Hi, welcome to the next edition of The Starry Times.
Today i will just cover a little more detail on the shift of the lunar nodes:
- Rahu and ketu, the north and south node of the moon have moved out of capricorn and cancer, and have now fully moved into gemini and sagittarius.
- Mercury is halfway through its first retrograde of the year.
What can we expect with Rahu in Gemini and Ketu in Sagittarius?
What are Rahu and Ketu?
Rahu is the north node of the moon. It is the point where the moon crosses the earth’s ecliptic.
The lunar nodes are shadow planets that largely affect us on the psychological level. They indicate the desires of the ego that take us closer to truth or further into delusion. Rahu and Ketu are the celestial serpents who symbolise the endless desires that keep us trapped in perpetual cycles of attraction and aversion, binding us to the temporal nature of the physical dimension. Rahu is the serpent without a body, and is said to be similar to saturn in its effect.
Ketu is directly opposite rahu, and is the body without a head. It is similar to mars in its nature and functioning and links us to our past lives and residual karmic issues. Together they form a polarity, yet we can make a bridge between the lessons of the past and potential of the future. Ketu separates and detaches us from people, situations, places and things and can indicate spirituality, moksha and self realisation. Gains given by the nodes are not without personal losses and sacrifice on some level.
Gemini and Sagittarius are ruled by mercury and jupiter respectively. This is the axis of the higher and lower mind. The rational and analytical mind focuses on the details, perfection and logical pathways. The higher mind looks for the big picture, understanding the nature and essence behind things, the wisdom and knowledge that comes with lived experience.
Rahu will experience a lot of flux during it’s transit through gemini as it is governed by the ever changing mercury. Mercury takes on the energy of the sign its placed in, and any aspects or conjunctions it receives. Gemini is a youthful, intellectually curious and moveable sign
The advent of new technologies come to the fore over the next year and a half. The power of communication for good or ill will be highlighted. As mercury (which rules gemini) has been retrograde since march 6th and rahu/ketu shifted on march 9, we have had a bumpy ride in regard to our thinking, plans, ideas and communications.
A lot of people have experienced the creative side to the bumps, perhaps exploring new ways to communicate and share information. Rahu is currently in the lunar mansion ‘punarvasu’ – its ruler is jupiter, facilitates the link between wisdom and logic. As jupiter is currently transiting the deepest part of the scorpion’s tail, the use and misuse of esoteric and spiritual power by those in high places is being revealed. Throughout the year we can expect more revelations and scandals to come to light.
Punarvasu is a positive and benevolent energy and I have noticed its unique sense of inclusivity and tolerance to diversity. Hopefully as a race we can move forward into more effective communication strategies that aim to accommodate and inspire a broader and more universal attitude in our daily lives.
With Ketu in Sagittarius, our fundamental beliefs about life, who we are and our direction may be challenged. What once seemed secure now feels unstable. Opportunities rise as outdated structures fall away. Sagittarius is ruled by jupiter and we are already seeing the power of jupiter in scorpio revealing the shadow. Ket acts like mars and in sagittarius you see all kinds of extreme and fundamentalist behaviours. Since ketu is travelling with saturn in a tight conjunction in a potent part of sagittarius for most of the year, this combination is likely to bring about some explosive events. Ketu is mainly catalysing unresolved past issues, saturn is forcing us to face up to the consequences of our past actions.
On the one hand we may feel like letting everything go, giving up, not caring, disassociating or checking out (ketu) – but situations and an inner sense of duty prevents us from doing so (saturn). This year we need to be aware to not cut corners, make sure we have all the facts, face reality, keep a broad perspective, accept limitations and delays, and adopt a more humble attitude. It is a great time for spiritual practice, exploring new philosophies and broadening your mind.
Those who have gemini/sag moon ascendant and sun will be most affected by this transit, take care especially in the middle of this year with the saturn/ketu/mars/rahu combo – the final outcome will bring big changes, transformation and renewal.
Remember, there is no integrity in a generous act that seeks recognition”
The painful reality that life can sometimes show us is not pretty and our western culture does a good job at masking the ugly truth. No matter where we try to escape to it follows us. The external world is a reflection of our collective internal realities.
The first and most profound step to peace on earth is to eradicate the source of violence in ourselves, in thought, in mind and speech. If we can create peace in our hearts and homes, violence in the world will fall away. Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day…
Peace in the heart is cultivated with self awareness.
The greater the degree that we know ourselves and our blindspots, the less we will be affected by the sudden and unexpected changes that occur in life. Understanding the true nature of things eliminates the concept of blame. When there is no enemy within, there is no enemy without.
De-cluttering the mind, spiritual practices, yoga, meditation, service work, prayer and self study are all remedies during these tumultuous times…
Please leave any comments or questions below, and for a detailed personalised reading feel free to send me an email or make an appointment via my website.
Much love,
Darinka
Darinka Maja 