Rahu Ketu - The Shadow Planets

The Moon's Nodes in Vedic Astrology

Komilla Sutton Note: All planetary positions in this article refer to the sidereal Zodiac which is currently 23 degrees 49 minutes and 30 sec. behind the Tropical Zodiac. Nakshatras are fixed stars or lunar mansions.

The Mythology Understanding Rahu & Ketu in Our Natal Charts Vedic Hymn to Rahu Rahu and the Nakshatras Ketu Vedic Hymn to Ketu Ketu and the Nakshatras Kal Sarpa Yoga Transitions

Rahu Ketu is the name given to the Nodes of the Moon. Rahu is the North Node and Ketu is the South Node. They are points on the ecliptic where the Moon is in alignment with the Sun and the Earth. They indicate the precise point of the harmony with the three most important influences in our life- the Sun, the Earth and the Moon. This relationship plays an important part in the enfolding of individual consciousness. Their role as Karmic indicators of our life is connected with their power to cause eclipses. The eclipses occur in the vicinity of Rahu Ketu during the Full Moon and the New Moon. (During New Moon when it is +/- 18 degrees from Rahu Ketu, the Solar eclipse takes place. At the full Moon +/- 11 degrees 15' from the nodal position, the Lunar eclipse takes place.) As they symbolically eclipse the Sun (consciousness) and the Moon (the Mind), they have a great part to play in darkening our perspective in order to bring in new light. They deal with the concept of death and re-birth, transformation and regeneration. During the eclipses the light from the Luminaries is darkened. The energies created are powerfully psychic, pregnant with new information and occult power. The period after the eclipse is considered a rebirth of the Sun and the Moon. The role of Rahu Ketu in this powerful alignment of the Sun Moon and the Earth gives them the role of the ultimate controllers of the destiny. The prime importance given to Rahu Ketu in Vedic Astrology is one of it's key features. They have been given the status of Planets to emphasise their significance and the importance placed on eclipses. They are known as Chayya Grahas (shadow planets).

They have no substance and are physically non-existent. Yet their influence is full of potency and spiritual significance. They work in unison 180 degrees apart, two opposite points in the zodiac with a mission to churn our lives in order to externalise hidden potential and wisdom. In keeping with their shadowy nature, they work on a psychological level. It is always difficult to gauge their effect because their main concern is with our emotional makeup. They effect us internally. We are unaware of what exactly is happening to us at the time. In Vedic Astrology, the concept of the Soul's journey through different lifetimes is central to it. The final goal of the soul is to break this cycle of life and death. Like the beads on a necklace, various lifetimes are joined together to form a necklace, each life being different but interconnected by an invisible thread. The invisible thread is Rahu and Ketu. The purpose of the soul in this life to act out his given Karma, destroy the illusions of the materialistic life and move towards the pursuit of self realisation. To live on the astral planes where pleasure and pain do not have the capacity to hurt, the mind is still and at peace. The soul's journey in a particular life time and it's connection with eternal life is indicated by the position of Rahu and Ketu. Ketu deals with the past Karma and Rahu with the future. The five instincts that keep us attached to the materialistic purpose of life are Kaam (Desire, passions) Krodh (Anger) Madh (intoxicants- drugs, alcohol etc) Moh (Attachment) Lobh(Greed) and Matsaya(Jealousy). We need to control our instincts rather than allowing ourselves to be controlled by them. Both Rahu and Ketu have the ability to keep our mind focused on these instincts- Rahu by exaggerating and Ketu by obscuring or blocking. We are tied down to the cycle of unhappiness and dissatisfaction as we cannot break away from our lower selves. We are born again and again to experience the pleasures and pains of the earthly life until we recognise them to be the illusions that they are. On a subconscious level we are afraid that if we give up these desires, we will lose out. Once we start understanding the principle of letting go, enjoying what life has to offer but not getting attached, then we are able to grow spiritually. Rahu Ketu deals with the inner fight within us, the moral and the social choices we have to constantly make and the inner dilemmas.

The Mythology
There are many Myths and legends attached to Rahu Ketu. The most well known one is of Rahu Ketu as the Naga Vasuki- the ruler of the Patala Loka (the nether regions of the earth). Nagas in Vedic literature are not ordinary snakes but Serpents with much hidden knowledge and wisdom. There was a great war between the gods and the demons for the control of the universe and at the centre of it was the ocean which was being churned to find the hidden treasures and the Amrita- the nectar of immortality. Vasuki helped the gods in their mission. He was the rope tied around the spiritual mountain Mandara, which was the rod, used by the gods to churn the ocean. When the Amrita was found the gods wanted to keep it for themselves as they felt that the demons would use it for the wrong purpose. Vasuki being a demon, his instincts were

for personal glorification and materialistic happiness rather than universal good. (Sacrificing self for others is considered the godly impulse). Vasuki, was more intelligent than the other demons, he was not willing to be distracted by the gods. He drank the nectar of immortality secretly. The Sun and the Moon complained to Lord Vishnu, the creator of the Universe, who was very angry at this deception. In anger he threw the Sudharshan Chakra at Vasuki and cut him into two. Vasuki had drunk the Amrita and was immortal, therefore could not be killed. He remained in the skies as Rahu(the head)Ketu (the lower half), a permanent reminder to the other planets(gods) of the darker side of life which we have to defeat in the pursuit of immortality. Rahu Ketu are considered great enemies of the Sun and the Moon because they told Lord Vishnu about them. They symbolically swallow the two luminaries during the eclipses. Their capacity to darken the Sun and the Moon make Rahu Ketu the most powerful influences in the Zodiac. The Sun around whom the other planets and the solar system revolves, the Moon which controls life on earth, are obscured by Rahu Ketu during eclipses. Rahu Ketu represent Cosmic Law which everyone including the Sun and the Moon have to obey. This allegory has to be understood as life. The Gods without the help of Vasuki (Rahu Ketu) could not find the secret of immortality. In the same way we as humans cannot find our higher selves without understanding the lessons of Rahu and Ketu. They represent the darker side of our nature which we need to overcome. Our inner emotions are like the ocean being churned. Within this ocean lie a number of treasures as well as poisons and nasty things. We have learn to recognise the precious from the dross and finally find Amrita- the secret of immortality or true happiness. The conflict between our attachment to materialistic achievements (this gives us momentary happiness which is a fantasy as it has no real basis, the domain of Rahu) and liberation of the soul, finding bliss and tranquillity which is eternal and everlasting (Ketu is the Moksha karaka significator for spiritual realisation). The gods needed the help of Vasuki in the Amrita manthan and in the same way we need the knowledge provided by the wise nodes to give direction.

Understanding Rahu and Ketu in our Natal Charts

To understand the influence of Rahu Ketu in our chart we must learn about their shadow nature. This is the most important factor in when dealing with the influence of the nodes. They are only points in the Zodiac therefore they are unable to enact their effect on their own. The nodes take on the characteristics of their dispositor as they have no substance themselves. It is very important to study the sign, position and placement of the depositor. Here it is important to understand that although the nodes are influenced by their depositor, the depositor itself carries forward the influence of the nodes. The basic results of Rahu- Ketu are modified by their location in your chart. The signs/ houses they are placed in. The aspects they receive and the aspects they throw out. Also if they are in conjunction with another planet (note in Vedic Astrology a planet in the same house is considered conjunct. The closer the conjunction the stronger the influence.) they will throw out it's influence. For example if Rahu is in conjunction with Mars it will throw the aspect of Mars along with that of it's depositor.

Rahu Ketu are the personal eclipse points. Therefore they are areas where you need to work out your Karma, past as well as future. They are our Karmic responsibilities. We have to learn to look beyond the momentary darkness that Rahu Ketu represent. They highlight the negative side of our nature which we need to overcome to move towards the spiritual growth. They work psychologically, therefore it is hard to pin- point their effect. They are the axis of life which indicates the path of spiritual growth from past life ( Ketu) to the Future (Rahu). Knowledge of both the past and present are needed for true understanding of life. The past shapes the personality we are now, the negative and the positive Karma we are going to experience. It shades our psyche to how we are going to tackle the present. The future is always uncertain therefore can seem like darkness and carry fear and uncertainty within it. We have to really come to terms with our past to be able to not get afraid of the future. Rahu is showing this direction, Ketu is sometime blocking due to our actions of the past. Rahu Ketu have twin purpose, one in the mundane life and another in the spiritual life but it is intertwined, like their shadowy nature. Their actions in the material realm are meant so that we change our thoughts and ideas about what we want and desire. What is darkness to a person enmeshed in materialistic ambitions can be powerful spiritual energy for those on the path of Moksha and spiritual enlightenment. The nodes always serves opposing purposes- good and bad, lots and nothing, give and take. Rahu gives, Ketu takes back. The are no straight rules about them. They operate in so many different colours which can lead you to the highest spiritual pinnacle to the greatest financial achievements or vice versa. They can give contrary results. You can never give predictions dealing with surety. They can create fear of the unknown. They can create sudden and unexpected results. The saying is that Rahu Ketu always take away what they give because they have a special reason for granting you your wishes. To realise that what they give is not necessarily what you want once you have achieved it. They highlight dissatisfaction within ourselves.

RAHU Vedic Hymn to Rahu

'Rahu is snake shaped, born of a lioness and a devourer of the Sun and the Moon' Rahu is the head part of the celestial snake. This hymn refers to Rahu being snake shaped. The snakes are given great importance in Vedic mythology. Lord Shiva has a snake around his neck, Lord Vishnu's throne was Shesh Naga - the Eternal Serpent. Shesh Naga represents the cycles of time and space which the seed of cosmic creation. The Nagas are shaped like snakes but stand tall. The Nagas are highly evolved beings. They are wise, but their wisdom can be used for both good and bad. The Naga sheds his

skin, this symbolises transformation,re-birth. The snakes in Vedic literature remind people of their mortality. The 'devouring of the Sun and Moon' are when Rahu eclipses the luminaries. This shows the important part Rahu has to play in changing the course of our life. The Sun and Moon are Royal planets under whose dictates the universe and life on earth revolves. But Rahu can darken this light, therefore it controls the process of life. The Sun is the Soul and Moon the Mind, when they are eclipsed, they go through regeneration, transformation and death. Rahu takes people off their Dharmic past path to tempt them on the road of self destruction. But Rahu has a very definite purpose in doing so. It wants you to learn, taste and feel everything so that from the full satiation of your senses you turn a new leaf on the path of self realisation and find their true enlightenment. Rahu on a physical plane gives you insatiable desire to achieve, to conquer. Once you have reached the pinnacle of achievement, you realise this success you have achieved has not brought with it happiness because you were in fact chasing an illusion. There are many cults in India which preach satiation of all your mundane and carnal desires so that we can learn the important lesson of fulfilment of all your desires do not give you the true happiness. Rahu signifies foreigners in all fields- people, countries, tastes. Rahu behaves like Saturn. It deals with drugs, poisons, over ambition, power play, hidden knowledge, Rahu's element is air. It deals with all aspects of air related activities air travel, Air accidents, Aviation, Pilots etc. Other significations of Rahu include students of Astrology, metaphysical knowledge, witchcraft, skin diseases, small pox, deception, politics, political manoeuvre, inventions, scientists, execution, diseases, disenchantment etc.

Rahu and the Nakshatras

Rahu Ketu rule 3 Nakshtras (fixed stars) each. Rahu rules Ardra ( 6 degree 40' to 20 degrees 00' Gemini), Swati ( 6 degrees 40' to 20 degrees 00' Libra) and Shatabishak (6 degrees 40' to 20 degrees 00'Aquarius), all in the Air triplicity . Mercury, Venus and Saturn represent intellectualism, pleasure and righteous behaviour. Rahu has the capacity to bestow in all these areas. As the ruler of the fixed star Ardra( 6 degree 40' to 20 degrees 00' Gemini), Rahu represents the highest thinking, Ardra is the Nakshatra where we begin our learning about the nature's law. Ardra is in 6 degree 40' to 20 degrees Gemini a sign ruled by Mercury. At the cosmic stage of Ardra, there is conflict on the outer level where we are dissatisfied with our present surrounding, so we start looking for answers. This can be through knowledge, occult and communication The duality of Gemini as well as the celestial powers of Mercury are present. Ardra's symbol is of a head or a single jewel. both

symbolising ideas, mind and thinking. Rahu is always about matchless ambition and in Ardra it combines it with the capacity for knowledge. Planets in Ardra get motivated towards greater occult learning. Rudra, the God of Destruction is Ardra's presiding Diety.. Rudra is a form of Shiva. Rudra's mission is to destroy ignorance, therefore he directs the consciousness towards knowledge and finding the answers for ourselves about this manifestation. At Ardra we start to study or learn about the Law of Nature. The first time we become dissatisfied with the materialistic nature of our lives and start towards expanding the horizons of our spiritual selves.. The Second Nakshatra ruled by Rahu is Swati ( 6 degrees 40' to 20 degrees 00' Libra) Planets in Swati indicate the depth of the soul's involvement in Materialism. The indicator of the soul in our chart, the Sun, is debilitated here and Saturn the worker of the Zodiac is exalted here. Under Swati, the impulse is all about material gain. Venus rules the earthly needs in an individual. Combining it with Rahu it adds further to the desire for success, wealth and finance. Many millionaires are born with their Moon's or Saturn in Swati. The presiding diety is Vayu (air).The Symbol is Coral. The location of this Nakshatra in Libra indicates that the experience of full involvment into earthy, materialistic pleasures will bring with it dissatisfaction because the scales will be heavy to one side. Once success is achieved we feel empty, alone and dissatisfied with our achievement, many try for more success but the correct thing would be to look towards your higher self at this time. Libra is a stage of life when we start thinking about the spiritual meaning of life but only once the other urges have been fulfilled. Shatabishak( 6 degrees 40' to 20 degrees 00'Aquarius) is the final Nakshatra ruled by Rahu. Aquarius is ruled by Saturn and Rahu's rulership of the Nakshtra makes a very difficult combination where life has to have a purpose and the total direction is about learning lessons. Rahu gives results like Saturn but on a psychological level. This double Saturnine influence on planets placed here is difficult to handle unless our activities are directed towards service to humanity. Here both Rahu and Saturn are concerned about changing our purpose of life, giving us the final answers. Rahu on the internal level and Saturn on an external level offers restrictions, obstacles and transformation. The need to understand the final lessons of life as well as duty to others are two of the important aspects of Shatabishak. Its symbol is the thousand petalled flower, Shatabishak is where the Kundalini flowers and we reach towards the full awareness of our consciousness. This is the stage in life where we activate the Sahasara (Crown) Chakra. Rahu brings forth its full power as the teacher of cosmic law. When the Moon is in Shatabishak, its materialistic tendencies are shed completely and we moves towards the true purpose of life. We are ready to transcend to the next phase of spiritual development. All the quarters of Rahu's Nakshatra are ruled by Jupiter and Saturn, the significators of spirituality and occult initiation. They are Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Each pada (quarter) represents the ninth harmonic of the natal chart. Together these four signs represent the final stages of spiritual development. As the Rahu Nakshatras represent a point in cycle of life where we are starting to change, these padas further indicate that life on an internal level remain the same again. Sagittarius is the level when man learns to control the base emotions,changes from animal to human, at Capricorn we

learn about the duties and responsibilities to others, Aquarius represents the stage of development where we are now privy to full knowledge. At Pisces we are able to make the final change, sow the seeds for future growth. So although the stages of the soul's journey are different in Ardra ( Gemini) Swati ( Libra) and Shatabishak( Aquarius) the underlying urge, represented by the quarters, is still the same- to evolve. The ending of one way of life and the beginning of another.

