Making Medicine

On March 7th, the two nodes—often called shadow planets—will move signs, after having been in their current position since August of 2017. These are particularly important planets to consider in transit because of the karma they carry and their impact on the mind.

Rahu and Ketu are the head and tail, respectively, of the cosmic serpent. They represent extremes of the mind: Rahu being incredibly indulgent and even obsessive about his addictions, and Ketu being detached and even disconnected. Wherever they are placed in our charts we tend to go to extremes, often engaging in behavior that in the end gives no real satisfaction. This is because although Rahu and Ketu are the head and the tail of the same body, their body is cut in two. So the head eats compulsively but the body never gets to experience satiation from the food, whether that food is physical food or other forms of sense stimulation. For this reason, the places occupied in the natal horoscope and in transit by these shadow planets becomes an important axis to consider, particularly when addressing the psychology of the individual.

Any serious discussion of the nodes requires an understanding of their mythological context. In the story of the churning of the Cosmic Ocean, Rahu and Ketu take the form of Vasuki—a gigantic snake, who is wrapped around Mount Meru while the Devas hold his head and the Asuras (Demons) hold his tail, pulling him back and forth on the spindle of the mountain as the waters of the ocean become agitated. Many contents rise to the surface in this churning, one of which is a poison that threatens to destroy the entire world. Shiva is called to save everyone, and holds the poison in his throat so that the churning can continue. Eventually the desired Nectar of Immortality rises to the surface. To make a long story short: Rahu and Ketu get involved in some thievery and steal the Nectar which was not intended for them, and the Sun and Moon intervene to split them in half.

The Sun—signifying the soul, and the Moon—showing the mind being involved in the separation of the head and the tail (or body) show us that the luminaries are not on good terms with these shadow planets. When we look at the astronomy of it, we see that the nodes are the points in space which cause the eclipses that steal the light from the Sun and Moon

So, we see that Rahu and Ketu show a polarity, but one that is necessary if the Medicine (Nectar of Immortality) is to be extracted. But it is essential that they are consciously connected. On a psychological level this means bridging the gap between conscious and unconscious contents of the mind, between body and mind, and between any form of black and white thinking. And often in the process some form of poison emerges, which is where most people give up the game. But this is a sign that the churning is working—you don’t feel good, you see some very unpleasant aspect of yourself and want to turn a blind eye, your relationship is in upheaval—but you can’t stop there. Pray to Shiva and continue the work. Eventually some sweet nectar rises to the surface (of insight, of relief to your nervous system, of psychical or psychological healing) and you know that you have touched Rahu with Ketu. Some essential connection has been made.

Over this past couple of years Rahu has been in Cancer, collectively disturbing the prana (Cancer ruled by Moon shows us the general state of prana, and Rahu disturbs), while Ketu has been causing some confusion regarding what it is we want to be working for, and perhaps some release and re-evaluation in that area. Neither node is very strong in the positions they’ve occupied, being in rather unfriendly signs. This means, generally speaking, that they create more friction.

After March 7th they will occupy their places of exaltation, meaning that their energy is fully supported. The question is whether we want the energy of the shadow to be fully supported. And like all things nodal, it is hard to tell which way it’s going to go because they are fundamentally averse to the middle ground. They polarize quickly. So decide early on how you want to use their energy. Rahu will either be an addict or a great communicator in gemini, able to use his manipulation for positive purposes. Ketu in Sagittarius will either steer you off course through numbness and disconnection in your spiritual life, or provide tremendous insight into the same. Both planets are full of potential blindspots and pitfalls. An individual consultation is required to understand the full details of how this transit will affect you.

Pay attention to any internal shift you feel in the next week or so. The impact of the transit might already be apparent. Meditation and equanimity of the mind are the best remedy for any nodal issue.