The Significations of Rahu and Ketu Dr. Gary Gomes

Rahu and Ketu are extraordinarily important in the interpretation of Jyotisha. The natural strengths of the grahas and the luminaries follow this ascending order-Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, and Sun. Rahu and Ketu have the natural strength to overcome the Sun and the Moon, so they are, by default, the two most prominent planets in the chart.

Rahu rules over dissatisfaction, panic, phobias, obsessive disorder, mass appeal, desire, ambition, cancers, unrestrained growth, greed, innovation, technological growth, electricity, and mass media. It also rules over unseen influences, black magic, witchcraft, students of magic (including astrology), indulgence in sensual pleasures, boredom, unseen obstacles, frustrations, promises made and not kept, deranged thinking and delusion. Planetary army.

Ketu rules over anonymity, sudden unexpected rise in fame, lack of mindfulness, carelessness, very fine discrimination (which can lead to psychic ability), allergies, infections, bugs, difficultly being recognized, spiritual growth, loss or exposure to thieves. infections, difficult to diagnose illnesses, pest of all kinds, accidents, disasters, fall from position, but can also be an indirect indicator of the strange, unusual, or relationship partners. People with depression often have Ketu afflicting personal planets in the chart. This is also a very selfless or directionless planet, causing confusion. Ketu is an outcast planet.

Since Rahu and Ketu were born from the same being they share traits. Rahu is the head of a serpent/asura; Ketu is the tail. Both had great power before they partook of the amrita. They are indestructible. Since Rahu is all sense organs and no stomach to hold anything in, it can never be satisfied. Since Ketu is all body and no head, it has no sense of self and is very irrational and vulnerable and will form an attachment with anything that can direct its energy. Rahu is exalted in Taurus, possibly because Taurus accumulates, Ketu in Scorpio, possibly because Scorpio brings forth the unknown. Ketu also does well in Sagittarius, Rahu in Aquarius and Gemini, according the the Jamini Sutram and both of the shadowy planets are well placed in Mercury's signs. It is also said that Rahu does well in Libra, Capricorn and Cancer, and that Ketu does well in the water signs (Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio) and Aries. Rahu and Ketu have birth places in Aquarius and Leo but own no signs; they act through the lord of the sign in which they are placed. So if Rahu is in a sign (such as Sagittarius) look to Jupiter's place in the chart and that is how Rahu will manifest. It is the same with Ketu. Both Rahu and Ketu are responsible for so-called deviant (or non-majority consensus) behavior. Rahu acts like Saturn (so it causes some dread and slowness in the chart) and Ketu like Mars (so it can cause injuries, accidents, arguments, sudden explosion of temper, careless bravery and surgery).

As can be seen from the above paragraph, the signs in which Rahu and Ketu are placed are quite expansive, so I tend to resist these designations. I think Rahu and Ketu produce good results if the lord of the house they rule is strong and well placed (in the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, ninth; poor results if the lord of Rahu and Ketu are poorly placed (in the third, sixth, eighth and twelfth houses. Also look to see if the lord of the sign in which Rahu and or Ketu is placed in the sixth, eighth or twelfth houses from Rahu or Ketu--this will produce difficult results in the subperiod of that planet or in the subperiod of Rahu or Ketu.

Rahu in first house: This produces problems with self confidence or over confidence, high intelligence coupled with anxiety, high levels of ambition, constant seeking for perfection, sometimes obsession over power and position. It can occasionally produce someone interested in spiritual activity but the person will waiver between spiritual and material life. Difficult placement.

Rahu in second house: Desire for money, dissatisfaction with family, fear of death, anxiety over material possessions, difficulty or frustration holding onto money. Depending on other factors in the chart, can make the individual attractive, but also verbally aggressive and argumentative. Somewhat difficult placement.

Rahu in third house: Strong ambition, fearless, can be greedy or obsessive, often works very hard for recognition, is usually skillful with hands, has strong willpower, may have famous siblings or experience some difficulty with sibling, usually fulfills ambitions, but looks for more accomplishment, never satisfied with success. Easy placement.

Rahu in fourth house: Rahu is in the house of mother, so the natural house of Cancer; Rahu in this house can give strong emotional cravings, obsession with status and home, frustration at home. Relationships with mother will be difficult or mother will be from another country, will always desire more education but will have interruptions in education. Difficult

Rahu in fifth house: Gives anxiety over children, but can produce an extraordinary child who will grow up to be very successful. Since this is a house of past life credit, it may give connections with famous people through past lives, generates fame with limited effort. The person is very intelligent but can be insecure about this or want reassurance about this intelligent. Overall, a fortunate position, but anxiety producing.