KETU Vedic Hymn to Ketu

'Decked with silk, flowers, garlands, sandal paste and an umbrella, of variegated colour, born of Jaimini's family under Abhijit Nakshatra' Ketu is the lower part of the celestial snake. This hymn shows the main difference between Rahu and Ketu, Rahu is dark in colour but Ketu has a variegated colour. Therefore it has the capacity to shine a light on you suddenly, bring about enlightenment. Ketu is born to the Jaimini family who followed the Mimasa school of philosophy. Their main concern was the correct interpretations of the vedic rituals and settling any controversies about the Vedic texts. Ketu himself is guiding towards meditation of the nature of creation, intuitiveness, the true understanding of universe and the guidance of the soul towards it's final salvation or Moksha. Ketu causes great impediments in your paths. It sets up roadblocks, traffic jams, boulders in your journey of life. It causes pain. It wants to change your psyche. You learn to leave your excess baggage of past Karma behind. Travel lightly into your this existence so that you can understand there are areas of your life which need to address and some left behind. Those unable to harness the power of Ketu or understand its karmic path can be lead to a sorrowful existence. Sometimes it is difficult for any one do stand in the way of Ketu power. We need to accept and understand the divine plan which is part of our destiny and Ketu is doing its work to produce in you the enlightenment which would lead to true enlightenment and honour. The effect of the Ketu problems are like the going through the ritual of fire from which one comes out stronger more powerful to be able to take on the problems thrown at us Ketu will act like Mars and so will it's dispositor. Fiery in nature, it signifies accidents or injury specially due to fire. Ketu rules 7 years in the planetary life cycle. Ketu always has a sting in it's tale. So the ending of Ketu Maha Dasha one has to be vary of unexpected happening Ketu is considered the keeper of the book of our life- past and present Karmas.

Ketu is known as Dhwajah- flag. It's association with in dignity with a planet has the capacity to boost it's capabilities- good or bad beyond recognition for lotteries and windfall. Ketu in conjunction with a benefic can give beyond your wildest expectations. Some of the signification of Ketu are Ascetics, assassinations, trouble through cats, calirvoyance, contemplation, desire for knowledge, deep thinking, imprisonment, poison, intrigues, magical powers, poverty, mysticism etc.

Ketu and the Nakshatras

The Nakshatra's Ketu rules are Ashwini (Aries), Magha (Leo) and Mula (Sagittarius), the fire triplicity. These are the beginning stages in the cycles of life. Mars, Sun and Jupiter the rulers of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are friends with each other. Together they represent strength, the soul and wisdom, Ketu has the capacity to give in these areas. A proper blending of these three planets in our natal charts direct us towards seeking Moksha- the final liberation from the cycle of life and death. Aries deals with birth, a new life, freshness of approach and start of the cycle of Life. 0 degrees to 13 degrees 20 is Ashwini, the first Nakshatra ruled by Ketu. Ashwini indicates the beginning of the soul's journey into the earthly life. Ketu's rulership of this part of the Zodiac is full of occult significations. Ketu is the significator for Moksha. The beginning part of life indicated by Aries ruled by Ketu Nakshatra shows that the true reason of our manifestation on earth is to find the Moksha- the final salvation from the cycles of life and death. This is the stage where mind is pure and we have not yet entangled ourselves into knots which represent the attachment to life. Sun, the signifactor of the soul, our inner consciousness is exalted in Ashwini. Ashwini is in Aries ruled by Mars. Ketu acts like Mars but on a psychological level so the purity of Martian action, courage and protection of humanity is powerfully indicated by the planets located here. The past life connection is very strong as Ketu, specially if the Moon is located here. Magha is the second Nakshatra ruled by Ketu. Magha is in the sign of Leo ( 0 degrees to 13 degrees 20' Leo) ruled by the Sun. Magha is the beginning of the second cycle in the soul's Journey. The signs Leo to Scorpio indicate the soul's full involvement into the pleasures and pains of the earthly life. Ketu, the significator of spiritual realisation ruling the commencing point of the materialistic journey shows the importance of the experience of the realities of life in fulfilling the divine mission of the Soul. Magha's ruling deity is Pitris, who are the fathers of humanity whose mission is to guide their children to the right course of life. The father's only interfere if you are going off the right path. Ketu and Pitris both guide the soul towards it's special mission in life. Planets in Magha are idealistic even if their mission is to fulfil their materialistic needs. This does create misunderstandings at times. Others suspect their honour and sincerity. Magha gives a lot materially, but the person ruled by Magha knows intuitively that the material happiness is only an experience, he still needs to follow the inner purpose of life and move towards Moksha.

Mula is the third Nakshatra ruled by Ketu. Mula is 0 degrees to 13 degrees 20' Sagittarius. This is the start of the final part of the Soul's mission towards finding the answers that will lead to his breaking away from the cycles of life and death. This is one of the most difficult Nakshatra for planets to be situated in specially the Moon. The deity that rules Mula is Nittriti, the goddess of death and destruction. This personifies the destruction of the material sheaths and the foundation on which the spiritual enfoldment can be undertaken. The pain experienced by the influence of Mula changes the personality. Attachment to the lower nature and material tendencies have to be severed so that a new spiritual beginning can happen. This is the Nakshatra of initiation towards spiritual realisation. Ketu fulfills it's role as Moksha karaka by arousing the soul towards it's ultimate destination. Mula means root and it also is Muladhara chakra (Base Chakra) where the Kundalini power lies dormant and has to be activated. Ketu rules this and Rahu with it's rulership of Shatabishak- the Crown Chakra indicate the real spiritual insight provided by the nodes. At times they create powerful negativity to focus your mind towards the absolute knowledge. The quarters of Ketu's Nakshatras are ruled by Mars, Venus, Gemini and the Moon. Mars is courage, Venus- the guide to material fulfilment, Mercury the pure intellect and Moon, the emotional Mind. The signs these planets rule are Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancerthe four sign that lead the soul towards experiencing the life on earth. Each pada (quarter) represents the ninth harmonic of the natal chart. Together these four signs represent the beginning stages of spiritual development. As the Ketu Nakshatras represent a point in cycle of life where we have to move towards the divine mission of the soul. They always indicate a beginning and an ending at two different levels. Aries is about discovery of new ideas and the courage to explore them. Taurus is where we nurture the creative potential of our new beginnings. Gemini develops the mind and the recognition of time, space, the working of the universal law. Cancer makes time and space possible. It is ruled by the Moon and Water which also leads us towards purification of mind and harmonising the spiritual and the material. The stages of the soul's journey are different in Ashwini (Mars) Magha (Leo) and Mula (Sagittarius) the underlying urge, represented by the quarters, is still the same- to evolve. The ending of one way of life and the beginning of another.

Kal Sarpa Yoga

Kala Sarpa Yoga is formed when Rahu Ketu hem in the planets in the natal chart i.e. if Rahu is 10 degrees Leo and Ketu 10 degrees Aquarius and all the planets are within these degrees, either from Leo to Aquarius or Aquarius to Leo (Vedic Astrology does not use the outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). For this yoga to be complete, no planet should conjunct Rahu or Ketu. It restricts completely any indications of the charts. However capable the person, his life is impeded due to past Karma. Important lessons have to be faced in this life, where no amount of effort is rewarded, obstacles are encountered at every junction for inexplicable reasons. The Yoga does not suggest either success or failure, but a person caught up in Karmic forces so great that they restrict his/ her destiny. It acts mysteriously, without other

indications in the birth Chart. A heavy price is paid for past Karma in this life. Understanding and counter- acting the effects of Kala Sarpa Yoga needs a person to move towards his higher self. As Rahu and Ketu act on the inner self, the need to understand the psychic implications and the inner blocks created by this combination is important.

Transits
To judge the transits of Rahu Ketu we have to look at the planets they conjunct during their transit. The Sun and Moon being the most important planets. In 1998 when Rahu Ketu are transiting through the Leo Aquarius Axis, people with Leo Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Aquarius Sun, Moon, Ascendant are feeling the transforming effect of Rahu Ketu. The transit of Rahu Ketu gives clues to their unpredictability. They normal travel in a retrograde motion, the opposite to other planets. They will suddenly go direct and backwards again, representing the churning process. They can churn up your life, your inner emotion, force you to transform yourself, create unpredictability in your life. To know exactly how powerful their influence will be, you will have to study the eclipses. If the eclipses are taking place within 1to 2 degrees of your natal planets then they will be indicating a time for change. Here it is important to remember that the eclipses work on a psychological level, some of these influence may not be immediately obvious but will reveal themselves in time. The transit of Rahu also needs to be seen through their Dashas- planetary cycles. They are each assigned a Mahadasha. Rahu has an 18 year period and Ketu a 7 years period. They also have sub- periods in planetary cycles of other planets through which they exercise their power and influence. Whenever the life cycles come into our life they have the overall control over factors which dictate what we are going to be doing. Komila Sutton

NON-PLANETARY INFLUENCES Nancy B. Detweiler, M.Ed., M.Div. THE MOON NODES TEXT FOR LESSON 7: KARMIC ASTROLOGY: The Moon Nodes & Reincarnation, Martin Schulman SUGGESTION: As we begin to experience worlds beyond our familiar 3 rd dimensional world on Earth, Gloria Karpinskis excellent book entitled WHERE TWO WORLDS TOUCH can be extremely helpful.

REMINDER: We have lived thousands of lives all over the cosmos. We have been men, women, poor, rich, uneducated, highly educated. We have lived in many cities, towns, rural areas, and been many nationalities. What is meant by: You are me and I am you is at least three things: 1. We are all sparks of the One Creative Force. 2. We have all accrued negative and positive karma as a result of our actions in many lives. 3. We are all on this planet for the purpose of balancing our negative karmic debts, so that we can ascend into Higher Consciousness. There is no room for judgment of each other, no room for discrimination. We are equally loved unconditionally by a God of Love. It is essential to remember that your Soul and your guides in spirit will not allow you to attempt to balance karmic debts that might overwhelm you. Instead, your Soul strives, through your various incarnations, for the degree of spiritual maturity that will allow you to tackle some of your more difficult karmic debts. Before you are allowed to take on another physical body, your Soul and spirit guides scan your Souls eternal life file housed on the cosmic computer, i.e. the Akashic Records, and carefully select the karmic debts that your level of spiritual maturity will equip you to successfully balance. Therefore, the karmic debts represented in your SOUTH MOON NODE could stem from lifetimes extending from thousands of years ago to the incarnation just prior to this one. If and when you read something revealed by your MOON NODES, or any other karmic indicator, to which you reply in dismay, I would not dream of doing such a thing, the answer is: No, you would not at your present level of spiritual maturity. The ONLY reason you were allowed to take on that particular karmic debt is because at this stage in your spiritual evolution you would not dream of behaving in such a waythus, you have the freewill opportunity to erase the debt.

If you have heavy-duty karmic debts in this lifetime, consider yourself blessedyou are an advanced Soul who is now ready to tackle the hard stuff . Self-pity, victimhood, long-term discouragement, the urge to end it all one way or anotherall have NO long-term place in the lifestream of an Advanced Soul who is approaching Ascension.

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Your Moon Nodes reveal the unfolding of the Universal Law: We reap what we sow or For every cause, there is an effect. Your Moon Nodes reveal the track that your Soul is running on in the current life, while the rest of the [natal chart] adds additional information as to how you are to make the journey. They also reveal some of the lessons your Soul has chosen to learn during this incarnation.

The SOUTH MOON NODE is symbolic of your past, your Achilles Heelthe footsteps you have left behind during prior lifetimes. It signifies the karmic residue that you have yet to balance or transmute. The magnetic pull of your SOUTH MOON NODE can feel like a heavy burden that you are carrying until its lessons are learnedit may pull you backward if you are not consciously aware of its presence and choosing to move forward toward your NORTH MOON NODE.

THE NORTH MOON NODE is the symbol for the futurethe new cycle to which your look forward. This Node magnetically pulls your Soul toward its future growth. Divine Providence offers much help in this forward movement. Deep within, you will feel a sense of direction your purpose spurs you on in spite of all the obstacles. Your NORTH MOON NODE symbolizes the highest area of expression to be reached in the current life and therefore must be interpreted by the highest qualities of the sign and house in which it is located. The most amazing feature about the NORTH MOON NODE is that however much [you] achieve it, there is always more to goas it truly represents [your] everlasting spiral towards God.

ASSIGNMENT: Find the NORTH MOON NODE zodiac sign and house in which it is located.

in your Natal Chart. Note the

Whether or not the SOUTH MOON NODE

is shown in your Natal Chart, it is Therefore, if your is

always directly opposite the North Moon Node.

located on the 12th degree of Taurus in the 12th house, your will be located th th on the 12 degree of Scorpio in the 6 house. Note the zodiac sign and house in which your SOUTH MOON NODE is located. With your MOON NODESs location in mind, study the information below that pertains to you.

CAUTION: The Moon Nodes symbols can be easily confused if you are not careful. To confuse them means you are reading the wrong information for yourself.

MOON NODES IN THE ZODIAC SIGNS The Moon Nodes are always in combination with their polarity signs.

ARIES NORTH NODE LIBRA SOUTH NODE Heretofore, your prior life experiences have not resulted in the formation of the Self as a singular, unique identity. Instead, you sought to live through the lives of those around you. Now, the goal is to develop a strong sense of Self as an independent being. In past incarnations, you sacrificed for others, which you felt was not adequately appreciated by them. Now, you may feel traces of resentment at not reaping the rewards of your efforts. You will realize your greatest achievements after you have learned to serve others willingly and without expectation of rewards. You can be hesitant to make definitive decisions, while your NORTH MOON NODE calls for you to take a stand for what your Soul knows is Truth. Positive self-assertion is the lesson to be learned. There has been little self-examination, little self-knowledge. Now, it is time to know yourself to find out who you really are. You will find that Selfdiscovery is an exciting journey of exploration. In fact, once a new sense of Self-identity is achieved, [you] will feel like Columbus discovering America; and the most amazing part of [your] discovery is reaching the awareness that it was there [within you] all along, but [you] never knew it.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house in which the SOUTH MOON NODE is located shows the area in life where you identified with others to the extent of inhibiting your own self-development. The house which contains the NORTH MOON NODE designates the area where the Self is now experiencing its birth where you are learning to be self assertive in positive ways where you learning to stand tall as an independent being.

