Observations of the

Moons Nodes on the

Personality
By
Chiria, USA
Copy Editor: Andree Leclerc, Canada.

live with my husband in the

Southwestern United States. I have four

grown children. I consider myself a lifelong student of astrology, because theres
always more to learn. Ive been studying it
since 1968, when I was a young adult. I
began with the Tropical System and
switched to the Vedic ten years later. I find
it to be much more accurate, particularly
insofar as house rulers are concerned. Im an
observer of human nature and love to see
people in the light of their natal horoscopes.
I never cease to be fascinated and
challenged by this ancient field.

Rahu

ahu, or the Moons North Node, is

often compared to Saturn, but I
could never see this in regard to
behavior or personalities. Recently I ran
across something that suggested that Rahu
may function like a negative Jupiter. This
validates what Ive always observed.
Although, like Saturn, Rahu can have
disastrous effects, psychologically, and
even physically, it has similarities to the
greater benefic in that it has to do with
expansion. Saturn, on the other hand, has
to do with lack or limitation. Of course
expansion can lead to limitation, as when
overeating leads to disease or disregard for
the law leads to prison time, but
psychologically its still expansion. Jupiter,
then, has to do with overall good fortune
and privilege, while Rahus connection is
with possibly ill considered I want what I
want now attainments. Rahu could be
symbolized by a baby bird with its beak
wide open, demanding to be fed at all
times.

Like Jupiter, Rahu has to do with much-ness. People with Rahu on the ascendant are often
physically large. I know one man with such a placement who is six feet, eight inches tall.
Three female acquaintances of mine with that placement are all well over six feet, unusual
for women. There can also be heaviness and large bones. Richard Houk, on page 290 in his
book The Astrology of Death, cites the example of a man who had Rahu above and in the
same sign with the ascendant and conjunct Venus, a sensual planet. This man weighed over
900 pounds.
Rahu often seems to have to do with unusually strong desires. Though Saturn is often
blamed for many negative human traits, I havent observed this to be one of them. People
with Saturn strong, particularly if on the ascendant, tend to be simple and humble. They do
not demand a lot materially from life. They may be depressive and have inferiority
complexes, but they are not materially avaricious. Rahu is the wanter, whether that
wanting is for goods, money, power, fame, success, food, sex, excitement, or experience.
There is a sense of boundlessness, but its often combined with a lack of discipline and
willingness to do the work thats necessary to gain that which is desired. Thats why, in very
extreme cases, Rahu is associated with crime or moral wrongdoing.
Often a person with Rahu rising will own much more than is needed for a satisfying life and
have a hard time parting with things that have outworn their purpose.
Where there is a desire for power or control Rahu may be observed conjunct the Sun, Moon,
or ascendant. Several well known American cult leaders who have brought about the deaths
of many of their followers as well as themselves through their irrational activities have had
this node in a prominent position.
A young man who is frequently in a state of frustration and anger if things dont go his way
or he doesnt get what he wants has the Sun, which is his ascendant ruler, conjunct Rahu.
Rahu conjunct Mars, if there are other indications as well, can be violent. With Venus
conjunct, established relationships may be suddenly thrown away and replaced by new ones.
Rahu can also have to do with fame, though usually of the short lived variety. Once, when it
was transiting my 3rd house (communication) cusp I made a brief appearance on the TV
news.
Rahu has a connection to aviation. The six feet, eight inch tall man mentioned in the second
paragraph obtained his personal pilots license after a mere four hours of training. John F.
Kennedy Jr. had Rahu rising and he was also a private pilot. In his case it unfortunately led
to an early death, possibly caused by carelessness.