Rahu in sixth house: Difficult enemies, but can be overcome. enemies can attack through magic or slander, problems in the stomach or intestines. This position can cause dietary allergies and overconsumption of alcohol or bad foods, but these habits will lessen as the person ages. It can also increase the person's interest in spirituality.

Rahu in seventh house: This can give a famous or scientific spouse. Married life can be delayed or there is the potential for several marriages. Agreements or partnerships may cause dissatisfaction or deceit and will usually find the person giving more in relationships than he or she receives. Again, there is often anxiety over death,

Rahu in eighth house: Obsessed with occult subjects; financial difficulties with spouse or when using other people's money. Individuals with this placement often have arguments or disagreements with partners about money, and usually feel somewhat ignored. However, people with this placement can seem sexually attractive, but can be prone to difficult to diagnose illnesses.

Rahu in ninth house: Strong obsession with luck, difficult relationship with father or father has a difficult life, increased ambition for status, difficult to please bosses or fathers; some difficulty or dissatisfaction with higher education, difficult gaining promotions.

Rahu in tenth house: The placement of Rahu in the tenth gives fame in the world, intense work activity, dissatisfaction with career, difficulty achieving career satisfaction. Individuals with this combination can leave or redefine careers successfully, but can be impatient if career success and rise is not rapid.

Rahu in eleventh house: Gives fulfillment of material ambitions, but friends can be materialistic or fickle. This combination is usually considered one of the best possible for Rahu, but it can also cause over ambition or recklessness in career ambition or too much greed to be sustained. This can lead to dismay over material wealth, even if one is financially secure.

Rahu in twelfth house: Excessive expenditure, difficulty in sexual satisfaction or sleeping, high anxiety, person gives too much money away, obsessed with travel for spiritual purposes, problems with feet, bed rest.

Ketu in first house: Intuitive, intelligent, but the person can be easily upset or depressed, can be prone to psychological disturbances. People with this placement can have very fine powers of discrimination and insight, but can also seem absent-minded and forgetful and prone to head or other bodily injuries because of the person being easily distracted. Allergies and susceptibility to infectious diseases high.
Ketu in second house: This position can make a person seem critical in speech, be discriminating, take intoxicants or belong to a difficult or offbeat family. Sometimes speech is halting, unusual or difficult to understand. Sometimes people with this combination insist on eating only pure foods.

Ketu in third house: Courageous, ambitious, naturally talented with hands and seems to learn to use hands instinctually. Difficult relationship with siblings, but strong will power and ability to overcome obstacles without effort.

Ketu in fourth house: The person will have an unusual, perhaps eccentric or spiritual family or mother. The person is often devoted to God or spiritual life, but can have interruptions to education or career because of family obligations. Rapid unexpected rise in status.

Ketu in fifth house: Ketu in the fifth house can give an unusual child who may be quite intelligent but who may have behavioral or attention problems. Since this is a past life credit house, this will give the person associations with unusual, eccentric or rebellious associations early in life. This gives natural psychic ability, but an unusually delicate stomach.

Ketu in sixth house: Difficult to diagnose digestive problems, gastrointestinal disorders sometimes requiring surgery. Bad habits (intoxicants) are possible. Enemies attack out of jealousy and are difficult to find, but once found, easy to combat and conquer.

Ketu in seventh house: Unusual, creative, but detached spouse. Sometimes spouse is an artist or a specialized scientist or academician. Spouse can be deceitful, dishonest or tell lies. Contracts and business partnerships are usually disappointing.

Ketu in eighth house: Spouse has limited earning power (check the ruling planet of Ketu to see if this is corroborated by this placement), not much gain from inheritance or divorces. Relationship partner's family can seem odd. Difficult to diagnose chronic health conditions.

Ketu in ninth house: Very difficult to please bosses, so sometimes this is a combination for self employment. Luck from catastrophes or problems in the workplace, such as the firing of a boss. Some obstacles and boredom with higher education; sometimes the person changes educational focus several times. Father is distant or detached. Susceptible to illness in foreign countries.

Ketu in tenth house: The person has blocks to professional progress; often positions are stolen from the person or are denied after the decision has been made because the person seems uneven or inconsistent in how work is performed although these individuals can experience great success if they approach work with humility and do not complain. these individuals are usually well liked because they are self sacrificing, but will alienate some because of this same trait.

Ketu in eleventh house: The person has unusual, spiritual, eccentric, or poor friends. This individual will achieve most goals in life, but not until after the age of 48. The person usually has very good timing and can anticipate when the time is right to do something, but they can ask for less than they deserve,
Ketu in twelfth house: Intense spiritual interest, willing to give everything up for spiritual development, and these people are usually philanthropic. However, they can be lazy and can let opportunities pass if they are not easily achieved. As with Rahu, there can be high expenditures with Ketu in the twelfth house.

Gary Gomes
April 2, 2016