TAURUS NORTH NODE SCORPIO SOUTH NODE you may be confronted with some of the most difficult karmic lessons because the Plutonian force of Scorpio created many times of having the rug pulled out from beneath you. (Pluto rules Scorpio) As a result of these soul memories, you may react defensively toward those who offer regenerative advice. In past lives, you suffered as you reaped the results of false values. You had to deal with a powerful sex drive that sought gratification in a variety of relationships. Now you are learning a new set of values by which to live. You are learning that sexual energy is also creative energy and how to maintain a satisfying balance between the two. You may still live life on a largely unconscious level until you take charge and deliberately choose to know thyself and learn to observe your behavior so that you become aware of the reasons behind your words and actions. You will make much progress as you are able to view the actions of others as reflections of your subconscious. Observing yourself is important. You may seek revenge in subtle ways that end up with you appearing to be the victim, while in truth you are the carefully planned victor. Intense emotions need a variety of creative outlets. The lesson of forgiveness is paramount as you move toward your NORTH MOON NODE IN TAURUS. Taurus is the energy of granting love to the loveless and roots to the rootless. (Alan Oken) Taurus is the energy of supply, ruled by Venus. As you recognize the abundance within the Universe, you will always be blessed with enough to meet all your needs. Taurus leads you into a garden of peace.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS:

The house position of the SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area in life where any remaining residue of the Scorpionic battles must be conquered. The house position of the NORTH MOON NODE shows the area in life where the new awareness of trust and security can ultimately replace the underlying struggles.

GEMINI NORTH NODE SAGITTARIUS SOUTH NODE In the past, you have been a free spirit and have tended not to appreciate the points of view of others. You resist having any restrictions placed upon you, including marriage. You are forever trying to do too many things at one time. Spreading yourself so thin can result in having no clear central life theme. Always [you] seem to miss the obvious, blissfully ignorant of the immediate circumstances around [you] and the impact that you might have on others. Now, you are learning to see both sides of every issue, to see life through the eyes of others. As you walk in the shoes of others , you will realize that all the seeming negative qualities in others are actually qualities that you have failed to recognize in yourself. Your GEMINI NORTH NODE will lean you into developing skills in the art of communication. You want to fit into society and respect the rights of others. Your past lives brought you into a natural understanding of the universe. Now you want to share your knowledge with others. You are restless and have much ground to cover.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of the SOUTH MOON NODE shows the life where past incarnation residue still pulls [you] toward a desire to be a free spirit. The house position of the GEMINI NORTH NODE indicates the doorway through which [you] must walk in order to experience the advantages of the civilized humanistic culture [you] are destined to join.

CANCER NORTH NODE CAPRICORN SOUTH NODE There is the tendency to enter this current life with much inner pride. You find it difficult to understand why others do not show you the level of respect to which you have been accustomed in prior lifetimes. As a result, prestige and the pursuit of dignity tend to be major motivators for your present life actions. Some with these Nodes may marry in order to gain the prestige remembered. Memories from the past can feel like burdens in the present. You can feel that you never complete fulfilling responsibilities and obligations. You cannot tolerate failure within yourselfat times making yourself physically or emotionally ill in order to avoid coping with situations in which you feel inadequate. In prior lifetimes you were highly opinionated and resistant to taking advice that would affect [you] personally. Now you may still believe that your personal life is strictly a private matter. There can be a pattern of opportunism present and an opinion that taking advantage of weakness in others is simply just doing business. You learned the art of accomplishment, but with little regard for others. Now your CANCER NORTH NODE leads you into learning to give nourishment as well as receive it. You may experience heavy family burdens so that you can learn the emotional needs of others. You are learning how to take on the feminine role in this life. Slowly the rigid Capricorn attitudes are dropped and replaced with a new security in relating your emotions honestly. You will come to see that all the worries and your self-imposed martyr complex have no foundation in your present incarnation. Eventually [you] will start to value nature more than money, emotion more than power, and new growth rather than the collecting of dead wood. However, you must develop a totally new emotional response pattern if you desire to adjust and move forward toward your compassionate NORTH MOON NODE IN CANCER. Your highest achievement in life is to be nourishing others. To reach this, you must work on self until you become a natural cornucopia of spiritual food for those who are hungry. The more [you] are able to fill people, the more happiness [you] will feel [yourself]. In past lives [you] were able to benefit greatly by receiving. Now [you] are here to give.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS:

The house which contains the SOUTH MOON NODE shows the area in life in which the bowl of abundance is overfull, where your life pattern was to take regardless of the impact on others. The house which contains the NORTH MOON NODE symbolizes the empty bowls of others waiting for food.

LEO NORTH NODE AQUARIUS SOUTH NODE The LEO NORTH NODE signifies a struggle with the will. During this lifetime, you are strengthening your ego self so you can truly know who you are. Situations in your life will occur that force you to act independently to stand alone. These sometimes lonely situations are encouraging you to develop inner strength as the unique being that you are. You may continue a past life pattern of feeling sorry for yourself over the lack of friends and the feeling that when you really need someone, he/she is not there for you. Long periods of loneliness may exist. As you realize that your isolation is a self-imposed prerequisite for gathering inner strength, you will begin to move forward intentionally. You have the capacity to overcome all self-doubts and to be a strong leader. But to be a strong leader, you must first be a strong person. In the case of a LEO NORTH NODE, you must have a strong sense of egoic self. Simply desiring friends can weaken you and dissipate your intentional work toward goals that are expressive of who you truly are. Actually, you are ambivalent about having someone to answer your questions because once they do, you tend not to listen. Plus, you do not like anyone else cramping your style. With your SOUTH MOON NODE IN AQUARIUS, it can be hard for others to understand because you will do anything to retain your sense of individuality. In past lives, you developed a detachment from the world and now you continue to want to go your own way. This can be a positive if you develop the selfdiscipline needed to make your actions count for something. Recalling and using your past life knowledge, you possess the capacity to make a real difference for humanity because you can depersonalize and work for the good of all humanity.

This discovery of past life talents that you thought you did not have can be to your great amazement. There is a chance that you can go from a rags to riches life style. In this life, you are given the opportunity to be alone so that you can express your beliefs and principles unhampered. You are here to show others the ways in which the world can overcome its problems. Your greatest achievements will come after you have developed a strong egoic self, then surrendered it to your Higher Ego Selfyour Soul, and can truthfully state: May Divine Will unfold in my life and that of all humanity. You are capable of making revolutionary changes in what was once established tradition. Although it is [your] present life karma to apply [your] Uranian ingenuity through practical and traditional Leonian outlets, [you] still struggle to maintain [your] unique character.

THE HOUSE POSITION: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area where past-life needs for originality and freedom are still seeking expression. The house position of your NORTH MOON NODE reveals the area of life in which you can focus all of your chart energy into a new shining creation of substantial size and worth, a gift of generosity to the world. Truly these are the Nodes of the Inventor.

VIRGO NORTH NODE PISCES SOUTH NODE The object here is crystallization. There can be superstitious beliefs within your soul memories that can impede your spiritual growth if you choose to cling to them. There may also be a tendency to be dependent upon others and for selfpity. Soul memories of falling for sob stories may still influence your attitude toward the suffering. Still, with your PISCES SOUTH NODE, you are extremely sensitive to the pain of others to the point of allowing that energy of pain to drain you of your own strength. Your soft heart is your weak spot. From past incarnations [your] intuition is unusually strong and accurate, but with it comes the Piscean depressions stemming from sensitivity to other

peoples disappointments. You may create a tangled web of people depending upon you for a myriad of reasons. Your VIRGO NORTH NODEs magnetic pull encourages you to develop discrimination between those who can benefit from your help and those who are not ready to be helped. You must learn to say NO in a kind way then stick to it. It is important not to do for others what they can do for themselves, for by so doing you actually perpetuate their problems. Yours is the tendency to cling to repressed hurts for many years. This stifled energy is bound to find expression, likely impacting your nervous system. VIRGO rules natural healing and holistic health and hopefully, your NORTH MOON NODE compels you to study and implement these modalities into your lifestyle. You may tend to be critical of others, which is actually a way of criticizing yourself for not reaching the goals of perfection toward which you aim. You are striving for perfection and purification within yourself while learning to tolerate others shortcomings. Your major lesson is self-discipline. Happiness comes through serving others; healing comes through meaningful work. In this life, [you] must learn to display the perfected ideals [you] have achieved through giving up all but [your] appreciation of the Divine Essence.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house in which the SOUTH MOON NODE is located indicates the area of life about which you achieved Cosmic Understanding in a prior lifetime. The house position of the NORTH MOON NODE shows the area of life through which crystallization can now bring that understanding into material reality. You have the opportunity to serve humanity through manifesting that Cosmic Understanding in a form that can be shared with others.

LIBRA NORTH NODE ARIES SOUTH NODE indicates you are to learn much about self-sacrifice and understanding the needs of others. All the lifetimes of work spent on building self-confidence and esteem must now be

transferred to others. LIBRA NORTH NODE keeps you from adding to your sense of self-identity. Many lifetimes of me first bring you to painful lessons in cooperation. You are to take the sharp edges out of your life and seek a harmonious balance. You are learning that the strong pioneering individualism of your ARIES SOUTH NODE was to prepare you for providing others with a harmonious life. Past incarnations have established a pattern of restless impatience to stay on the move. However, this lifetime is about giving rather than receiving. Now that you have reached the LIBRA NORTH NODE, you are to realize that the second half of this lifes spiritual evolution is to be about others. You are to learn the karmic lesson that you are not alone. Until you learn to share, obstacles will block your efforts to continue a me first attitude. You will learn that the game is not about winning or losing, but about how fairly the game was played. You may tend to be selfish and opinionated. Now you are learning to walk in the shoes of others. There can be painful blows to your ego; you may see your desires taken from you and given to others. This can create jealousy and the urge to fight back, but the more you fight back the more you lose. Eventually, you learn to surrender the selfish ego and accept living in a world built on sharing. You are living through the karma of selflessness. You may be called on to referee in disputes, which results in you learning to become more objective. The more [you] can get others to cooperate, the more [you] learn to be cooperative. There can be a deep-seated anger stemming from past life memories of frustrations which blocked your self-expression. With these Nodes, you may be very attractive/handsome, which is part of a karmic lesson involving vanity that your ARIES SOUTH NODE indicates you must overcome. The balance between ARIES/MARS and LIBRA/VENUS can be difficult because Aries/Mars keeps wanting to satisfy its own needs. LIBRA/VENUS is here to simply love others, regardless of their demands. The ego-self must be abandoned and replaced with a heightened sensitivity to the needs of others. The Aries self-love looms as a big obstacle to overcome.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area of life where the insatiable desires of prior lifetimes are still demanding priority.

The house where your NORTH MOON NODE is located reveals how fulfillment can be reached through self-sacrifice, cooperation, and the expression of unselfish love to others.

SCORPIO NORTH NODE TAURUS SOUTH NODE You are learning to accept revolutionary changes within yourself as well changes within your conditions and environment. You may feel weary from all the soul memories of struggles in past lives and feel that you cannot muster the strength to go through more changes. As a result, you will tend to cling to old behavior patterns which served you well in prior lifetimes. Insisting on doing things the hard way can result in weakening your Spiritual Self because the hard way blinds you to new possibilities. Rather than watching others and learning from their experiences, you insist on working through each experience your way. You feel you must be sure of yourself. Your need for security can be so great that even if you attempt to change, you actually simply adopt a new way to behave in the same manner. There can be a great need for material possessions; however, the more you collect things , the more you trap yourself. You have experienced much past life damage to your ego and now feel a strong urge to prove yourself worthy of respect. If you feel that others do not respect you, there is a tendency to fall into depression. As a result, you push and push to become successfula need that can backfire on you with the temptation to break the rules a little. As you respond to the magnetic pull of your SCORPIO NORTH NODE, you will begin the process of complete transformation. You evaluate your life and determine what is worthy of taking forward with you and what you choose to leave behind. Your biggest growth spurt occurs when you learn to let go. You learn to think and act independently as you release all the past life burdens that heretofore have oppressed you. You learn self- respect by developing self-discipline. It is important that you comprehend how your subconscious desires have impacted this life. Getting to know yourself through studying your astrological natal chart is an excellent way to evaluate the impact the past is having upon you.

As long as you choose to live unconsciously and fail to be an objective observer of yourself , life will toss you to and fro. This lifetime you are to be transformed so that your Soul can move forward on its spiritual journey. This transformation process can be painful and powerful, as you may lose much that you have heretofore thought valuable. Out of this symbolic death comes your new life.

THE HOUSE POSITONS: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area of life which has become decadent with the outworn behavior patterns from prior lifetimes. The house position of your NORTH MOON NODE reveals the manner by which your present life rebirth into the new and better may be achieved. When we release the old, we make room for the new!

SAGITTARIUS NORTH NODE GEMINI SOUTH NODE The keyword here is promise. For many prior lifetimes, you attempted to be all things to all people, which resulted in scattering your energies to the point of superficiality. Now, there are strong karmic lessons concerning loyalty and allegiance. This can be tough because you tend to see both sides and hesitate to make a commitment to either side. So you are constantly changing with your surroundings. The need is to develop a strong sense of individual identity. You are always over-programmed, partly because you love activity and cannot bear to feel cooped up or bogged down. You struggle to keep up with all the activities of the dayyou have so much to doyou say. Direction in life tends to come around age 28 with your 1st Saturn Return a time of self-evaluation and determining how you want the rest of your life to unfold. Still underneath, you may be unsteady as a result of spending lifetimes scattering your energies and neglecting to make any true commitments. Now, it is difficult to perceive your true identity. Your biggest task involves a search for higher knowledge. Through your SAGITTARIUS NORTH NODE you are to learn that in order for you to recognize the Truth, you must be the Truth. Studying the Higher Wisdom

will assist you in finding your true identity and you will eventually achieve the mystic marriagethe merging of your lower self with the Higher Self/Soul. There can be the karma of having gossiped and perpetuated the trivial. You must turn your back on pretending sophistication and become real and natural. As you come to know the Oneness of All Things, you will develop the capacity to transform knowledge into Divine Wisdom. As you evolve during this lifetime, you will be freed from the bondage of indecision and in its place will be glimpses of Universal Truth.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE reveals the area of life in which past incarnation personality conflicts still plague your lower mind. The house position of your NORTH MOON NODE shows the ways in which a Higher Consciousness can be developed into a vehicle which enables [you] to rise above all conflict.

CAPRICORN NORTH NODE CANCER SOUTH NODE You are learning how to achieve maturity. In prior lifetimes, you tended to see life through rose-colored glasses and to deny everything else. Much of the child may still be with you. In prior lifetimes, you wrestled with your dependencies while, at the same time, seeking something to lean on. Now, your life may be characterized by struggles with this childlike behavior, which repeatedly impedes your growth into maturity. You seek means to maintain the focus of your parents attention; you had rather your parents solve the problems than do so yourself. Friends, business associates, marriage partnerall become a symbolic parent to whom you look to pick up the pieces of your life, to protect you from the results of your own behavior. You are capable of creating your own illness if it holds the potential of gaining love and affection. You may constantly practice becoming an adult; yet, you never feel quite ready to make the transition. All that you do this lifetime is based on soul memories of sensitive past-life feelings which still are shattered by the slightest rejection.

