Positive Sides of Rahu and Ketu

By S N Rao

As the factors which determine eclipses, the nodes are the shadows of the Sun and Moon. The north node, Rahu, is the shadow of the Moon. It has the power to obstruct, negate, cover or darken the Moon (the mind). The south node, Ketu, is the shadow of the Sun. It has the power to obstruct, negate, cover or darken the Sun (the self).

Rahu represents illusion, hallucination, trance, psychosis, paranoia and other such negative mental states. Ketu represents self-doubt, lack of self-confidence, lack of self-worth, which can lead to self-aggrandizement, or, ultimately megalomania. It represents negative states of the Self.

Rahu has the power to overcome the Moon and Ketu has the power to overcome the Sun. They can limit other planets as well, though not to such a degree. Similarly, Ketu can obstruct the Moon; it may create certain violent fantasies or an attraction to the lower or more macabre side of life; alcoholism or something of that order. Rahu can obstruct the Sun; it may create confused imagination, indecision, illusions about oneself and the capacity to lose oneself to collective or psychic influences. But Rahu is more dangerous to the Moon and Ketu to the Sun. As having the power to overcome the Sun, Ketu must be looked at as the most powerful planet in the chart besides the Sun. Their influence is only a portion of the chart. It seldom manifests the extreme negative side as unaccountable, generally psychological or neurological difficulties. They explain much that is hidden or occult in life.

On the positive side, the influence of Rahu can put us in harmony with collective trends and give popularity, prestige, fame and power. It imparts an almost psychic sensitivity to mass trends and a capacity to use them. Ketu, in the positive sense, can create great powers of concentration, powerful perception, independence, the capacity to transcend external influences, psychic and spiritual insight. In terms of yoga and the spiritual life it ultimately becomes the significator of liberation itself (Moksha karaka). Aligned with Mercury it gives good insight and is helpful in the pursuit of such subtle subjects as astrology.

The positive influence of the nodes, however, is less common than the negative and both tend to have a debasing effect upon us. Both nodes represent very difficult forces to handle, and their positive side may only come out through overcoming great obstacles in life and may have side-effects.

Rahu usually functions best when placed in a strong house, like the ninth or tenth, with the ruler of that house powerfully placed elsewhere. There it can give fame, status and prestige. It may give this when strongly located in the first house also.

Ketu means a flag. It has the power to boost up the effects of strong planets with which it is conjoined. A planet in its own sign or exalted conjoined with Ketu gains considerable power. Venus in the second house in Libra conjoined with Ketu, for example, will give wealth or talent. With Mars in Scorpio in the third, Ketu can give great military prowess. Rahu can also function in this way but to a lesser degree.

A strong Rahu gives worldly powers and success, the fulfillment outwardly of worldly desires, but not usually inner fulfillment. It can give rise to such worldly desires that can never be fulfilled, however successful the individual may be--an outer good luck combined with an inner unrest.

Ketu gives sudden and unexpected results for good or ill, depending upon its placement. Well-placed it makes the individual strong but not necessarily sensitive to others. In the spiritual realm Rahu can give psychic powers, medium ship capacity, but also danger from drugs, danger of possession and danger from black magic. Ketu gives perception, liberation, wisdom, psychic sensitivity in a more genuine way but can give a too limiting critical view of things that gets us stuck in some corner of our minds.

Yet as the two nodes are always opposite each other, usually when one is strong or weak, so is the other. If Rahu / Ketu is prominent in the birth chart then the transit cycles of 18 ½ years give strong and life changing events to the native.

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