The Rahu-Ketu Energy shift from Taurus-Scorpio to Aries-Libra

On March 15 the storm planets Rahu and Ketu move from the Taurus-Scorpio axis to the Aries-Libra axis where they will spend the next year and a half. Since Rahu and Ketu are points on ecliptic where the orbits of moon and earth intersect, they can only be observed during eclipses and are called chaya graha or shadow planets.

Otherwise known as the nodal axis of the moon, the sign in which the nodes occur is where the solar and lunar eclipses occur, meaning that for the next year and a half, eclipses will only occur while the Sun moves through the constellations of Aries and Libra.  

Rahu and Ketu are said to be the most malefic of the planets because of their ability to engulf the Sun and the Moon.

The Sun is considered the Atma karaka or the indicator of the soul. Symbolically solar eclipses are periods when the orientation of one’s soul is obscured.  

The Moon is the perceptual mind. Its nature is passive and impressionable. It allows us to observe and feel. During lunar eclipses the orientation of our feelings get obscured.

Another reason Rahu and Ketu get under our skin so much is because the direction the moon’s nodes travel in the heavens, is in the opposite direction that the planets travel. The nodes come at us from behind.

For example, if a person has their Sun at 17 degrees Pisces and their Mercury at 23 degrees Pisces and their Mars at 3 Aries, as a planet transits their Sun, they’re accustomed to experiencing themselves in their relationship to the world as sensitive and empathic. Then as the transiting planet goes over their Mercury in Pisces the need to qualify and quantify kicks in, which they also go about in a soft lens, spiritual or big picture-oriented way. As the transiting energy hits their Mars in Aries it’s time for extreme physical action! Mars in its own sign doesn’t hesitate. This is their pattern. The call to action of Mars in Aries comes into play after the sensitivity and circumspection of Sun and Mercury in Pisces.

In this example, when the Rahu and Ketu transits occur, the person feels the Martian urge to act prior to their customary sensitive circumspection. How will this go for them? Since they are going about their paces in the opposite direction they usually do, will Mars starting things off make their usual sweet self more aggressive and accident prone? Who even are they?

The Moon’s nodes don’t follow the regular order of development. Over time the nodes do develop their own sequence or history in a person’s life, but its an opposite history. The cycle of the Nodes takes a little over 18 and a half years which is a pretty long period for a human. It is 6 years longer than benefic Jupiter’s 12-year cycle, which brings good fortune, and 11 and a half years shorter than taskmaster Saturn’s 29-year cycle, which connects to our deeper life’s work. If we live a long life, we’ll see 5 nodal returns.  

Rahu and Ketu turn things upside down. In terms of the current energy shift occurring from their change of signs, Taurus and Scorpio are Sthira or fixed signs. Their energy is stable, determined and unyielding. Aries and Libra are Chara or cardinal signs. Their energy is dynamic, action oriented and initiating.

On a mundane level, our currently coming out of Covid protocols fits the shift from fixed energy of withdrawal to that of getting back out in the world again. Similarly, on the cusp of the shift, you can’t say the Russian war on Ukraine isn’t action oriented.

I will write about the new bhava or house placements for Rahu and Ketu in the personal horoscope, so the part of life that the nodes are personally affecting can be tracked/considered, in an upcoming post.

Neptune transits and memory

 

In Vedic astrology the planet Neptune will be leaving Aquarius on Apr 19 22 and moving on to Pisces. It will retrograde back for a final visit to Aquarius from Sep 12 22 to February 19 23, then take up roughly 14 years residence in Pisces.  

Strict Vedic astrologers don’t use Neptune in their practice. Neo-Vedic astrologers, like me, don’t mind if they do. Neptune and the other outer non-luminous planets are considered upagrahas or secondary planets. They are looked at by transit but are not considered in terms of sign rulership.

The characteristics of Neptune in Vedic Astrology aren’t a lot different than in Western astrology. Neptune is seen as a planet of transcendence, of breaking down boundaries. It is sublime. Whereas by comparison Uranus transits liberate suddenly, with Neptune transits we experience a liminal in-between state, like being between rooms. Neptune helps us transcend.

What Neptune touches dissipates. I propose Neptune brings on a fizzling or relaxing or even difficulty holding onto one’s memory regarding the area of life it transits. When we talk about specific area of life affected, we look to the houses. And since Vedic astrology uses a whole house system, when a planet moves into a new sign, it also moves into a new house.  

