Rahu and Ketu are not physical bodies. They are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, the Sun's apparent path. Eclipses happen only when the Sun and Moon are near them, which is why mythology describes them as the head and tail of the serpent that swallows the Sun and Moon. In Vedic astrology they are full members of the nine grahas, and often among the most powerful.
The axis
Rahu and Ketu are always exactly opposite each other. They move backwards through the zodiac, completing a cycle in about 18.6 years and spending about 18 months in each sign. Because they come as a pair, they are read as an axis across two houses:
- Rahu shows where we hunger for experience: ambition, novelty, the foreign and unconventional, and the risk of obsession or excess.
- Ketu shows what we already know and can let go of: inherited skill, detachment, intuition, spirituality, and areas where we can feel strangely uninterested.
The axis by house (examples)
| Rahu / Ketu in | Typical theme |
|---|---|
| 1st / 7th | Self-development versus partnership; unconventional relationships |
| 4th / 10th | A restless search for home and inner peace; less pull from public status |
| 5th / 11th | Creativity and children versus networks and gains |
| 10th / 4th | Strong career ambition; less attachment to home |
| 12th / 6th | Foreign lands, spirituality, expenses versus service and health routines |
The signs, the nodes' dispositors and the planets they join refine these themes considerably.
Conjunctions
A node conjunct a planet amplifies and distorts it. Rahu with the Moon can intensify emotions; with Jupiter (Guru Chandala in some traditions) it can challenge conventional wisdom; with the Sun or Moon near an eclipse point it marks an eclipse birth. Ketu with a planet can make its significations feel detached or spiritualised.
Dashas
Rahu mahadasha (18 years) often brings sudden rises, travel, foreign connections, technology and unconventional opportunities, together with restlessness. Ketu mahadasha (7 years) is often introspective, with endings, research, spiritual interest and changes of direction. Both act largely like the lord of the sign they occupy and the planets they join.
Transits
The nodes' 18-month transits through your Moon sign or Lagna are noticeable periods of change. Eclipses falling on sensitive points of your chart are worth watching.
Remedies
Durga worship and Rahu mantras for Rahu; Ganesha worship and Ketu mantras for Ketu; charity and helping outsiders and the unwell. Gemstones for the nodes (hessonite, cat's eye) are strong and should only be worn on careful advice. See also Kaal Sarp dosha.
See where your nodes fall in your free birth chart.