You may be strongly wrapped up in the business of your country. You tend to personalize government; for to you, it is part of your own family. You are very patriotic and loyal. You may enjoy working with young people and listening to the problems of others. The problem comes when you attempt to hold all their problems inside of you. This can create early aging. The most difficult karmic lesson with CANCER SOUTH NODE is learning to let go . You have soul memories of having lost or forgotten something important; now you attempt to hang onto to everything. You may constantly be thinking in terms of what you should have done years ago or lives ago. You are likely to be extremely draining to others, using whatever they do for you as the springboard to ask for more. [You] are not so much interested in finding out why something went wrong as [you] are seeking the lost feeling to be returned. It is especially hard for you to see a relationship end. As your CAPRICORN NORTH NODEs magnetic pull attracts you, you must find an ideal bigger than yourself; you must learn to stand for something and accept true responsibility. As you do so, you may tend to adopt a traditional stance and work to prevent others from seeing anything in your life expression that contradicts that stance. Although maintaining this stance is difficult (because in truth you are not free to be yourself), you can assist others by giving them a model and ideal. Women with these NODES feel a strong urge to seek a father figure. Men feel driven to be a good father. The most important thing about the CAPRICORN NORTH NODE is that it represents the point through which [you] will meet [your] karmic mission. For this reason, you may tend to remain immature as long as possible you sense a kind of judgment approaching. You may have difficulty accepting your chronological age. You may admit it, but try hard not to live it. Capricorn is the gateway through which the Accepted Disciple walks toward Ascension. It is the energy of initiation into Higher Consciousness; therefore, your struggles signify opportunities to balance past life karma and move on unencumbered. You may tend to flounder the first half of your life, then one day realize that you have matured, that you have, after all, done something worthwhile with your life.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area of life in which the karmic residue of immaturity seeps into your present life. The house position of your NORTH MOON NODE reveals the ways in which you can now enter responsible adulthood by aligning with the principles of honor, respect, and tradition. As soon as [you] learn how to do this, [you] are destined for a life of splendid accomplishment!

AQUARIUS NORTH NODE LEO SOUTH NODE indicates a struggle between the personal life and an impersonal dedication to the whole of humanity. During prior lifetimes, you sought to have life to revolve around yourself. Now, you are to assume the role of Waterbearer for all of humanity. Overcoming past life influences can be difficult, as there is a tendency to look down on others, to name-dropping, and designing your life so that you will be seen in the company of influential people and those who sit on pedestals. You may view your powerful will as the means to obtain your ends, whatever they may be. You have made heavy footsteps in the past; now, it is time to walk lightly, without making footprints. You are ready to abdicate your external throne. These NODES can be difficult within marriage because you will want to dominate those close to you. You are attempting to work through the conflicts between the artificial and the real. You must learn how to shed masksego-centered displays of dignity are coming from past-life habits and do very little now toward bringing [you] any lasting happiness. [You are] destined to spend a part of [your] life alone for [your] unique character is too overbearing to be readily acceptable by most people. If given the right cause, [you] will sacrifice [your] entire life for it. Through the AQUARIUS NORTH NODE, [you] learn to overcome [your] past-life sense of prestige and develop the concept of Universal Brotherhood. [You] must ultimately come to see [yourself] as part of a larger cosmic sphere, in which [your] role is to share in the burden of human evolution.

You will reach your greatest happiness once you learn to set aside your own needs and replace them with a humanitarian attitude toward all you meet. [You] are to forget pride and reach for new original horizons, no matter how eccentric [your] ideas seem to others. Through your NORTH NODE [you] are given the promise of a unique adventure, through which [you] can make an important contribution to the progress of civilization.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of the SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area of life that you have burdened with the desire for personal achievement. The house position of the NORTH MOON NODE reveals how you can set yourself free from the shackles of [your] past life ego by realizing [the] mission for humanity for which [you] are destined to pick up [your] cross.

PISCES NORTH NODE VIRGO SOUTH NODE you begin to realize just how much past life rigidity has hurt you. Still, you find it hard to let them go. Previously, you lived in a finite universe with well structured societal forms. Now, you are awakening to a living cosmos. Repeatedly, you are forced to let go of your hold on the physical plane. You still yearn for order and may even develop medical problems in the center of your body as a result of trying to hold in all your tension. You repeatedly suppress desire for the sake of doing what seems proper, for [you] would like to maintain an image of respectability. In past incarnations, you based all of your opinions on fact. Now, [you] accept only what comes from the highest authority. [You] must learn how to immerse [yourself] in the waters of Cosmic Consciousness, and in this baptism of thought [you] can truly experience a new birth. You may fear the world is filled with danger and contamination; you may question the credentials of people and conditions that you allow into your life space. There can be a strong residue of sexual problems stemming anywhere to

from lack of sex to a determination to never be hurt again. You can be sexually responsive while being emotionally cold. VIRGO SOUTH NODE signifies an analytical mind that is excellent at solving puzzles. You may be overly critical. As you move toward your PISCES NORTH NODE, you begin to develop faith. Once you cease seeing yourself as separate from the rest of the world, you will come to understand that all is one, and one is all. You will go through experiences that force you to become more compassionate. Ultimately, you will symbolically experience the pain of the entire universe so that you can strengthen [your] Divine Love to the point that [you] absolutely refuse to pass judgment on others. The more you focus on the spiritual way of life, the more progress you make toward spiritual maturity. You can intuitively catch glimpses of the mysterious in life, yet you have a hard time trusting your own intuitive insights. You are half way between two worlds. You take one step forward, then a step back. But each time you take an extra step forward, you move closer to dissolving the shackles of [your] rigidly formed past and to being born again as pure Spirit.

Gloria Karpinski excellent book entitled WHEN TWO WORLDS TOUCH would be especially helpful for you.

THE HOUSE POSITIONS: The house position of your SOUTH MOON NODE indicates the area of life in which you are still too rigid. The house position of your NORTH MOON NODE reveals how you can renounce [your] grip on all rigid definition of form and structure so that [you] can be free to swim in the Ocean of God. RETROGRADE PLANETS

When a planet is retrograde, its energies are turned inward and becomes more subjective. The energy is slower manifesting in the external world, partly because the individual with retrograde planets tends to think more deeply about the energies involved. Many geniuses and leaders have retrograde planets. According to Martin Schulman, in his Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades & Reincarnation, Vol. II, retrograde planets tend to break the time barrier. The individual brings memories of prior lifetimes into the present incarnation. There may be feelings of a blending of lifetimes characterized by the person attempting to resolve issues that still appear to be unfinished. The memories can be so vivid that the person does not recognize them as memories. In Schulmans words: He is living in a dulled phase of another time zone whose irresistible magnetism seems even more important than his current life. The individual keeps re-living the experiences that relate to the particular retrograde planet. Retrogrades operate through multiple dimensions at the same time. Thus, the person may be either behind or ahead of himself in this life while still another part of self is not yet in this life at all. In addition to this lack of synchronization with chronological time, which in itself would be enough to upset most individuals, he also experiences on still another plane, a rather unique orientation in space. (Schulman) Schulmans definition of a Retrograde individual refers to having either: 1) 3 or more retrogrades in the natal chart, 2) any one of the personal planets Retrograde, or 3) even one single Retrograde planet near the Ascendant or Midheaven (the 10th house cusp is called the Midheaven). Again quoting Schulman: The Retrograde planet, with its powerful karmic lessons being brought forward in this life tends to emphasize the matter or form side of life, throwing man into the more primitive parts of himself where his struggle for survival amidst the conditions and people around him becomes predominant over the fulfillment of his Soul. This becomes even more heightened in the case of the inner [personal] Retrogrades (Mercury, Venus, & Mars) through which man deals with the very same intimate, personal, and private parts of himself which he has been struggling with since his beginning in time. It is comforting and encouraging to know that soul and spirit are above the laws of karma and all difficulties can be resolved. Much

spiritual growth can take place through the overcoming of the difficulties involved with Retrograde planets.

PERSONAL RETROGRADE PLANETS

ASSIGNMENT: Go over your Natal Chart to determine whether or not you have planets that are retrograde. We are talking of planets only here; there are other factors that can express in a retrograde manner as well. List your retrograde planets. Do you meet the requirements for being a Retrograde individual? See Schulmans definition above. The planets that are Retrograde will have the retrograde sign included in the degree/sign indication. Confused? Refer to the Sample Chart Venus is Retrograde in the 2nd house.

The SUN and MOON do not go retrograde.

MERCURY RETROGRADE turns the mind inward, giving a tendency to repeatedly go back over prior events and lessons. The thought process is based in the subconscious rather than the conscious mind. This means the learning process is more Right Brain than Left Brain; you absorb the essence rather than the details. For this reason, you are likely to score lower on standardized and/or facts-oriented tests than those students not having MERCURY RETROGRADE. PARENTS, BE ALERT The child with MERCURY RETROGRADE is likely to be made to feel and told that he/she is less intelligent than he/she really is. This childs learning process is different, not less intelligent. The MERCURY RETROGRADE individual is capable of tapping into the collective unconscious and of perceiving knowledge from prior times. This process is unconscious. Because you know more than you can consciously communicate, frustration may set in. You may become preoccupied with the form of your ideas, creating barriers to the essence of your knowledge. Creative outlets that require non-verbal communication, such as music and painting, are an excellent means of expression for MERCURY

RETROGRADE. Many of our musical geniuses have MERCURY RETROGRADE. History is also a natural outlet. MERCURY RETROGRADE KARMA: Relationships with a tendency to react to others as if they symbolize persons from the past.

VENUS RETROGRADE indicates difficulty in expressing freely your love and affection for others. You may feel that you lack emotional fulfillment and tend to interpret lifes events through the lens of how much am I loved or deprived of love? Emotionally based relationships can be difficult because you tend to internalize and thereby exaggerate hurts. VENUS RETROGRADE KARMA: Relationships reveals that your soul carries memories of past life painful relationships and a great misunderstanding about the nature of love. The prior life intense emotional pain may result in a present tendency to cut yourself off from fully experiencing the richness of love out of fear of being hurt once more. You will tend to react to the present as if it is the past, thereby pre-programming your present love relationships. You tend to block yourself from happiness by trying too hard to achieve it. PARENTS: Encourage your VENUS RETROGRADE child to engage in all activities that add beauty, art, and love to his/her daily life. VENUS is the planet of beauty; teach your child to think and create in terms that focus on enhancing lifes situations. Loving an animal may be helpful; just make sure the child is also learning to love people freely and within the present context.

MARS RETROGRADE shifts the outward thrust of energy characteristic of MARS and directs it inward. You will tend to expend a lot of energy reliving internally your past experiences. Because you are constantly to the past, you may inflict past life roles upon the persons in your present lifes environment. There is a strong tendency to place priority upon fulfilling your spiritual desires, resulting in neglect of the physical bodys needs. An intentional focus on holistic growth is needed. Sexual experiences can be less fulfilling because your energy is turned inward. However, sex that is deeply rooted in love between two partners and that strives for a mutual spiritual orgasm can be a much more natural expression for MARS RETROGRADE. MARS RETROGRADE KARMA indicates your actions tend to be an effort to recreate situations from your prior lifetimes. You may expend energy in attempting to find people in the present who can symbolize those who

fulfilled you in the past. You may try to act out all that you could not express in prior lifetimes. You may over-react when your efforts fail to produce your desired results. This over-reaction can result in coming on too strongly, only to have people pull back. PARENTS: Assist your MARS RETROGRADE child to form a daily routine of plenty of sleep, a nutritious diet, lots of outdoor exercise. Since MARS RETROGRADE tends to be more interested in spiritual desires, help the child to understand the physical body is the Temple of God and must be cared for accordingly. With both VENUS & MARS RETROGRADE children, parents can be helpful by discussing with the child the difference between past life memories and present experiences. Help your child to discern when he/she is overreacting. WARNING, PARENTS: If you choose to assist your Venus Retrograde or your Mars Retrograde child to discern past life memories from present experiences, DO NOT DENY PAST LIVES. To do so would simply create more confusion. Instead, recognize the past life memories as real, then guide your child in discerning whether or not the events he/she remembers happened in the present environment. PARENTS: I know this is hard to understand if you have not experienced it, so let me give an example from my life. Although my Venus or Mars are not retrograde, I have memories of having lived in Egypt for several lifetimes. When I entered my private counseling practice, I barely managed to hold things together financially. This went on for years. Finally, one day I was sitting at my computer and I heard myself think, If I had plenty of money, I would not complete my souls mission for this incarnation. Shocked, I realized that I had been telling myself that for years. I asked in meditation to understand this thought pattern and was shown a lifetime in which I had been very wealthy. Instead of using my talents in that past life, I used my money to play. It wasin Soul termsa lifetime in which I did not complete my souls purpose. Completing my souls purpose and mission for this incarnation has been uppermost in my mind since a small child. I realized that, heretofore, I had not experienced financial abundance in this incarnation because that past life memory remained in my semi-conscious awareness. As a result of separating past life experiences from those of this incarnation, my needs are abundantly met as I continue to fulfill my mission for this lifetime.

JUPITER

Rules the Eternal Self, the Planet of Wisdom Jupiter is a source of enthusiasm, optimism, and the urge to seize the opportunities offered to you in life.

JUPITER RETROGRADE turns its energy of expansion inward, so that much inner growth takes place, often through spiritually oriented studies. JUPITER RETROGRADE tends to procrastinate and to plan, then re-plan, to the point of failing to get anywhere with the thoroughly planned project. JUPITER RETROGRADE offers the opportunity for a highly spiritual incarnation. You must seek your own Truth; for, the mundane and status quo is likely to leave you feeling discontent. You are a free-spirit and cannot follow happily in the footsteps of others. Great wisdom and prophetic ability can be present, especially as you attain spiritual maturity. JUPITER RETROGRADE can bring many dj-vu experiences; you can feel at home anywhere on the planet. PARENTS, your JUPITER RETROGRADE child will likely find little value or meaning in much that our society regards as cherished traditions. Your child incarnated to live out the richness in life, both outwardly and inwardly. Too strict an environment can result in inner restlessness and discontent that the child may be unable to verbalize or define. Know that your child needs to explore a variety of places, activities, philosophies, and to determine for self the lasting significance of each. Enjoy the versatility and unique insights that your JUPITER RETROGRADE child can offer you.

THE DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD The planet of self-discipline, SATURNs goal for you is perfection.

SATURN helps us bear our karma and successfully pass our tests. Until we willingly accept self-discipline, we experience SATURN as feelings of limitation, deprivation, delay, and disappointment. SATURNs true desire is to grant us wisdom and compassion.

SATURN RETROGRADE is your signal that you are re-doing a lifetime. This incarnation is your 2nd chance; thus, you will feel the burden of dealing with two lifetimes at once. You can, therefore, experience inner doubts about your self-

worth and your ability to overcome difficulties. The good news is that your soul knows you have achieved the spiritual maturity required to re-do successfully a lifetime. You have in prior lifetimes advanced through great personal struggles and sacrifices. Now, as you learn to flow with SATURNs discipline, you will be rewarded with enormous wisdom. SATURN is comfortable in RETROGRADE motion, and as you flow with it, you develop the capacity to tap into all of your past life wisdom and talents. SATURN RETROGRADE is a sign of an old Soul who has advanced far on the spiritual path. Now, you have incarnated to perfect what you have learned. PARENTS: your SATURN RETROGRADE child is likely to possess a serious nature and to feel overly responsible. You can assist your child by incorporating regular periods of play into the daily schedule. You might need to reassure this child that until he/she grows into adulthood, you will be the parent while he/she enjoys being the child. Self-discipline learned through play can be effective. Competitive sports may overload the child with the need to be responsible and do well for his/her team. Individual sports, such as swimming, track, and tennis may be more helpful. Observe your child and follow your intuitive guidance. Sculpture, sewing, and woodworking can be playful ways to satisfy the SATURN need to build structures. SATURN RETROGRADE KARMA the re-doing of a lifetime, with the extra weight that entails. SATURN RETROGRADE will be serious about getting it right this time.