So that means we all, everyone, will be experiencing a shift in the part of their life that Neptune affects.  

Keep in mind, the area of life that Neptune is moving from can become clear again, but on changed (hopefully transcended) terms. Here follows a rundown of Neptune transit affects on memory by house of transit.

 

1st house – lose memory of self

2^nd house – lose memory of truth

3^rd house –lose memory of style/kinship  

4^th house - lose memory of home

5^th house – lose memory of mind

6^th house – lose memory of what one is fighting for/specifics  

7^th house – lose memory of other

8^th house – lose memory of value of other

9^th house – lose memory of law/freedom

10^th house – lose memory of success

11^th house – lose memory of reciprocal connection

12^th house – lose memory of memory/loss

Birthday week for the Aquarian Sun

It was my birthday two days ago and I was joking with a friend about it being birthday week. 

I was able to be specific about the qualities of birthday week. For example, my friend ironically asked whether birthday week started precisely on my birthday or sooner. I said that up until this year I would have said it started on my birthday, but that this year I could feel it coming on a few days before my birthday. 

Joking along these self-aggrandizing lines is a demonstration of ego. Which makes sense because one's birthday is about the Sun's position in the sky relative to earth. And the Sun is about ego. 

The Sun signifies other things as well. The Sun is the Atma Karaka, indicator of soul. It is a karaka or indicator of body, father, power, status, fame, vitality, respect, the eyes (ability to see), the heart (the heart radiates as does the Sun).

The Sun likes recognition. The Sun shines forth the self. The Sun is a planet of honour, fame, leadership ability.

What occurred to me this turn around the Sun was that my evolution from birthday to the self aggrandizement of birthday week suits my Aquarian Sun. Having the Sun in Aquarius is a weak placement. The Sun shines anemically in February. Aquarius is a social sign more concerned with collective welfare than self importance. Its energy is diffuse.

Therefore, it makes sense that those born under the Sun sign of Aquarius would conduct their birthdays in a similar diffuse or widely distributed manner. The Aquarian recognizes their birthday is not just about them. It’s not exclusive like the earnest ego inflation of its opposite sign Leo, the sign of the king and the home of the Sun. Its inclusive, socialistic. The Aquarian’s birthday must include everyone! It takes time for the Aquarian’s slow-burn Sun’s mild ego to come to this self-realization. It takes about a week.

 

I saw the space news today about Jeff Bezos’ unpiloted sub-orbital trip to the edge of space and back. I have always been a space person, not just an astrology person so, of course I was keen to learn the news. Even though I also love it I was feeling cynical about it.

There is the issue of the state of the earth, the environmental changes caused by too much carbon in the air from human industry. A lot of the regular non-billionaire people feel billionaire money would be better spent on earth problems.

Bezos and the news people did not ignore the issue per se. Amidst the enthusiastic news responder analysts were periodically placed people mentioning the concern.

A statement Bezos made during the interview, that going to space for mining would alleviate the carbon expenditures here on earth impressed me as a brilliant changing the optics or shifting the perception move.  

Which made me think he must have a Mercury-Ketu conjunction. By the way, this is an “I was right about something I perceived astrologically” post. Mercury is the merchandizer and Ketu is the “shifting the optics or perceptions” planet. Bezos has it.

Going back to my cynicism I just read an article saying Bezos’ New Shephard is one of the cleanest launch vehicles around. Drats, I did not want that to be the case. Against my wishes, I'm afraid my perceptions may be shifting. 

 

I studied Western astrology with Noel Tyl but dropped out halfway through the course because I lost faith in it. I couldn’t feel the verity in the more advanced techniques of the latter part of the program.

Presently I am studying Vedic astrology with Dennis Flaherty.

I still enjoy Western astrology and will no doubt circle back to it. It has powers. Especially of describing energies.

A big part of my interest in Vedic astrology is because it has the power to lift you. I don’t see Western astrology as having that same potential.

My Vedic astrology teacher Dennis Flaherty will say things like a great Jupiter will cancel a lot of problems in a horoscope.

We all don’t get to have a great Jupiter but in studying one’s Vedic horoscope the strengths are found.