Rahu and Ketu

Rahu and Ketu moved into new signs, (Scorpio and Taurus), on May 3rd. They will be in these signs for the next 20 months. Vedic astrology uses the visible planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn) and Rahu and Ketu, the nodes where the Moon crosses the ecliptic. While not identical, the nodes function somewhat like the outer planets in Western astrology.


If you would like to learn more about Rahu and Ketu then visit

http://www.komilla.com/pages/rahu-ketu.html for a quick summary.


Rahu and Ketu will affect the houses in which they reside for the next 20 months. To place them in the correct houses you will need to know your rising sign, not your Western Sun sign. You can download a free Vedic astrology package at http://jyotishtools.com/downloads.php. If you are a Windows user then click on “Download Junior Jyotish for Windows for free” to download and install the software.


Once you have installed Junior Jyothish then you can click on “File” and “New” to enter your birth data. To see your chart in fixed sign order click on “View” then “Chart Style” and select the South India style chart. The chart should look like this, but without the identification of the signs:

The Sign that contains the designation “As” is your Vedic ascendant and consequently your first house. Count clockwise from your ascendant to Scorpio. For example, if you are Leo ascendant then Scorpio is the 4th house. Taurus will be located 7 houses away from Scorpio in the 10th house. If you are a Leo rising then Rahu will affect your 4th and 10th houses and for the next 20 months.

Again, if you are a Leo rising then you would want to connect spirituality (Ketu) with work (the 10th house), and ambition (Rahu) with assets (the 4th house), for the next 20 months. Rahu and Ketu can have a significant effect on your life of the next 20 months so act with wisdom and understanding.

Namaste