Ketu says “I don’t know”, because only then it gives itself the chance to actually know something for real. Only when we begin with the openness of the “I don’t know”, the doorways of the real knowing open for us and we enter them; only when we say “I don’t know” we have the chance to know something real, rather than only having notions of “knowing” which have been given to us by people who didn’t even know to begin with. As we step into the wild unknown lands, Rahu then asks us to apply virtues, discernment, integrity, discipline, ethics and higher values into what we’ve come here to shape and form on our path of consciousness.
Our natal charts are essentially a spiritual study of that which is consumed by time. The stars, the moon, the planets, the constellations, are all only great indicators of the signs of time – of how time consumes us and how things are woven into the cosmic fabrics of consciousness; it is our understanding of a current moment, as the past meets the future in the present; it is a language longed to be understood but will forever remain somewhat mystical because we are meant to uncover our own secrets with self awareness, patience and trust, while always treasuring and staying in the humility that as human beings we’ll never know it all.
As a spiritual astrologer I use a blend of techniques marrying Western, Vedic, Hellenistic, Esoteric and Shamanic, in addition to my intuitive insight and spiritual knowledge foundation and background; and I also love using symbology, mythology and astronomy for celestial awareness and study of your real celestial natal skies. This may sound a bit unconventional – but the truth is that it is all actually interconnected, just as all in life is interconnected; so it doesn’t matter which one you use – but – for me personally and professionally, it is my intention to also show my clients how all interconnects and marries all as within as above us.
Astrology is an ancient science encompassing within itself the passage of time, holding cycles within cycles within cycles – cycles of our bodies, cycles of the land and seasons, and life itself above and within us. It derives itself from two roots “aster” or star, and “logia” or study of and logic, giving it the meaning “star logic” – and is of the intention to provide clarity and guidance. Astrology does not pronounce any judgement. Just like nature, it has no good or bad. It just reveals what was, what is, and what can be.
Spiritual pathways such as astrology are a way to go deeper. We go deeper, because we want to touch something that dissolves some of the pre-conditioning of this world, allowing us to experience a different kind of freedom within that which is sometimes called maya. We go deeper, and through the dissolution of lines and borders we see the essence rising, the deeper patterns and cosmic fabrics interweaving; and all these experiences serve our faith that way. They serve the confidence that we are more than a body – we are a beingness; and they serve the purpose that we can now be of help to others in a better way – because knowing ourselves is a gift we give others also.
Today we’ll dive into the Nodal axis, sometimes called the axis of destiny. The Nodal axis are the axis connecting the North and South Node of the Moon, also known as Rahu and Ketu respectively. There is a lot of misinformation and fear based ideas out there regarding these axis, so I’d like to untangle some threads on what these nodes actually mean in their higher manifestation – and how to unlock their wisdom, power and hidden potential rather than keeping ourselves as humanity stuck in seas of illusion, deception and maya. Clarity of vision is what is needed; the virtues and love are what ascends and are the true remedy; and discernment is the most powerful spiritual gift.
The path from Ketu to Rahu, also known as the South Node to the North Node respectively, is essentially the path of consciousness. In my work I often refer to Ketu as the energy of the monk, the monastery, the prayers – because this is an energy that is about our spiritual core, and that towards which we reach our hands in trust and surrender, for inspired creativity, while remaining humble and rooted in our inner self and inner truth.
As for Rahu – I call it our inner sculptor – the one who becomes our hands, lips and gestures shaping something tangible of our Ketu inspiration, bringing spirit into matter, as it walks the wild unknown lands of the creator and artist; and as any creator and artist, it needs to be rooted in discipline, trust, discernment, values and invest consistent amounts of effort into its creations. There will be trust needed, because as any artist’s new creation, it may not initially look perfect, so we learn along the way, we refine and keep working and developing ourselves in this area. The path is what matters, the in between the Ketu and Rahu, and the axis needs to be balanced.
We always start with Ketu – this is the foundation and beginning of the path. Our natal charts show all that has been consumed by time – it is cycles within cycles within cycles; it is our soil. To move towards the wild unknown territories of Rahu, moving on our path of evolution, we need to first understand our soil, have the stable foundation of which we can discern and not fall into the seas of illusion and confusion.
