Ketu's mahadasha lasts 7 years. Where Rahu hungers for the world, Ketu lets go of it. Ketu periods often bring endings, separations or a loss of interest in old goals, and in their place research, insight and spiritual growth.
How Ketu gives results
Like Rahu, Ketu has no sign of its own. It acts through:
- the lord of the sign it occupies;
- the planets it joins, which it can make feel detached or spiritualised;
- the house it occupies: the area of life where things change or are released;
- its nakshatra lord. Ketu rules Ashwini, Magha and Mula, and many people begin life in a Ketu dasha because their Moon is in one of these nakshatras.
Common themes
- Detachment: less interest in status or possessions; questioning what really matters.
- Endings and separations: jobs, places or relationships that have run their course.
- Depth: research, technical mastery, programming, medicine, astrology and other deep study.
- Spirituality: meditation, pilgrimage, interest in moksha.
- Sudden events and, sometimes, health matters that are hard to diagnose.
The antardashas
Ketu–Ketu is short (about 5 months), followed by Venus (the longest, 14 months), Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury. Ketu–Venus can bring comforts and relationships; Ketu–Jupiter is often protective; Ketu–Rahu can feel unsettled.
Making the most of it
- Finish things well rather than clinging to what is ending.
- Go deep: Ketu rewards focused study and skill more than networking.
- Keep health checks regular and do not ignore unusual symptoms.
- Spiritual practice steadies the period more than anything else.
Remedies
Ganesha worship, the Ketu mantra, service to the sick and to spiritual institutions, and caring for dogs, a traditional Ketu remedy. Cat's eye is a strong stone, worn only on careful advice; see gemstones.
See when your Ketu period falls in your free birth chart, and read about the nodes in Rahu and Ketu.