard work. The same can be said of the Earth and all of its creatures.
To gain experience, to grow, to learn, to create, and to perfect; these things
are inextricably entwined with Rahu and Ketu and on an individual level, their
placement in an individual’s horoscope.
Varaha is the
Avatar of Rahu
Brahma, the creator, had been
commanded by the Supreme Being to create. He gave this instruction to his son.
His son came back to him and said, “But the Earth is submerged underneath he
Waters, how am I to create with no Earth?” Brahma thought about this long and
hard, but not being able to come up with an answer in normal consciousness,
withdrew into meditation. Suddenly, a tiny boar emerged from his nostril and
flew down to the Waters to retrieve the Earth. The boar’s name was Varaha and
as he flew, he grew larger and larger, until he grew to giant proportions. When
he hit the water, he swam down and retrieved the Earth from under the water.
While he was swimming to the surface, he was attacked by a demon. A fierce
battle ensued, but the demon was eventually slain by Varaha and the Earth was
brought to the surface of the Waters. For bringing the Earth from beneath the
Waters, Varaha was praised by Brahma. The Earth was then considered the wife of
Varaha. Varaha then gave sacred rites on creating balance and fulfilling
desires, called Yagyas after which, he disappeared.
Interpretation:
As mentioned before, Water represents consciousness. The Earth was submerged in consciousness and Varaha, the avatar of Rahu, brought Earth to the surface of consciousness just as Rahu is said to bring Souls to the Earth, to the ‘surface’ where they can experience what has previously been buried within their consciousness.
As mentioned before, Water represents consciousness. The Earth was submerged in consciousness and Varaha, the avatar of Rahu, brought Earth to the surface of consciousness just as Rahu is said to bring Souls to the Earth, to the ‘surface’ where they can experience what has previously been buried within their consciousness.
Why did the Boar fly out of the
nostril? The sense of smell is made possible by the Earth element. We cannot
smell unless the Earth element is present.
The demon that Varaha encountered on
his way to the surface represents all of the doubts, fears and ‘inner demons’
we encounter when we try to go in the direction of Rahu, when we try to
manifest those things that are unknown and unfamiliar to us, represented by
Rahu. The fact that Varaha brought the Earth into manifest creation signifies
that the Earth cannot exist without Rahu or the Earth exists because of Rahu.
This concept is spotlighted by the legend that Rahu is the reason Souls
incarnate on the Earth to gain experience.
All aspects of the horoscope can be
transmuted, or worked out, internally. Everything in the horoscope can be
worked out in the mind, except for the placement of Rahu and whatever it
touches in the horoscope. Rahu is married to the Earth and everything Rahu
influences must be worked out in concrete, physical existence, i.e., on the
Earth and not in the Mind.
Meena, the Avatar
of Ketu
One day a mighty king went fishing in
a pond. He caught a small fish and was surprised to learn that the fish could
talk. The fish said, “Hello Mighty King, my name is Meena. Please take me home
with you.” The King, knowing that this was no ordinary fish, took Meena home
and placed him in a fish bowl. The next day, the King looked in on the fish and
was amazed to find that the fish had grown so large, he filled the entire fish
bow. The king took him to a pond in his back yard. The next day, Meena had
grown to the size of the pond. The King then took the fish to a large lake.
Sure enough the next day, the fish had grown so that he filled up the lake.
Meena said, “Please dear King, take me to the Ocean.” The King took the fish to
the Ocean and said to him, “I know you are no ordinary fish. You are the Lord
incarnate come for some great purpose that you wish to tell me.” The fish said,
“You are right dear King. In seven days there will be a great flood. Gather
together the other six Rishis and build a boat. I will carry you across the
flood until the time the Earth reemerges.”
The King did as Meena had told him and built the boat. On the appointed day, the King and the other Rishis got into the boat and Meena came and pulled them across the Waters into the next Cycle of Time when the Earth reemerged.
The King did as Meena had told him and built the boat. On the appointed day, the King and the other Rishis got into the boat and Meena came and pulled them across the Waters into the next Cycle of Time when the Earth reemerged.
Interpretation:
At the end of a Cycle of Time, the Earth is submerged under the Waters and the Fish, Meena, which is the Avatar of Ketu, is able to keep knowledge alive represented by the Rishis. He does this by pulling them in a boat to the next Cycle of Time when the Earth begins anew.
In an individual horoscope, whatever Ketu is influencing is so ingrained in the psyche that it has been kept alive in the consciousness between lifetimes. As the death of the Earth is portrayed as an end to the Cycle, a death of a human being is the same thing. But Meena, the avatar of Ketu, carries certain aspects of a person’s consciousness through death and into the next incarnation. Whatever Ketu planet, sign or house influences is an area of life the person will be very familiar with and very talented in. In this lifetime, the goal is to perfect those things Ketu influences by following the path of Rahu. Those things that Ketu influences cannot be perfected by relying on Ketu which most people do in the 1st half of their life. We have doubt and we scrutinize those things Ketu influences because we know they are not perfected and we want to perfect them, but cannot while operating out of Ketu.
