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.