The most important thing to know and understand about Ketu in your natal chart is that if you seek to balance it, you need to approach it from the space of humbleness, openness and non-judgment – it is the “I don’t know”. Wherever in your chart Ketu resides, whatever planets and houses, you need to approach these areas and theme of life from the “I don’t know”, allowing yourself the humbleness, openness and non-judgment. Only then, the path of Rahu will shape in a better way for you – because – at its essence, Rahu is about discernment; and once you have the discernment and clarity, you don’t fall into the seas of illusion of Rahu, you begin creating from truth in the way you desires as part of your evolution.
During periods or transits of Ketu, also try letting go that you know or how things should be, let the waves of life move you and show you the natural path of flow and the magic that life is, and that it is okay to trust – and you also see much more possibilities than before, whole new doorways open up for you. Ketu is here to show liberation, moksha and detachment, so if you are already understanding these lesson through humility and openness of mind, life will move in a smoother way, in the river-like way. Ketu too is an artist – he is the beginner’s mind that is willing and open to re-learning and re-exploring rather than keeping itself stuck in the waters of the past, whether lakes or seas, he may have outgrown.
Humility is the bridge to love, and its meaning comes from “to be of the earth”. What this shows is the importance of staying grounded, understanding the cycles of the land and its seasons, and also – knowing the right proportion of you within the world and cosmos and in relation to other people. It is about understanding we are not gods, and approaching things from a space of openness and the beginner’s mind. As human beings with conditioned minds and limited understanding we’ll never know it all. The humility of this deserves to be treasured; and only through the open palms we can be touched by something we couldn’t even know was there before – by a truth beyond us.
Ketu seeks to dissolve the boundaries and reach its hands towards a new sense of freedom, it seeks the deepening. It seeks to dissolve some of the pre conditioning of this world and our inner lands and borders of minds, thoughts and beliefs, so that we can touch something beyond the lines and experience a different kind of freedom, a truth, a liberation, a clarity from within.
From that place onward, we are able to shape what Rahu desires of us to shape. This is why Ketu is often described as a monk – it is the church or ashram within that we become as air of prayers, opening our palms in trust, surrender and unknowing. Knowing begins after the unknowing.
Rahu can only begin its journey after the I don’t know of Ketu, because Rahu is about discernment i.e. seeing what is and what isn’t, so that you don’t fall into its deceptive head and seas of illusion, obsession and confusion that it may take you in. At his core Rahu desires the real thing – and if it’s not the real thing, then he’ll never be satisfied.
In Vedic scripture, each planet is related to an avatar or incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Ketu is connected to the first incarnation – to Matsya avatara, which is the fish incarnation of Vishnu. The story goes that the fish is small then big then bigger as the story evolves and expands. Essentially, Ketu is the fish continually outgrows the body of water it is put into.
Rahu is the Varaha incarnation of Vishnu, which is the boar. Varaha is associated with the legend of lifting the earth, known as goddess Bhumi, out of the cosmic ocean, or the ocean of milk, and saving her, returning her to the universe. Basically, Hiranyaksha stole the earth and hid her in the ocean of milk, the primordial waters, and Vishnu appearing as a boar dove into the ocean and rescued her – he lifted her on his tusks and restored goddess Bhumi to her rightful place in the universe.
As the fish we swim in the open waters, oceans, where all boundaries dissolve and unite us – but – as the fish we only go with the flow of the currents and wave; and as the boar, we remain grounded, and act only of the intention aligned to higher values and ethics, and clarity of vision and discernment. Rahu is referred to as maya, and many people will tell you how it is obsessive and materialistic and malefic – but that’s only if we don’t know how to approach it and embody it the right way. If we know how to enter his lands, we’ll be able to walk them in beauty, clarity and intentional creation. Rahu is that which pulls us into the wild unknown territories, so that we shape something new and tangible – but if we want to be able to move through these wild unknowns, we need to have discernment and strong spiritual core – we need the strong center that our Ketu may give us.