At the end of a Cycle of Time, the Earth is submerged under the Waters and the Fish, Meena, which is the Avatar of Ketu, is able to keep knowledge alive represented by the Rishis. He does this by pulling them in a boat to the next Cycle of Time when the Earth begins anew.
In an individual horoscope, whatever Ketu is influencing is so ingrained in the psyche that it has been kept alive in the consciousness between lifetimes. As the death of the Earth is portrayed as an end to the Cycle, a death of a human being is the same thing. But Meena, the avatar of Ketu, carries certain aspects of a person’s consciousness through death and into the next incarnation. Whatever Ketu planet, sign or house influences is an area of life the person will be very familiar with and very talented in. In this lifetime, the goal is to perfect those things Ketu influences by following the path of Rahu. Those things that Ketu influences cannot be perfected by relying on Ketu which most people do in the 1st half of their life. We have doubt and we scrutinize those things Ketu influences because we know they are not perfected and we want to perfect them, but cannot while operating out of Ketu.
Rahu, Ketu and the
Mind
Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu are
points in the sky where total eclipses occur. Rahu is the north point and Ketu
is the south point. In fact, currently astronomers still are not 100% sure of
exactly where Rahu and Ketu are at any given moment. They can only make
estimations and that is why we have 3 different astronomical measurements for
the nodes. Since Rahu and Ketu are points in the sky where total eclipses
occur, then they form an intersection between the path of the Moon around the
Earth and the path of the Earth around the Sun. Rahu and Ketu are an
intersection just like the Ascendant/Descendant axis is an intersection of the
horizontal plane with the Earth’s surface.
The Ascendant represents the birth of the body and the Descendant represents the death of the body. The Ascendant is the place where the Sun rises or is metaphorically born and the Descendant is the place in the sky where the Sun sets, where it metaphorically dies. Correspondingly, Rahu is the birth of the Mind and Ketu is the death of the Mind. Both Rahu and Ketu have the power to ‘swallow the Lights’ i.e., cause eclipses. The birth of the Mind (Rahu’s placement) shows where the Mind must concentrate and where it must strive in this incarnation. The death of the Mind (Ketu’s placement) is Moksha or liberation. Another word is perfection. When the Mind is perfected, it can die and become the Universal mind, the goal of many a yogi.
The Ascendant represents the birth of the body and the Descendant represents the death of the body. The Ascendant is the place where the Sun rises or is metaphorically born and the Descendant is the place in the sky where the Sun sets, where it metaphorically dies. Correspondingly, Rahu is the birth of the Mind and Ketu is the death of the Mind. Both Rahu and Ketu have the power to ‘swallow the Lights’ i.e., cause eclipses. The birth of the Mind (Rahu’s placement) shows where the Mind must concentrate and where it must strive in this incarnation. The death of the Mind (Ketu’s placement) is Moksha or liberation. Another word is perfection. When the Mind is perfected, it can die and become the Universal mind, the goal of many a yogi.
Moon as the Mind
In Vedic Astrology the Moon
represents the Mind. The Mind contains the Jiva or the soul particle that has
the idea of separate existence or individuality. The Mind also contains the
Ahamkara or Ego. In this sense, the Moon is like the Sun in Western Astrology.
The Moon is the Mind and the Sun is the Soul. The Moon like the Mind, takes the
light of the Sun as the Mind takes the light of the Soul, and it waxes and
wanes. In other words, it changes, just like the individual changes and their
character changes. The Soul like the Sun, on the other hand, does not change.
It is constant and forever, unchanging and perfect; it is Truth. Truth never
changes. In light of this, the Moon is the most appropriate planet to represent
the Mind and the Mind is the Individual. One cannot truly experience the Soul
on planet Earth unless one is an enlightened master. Therefore, we operate as
individuals with all of our characteristics and idiosyncracies, which is ruled
by the Moon. The Sun represents how in touch we are with our Soul Nature. That
corresponds to our self-esteem, confidence and how well we can access
inspiration.
Rahu is more troubling to the Moon
than Ketu. In fact, one of the names for Rahu is “Moon Troubler” and the very
reason we are offering this course! Whatever planet Rahu influences by
conjunction it is trying to develop. It is a rather difficult task to develop
the Mind. The purpose of Rahu with the Moon is to strengthen the Mind and to
push the person to develop inner poise and inner peace. In the first half of
life, it may be extraordinarily difficult to do this and the person may feel
overwhelmed and quite fearful of outer circumstances and may develop phobias
and addictions. Outer circumstances and the ups and downs of life may seem
chaotic to the person. The goal is to turn within and strengthen the Mind with
many types of available self improvement.
