Rahu Ketu - The Shadow Planets

Nodes - Karmic planets in vedic astrology, Nodes relate to the famous lore of how Rahu, inspite being a Demon (Asura) tried to drink Nector (Amrita); during the churning of the Ocean (Samudra Manthan). Lord Vishnu, alarmed by the luminaries, beheaded Rahu, as he was about to swallow the nectar. The immortal head is known as Rahu and the headless body is Ketu. Felt betrayed by the luminaries, the nodes abhor them, and devour them causing eclipse (grahan). 

Rahu Ketu are shadow planets with no physical body, thereby they are a source of incessant debates on their functionality, aspects and conjunction with other planets. 

The two nodes are formed when earth's trajectory around Sun intersects moon's trajectory around earth. Rahu is the ascending node and Ketu is the descending node, hence always 180 degree apart. Rahu Ketu, north and south nodes, are always in retrograde motion - moving backward.

Rahu - Rahu is the illusion, the obsession and indulgence leading to self-destruction. Rahu creates the vacuum in the area its positioned in the horoscope, which in turn cascaded into lust for more, breaking all boundaries. Rahu doesn't understand limits, traditions, rules and principles. Its like a black hole that will swallow everything, but never be content. 

Rahu is the planet for outer fulfillment and Ketu handles inner conquest. 

Well placed Rahu will bestow all worldly pleasures but never the inner satisfaction. That falls under Ketu's umbrella thereby you find all the rich and famous, eventually seek spiritual Gurus for inner peace.

"Worldly wealth is the Devil's bait; and those whose minds feed upon riches recede, in general, from real happiness, in proportion as their stores increase, as the moon, when she is fullest, is farthest from the sun." - Robert Burton

Rahu signifies the taboo - Black Magic, witchcraft, magicians, occultism, metaphysics, poisons, drug dealers, secret societies, illicit relationships and other unconventional aspects. 

Rahu affiliates with smoke, air, wind and aeronautics - Aircraft, aviation, pilots and space travel falls under its arena. Not sure about air-hostesses though !

'Hidden, Unexpected and Sudden' resonates with Rahu, whether its gains or losses, both are Rahu's feature.

Rahu is at home in sign Taurus, and most uncomfortable in Scorpio.

Ketu -  The Moksha-karaka planet has extremely strong karmic connection, from past lives. The shadow planet does shares few traits with Rahu - inclination for the dark side, the magic, occult, poisons and the mystic; Ketu is all about spiritual liberation - through the dreaded path of pain, continuous failures, torture and frustrations. Its the planet known for major transformations, and transcendence into higher reality.

Ketu supposedly behaves like Mars, so fire and road accidents falls under its arena. 

Ketu signifies psychic powers, clairvoyance, intuitions, intrigues and desire for knowledge. Unlike Rahu, Ketu deters worldly powers, as its a deep thinker with keen interest to unearth the esoteric, or beyond the obvious.

Ketu is affiliated with Ayurveda, herbs and healing abilities. Ketu signifies undiagnosed diseases and is responsible for several severe ailments that leave a permanent mark - leprosy, cancer, paralysis and joint problems.

Ketu is known for the 'Sting' in its tail - By end of its Dasha, it creates a situation that leaves prominent mark on natives life.

Ketu is affiliated with Owls, scorpions, rodents and serpents - the Venamous.

Contrary to Rahu, Ketu is comfortable in Scorpio, the sign of Mars; he is most uncomfortable in the sign of glamorous Venus - Taurus. 

Nodes lord no particular sign but Rahu is considered exalted in Taurus (Sign of Overindulge) and debilitated in Scorpio; Ketu on other hand exalts in Scorpio (8th Sign) and debilitates in Taurus. 

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