And this is the beautiful dance of Rahu and Ketu – because both are needed for us to have balance. Ketu is that which outgrows where it’s been, like the fish too outgrew her body of water and evolved to the next for a fresh new start, allowing for a dissolution of our judgments, limits, biases and conditions. Ketu begins with a perhaps a feeling or level of limitation, but each time the limitation is felt and we feel stuck in old patterns from past lives or early childhood, Rahu the boar comes diving in and pulling us out of the comfort zone as part of our path of consciousness evolution.
As an example, suppose you have your Sun with Ketu, or Moon with Ketu – well you need to detach from your expectations of what and whom your parents should be, and try seeing them as human beings who too have their own paths in life, and let forgiveness come. You can’t judge them through the lens of who they should have been, or seeing them through their role of a parent (i..e you are my father, you are my mother, and so you should have …) – you need to see them as unique human beings, and see them through humility and non-judgment. These placements ask of you to see them through some emotional maturity as human beings, outside of their role as “parents”. Spirituality here with this placement is crucial and will help you, because these relationships are of the purpose of spiritual growth, they are more spiritual in nature, i.e. they go beyond the lines or material or emotional expectations.
Or suppose you have your Ketu in Gemini – well you need to dissolve some judgments and opinions and step into seeing and receiving perspectives different from yours, especially those that challenge your own narratives. You need to talk less and listen more, and develop the art of intentional listening and seeing the higher perspectives and the interconnection of humanity; this is why Sagittarius is about travels – the far and wide across the oceans, as well as the inner travels of expansion, which is essentially what spirituality is: expansion of perspectives; and for Gemini Ketu natives, to expand their perceptions they need to listen and dissolve judgments, selfishness and immaturity.
Suppose it’s the reverse: you have Gemini Rahu and Sagittarius Ketu – well then you need to come down from your spiritual mountains and integrate into the society, no matter how much your eyes shift towards the distant horizons. You need to speak with people rather than speak at people, and have some experiencial learning also through relationships and friendships, and through trying various things and interests and hobbies. Mainly, you are here to untangle threads and translate higher knowledge into something more easily ingested and digested by the average person – you need to give rise to your voice, and learn the art of communication and relationships, thereby balancing your free spirit with experiencing commitment. It is about learning freedom within relationships rather than freedom from relationships.
Ketu is the spine of our body, and what grounds us – and what grounds us is humility, the land, and the “I don’t know”. Ketu is coming back to the center, the foundation – and to have a strong foundation and center we need to balance the left with right. Once balanced in our spine, and posture, the mouth too and nose too flow better, our breathing is better – this is unity, this is yoga.
Ketu needs to be strong in a truth and foundation that goes beyond the physical – in a strong spiritual core. But again – Ketu is about the “I don’t know”, so don’t define things, don’t identify things, don’t restrict things, just experience it through you and unknow the knowings. We can’t create new things if we keep ourselves stuck in lines and old ideas, which may or may not have been true to begin with. In this way, Ketu is the beginning of the mystic’s path – of the exploration and seeking of truth, which is done alone.
Ketu is about dissolving the boundaries to that we see the truth – and of this, we then know what’s real and what may not be, discernment comes and then moves us forward, and we create beautiful new things as part of our evolution. To come into the higher expression of your Ketu is through the virtues and spiritual practice – it is to stay in the center, balance the left with right, and come into the “I don’t know”.
The minute you think you “know”, Ketu will put you in a different body of water again, so that you are faced with the lessons of detachment and trust, and seeing that you don’t know; or – it’s going to keep pushing and tightening the borders around you, making you feel more and more restricted until you let go. So if you stay in humbleness, openness and giving yourself space to breathe in the unknown and undefined, things will flow more naturally in your life.
To follow Rahu the right way, to follow your path of consciousness of evolution in your right way, to follow the path of your shape shifting abilities and creative potential in the wild unknown territories, you need to awaken and embody discernment, ethics, integrity and consistent amounts of effort – blending both trust in higher power and humility in the unknown with courage and responsibility of spirit; it the boar and fish, yet both are the body of Shiva, the one of both worlds of dissolution and creation, the one of beingness within human flesh, the one whose body and spine hold both Ketu and Rahu in balance.
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