OUTER RETROGRADE PLANETS

URANUS RETROGRADE creates difficulty in being aware of and expressing your inner individuality. There can be a rediscovery of ideas from previous lifetimes. URANUS RETROGRADE gives you a compelling sense of responsibility toward personal growth because you sense that human progress as a whole is enhanced as well. You are a forerunner of the future, very tapped into the richness of life. You must be original; you must explore the new; you must share your ideas with others. You are a free spirit and cannot be bound by seeking to have others understand what you are about. Your path may be long and crooked, but you can know extreme happiness while traveling it. URANUS RETROGRADE KARMA relates to karmic family and societal difficulties. In your efforts to both relate to others and to reform, your unconscious mind can be transformed. URANUS RETROGRADE can play havoc

with relationships because of your changeability, which can make you appear hypocritical. Your mental and emotional bodies may struggle with each other, as you know you need to do one thing while feeling that you need to do another. URANUS RETROGRADE would have you lift your consciousness above the emotional/mental bodies and focus on the intuitive body. PARENTS appreciate your free spirited child. Encourage his/her originality and inventiveness. Do not try to possess this child; URANUS RETROGRADE is his/her own unique self and will rebel against all attempts to chain him/her.

NEPTUNE RETROGRADE gives the desire to unveil mysteries and to expose religious shams. You will have an intuitive awareness of your subconscious mind, but may have difficulty making conscious attunement. NEPTUNE RETROGRADE attunes much easier to the subconscious/unconscious when the focus is diverted by the use of a tool, such as astrology, or while the conscious mind is occupied with the task at hand. It is, therefore, important to listen to and heed insights that appear to come to you from out of the blue. NEPTUNE RETROGRADE indicates the urge to view the material world in terms of its significance to the Soul and its growth. Thus, NEPTUNE RETROGRADE offers you the opportunity to achieve a very advanced stage of spiritual evolution during this incarnation. NEPTUNE RETROGRADE requires that you live in the material world while remaining separate from it. To others, you will seem to lack the common sense that motivates the behavior of others. Instead, you vibrate to a higher music, possessing a direct attunement with your Soul. You are much more in touch with the cosmos than the material world and know far more than you can express in words. NEPTUNE RETROGRADE KARMA You are living through a karma of learning how to distinguish between the dreams that will bring true fulfillment and those that simply appear to do so. This learning process can mean that you attempt living one dream after the other. Because NEPTUNE RETROGRADE, functioning on the personality-centered level, can be confusing, you may tend not to trust your intuitioneven though you are highly intuitive. PARENTS your NEPTUNE RETROGRADE child may appear impractical in comparison to societys status quo. You may be tempted to stifle your childs dreams or to dismiss them as off the wall. Know that your child lives in two worlds simultaneously. Simply be supportive and allow his/her uniqueness to

manifest. This child will enjoy serving others, even at a young age. Artistic and musical activities are satisfying.

PLUTO RETROGRADE turns its transformative energy even more deeply into the superconsciousness, bringing about an inner illumination long before you are able to give it expression in the outer world. PLUTO RETROGRADE indicates a carry-over of psychic powers from previous lifetimes. These powers are to be used in constructive ways only. You will feel the struggle humanity is going through within yourselfhumanitys struggle is your struggle. You are aware of and feel responsible for lifting your conscious awareness so that the consciousness of humanity can be thereby lifted. PLUTO RETROGRADE KARMA A karmic debt is owned to humanity stemming from the age indicated by the sign in which PLUTO is located. This debt is to be paid through selfless service to humanity. Tremendous spiritual growth is possible; you have the opportunity to rise above the karma of the human race and step off the wheel of rebirth. PLUTO RETROGRADE joins NEPTUNE RETROGRADE in asking that you live in the world, while remaining separate from it. PARENTS you will need to understand the psychic powers your child may naturally demonstrate and strive not to stifle them. Instead, help your child use them for constructive purposes while making no big deal over them. They are natural for your child; treat your child as you would any other child. (PRECESSION OF AGES found in Lesson 4 will reveal the time of the Age indicated by the sign location of your PLUTO RETROGRADE.)

CONTRADICTIONS

As you move deeper into your Natal Chart Interpretation, you will find that some configurations appear to contradict others. You are a product of your eternal past. You have developed some aspects of self more so than others. Since energy is permanent, the ways in which you have qualified that energy remains with you.

As I stated earlier, it is best to focus on those qualities and talents that are repeatedly mentioned in your Natal Chart. The lesser mentioned ones are weaker and need not be focused on, unless you sense intuitively that they represent karmic residual characteristics or issues that have not been completely transmuted and transformed into the positive expression. Focusing on developing your positive characteristics and talents usually allows the negative ones to fall away.

The Head and Tail of the Cosmic Dragon John hayes

It is interesting that only in recent years have astrological publications begun to pay them any attention to the Lunar Nodes. The older books such as those written by Alan Leo, Charles Carter, Margaret Hone and Jeff Mayo dismiss them in a few paragraphs, and even more recent authors such as Stephen Arroyo happily ignore them. This is a great pity as a knowledge of the Nodes can give so much insight and information regarding the deeper and more esoteric aspects of birth-chart interpretation. Perhaps because the Nodes of the Moon are mathematical points rather than visible planets their role has been overlooked, but the M.C. is also an invisible or mathematical point, and no western astrologer worth their salt would ignore that one. In India the situation is very different, with great importance having been attached to the Nodes right from the time of the earliest recorded astrological texts (about 2000 BC). Briefly, the North Node marks the path of the Moon as it crosses the ecliptic moving from South to North. The symbol used is R. The South Node is created by the path of the Moon as it crosses from North to South. The symbol used for the South Node is S. Notice that the Nodes are always exactly opposite each other (Usually an ephemeris will show only the North Node position). Also be aware that the Nodes move in the opposite direction to the visible planets i.e., they always move backwards through the zodiac. This occurs because when, every 27.21 days, the Moon crosses the ecliptic at the same Node this point has move backward along the ecliptic a little bit. The complete nodal cycle of 360 degrees taking just over 18 years (18 years and 10 days). In Vedic astrology the North Node (R) is refered to as Rahu and the South Node (S) as Ketu. In the eighth book of the ancient Indian text Bhagavat Purana we find the original mythology of the Nodes. Here we read that Rahu was a serpent-demon who, having become immortal, was severed in two - Rahu became the head of the demon and Ketu became the tail. Hence even today we find the Nodes refered to as the head and tail of the serpent or dragon. In its details the whole story is rich in astrological symbolism and esoteric insights into the true significance of the Nodes.

So, how are they to be interpreted? Well, the Nodes are generated by the Moon, and just as the Moon represents the past so do the Nodes. The Moon and her Nodes are our link to our karmic past. Rahu represents that karma which causes our worldly desires - externalising energies which push us forward or even cause us to overextend ourselves. It is only natural that if Rahu indicates worldly desires, it is capable of giving power, fame, political success, money, and beauty (when beneficially placed). This is the real reason that you will sometimes read, especially in books by western astrologers that the North Node indicates our future direction in this life. However it should not be forgotten that the desires of Rahu, like most desires, are insatiable, and therefor happiness or satisfaction may not necessarily result from the attainment of these benefits. Ketu indicates difficult personal karma such as long term addictions and compulsions. It represents karma that is much more deep-seated, introverted and internalised - karmas that are less open and outgoing than the ambition and desire represented by Rahu. In its positive side Ketu shows karmic accomplishment -those skills and abilities which we have perfected in previous lives which we bring into this life fully developed. For this reason those souls who are born with great abilities - natural psychics, healers, those with musical or mathematical skills etc. - will have a prominent South Node (Ketu). Many old souls have a very strong Ketu. Because the Nodes represent an eclipse of light (eclipses occur when there is a conjunction between one of the Nodes and the Sun or Moon) it is not considered particularly fortunate to have the Sun or Moon in conjunction with either of the Nodes in a birth-chart. The North Node (Rahu) conjunct the Moon can cause considerable mental disturbance, while the conjunction of the Sun with the South Node (Ketu) can cause compulsive or obsessive behaviour patterns to emerge. It is always worth exploring the house positions of the Nodes, particularly when they fall on the cusps of houses. They are most powerful when falling on the Ascendant-Descendant axis, indicating the strong influence of past life karma on ones present life situation, often creating what appears to be a very 'predestined' life. You will find that a birth-chart with a close conjunction of a planet to one of the Nodes is particularly worthy of investigation, although any set 'cookbook' type interpretations of their influence should be avoided. Remember that the Nodes are very subtle in their nature - hence termed dragons or serpents by the ancients - and need careful and intuitive study in order to reach a meaningful interpretation. Adapted from a Study Paper used in a course in Vedic Astrology issued by the Centre for Vedic Astrology Studies, Poplar Farm, Burtle, Somerset TA7 8NB [The above is adapted from an article which first appeared in the Winter Solstice issue of Surya's Garden, a free quarterly magazine sent out as an e-mail attachment. It deals with all aspects of astrology from a Vedic perspective. To request Surya's Garden or for further information concerning the Nodes please E-mail Richard Fish ]

Hinduism - Understanding the workings of Karma

by Prabhath P The concept of karma is much maligned and misunderstood. As an ancient theory that is more about living a balanced life than fatalism or retribution, it deserves another look. A compilation of essays on the subject by prominent thinkers from the world over says that karma is a dynamic and creative process that produces order out of chaos incessantly and is essentially a harmonizer to continually restore cosmic balance The concept of karma is much maligned and misunderstood. As an ancient theory that is more about living a balanced life than fatalism or retribution, it deserves another look. A compilation of essays on the subject by prominent thinkers from the world over says that karma is a dynamic and creative process that produces order out of chaos incessantly and is essentially a harmonizer to continually restore cosmic balance The term 'karma' regularly pops up in movies, comic strips, TV soaps, and, of course, in the conversations of ordinary people. But as a concept it remains misunderstood, if not misused, despite a wealth of material on the subject. In mass consciousness, karma conjures up a variety of images ranging from a rigid law of merciless retribution to deterministic fatalism that leaves no room for human free will. Intellectuals denounce karma as a doctrine created to justify social inequalities like the Hindu caste system, and as an excuse to shrink from creative engagement with life. Does karma as a theory deserve such denouncement? That we live in an interconnected, interdependent universe in which all things everywhere exist in a complex and dynamic web of interrelationships, is fast gaining acceptance in philosophical and scientific circles. This is in tune with the underlying essence of the karma doctrine. Further, this emerging holistic paradigm paves the way for the accommodation of karma in the modern world-view. Eastern and western scholars, psychologists, astrologers, economists and open-minded scientists are already studying karma and its implications in the light of new insights. The Theosophical Society has compiled the book Karma: Rhythmic Return to Harmony (Motilal Banarsidass), which presents a wide spectrum of opinions, including those of Emerson, Aldous Huxley, the great astrologer Dane Rudhyar, psychologists, Jungian analysts and other scholars. These views though diverse, contain explicitly or implicitly the concept of karma as the harmonizer that restores balance. ENGAGING THE WEST Karma as a concept was first introduced in the West by the likes of Emerson. Later, it was expounded in great detail towards the end of the 19th century by H.P. Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society and author of the esoteric classic The Secret Doctrine. The Theosophical Society has been in the forefront of clearing the cobwebs of

confusion that had covered the true nature of karma. Karma is both simple and complex, with many subtleties that are frequently overlooked. Its fundamental aspect is its balancing role in nature. It is believed that imbalance exists between the individual and the world until all karmic consequences are met. Karma can then be seen as the harmonizer that restores balance. The karmic law is thus more organic than deterministic. In the book Karma Shirley Nicholson points out that karma is multidimensional, rather than linear or rigid. Karma as a direct relationship between cause and effect is too simplistic. Everything affects everything else here. In The Secret Doctrine Blavatsky does not see karma as a mechanical 'eye for an eye' law. She sees karma continuously restoring the harmonious state of the cosmos whenever it is disturbed. She calls it "the source, origin and fount of all the laws which exist throughout Nature". Human beings are responsible for their actions, resulting in personal karma. Karma and reincarnation are inseparable. Karma is the force that impels reincarnation. The hypothesis is that in any one life we sow the seeds of the personality of the next incarnation. Strands of our individual karma are interwoven with those of our nation and other groups with which we have strong ties. So our actions do affect all of humanity. Karma is not fatalism. Our lives are neither absolutely determined nor absolutely free. We live according to a "determined track within whose unformed potentiality lies the opportunity for change and growth", according to Blavatsky. We cannot alter the past. But we can influence the future anytime by pouring in new energies in new directions. The injustice and inequality prevailing in the world do not make the karmic law a mockery. According to Emerson, all seems governed by the "deep remedial force that underlies all facts". He asserts that even a calamity has in it the seed of some positive transformational benefit, which will be revealed over time. Aldous Huxley reminds us that the karmic equivalence of action and reward is not always obvious and material. "The bad man in prosperity may, unknown to himself, be darkened and corroded with inward rust, while the good man under afflictions may be in the rewarding process of spiritual growth," says Huxley. KARMA IN WORLD RELIGIONS Though karma as a concept originated in India, similar ideas can be found in religions and cultures around the world. The Buddhist view of karma, which places foremost importance on compassion and mindfulness, perhaps is the strongest reply to the rationalist argument that karma destroys free will. Joseph Goldstein says that the Buddha used the term 'karma' specifically referring to volition. It is motivation that determines the karmic fruit. Each mental state that we experience further conditions and strengthens it. So we have the enormous responsibility to become conscious of the intentions behind our actions. If not, we will mindlessly act on unskillful volitions creating future suffering.