An interesting point is that Rahu in one persons chart conjunct the Sun in the chart of
another can have a positive effect on both parties. The two can be supportive of each other
and productive as a team in business or some other endeavor. Ive observed that its not
uncommon in a marriage for one partners Rahu to be in the same sign as the other partners
ascendant. This can be in the natal or navamsa (9th harmonic) charts or cross over from one
to the other. This may point to a karmic tie, though theres no way to prove it.
So, is it always disastrous to have Rahu in a strong position in the natal chart? No. Rahu is
adventurous; it forges forward, and creates new experiences. The important thing is for it to
be controlled and not do the controlling. In many cases, as a person ages, he or she will learn
to let Rahu work for them and not allow its more reckless qualities to dominate. As with
everything in astrology the entire horoscope has to be examined and analyzed.

Ketu

etu, or the south node of the Moon, is Rahus spatial opposite, and is supposed to be
opposite in its nature as well, though they are both considered to be malefic.

I find it more difficult to pinpoint the effects of Ketu than Rahu on the psyche, so Ill have
less to say about it. But while Rahu seems to exaggerate, intensify, and expand, Ketu seems
to take away from, diminish, or make invisible. In this way it strikes me as being more
similar to Saturn and this is also why its more difficult to observe.
Ultimately Ketu is supposed to relate to attaining enlightenment and saying goodbye to
worldly attachments, but thats theoretical and probably works that way only with a small
minority who has it in a prominent position.
I know one young man with the Moon on the ascendant in the sign of its rulership, Cancer.
Taken by itself, this should describe a person who attracts attention and is very visible, but
the Moon is conjunct Ketu. When he was a student his class put on a play and he was the
only one who chose not to have a role. Instead, he chose to be a stagehand. This fellow is
extremely handsome and has the build of an athlete, so he had nothing to hide, but Ketu
makes the native either want to go unnoticed, or circumstances make it so that that will be
the case. Ketu seems to desire to, or is made to, blend into the background.
In Western astrology Ketu is supposed to have to do with past incarnations, and I have
noticed that people with it prominent seem to be connecting with a past era, but its
something that cant be proven empirically. I knew a man whose Sun was conjunct Ketu in
the 10th house. He was a university professor and his area of expertise was 18th Century

German literature. He called himself an 18th Century man, and would have gone back to
that time if only there were a time machine to take him there. He scorned modernity and
especially the technology that had been brought about during the 20th Century.
I have a female acquaintance with Jupiter and Ketu on her navamsa ascendant. In the natal
chart Jupiter rules her 2nd house of support systems and wealth. Although neither rich nor
from a privileged class, this woman spends as much money as she has to make her
surroundings look elegant. She also has a spectacular wardrobe, even though she rarely goes
out of the house. She relates to others, especially men, as though they were servants, giving
orders and becoming critical if things arent done to perfection. If I had to hazard a guess, I
would say that this woman was very wealthy in a past incarnation and did indeed have
servants to wait on her. As you can imagine, these traits dont work in her favor this time
around, and she finds it very frustrating.
Ive observed that people with Ketu in conjunction with Mercury will often be less than
truthful. Whether this means that they deliberately lie, or just that they perceive, process,
and relay information in a distorted way, I dont know.
As can be expected, Ketu connecting with the 7th house or Venus may wreak havoc with
relationships. Perhaps theres karma to be worked out in this area.
A strong link between one persons Ketu and the Sun, Moon, personal planets, and possibly
ascendant in anothers seems to have a negative effect. Its as though the Ketu sucks the
energy from the planet it contacts, which is quite the opposite of the effect of Rahu in
interchart comparisons that I mentioned earlier.
As Rahu reminds me of a baby bird in the constant act of receiving nourishment, the picture
that comes to my mind symbolizing Ketu is of a drain with the plug removed, ever in a state
of being emptied.
Both nodes seem to indicate a lack of consciousness in the area they affect. We all have the
nodes somewhere and we all have our quirks and unbalanced areas, but if those nodes are
prominent, there tends to be compulsive behavior and distorted perception. In extreme cases
this can point to personality disorders. But it would seem that objective self-awareness and
insight could be the best antidotes to the negative influences of Rahu and Ketu.