In India, when they ask you, “What is
your Sign?”, they really mean, “What is your Moon Sign?”. They are always
referring to the Moon Sign. It is called the Janma Lagna. Whatever Sign the
Moon is placed in is very much an identity factor for the person, just like the
Sun sign in Western Astrology. Whatever House the Moon is places within becomes
a very important area of life for the individual. The Moon’s own Sign is Cancer
and its exaltation sign is Taurus. How the Moon is situated from these two
signs also gives a clue as to how the Moon will behave. The Moon’s Nakshatra is
very, very important as well. Probably more important than the Sign placement.
In this course, we will explore the deities of the Moon’s Nakshatra of the
participants and how to placate these deities to strengthen the Mind.
Moon as Femininity
The Moon is the most feminine planet,
even more so than Venus. The Moon rules one sign of Cancer, a feminine sign.
All of the other planets rule two signs. The Moon rules the receptivity of the
Mind and the emotions that are a reaction to what the Moon perceives. To
strengthen and placate the Moon is to become more aware of the emotions as they
arise and to act on them in a healthy way. Most neurosis is caused by denying
the initial emotion and acknowledging the compensating or second emotion, which
is usually anger or fear. When negative emotions arise, it is usually due to
vulnerability. When the Moon is heavily afflicted, the person does not like to
feel vulnerable at any cost. It is almost always felt as a life or death
situation because the Mind perceives extreme negativity, even if the situation
does not warrant it. The second reaction is either anger or withdrawal in order
to protect the Mind from fear. When the Mind reacts with withdrawal, this
usually translates as depression.
Rahu and Ketu
through the Signs and Houses
Rahu and Ketu in Signs shows the
underlying psychological and emotional issues the person must confront to
resolve the house placements of Rahu and Ketu. For example, if someone has Rahu
in Aries and in the 2nd house, then only through acting on impulse (Aries) and
going in their own direction no matter the imput from others (Aries), will the
person be able to accumulate and utilize their own resources (2nd house). This
will resolve the underlying issues of diplomacy, trade and partnership (Libra)
in the areas of life such as other people’s or the spouse’s money (8th house)
and occult practices (8th house).
The remedy is to act on their initial
impulses and avoid weighing pros and cons.
The placement of Ketu in Libra will
resolve, complete and perfect the significations of Libra, mainly relationships
and business, by acting through Rahu’s placement. There are some exceptions to
this rule. When the lord of Ketu is with Ketu or when the lord of Rahu is with
Ketu, then there is much more emphasis on the sign and house placement of Ketu
and the native must work in the areas of Ketu, rather than Rahu to achieve
balance.
For Rahu in the 1st house and Ketu in the 7th house the above description applies here as well. The house position reflects more of the concrete, physical manifestations of events, rather than psychological quirks and blockages.
For Rahu in the 1st house and Ketu in the 7th house the above description applies here as well. The house position reflects more of the concrete, physical manifestations of events, rather than psychological quirks and blockages.
Rahu in Taurus or
the 2nd House and Ketu in Scorpio or the 8th House
Taurus is the sign of
self-sufficiency and wealth. It is represented by a bull, which signified
wealth in many cultures for centuries. Taurus is also a sign of food, the face
and one’s family and environment. The Rahu in Taurus person (or in 2nd house),
is a person trying to develop their self-sufficiency and wealth in this
lifetime. It usually takes a while for someone with this placement to acquire
any savings. Rahu in Taurus people are do not have a sense of their own
self-worth. They may not ever ask for a raise or take low-paying jobs because
they cannot instinctively feel their inherent worth. To feel worthy, they may
seek fame, because fame is a type of material validation. Rahu likes to
compensate by going very far from the direction of Ketu. This means the person
may set their sights on becoming very wealthy. However, this is not the proper
remedy. Taurus and the 2nd house are places where we have responsibilities and
where we must take care of things. Being validated for the task of taking care
of what is your responsibility is the way to develop Rahu in Taurus or the 2nd
house this lifetime. If you take care of animals, your home, your spouse, your
children, in a way in which you are truly fulfilling your responsibilities,
then you are developing Rahu.
Ketu’s placement in Scorpio or the 2nd house, shows someone who has
developed a lot of emotional security in past lives. These people do not need a
lot of emotional support. They are very secure emotionally and do not need help
from friends or family when they are feeling down. However, they are not
completely secure until they develop material security shown by Rahu’s placement
in Taurus or the 2nd House. Focusing on Rahu’s placement will give them a more
well-rounded view of what it means to be secure in life. There are exceptions
to this rules, however, which apply when the ruler of Ketu is with Ketu or the
ruler of Rahu is with Ketu. In that case, the native will be perfecting Ketu’s
placement of emotional security and learning to effectively use other people’s
money and resources.
to find Out what your Rahu and ketu mean for you Karma, through the signs go to
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