Mindfulness plays a critical role in the unfolding of karma in Buddhism. Two important aspects of mindfulness are clear comprehension and suitability of purpose. Clear comprehension means paying attention to the present moment. This allows us to consider the suitability of purpose, which means knowing whether the actions are skillful or unskillful. Compassion and insight arise from understanding karma. When we see that harmful actions rebound in suffering not only to the victim but also to the perpetrator, we can respond to both with compassion. The Buddha said that even one moment of concentrated loving-kindness towards all beings is powerful and that one moment of deeply seeing the impermanent nature of phenomena is even more powerful because it deconditions attachment and paves the way for non-attachment. The karmic energy generated by constant observation and awareness of the transient nature of things is a tremendous force that leads to happiness and freedom. As Ananda Coomaraswamy concludes in his essay in Karma, Buddhism dismisses the transmigration of 'souls' and teaches the transmigration of 'character', personality without a person. In the Buddhist view, skandhas or bundles of attributes transmigrate from life to life. Karma is essentially cosmic balance and harmony. The fundamental forces that act on human life are karmathe pull of the pastand swadharma, the developmental attraction of the future. Sri Aurobindo arrived at the conclusion that parallel to biological evolution, an evolution of consciousness takes place over successive lifetimes leading to the emergence of a new speciesthe supramental being. His philosophy of Integral Yoga emphasizes that "we can learn to cooperate with the law of karma in its role of forwarding cosmic evolution", says Haridas Chaudhuri. Christians have always had doubts regarding karma. But Geddes MacGregor points out that karmic law does not necessarily exclude grace and redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but complete them." Grace puts a person in a privileged position, but it no more erases the Law than my good fortune in having a good teacher absolves me from the need to learn. So Christianity can take the karmic principle under its wings. The law of karma can be found in Kabbalah too. The Hebrew term tikun derives from the root-word meaning 'to rectify, redeem or make whole'. According to the Kabbalah, every human soul has a unique role to play in the divine plan, similar to the Hindu concept of dharma. Several incarnations, called gilgulim, are necessary for the soul to accomplish this mission. Kabbalists believe the Divine guides us towards our tikun in life through meaningful coincidences similar to the concept of synchronicity. The presence of joy in any endeavor is the key that we are following our tikun. KARMA IN MODERN THOUGHT

The emergence of transpersonal and spiritual ideas in contemporary western psychology has helped throw new light on the doctrine of karma. Harold Coward says that the main basis of Jung's understanding of karma came from his study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Jung formulated his archetypes in terms of the karma theory. Says Jung: "We may accept the idea of karma only if we understand it as 'psychic heredity' in the very widest sense of the word." In his later thought Jung saw karma as the motivation for knowledge that leads from past life into this life and onto future lives. The strongest influence of the karma theory via the transpersonal school on modern psychology has been the use of eastern methods of meditation as ways to turn off karmic conditioning and resultant mental filtering and to open up new awareness. Karma and rebirth are now challenging some basic assumptions of modern psychology. Jungian analyst Roger Woolger translates samskaras as a past life or karmic complex, which offers the missing keystone in the overarching bridge between eastern and western psychologies. Samskaras are like 'psychic scar tissue' or 'furrows in the psyche'. They are, in the words of Indologist Heinrich Zimmer, "tendencies to act according to patterns established by reactions in the past". Once we become aware of these samskaras we can be free from their unconscious compulsion and direct our own destiny. Both karma and modern psychology have an important connection to the astrological chart. According to Stephen Arroyo, astrologer and psychologist: "The birth-chart can be seen as a diagram of one's past karmas and the psychological tendencies they suggest for this lifetime. Astrology, by providing this blueprint, shows us the areas we need to work on to neutralize past karma." Said Paramahamsa Yogananda: "Seeds of past karma cannot germinate if they are roasted in the divine fires of wisdom." COLLECTIVE KARMA Individual karma is played out within the larger context of group karma. As Diana Cunningham Chapotin points out, if the river becomes clogged by other people's pollution and one's karmic canoe can't advance, there is no use in lamenting that it is unmerited. This is how we share collective karma. The individual has to shoulder the responsibility with others to make the world a better place. The choices we make have effects far beyond ourselves. William Metzger feels we have a responsibility, an inner obligation, our dharma. Karma is the inherited pattern that operates in a straight line of action and reaction while dharma is vertical and breaks away from past patterns. Dharma is our duty to the One Life. The consideration of the good of the collective whole naturally arises from recognizing one's intrinsic link with the One Life. Recent advances in physics and systems theory have far-reaching implications for individual and social karma. In science, the mechanical worldview of Newtonian determinism is being challenged by a holistic orientation exemplified by the systems theory. To quote Anna Freifeld Lemkow: "This is a karmic rebalancing in the realm of

human thought." In the systems view, the universe is self-organizing, dynamic and intelligent. This approach has spawned sciences of complexity like the Chaos Theory, which shows that there is a hidden order even in chaotic processes. It illustrates the truth of the karmic dictum that the world is intelligent, orderly and creative. In the karmic context, current social problems stem from acting against the good of the whole. The chaos in the world has a hidden order. It points to the karmic truth that different dimensions of existencespiritual, mental, moral, emotional and physicalare interconnected and interdependent. The challenge is to integrate them. As George Linton says, we should consider more closely the implications of aligning ourselves with various groups and their respective karma because we will have to assume accountability for the karma of the groups we belong to. BEYOND KARMA Though the karmic law affects us all, esoteric traditions also suggest that we can mitigate and even transcend its binding effects. Astrologer Dane Rudhyar has examined how karmic conditions can be transformed through spiritual awareness. The world shouldn't be interpreted in terms of deterministic horizontal relationships. There is also the vertical spiritual element that transcends karma. The key to the spiritual life is the transmutation of karma into dharma. It is the ability to make of the past a prelude to a noble future. Evil is essentially the refusal to move toward the future. The ultimate meaning of karma must be identified with an interconnectedness and interpenetration of all there is. Anything is possible because all there is, is a network of multidimensional relationships. Divine grace too is relevant. The Biblical story of Joseph, the beloved son who was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, is an excellent demonstration of this. Joseph went on to become the most powerful man of Egypt. In Virginia Hanson's words this is "a marvelous allegory of universal grace operating in nature which forever makes good come out of evil". Purification, renunciation and detachment are the traditional steps in the practice of yoga that moves one towards transcendence. The goal of the Yogic, Jaina or Buddhist Shramanic traditions is to undo all karmic compulsions through the process of purification. All these traditions insist on the taking vows that form non-binding samskaras and eliminate negative karmic influences. Renunciation of the fruits of action does not mean shunning the world. When the distinctions between doer, doing and done dissolve, then action of the highest order happens. Thus karma becomes non-binding and helps liberate others also. From this state of pure consciousness, acts of true creativity arise. Kriya Yoga, propounded by Paramahansa Yogananda, transcends the karmic process

through mindfulness and specifically designed techniques that work on chakras. In the resulting balanced awareness, one is neither motivated by karma nor does one generate new karma. Karma is also not a fixed quantity. "It is a constantly rebalancing and moving pattern impinging on an individual at each moment of time," says psychiatrist Laurence. J. Bendit. Individuality plays an important part in it. One's personal reaction to karma is extremely important. As psychiatrist Victor Frankl found, one has the inalienable freedom to choose one's attitude of mind even in a Nazi concentration camp. One must also harmonize oneself with the cosmic whole. The archetypal or mythical 'gods' exist within our psyche also. We must harmonize these forces within so that they can act on external karmic circumstances. These are essential steps in the process of moving beyond karmic limitations. In the overview of life implicit in much of modern thought, the acceptance of karma seems almost inevitable. In the emerging understanding of the universe as a living, dynamic self-organizing system, karma definitely can find its rightful place as the dynamic and creative process that produces order out of chaos incessantly. The ramifications of the karmic law might be endless and complex. But in its ultimate simplicity, the law is harmony, the perfect relationship that obtains between all things everywhere. illustrations by Ambili Muralidhar

Rahu and Ketu are the Lunar Nodes in Vedic Astrology - Sam Geppi
Rahu and Ketu - (excerpts from "The Ascendant - The 108 Planets of Vedic Astrology") Rahu and Ketu are the Lunar Nodes in Vedic Astrology. They are Grahas in that they grab and attach us to our karma just like the starry Grahas, yet they do not rule over Rasis like the other starry planets. They are shadows, the eclipse points where the Earth? s orbit around the Sun intersects with the Moon? s orbit around the Earth. Even though they are not physical planets they are perhaps the most influential forces in the chart. It is along the Rahu / Ketu axis that the main forces of karmic desire are seen. The myth of Rahu and Ketu sheds much light on their function and greater possibility. Shortly after the beginning of time, the Gods and demons were in a terrible war, neither side making any progress. So they decided to join forces and churn the milk ocean to get the pot of amrita (immortal nectar) at the bottom. Once the nectar was extracted then came the job of distributing it. The Gods, not wanting the nectar to fall into the hands of the demons, devised a plan. Lord

Vishnu disguised himself as the enchanting and beautiful Mohini to distribute the nectar. The Gods and Demons were seated on two different sides of an aisle as Mohini distributed the nectar to the Gods only. The demons were too enchanted by her beauty to notice she was not giving them the nectar. However one demon, Rahu, noticed what was happening and disguised himself as a God and managed to get a drink of the nectar. As soon as this happened, the Sun and Moon told Lord Vishnu what was happening and Vishnu returned to his form as Vishnu and let fly his sudarshan and chopped Rahu in half, but only after Rahu managed to take a drink of the nectar. Thus he is immortal, but chopped in half. The head is Rahu and the tail is Ketu. Rahu is a head without a body. Everything he comes into contact with he becomes obsessed with, like a person with a voracious appetite. Rahu represents material desire, but because he is not a physical planet he operates on the subconscious level. He distorts our perceptions and colors the world according to his desires. He tends to obliterate the essence of things, focusing on their material substance. He is our deepest subconscious material desire. Rahu obsesses over the things we need to learn so we can eventually be freed of them. There are certain lessons we can only learn in a physical body, in the physical world. Rahu? s obsessions indicate those things. All human beings are crazy in some way, Rahu shows the area of life where we are unbalanced and obsessed. Rahu keeps us obsessed until we learn detachment from what he is influencing. As such, he represents attachment. Losing our higher Self to the things of this world is the main reason we suffer in life. Rahu? s obsessions bring much suffering as long as we desire experience. Once we desire liberation, Rahu is incredibly spiritual. Ketu is the other half of the demon, the headless body. Where Rahu obsesses over the things of this world, Ketu seeks to be freed from them. Rahu is material and loses the essence of things in their substance. Ketu perceives the essence of things but is unsatisfied with anything substantive in the world. Whereas Rahu wants to grow and experience new things, Ketu wants to fall back on the familiar and withdraw, creating a fear of stagnation and disgust with the familiar that is often turned inward as self-disgust. Ketu brings doubt and sharp criticism to the areas of life that he sees. Eternally unsatisfied, he only notices what is missing from whatever he is influencing. He presides over the absolute aspect of God. He is strict and exacting and sucks the worldly joy out of all he touches, including the things Rahu is obsessed over through house and sign. It is the push and pull of Rahu? s obsession and Ketu? s doubt that allows the soul to learn the lessons of the Nodal house and sign placement. Rahu and Ketu in Rashis The Rashis show the emotional and psychological forces that compel us to act. The Rashi placement of Rahu will show the psychological temperament we are

developing in this lifetime. It shows emotional energy that creates stress in our life. The Rashi of Ketu shows the temperament we have recently developed and where we have skill. It shows where we are critical of others and ourselves. Rahu in Aries / Ketu in Libra - Ketu in Libra shows they have developed a measured and thoughtful approach to decision making, one which carefully considers all consequences and the price to pay. Skill and diplomacy with others is also highly developed. Rahu in Aries shows the native must develop the ability to act on impulse and follow their instincts. This will make them act first and think later as well as be more self interested or self inspired. Rahu in Taurus / Ketu in Scorpio - Ketu in Scorpio shows a native who has experienced the intense, probing nature of the mind, one which is painfully aware of death / rebirth, life? s ups and downs and endings. They have established a certain amount of Peace with that difficult side of life. Rahu in Taurus shows they are learning to develop more consistent emotional patterns, rather than the emotions being pulled to their most turbulent extreme. These increased stability allows for deeper, more long lasting and valuable emotional connections. Given the turmoil possible with the Nodes, they are exalted when in this placement. Rahu in Gemini / Ketu in Sagittarius - Ketu in Sagittarius shows a native who has established a hopeful, idealistic and innately spiritual mindset in their recent lives. Faith in God and a higher purpose are areas of life, which they are well acquainted. Rahu in Gemini will bring forth a curious, multifarious approach that compels the native to test their beliefs not just accept them blindly. This placement will make one Spiritual in a cosmic sense, not just religious in an orthodox sense. The Nodes are also very well placed in this position, as Rahu is able to develop through the psychological quality of Gemini. Rahu in Cancer / Ketu in Capricorn - Ketu in Capricorn will show a native who is skilled in controlling the many external factors in life. Psychological strength was buttressed by a powerful career, bank account, worldly achievement, etc. Rahu in Cancer shows inner emotional strength is being developed in this lifetime. Learning to understand and develop control over our emotional turmoil is the lesson here. This is one the most difficult placements for the Nodes as we feel the need to developed the very area of life where we are the most insecure. Rahu and Ketu in Bhavas The Bhava where Rahu and Ketu resides show external areas of life that we are trying to develop or that we have recently developed. Rahu shows the areas of life that we want to experience, want to achieve. It shows our material attachments. Ketu shows where we would like to withdrawal, what we have already experienced and thus tend to neglect and where we will have detachment. Rahu feels Rahu in the 1st house / Ketu in the 7th house - Ketu in the 7th shows that in recent past lives there was an over reliance on partners and others in general, when defining the sense of Self. This will make for a native who is very critical of partners and partnerships. In this life the Self as and individual is being developed. Thus the native with Rahu in the 1st will see all of life? s situations as

opportunities to grow. When un-evolved this will make for high levels of egocentricity, when evolved high levels of Spirituality. These people may have their individuality suppressed early in life in order to find it later. Rahu in the 2nd Ketu in the 8th house - Ketu in the 8th house shows a native who in recent past lives benefited greatly from others resources and other people? s money, thus their inherent sense of value came from others. This will make a person who is very reluctant to rely on others to help them. Rahu in the 2nd house makes for a person who will work hard to develop their own resources, thus allowing them to feel worthy and of value based on their own efforts, not the help of others. These people may have been devalued in some way to force them to find it for themselves. Rahu in the 3rd house/ Ketu in the 9th house - Ketu in the 9th house shows a person who was guided by gurus or teachers or relied on powerful teachers to uplift them and define their belief system, thus they may be very skeptical of teachers and Spiritual teaching in particular. Rahu in the 3rd house will show a native developing the courage to challenge and test their teachings and teachers and to explore their own paradigms of understanding aside from what they are told by others. This will give the native confidence in their own ability to make the right decisions regarding their own fate. These natives may have had an upbringing where an oppressive religious environment led to rebellion. Rahu in the 4th house / Ketu in the 10th house - Ketu in the 10th house shows a native who relied on their worldly status and external power of achievement in order to feel secure. This lead to a person who felt too attached to their actions and ultimately defined by them. They will be skeptical of worldly achievement and all that it brings. Rahu in the 4th house shows a native developing a secure domestic life and the nurturing quality that accompanies it. Escaping from the world into ourselves, and feeling at peace in our own private world is key here. These native may have lacked proper nurturing when young, which compels them to find peace of their own accord. Rahu in the 5th house / Ketu in the 11th house - Ketu in the 11th house show a native who relied on their external ambitions and the admiration of their peers in order to feel important. They willingly subjugated their personal, internal inspirations for the aspiration of others. The native will tend to shun those who wish to be aligned with them through a shared vision. Rahu in the 5th shows the need to develop that which they are the most inspired towards, not that which will make them popular or successful. An individual creative life is the most important to these native. Expressing their unique vision is key. They will likely be tempted to do what the masses deem as popular in order to refine their unique expression. Rahu, Ketu and the Grahas When Rahu joins or aspects a Graha it distorts that planet? s expression in a way similar to the effects described above. The aspect / conjunction not only affects the planet on a soul level, it affect the planets as a house lord, as a planet? s primary worldly influence is as a house lord. Rahu will explode the outer form of

the Graha as a house lord and Ketu will cause the energy to be withdrawn and criticized. A planetary conjunction is more powerful than an aspect as the conjunction joins the energy of the Node with the energy of the planet. Rahu conjunctions with a Graha show psychological influences that are becoming developed. Planets conjoined Rahu will likely be expressed with immaturity, as is the nature of Rahu. Ketu conjunctions show energies that are already developed and where we have much skill, yet we are trying to finish. Planets conjoined Ketu will likely have maturity and refinement to their expression, yet the native will not feel satisfied with their level of development. Behaviorally Rahu will be over expressive and magnify or exaggerate the qualities of the planets he is associating with, especially through conjunction. This quality of exaggeration is how Rahu brings their forces into our lives. They may be exaggerated externally or internally as psychological forces, or both. All of this is dependant on the houses involved and conditions. Ketu will withdraw and collapse around the planets he is associating with, especially through conjunction. He will tend to hide those things from our view and the view of others as he focuses on them internally. Ketu will try to extract the purest essence from these planets. As such, we will only notice what is missing where Ketu is concerned. In can be stated that the stage of Rahu with a Graha is where the native is in the developmental stage of its energy, and Ketu is where this energy is being completed. Sun Rahu / Sun - The Rahu / Sun association will show a native who projects the power of the Sun and thus may appear very confident and charismatic, yet there is usually stress and fear beneath the surface revolving around a lack of confidence. Much of their bravado and dramatic expression is an over compensation for this fear. The true nature of Self is being developed in this native, thus a large ego can be seen in less evolved types as well as a personality, which over estimates in own importance to others. Over time, a person with this placement becomes more realistic about their own importance and greater understanding of themselves beyond the level of personality. Ketu / Sun - The Ketu / Sun association shows very high levels of self-doubt and shows a native who is not likely to feel content with their worldly actions, they are be a perfectionist. No matter what they do in the world they will feel a sense of lack. The native is being freed from the ego and a need to feel confident and powerful as the skilled eye of Ketu watches every ego game and false expression of Self with disdain. The quality of surrendering their smaller Self to the highest Self is being developed. Many times this will show a Spiritual native. Usually this native has had a childhood where they felt isolated and were made to doubt themselves on a deep, core level. Moon

