Rahu and Ketu

Rahu and Ketu The Moon's Nodes

The north and south nodes of the Moon are not actually planets at all. They are astrologically sensitive points on the ecliptic.

In Hindu texts they are called Rahu (north node) and Ketu (south node). They are referred to as “shadow planets”, as they are not real physical entities. Yet they do exert a certain influence over us, like the celestial bodies themselves.

The diagram below illustrates how these points are calculated. The globe of the earth is expanded to form an imaginary sphere for mapping the position and movement of the planetary bodies. With the use of this celestial sphere, we can plot the Sun’s course across the earth, referred to as the ecliptic. (Fig. 5 Elliptic)

The points where the Moon intersects the ecliptic in its journey around the earth are referred to as the nodes.

The north and south nodes are determined by their position above or below the celestial equator. Where the Moon is moving from south to north, the point of intersection is called the north node and when the Moon passes from north to south, it is called the south node.

In a spiritual sense, the sign in which the south node is located represents the direction from which the soul is coming. The north node is aimed at the direction to which the soul wishes to be released in order to gain its freedom. To attain this freedom it will first have to undergo lessons in the particular portfolio of life represented by its house position.