Last Updated on July 30, 2020 by astrologerbydefault

Rahu/North Node and Ketu/South Node are the two nodes of the moon, astronomically points, where the orbit of the moon around the earth cuts the ecliptic. These two nodes are 180degrees apart always and are tremendously important in your chart as they represent the influence of the Earth on you. They, in short, represent your karmic balance and your movement on the road to spirituality. As per our Sanatan Dharm there is always a push and pull between attraction and detachment. Rahu represents the attachments and Ketu the detachments to this world of illusions, the domain of Mahamaya. These two can drown you in the sea of illusions or raise you above to realise your true nature. To read more on Ketu the real Mokshkaraka please click this link. Ketu is also your movement towards the Parameshwar. As per the story these two forces/graha were one entity but separated by the power of Vishnu and now exist as two points of power. Rahu is the head existing without the body and Ketu is the headless body.

Lets discuss Rahu in very simple terms today. Remember always Rahu is just a head, he has no body to carry out whatever he has thought out. He will plot but cannot work for it as he has no hands, no feet no body. He is a mass of all desires, planning and plotting and ways to subvert the system to gain what he is attracted to. A Rahu personality is often between two groups, pretending to be a part of both, when in fact he belongs to neither. Such persons can actually train their these Rahu abilities to be good diplomats, spies and double agents.

Rahu is the master of deceptions, ‘Chhalakarak’, the trickster, maybe a sort of a Loki! In a horoscope he is the agent of ambition. He wants everything, irrespective of entitlement. Example. A Mars will work for it, he will learn the skills, train and then compete with crushing force to win. But a Rahu will wriggle his way through, takes big risks, by hook or crook, he will want to win without working for it. He manages to impress with his skills, sinuous like a snake, he is mesmerising. But in the end, at the point where he seems to achieve his desire, he over-reaches, his deception is uncovered and he spectacularly falls. He desires the ‘process of desire’ not the ‘object of desire’ itself. He is never satisfied.

Rahu’s favourite ambition is social privileges which are available to a social class higher than the one he lives in. And he will do anything to get them. And Saturn is the one planet which can restrict Rahu’s ambitions, and cause his downfall, because Saturn is the strict one who follows the rules and punishes the one who transgresses. Saturn is also the force who regulates the masses, the public and enforces the social structure. He does not like a socially disruptive Rahu in his domain, thus unmasks him.

But Rahu never surrenders, he strives again and fails again and thus the cycle repeats again and again. He represents ambitions not satisfactions. Thus by his very nature he cannot have what he so ardently desires. Identify this pattern in your life. There are 12 houses and Rahu will be placed in one of these 12, so look up the keywords of the houses and keep tabs on your Rahu’s activity. Rahu is always a ‘pretender’, all these keywords are his superficial ambitions, but he himself is not aware of them being superficial. Even if he gains them he will not experience fulfilment.

1. Rahu in Aries  – This Rahu desires being dominant, being competitive, he wants to push forward, be the first, desires conquest, wants to be a hero in the eyes of the society.
2. Rahu in Taurus –  In Taurus Rahu desires the act of exploration and hoarding, he wants to collect treasures, may desire working in museums, treasuries and storehouses. he desires money and thus the banking sector. He wants the society to recognize him as a collector and preserver of family/society assets.
3. Rahu in Gemini – Here Rahu craves conversations and connections. He shows off by talking about messages received from higher authority, feels privileged being a messenger for the elite. He desires being with brothers, siblings and neighbours.
4. Rahu in Cancer – Rahu here desires security in all its forms, mother, residence, vehicles, landed property, etc. He is fascinated by his ethnic culture, especially maternal culture and attracted to patriotism to the homeland,
5. Rahu in Leo wants attention. He is superficially a dramatic personality and desires center stage and all forms of creativity. He is capable of creative expression but will always lack in depth. He is especially attracted to his own children, as children are the ultimate expression of the creative force. He often gets trapped in risky speculation. He also desires education, may have a lot of degrees but his knowledge will again be superficial.
6. Rahu in Virgo desires being of service, he wants to society to recognize him as a martyr to a cause. He will be attracted to crime, addictions, arguments, illnesses, anxieties, and being a victim always fascinates him.
7. Rahu in Libra wants to show off his ability at diplomacy, negotiations, deals, agreements. He will superficially strive for balance and fairness, internally as always he is his own man.
8. Rahu in Scorpio is attracted to mysteries, secrets, exploration, magic and long buried treasures. He will desire to roads less travelled, into physical places and also into his subconscious. He can be a good tantrik or work magic.
9. Rahu in Sagittarius is superficially a pedantic humanitarian with lofty ideals. He desires to show his fatherly side and wants to mentor. He in searching for higher philosophy shows off by external displays of religious fervour.
10. Rahu in Capricorn is crazy for social status and a high rank in social hierarchy. He is desires privacy in his personal life but at the same time wants to be a social elite, wants money and position. He wants to make rules and is conscious of social prestige.
11. Rahu in Aquarius desires the markets, the hustle-bustle, the network of people and their interconnections. Strangers and new persons are his domain. He wants to be with the community. He desires social recognition because of his participation in the social activities.
12. Rahu in Pisces desires the subconscious, the dream-states. He desires guidance from ancestral spirits and intuition. He is fascinated by the spiritual and meditation and contemplation.

Whenever you see your chart the next time, look at the positions of Rahu/Ketu, the houses they occupy, their influences on the other planets either conjunct or opposite. You will get an idea of the spiritual basis of your life. What deeply attracts you and what you are indifferent to. These two forces are the deepest instincts that you have, and they are so deeply buried that they influence everything you do. Understand them and learn more about your own self, your ambitions and your apathies.