Rahu / Moon - The Rahu / Moon native will have a sense mind and emotional core that are not fully anchored in the heart. Thus there will be an ungrounded quality and stress revolving around their basic feeling nature and expression as an embodied creature in a physical world. It is through the Moon that we take in our environment and either experience ourselves in a joyful or a stressful way. High levels of self-consciousness and feelings of separateness are seen here as the mind looks outside for what it inherently lacks within. Thus painful relationships of all sorts can result. Over time, and as external factors fail to bring peace, the native learns to trust their inner voice and high levels of intuition and even psychic ability can be seen. Ketu / Moon - The Ketu / Moon association shows a native who experiences deep levels of doubt and criticism of their own mind and mental outlook. This is one of the most difficult placements as it can make for a deeply discontented mind and extreme moodiness. Typical worldly experiences and pleasurable emotions can lead to painful episodes under Ketu? s probing and watchful eye. Many of the moods are from past life events that overtake the native, and then pass. Smaller disturbances trigger mental episodes that neither the native, nor anyone else can control. Yet generally they are good at controlling the emotions as this placement shows, yet control is not the same as having the detachment to enjoy without longing or regret. . Mars Rahu / Mars - The Rahu / Mars association leaves the native feeling stress revolving around the use of personal will and strength. This native will be engaged in power struggles of all sorts. Arguments, impulsiveness and a hostile nature will be likely. Through the dissatisfaction experienced in these arguments and confrontations, they are developing courage to look within for truth and the discipline to take positive, focused action in order to grow toward a true and lasting power. That power cannot be eclipsed by the opinions of another or their perceived superior strength. Ketu / Mars - The Ketu / Mars association shows a native who is skilled in the use of where to exert their personal, will yet they will experience some frustration with how to express this more humbled approach. This native may find himself in situations where they are tempted to fight or do battle on principle. The scrutiny of Ketu / Mars will likely see the futility in such a battle, yet later they will doubt if that was the right thing to do. This behavior may lead to occasional explosiveness and destruction as the Ketu / Mars energy is also finishing the tendency to destroy and break things in frustration. Mercury Rahu / Mercury - The Rahu / Mercury association shows an understanding of skills and information are being developed. This native will feel convinced that if they study, get as many facts as possible and develop their skills accordingly, there will be an ultimate answer. This leads to more and more frustration. as there is always another fact or skill to learn. What is being developed is the realization that the best use for our mind is as a tool that doubts all mental

concepts as being ultimate. Rahu? s exhaustion of skills and information leads the mind to Jnana Yoga, recognizing each incorrect attachment to the thinking process. This allows us to separate truth from fiction. Ketu / Mercury - The Ketu / Mercury association is showing the mind at the point where all mental concepts are in doubt and the highest levels of discrimination are being developed. A very skilled person and one with a probing intellect will be observed. Yet Ketu? s presence will be keenly aware of the pieces of information they do not have, rather than the ones they do. This can create much worry and mental vacillation as they keep searching for more information to doubt. They are learning to act more on intuition and to use the mind for its highest purpose, to see through the mental traps that give us the illusion of understanding and give the false paradigm of security we base our lives on.

Myths and Ancient Symbols

Stories and Chart Interpretation Tips
- Anne Beversdorf Although this series is called Myths and Ancient Stories, and I promised to talk about the nodes, there isnt a lot of mythology related to the nodes. I could stretch a pointand I will, because its January and its just too convenientand say that Janus can be looked on as an image for the nodal axis. You remember JanusHes the god with two heads (sometimes four) who can see both forward and backward in time. Its an image often connected with January, for obvious reasons But Janus is really considered the god of New Beginnings, and the little told of him bears only a contrived resemblance to the meaning of the Moons nodes in a birthchart. The Nodes are usually associated with the Serpent or Dragon. In 19th century astrology, they were referred to as the Dragons Head and the Dragons Tail. The Moons nodes are a calculated position, associated with solar and lunar eclipses. When the sun and moon are conjunct the north or south node, we have a solar eclipse. When the sun and moon are opposite each other along the lines of the nodes, we have a lunar eclipse. This is obviously connected to the ancient Egyptian story of Isis and Ra. In this story, Isis wanted to have the secret of Ra, the Sun-god. The Sun was giver of life, but could also be cruel and destroy life, and Ra was considered the most important god in the Egyptian hierarchy. So what could Isis do to gain his powers? She put a snake in his path. The snake took a bite out of Ra, poisoning him, and he began to grow dim. Isis said she could reverse the poison if Ra spoke his secret name (and source of his power). He refused and refused, and the sun became darker and darker as the snake (the nodes) ate it. Finally, at the last minute, Ra whispered his name to Isis, and she took his powerbut she left the snake in the sky to remind him of her supremacy.

Another myth associated with the nodes is the Hindu story of the snake Naga. In the beginning of this world age, the gods and demons got together to churn the ocean of milk and bring out the lands and seas, the gemstones, and the nectar of immortality. They agreed that they would share the lands and seas, that the demons would get the gemstones, and the gods would get the nectar of immortality. Naga, the snake, observed all this, and realized that in order to use the sacred Mt. Meru to churn the oceans of milk, they would need a cordso he volunteered his body as the cord that would wrap around the mountain and be pulled back and forth to create the churning action. This was pretty exhausting work, and when the job was done, Naga figured he was due for a reward, too. So when the gods were all lined up to drink the elixir of immortality Naga sneaked into the line and grabbed the cup, intending to cash in on his hard work. When Vishnu discovered him, he took his disc of the Sun, and cut the snake in half. But Naga had already drunk the nectar of the immortals. Now there were two immortal halves of Naga so both halves, forever separated, survived and forever after chase the Sun and Moon around the skies. The Moons North Node, Rahu, is associated with the Dragons Head, and the South Node, Ketu is associated with the Dragons Tail. Metaphorically, the North Node is where we take in new experience (the mouth, input), and the South Node represents experiences that have already been digested and are ready for release (the tail of the dragon, output). Astronomically, the nodes arent any thing at allthey are points in space where the moon crosses the ecliptic every 13 days. It takes just over 19 years for the Moons Nodes to complete the 360 degree zodiacal cycle. In the first article of this series I spoke of Pluto, and said that we have no choice about where Pluto wants to take us in this life. Well, the Moons nodes are an area of choice. Its like that old Mission Impossible preface: Your mission, if you choose to accept it.. is represented by the sign and house of the Moons North Node. In my work with clients, I consider Pluto, the Moons Nodes and Chiron as the three most important planets addressing a persons life challenges and reason-for-being. (Of course, patterns of other planets often speak to the same issues, but I consider outer planets and the nodes to address soul-level issues and inner planets to address how the immediate personality handles these issues.) However, there are two distinct, and sometimes contradictory ways of looking at the nodes, and for a solid interpretation of the nodes in a birthchart, not only must both be considered, but the interpretations must be blended. Vedic (Hindu) astrology sees the North Node (Rahu) of the Moon as representing the material world. It represents consuming desires that keep us entrapped in the world of matter. It represents compulsions, and sensuality. Someone strongly under the influence of Rahu tends to be blind to their deeper, spiritual self. On the other hand, Vedic astrology sees the South Node (Ketu) as more spiritual. It also represents the unconscious, darkness, fears, and in its higher form, spirituality itself. This is very different from the western view of the nodes and I suspect there is a link between the Indian caste system, where ones worldly destiny is more-or-less fixed and their differing interpretation of the nodes. In a society where growth and changed are

predetermined, one has little choice about moving toward a different mode of being. In western society, where material world success is sometimes the only measure of success, the North Node (material world) would have a higher value. However, if we confine our interpretation to either of these extremes, well be missing a lot of the picture. As with all astrology, a blendingin this case of the Indian predetermined system and the western valuing of the material worldis necessary to gain a proper perspective on the nodal axis. Western astrologers see the nodal axis as a pointer toward growth and change. The south node is what we have already attainedeither through inheritance or from former lives, or even both. Yes, the south node, somewhat like the moon, represents habits, unconscious needs, and spirituality, but it also shows where we can become stuck. It is easy to do what is familiar to us. We tend to stay with the familiar and avoid changing our approaches to life. Change represents venturing into the unknown, and as such can be frightening. If our habitual approach to life is, for example, fomenting revolution at every step, change for us might be settling down and honoring the past. So in western astrological interpretation, one would look at the North Node as skills that one is trying to acquire in this life. I see the South Node as the attitudes, behaviors, or psychological place one goes to when under stress. When you are stressed out, what do You do? Chances are, your response can be described by the placement of the South Node (and any planets conjuncting it) in your chart. With my South Node conjunct Neptune in the eighth, you can find me recuperating with astrological or metaphysical study (Neptune and eighth house), hiding out (eighth housesecretive), or simply spaced out (Neptune). But Ill do these things in attractive surroundings (Neptune/South Node in Libra). So, how does the nodal axis give you a guide to your mission in this life? Well, each of the twelve signs of the zodiac is part of a polarity. Aries is the me end and Libra is the you end of the self-relating-to-others axis, the I-Thou axis. Gemini is the narrow focus end and Sagittarius is the wide focus end of the knowledge/information axis. The axis of our nodes shows us some of the major issues we can choose to work on in this life, and the South Node shows us what we have already mastered. So the North Node is what we must learn if we are to reach an understanding of the entire polarity. It is possible to spend an entire life in the arena of the South Nodebut life tends not to work as well when you do so. Things are unbalanced. You get stuck in a rut, and the same things keep happening over and over. If you find yourself saying why does this keep happening to me about anything in your life, take a look at your North and South Nodes, and see if you arent stuck in South Node behavior patterns. Its not easy to act on your North Node. Usually, you know perfectly well HOW to act in the manner of your North Node. Its just that you REALLY DONT WANT TO!!. If your South Node is Sagittarius, and you love traveling to distant places and looking at the broad, general view of knowledge, what you need to do is pay attention to the details turn the telescope into a microscope. And you know HOW to do it, but you Dont Want To!! If there is a fear associated with the nodal axis, it is fear of leaving the safety of the South Node and fear of acting in a manner consistent with the North Node. However, the western rule of thumb is, if you act on your North Node, you cant go wrong. Things will work out for you in ways you never expected. The effort of overcoming your fear of

acting with North Node behaviors wont get easier, but you can build a history of successes based on that kind of behavior, so the motivations to act in a North Node manner will increase with practice. In order to balance life, it is necessary to balance Both ends of the nodal axis. The South Node wont work well for you until you have learned to act on your North Node. The North Node wont work well until you discover the Strengths (not just the habitual behaviors) of the South Node. The Indians consider the north node too worldly to be good. The hungry mouth wants more and more and more, but can never be satisfied. Its interesting to notice that many Oscar winner have strong Rahu activations at the time of the honor. Could it be that winning an Oscar doesnt give lasting satisfaction? Would it be fair to say it causes one to crave even more success? There needs to be a balance between new experiences and understanding and digesting what you already know. The Indians say the south node, Ketu, is the more spiritual node, and therefore is better than Rahu. It takes a certain reflectiveness and spirituality to examine ones life experiences. And it requires wisdom to learn what one must let go of, and what needs further digestion. These are the energies of the south node. It doesnt progress one in the physical world, but can greatly enhance spirituality and wisdom. There are a few other issues related to the nodal axis that are important to remember. What if you have planets conjunct one of the nodes, or square to the nodes? Well, if you have a planet conjunct the North Node, you are reaching for that energy, but unable to see it. In the Vedic System, the North Node is linked to the Sun, and planets there, even in western astrology, are simply overpowered by the figurative light of the Sun. Its a case of being blinded by the light. Planets conjunct the South Node, on the other hand, represent something you know well, and tend to overdo to a great extent. They take on the unconscious, habitual nature represented by the Moon. Planets square to the nodal axis, according to Jeff Green, represent skipped steps in our evolutionary journey through lives. They are something we havent done in recent past lives, and are determined to catch up on in this life. As a result, we compulsively act in a manner consistent with that planet and its placement, but we are very awkward in its expression. Mohan Koparkar says, of planets square to the nodal axis, that one of the ways this works is that when we DO things represented by that planet, sign, and house, something comes along and stops us. (Probably because were doing it in an awkward, inexperienced manner.) And when we Dont do those things, something gives us a push and makes us start, (since this is something we came into life to work on)! As with any single element in a birthchart, the exact interpretations will be augmented by a study of the remainder of the chart. So far weve looked at Pluto, as what you WILL learn to do, Uranus as where we fear loss of freedom and must learn to be our own arbitrar of freedom (the Saturnian corulership is evident here), Neptune as where we are idealistic and apt to be disillusioned, and now the Nodal Axis as the axis of familiar/unfamiliar and the guidepost to personal growth. So what does it all Mean??? Well, we can look to Chiron for the answer to that question

"It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any convenient short cut. --Sri Yukteswar Anne Beversdorf is a personal astrologer who uses both western astrology and jyotisha, the astrology of India. Anne specializes in crisis situations and existential issues. For more information about private consultations see Sessions and Rates or email Anne directly at anne@stariel.com.
Sam Geppi

Rahu and Ketu: What do the Phenomena tell Us? - Altair Astrology
Many ephemeris list solar and lunar eclipses. So it is easy to see that there are at least 2 a year, dependent on where the nodes are located. Each pair is at one of the nodes, so we cant say that solar eclipses only occur where Ketu is placed and lunar eclipses where Rahu is placed. This reinforces looking at them as a split entity, in the singular mind you. They cant be separated. In the vedic tradition they are looked at as polar aspects of incarnation/excarnation. The sanskrit words used are moha; meaning such things as hallucination, infatuation, distraction, delusion, confusion, and moksha; meaning liberation, release from rebirth, redemption, deliverance. Moha has the root, muh (be crazed, stupefied, bewildered). Moksha has the root muc (to set free, release, deliver, draw off). You might ask yourself how the connection is made between Rahu/Ketu and moha/moksha and how the phenomena observed during solar and lunar eclipses fit into this. Im going to attempt to fill in the gaps. We need a few more concepts and I think this will be easiest to present them in a table: Sun Moon Rahu Ketu atma spirit light-giver manas mind/gemt light-reflector moha delusion shadow-giver moksha release shadow-reflector

Without the Sun and Moon we cant understand Rahu and Ketu and that is not only at the astronomical level. We need to contrast what the Sun and Moon represent and so need to introduce the concepts of atma (the spirit) and manas (the mind). Atma experienced as a quality not unlike light, intangible and illuminating and manas experienced as a quality of reflection, multiplying, manifoldness. During the solar eclipse the Moon obscures the light of the Sun as seen from the earth. During the lunar eclipse the light reflected by the Moon is obscured by the earth. This is only possible during a new moon or a full moon taking place when Rahu and Ketu are present. They are associated with the shadow (they are after all called shadow planets). If we want to speak mythologically then we could say that Rahu is the shadow-giver and Ketu his counterpart reflects his shadow. According to the vedic tradition the only reason why we as human beings incarnate is because we desire the material world, we are under the influence of Rahu who gives us the delusion that the material world is the real world, that the body that clothes us is the real us. Ketu on the other hand forces us out of the body and as such releases us. Now lets look at the hushed mood of the solar eclipse described in the last post. If the eclipse were to last over weeks it would be like a drought of light, the strange twilight mood would be like dying so in a sense Ketu can be associated with the in-between time just as Rahu can be associated with the act of swallowing the Sun. Rahu gives the shadow

Planets in Astrology : Nodes

Astronomy: Rahu and Ketu have been considered as Grahas in Vedic astrology. They have no physical identity but only mathematically calculated sensitive points having immense influence on the natives of earth. Moon in its orbit, on a northerly course from South to North, crosses the ecliptic (the apparent path of Sun). This point of intersection is known as Rahu or Dragons head. 180 degrees away from this point, Moon on its southerly course crosses the ecliptic. This point is called the dragons tail or Ketu. Rahu and Ketu are unique to our system or astrology. Why so much stress on the point of intersection of the ecliptic is given has to be understood. While sun is the body and Moon is the mind the intersection is bound to give immense effect. Rahu and Ketu are not stationary in space but have a mean motion of about 19 degrees and 30 minutes in a year. It means it takes about 18 years and 6 months to make a revolution around the Earth. This motion is retrograde. There is a concept of Mean Rahu and True Rahu. In Hindu astrology we take the true position of Rahu and Ketu. Mythology: This story relates to the great churning of the ocean by the Devas and the Asuras to take out Amrita. Lord Vishnu with the intention of preserving good made it a point that the Amrita should not go to the Asuras. To ensure this he took the form of Mohini. Mohini so maneuvered the sitting arrangement that she got to the Devtas first. The Asura to understand this trick was Swarbhanu. He took the form of Devas and positioned himself in between Sun and Moon. When his term came he also received Amrita from the disguised Lord Vishnu. Before Swarbhanu could drink the Amrita Sun and Moon identified it. Lord Vishnu severed off his head with his Sudarshan Chakra. However, some drops of Amrita had gone down hence both the head and body became immortal. The head represents Rahu and Tail is Ketu. The severed head was taken by Simihika the mother of Asura Swarbhanu and nursed patiently. The head over a period of time got the body of Serpent and he was named Rahu. A Brahmin named Mini took the body. He brought up this body as his own son. To this body Lord Vishnu granted a serpents head. This became Ketu who in the due course of time became a saintly and revered seer. Rahu and Ketu have not forgiven Sun and Moon for exposing them and they cause Eclipse.

Astrological Significance: Rahu: Rahu is the significator of the following as per Uttara Kalamrita. a) Faulty Logic b) Harsh speech c) Outcaste d) an irreligious person e) going to a foreign country f) Unclean g) Bones h) abdominal ulcers i) Falsehood j) South western direction k) serpents l) Old age m) Maternal grand father n) Worship of Vana Durga o) Writing Urdu or Persian (Because these two languages start from right hand side, written in reversed manner, like Rahu and Ketus movement in Zodiac, which is retrograde or Apsavya move. p) Breathing q) Acute duodenal pain. It is observed that a strong Rahu is good for the above mentioned significations and weak Rahu shows just the opposite. Ketu: Ketu is the significator of following as per Uttara Kalamrita a) Worship of Chandi, Ganesh and others b) Medical practitioner c) Vultures d) Final emancipation e) Consumption f) Painful fevers g) Bath in Gangesh h) Great penance i) Wind complaints j) Mantra Shastra k) Instability of mind l) Diseases of the stomach and eye m) Vedanta n) Grandfather o) Small pox or boils p) A servant of Shiva q) Association with foreigner or Shudras. It is observed that a strong Ketu generally gives good result and a malefic Ketu creates lots of hindrances in life. Other Astrological Considerations: Rahu: Rahu is in own house in Kanya Rashi. It is exalted when placed in Vrishabha Rashi while it is debilitated when placed in Vrischik Rashi. However, there are divergent views on this. Some authorities take the Exaltation and Debilitation points as Mithuna and Dhanu respectively. It is said that Rahu gives Yogkaraka result if placed in Cancer Karkata Rashi. However, it has to be noted that being a Chhaya Grah it gives results based on the planetary influences. It is generally observed that with a benefic or in benefic influence it gives very good result. It is generally considered as a good planet for worldly comforts. However, there is lots of Maya attached with Rahu. In modern times Rahu represents Computers, Internet and Mass Media. Rahu is friendly to Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. It considers Sun and Moon as its enemy and towards Mercury it is Neutral.

Ketu: Ketu is exalted when it is placed in Scorpio Vrischik rashi and debilitated when placed in the Vrishabha Rashi. However, some authorities have given the Exaltation and Debilitation point as Dhanu and Mithuna respectively. It has to be said that Ketu is more towards spiritual side and is the Karaka for final emancipation whereas Rahu is more towards worldly pleasures. Again it has to be said that being a Chhaya Graha gives results according to associations. However, in spite of having number of ancient texts extensively dealing with various signs of exaltation and debilitation of Rahu and Ketu there exists significant amount of controversy over the same. Ketu is friendly to Mars, Venus and Saturn. It considers Sun and Moon as his enemies and towards Mercury and Jupiter it is Neutral.

Rahu Characteristics
The North Node of the Moon is called RAHU in Vedic astrology and the South Node is called KETU. They are called dark or shadow planets, because of the Nodes association with the phenomena of eclipses. They have no sign ruler ships, although they are said to favor Mercury and Jupiters signs according to some authorities, while others claim that Rahu favors the sign of Aquarius and Ketu the sign of Scorpio. Rahu, the North Node of the Moon means to conceal, engulf or hide in Sanskrit. This Graha is associated with the world of material manifestation and worldly desire. Rahu is associated with the spiritual process of RAHU THE DRAGONS HEAD evolution, or the engrossing of spirit in materialization. Rahu is a karaka, or indicator, of worldly desire, fame, greed, high intelligence, manipulation, obsessive behavior, foreigners, mass disease, dementia and inertia. The nature of this Graha is Vata, or Airy. Hes the significator of an irreligious person, outcast, harsh speech, logical fallacy, falsehoods, uncleanliness, abdominal ulcers, bones, and transmigration. Rahu is instrumental in strengthening ones power and converting even an enemy into a friend. RAHU AS SEEN Poisonous snake bites can be healed by the grace of Rahu. In Buddhism IN TEMPLES Rahu is one of the krodhadevatas (terror-inspiring gods). Rahu professions: Rahu is a legendary master of deception who signifies

cheaters, pleasure seekers, operators in foreign lands, drug dealers, poison dealers, insincere & immoral acts,etc. Rahu diseases: It gives suicidal tendencies, fears, phobias, poisonous bites, murder, theft, imprisonment, and diseases like cholera, dysentery, skin diseases, swelling of the uterus, and constipation. Rahu Signs: Friendly signs are Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Cancer and Leo are its enemy signs. Mercury, Venus, and Saturn are friendly planets. Rahu is an enemy of Sun, Moon, and Mars. Rahu gives auspicious results in Taurus and Libra. Rahu is capable of giving power when rightly posited or exalted, and it gives fame, success in politics, money, and physical beauty (i.e., attraction). Rahu behaves like saturn: Rahu is regarded as similar to Saturn in its effect. Smoky blue is its color, instinctual and animalistic its nature. Rahu is interested only in achieving all that gives pleasure, and even if it achieves all it wants, it is never satisfied (which is true of our animalistic nature). Although Rahu rules no sign of the zodiac, the zodiacal sign Virgo is its sign. Virgo is in fact assigned to Mercury, but Rahu being akin to Saturn and Mercury being a friend of Saturn, Rahu thus has authority over Virgo. Rahu god of chemical industry: Rahu governs all sorts of poisonous chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, and disinfectants that are in use in the present times. It also governs all the substances with a strong pungent smell like the sulphur-dioxide gas. In other words Rahu has a role to play whenever a poisonous substance is involved. There is no equal to Rahu when it comes to giving Upliftment in Name and Fame , Sudden Luck Gambling, which is probably the reason why Western astrologers regard it as the greatest benefic force. The gemstone associated with Rahu is a honey colored hessonite (Gomed). Its element is air and direction is south-west. Rahu reaches full maturity at age 42. The Puranas describe Rahu as half-bodied, born of a lioness, snakelike, having a huge body and being extraordinarily powerful. The Skanda Purana says that Rahu is instrumental in strengthening ones power and converting even an enemy into a friend. The effect of snakebite is removed by his grace. The lunar and solar eclipses are attributed to Rahu and Ketu. Rahu and Ketu stay 1 1/2 years in each Graha. Rahu and Ketu story: There is a story in the Puranas that tells of the God Vishnu dispensing AMRITA,the nectar of immortality to the Devas. While Vishnu was dispensing this amrita, a demon, Rahu mingled with the Devas and was receiving the amrita when the Sun and the Moon discovered him. With the luminaries calling alarm, Vishnu threw his discus (Soodarshana Chakra) at Rahu and cut off his head. But, Rahu had already drunk the Amrita and now remained an immortal head, disassociated from an immortal body. Rahu is the strongest enemy of Sun and Moon. There is much lore and mystery surround the Moons Nodes in Vedic myth, and they are considered of paramount importance in chart interpretation. In fact, in assessing planetary power, the only Graha that is more powerful than the Sun is Rahu, the North Node of the Moon, because of his ability to swallow the Sun during a total solar eclipse. General Characteristics Of Rahu Color Day Cola, blue, black Saturday

God / Deity Gemstone Finger Metal Direction Rashis

Lord Hanuman Hessonite-Gomed Middle Gold South-west Virgo-Kanya

Ketu Astrological significance

Ketu, the South Node of the Moon means a sign, or a banner in Sanskrit. If Rahu is the planet of worldly desire, then Ketu is the planet of otherworldly desire, or spirituality. Ketu represents the spiritual process of evolution, or the refinement of materialization to spirit. Ketu is considered a worldly malefic and spiritual benefice, as it causes sorrow and loss, which ultimately turns the individual to god. The karakas, or indicators of Ketu are focused intelligence, indicator of liberation, indicator of wisdom, nonattachment, other worldly interests, fantasy, penetrating insight, derangement, carrier of arms and KETU THE DRAGONS TAIL weapons, invisibility and physic abilities. Ketus gem is the cats eye (Lehsuniya). This Graha is of a Pitta, or fiery temperament.Ketu has the last maturity of all the planets at age 48, when the soul turns to the pursuit of MOKSHA the pursuit of liberation from this world. Ketu general characteristics: Ketu is the rest of the body of Rahu, it bestows spiritual tendencies, asceticism, and nonattachment to worldly desires and ambitions. Ketu is also a half-planet that bestows wisdom, powers of discrimination, and gyana-spiritual knowledge, the knowledge of the self. It gives psychic abilities to its natives and makes them masters of the healing arts, natural healing, healing herbs, spices, foods, tantric healing, healing persons affected by evil spirits and ghosts. Ketus sign is Pisces as Rahus is Virgo. The sign Pisces belongs the the guru, Jupiter, and Ketu also has dominion over it. Ketus body is supposed to be composed of a mans torso in its upper half and a fish body as its lower half. Ketu is often depicted with a gem, or a star on his head, which emits

a mystery light. Ketu is said to be a member of the Jaimini lineage of sages, who founded one of the several systems of philosophy of ancient India. There are wonderful myths associated with Rahu and Ketu. Ketu friends planet: Ketu is a friend of Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. Jupiter is neutral in friendship. Sun, Moon, and Mars are Ketus enemies. Ketu signs and nakshatras: Ashvini, Mul, and Magha nakshatras are Ketus nakshatras. Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Pisces are its friendly signs. Cancer and Leo are enemy signs. The Nagas of Vedic lore is serpent like, semi-divine beings, which offer knowledge, protection, as well as wrath and retribution to those they encounter. The forked tongue of the serpents bite represents intoxication, the first being poison, resulting in dementia, the second being amrita, or spiritual nectar, resulting in ecstasy and divine consciousness. There is a story in the Puranas that tells of the God Vishnu dispensing AMRITA, the nectar of immortality to the Devas. While Vishnu was dispensing this amrita, a demon, Rahu mingled with the Devas and was receiving the amrita when the Sun and the Moon discovered him. With the luminaries calling alarm, Vishnu threw his discus (Soodarshana Chakra) at Rahu and cut off his head. But, Rahu had already drunk the Amrita and now remained an immortal head, disassociated from an immortal body. Rahu is the strongest enemy of Sun and Moon. There is much lore and mystery surround the Moons Nodes in Vedic myth, and they are considered of paramount importance in chart interpretation. In fact, in KETU AS SEEN IN assessing planetary power, the only Graha that is more TEMPLES powerful than the Sun is Rahu, the North Node of the Moon, because of his ability to swallow the Sun during a total solar eclipse. Ketu brings prosperity to the devotees family, removes the effect of snakebite and illness arising out of poisonous matter entering ones body He grants good health, wealth, cattle and all around prosperity. Lunar and solar eclipses occurs because of Rahu and Ketu. General Characteristics Of Ketu Color Day God / Deity Gemstone Finger Metal Rashis Smoke Coloured Tuesday Lord Bhairav (An Incarnation of Shiva) Lehsuniya Ring Silver Pisces-Meen