It’s only now that I can look back in hindsight and marvel at the highs and lows of the 18 yr Rahu influence in my life. During those 18 years of now fading memories, I was a person possessed (metaphorically).
That’s what Rahu does during its 18 yrs of Mahadasha. It seizes or grips the person in its shadowy, powerful energy and refuses to let go until the person is figuratively possessed by Rahu. It is our deepest desire amplified and expressed in the real world. Rahu only demands that you consume and consume more. And the more we consume of what the world has to offer, the more powerful and ‘rahu-vian’ we become. And one fine day, its the beginning of the 17th year, and the problems begin. It feels like the carpet is pulled off from under our feet. Everything comes apart slowly. The job that we worked so hard for 17 years and slaved away is now under threat of a layoff. Or our reputation is on a knife’s edge. Or our personal life is in shambles because we couldn’t (or wouldn’t) devote time to interpersonal relationships. Because we were chasing a dream. A vision. And an illusion
Like the Newtonian apple, what goes up, eventually must come down. Thus, our illusions are shattered. Just in time for Jupiter’s mahadasha to begin and to be consoled and pacified by the great benefic. A salve for our ego wounds.
Some of us are not so lucky.
Scorpio ascendants, who exit Rahu MD and enter Jupiter MD, assume a respite from the (sometimes) relentless mental stress caused by Rahu. But, with Jupiter being the lord of the 2nd which is considered a maraka house (death inflicting), you must keep a keen eye on your health. I mean really watchful. Especially so if your Jupiter is placed in Gemini, Capricorn or Virgo. And literally be on guard during the Jupiter mahadasha-Venus Bhukti as Venus rules the other maraka house of 7th.
Coming back to Rahu ~ the shadow who eclipses the luminaries ~ can be compared to a volatile blend of Neptune, Uranus and Pluto in Modern astrology. The fogginess of Neptune which includes deception, the future oriented outlook of Uranus and the ruthless intensity of Pluto.
Under Rahu’s spell, one loses a solid footing in reality. On the one hand, it can encourage one to reach beyond ones limitations. On the other hand, it can encourage one to reach beyond ones limitations.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, the Rahu energy is ever present in our lives in a subtle manner, however it activates fully during its mahadasha or antar dasha. (As is the same with all planets. Not all planets are active all the time)
Interestingly, Rahu holds a special significance in a chart. It is the only graha (siezer) that can help the native reach their desires despite all obstacles in the way. Rahu has the power, during its mahadasha, to enable marriage, the birth of children and all the other societal checkmarks that are demanded from each of us.
Thus, I call it the ring of power. It offers a lot and once the chart holder gets a taste of power, its very challenging to wean oneself off of it.
Check your natal Rahu/Ketu in the sidereal chart, using whole signs and Lahiri ayanamsa.
Do note that there is no agreement on the ideal placement for Rahu/Ketu. Or the optimal sign. Every astrologer will state their opinion based on their experience and knowledge. So, don’t take the negative interpretations to heart.
Rahu in the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses
The angles are powerful placements for Rahu and therefore extremely uncomfortable for the chart holder. Needless to say, these angular placements of lunar nodes make marriage quite tricky and challenging.
Rahu in the 1st will give you a single minded focus on your goals this lifetime. Your attention is on you, you and you. The home (4th, partner(7th) and work(10th) serve as resources for your self development.
Rahu in the 7th is when you are driven to commit to a significant other or a partner. Being alone is what you did in past lifetimes, and this lifetime is dedicated to partnerships. It does not make this Rahu placement a better partner. It just indicates that this person may be more comfortable in a partnership than Rahu-in-1st.
Rahu in the 4th may indicate that your attention would be focused on creating a safe environment for yourself. This safe environment may include creating the vision of a perfect family. It may include extended family even. The native with this placement is deeply connected with their culture, land/country and by extension- their mother. This individual is devoted to the needs of their family members and because its Rahu, could have a love-hate relationship with mother figures/mother.
Rahu in the 10th is focused on career. Prestige. Reputation. Achieving the ‘success’ parameters set by society. This placement often lives for their work, a workaholic par excellence.
Each of these houses square/oppose the other. So individuals with these placements will often live a life filed with friction between the self (1st), the partner (7th), home (4th) and work (10th).
For eg- Rahu in the 10th will be so focused on their professional life that they neglect their home (4th house Ketu) and their partner (7th). Sometimes, the 10th house Rahu will also neglect their own health (1st).
Rahu in the 2nd house.
One of the most challenging placements. There are a lot of extreme judgments on this particular placement of Rahu, however, I find most of them to be..well..exaggerated and fatalistic. Apparently, this placement indicates people who earn money by whatever means necessary. I do not agree with this perspective at all.
Rahu in the 2nd will be driven to be self sufficient and resourceful. As the 2nd house also signifies family (childhood), this placement suggests a lack of resources (money or otherwise) during their childhood. Thus, this individual feels emotionally secure only when they are earning their own money. They are not comfortable depending on others for income (ketu in 8th).
Rahu in the 3rd house
Theoretically, Rahu functions well in the 3rd house. It accentuates the ‘thinking/reasoning/rational’ capacity of the individual. It is supposed to indicate effortless learning and sharing generally. It imparts a restless, active energy where the chart holder keeps moving through life learning and sharing what they’ve learnt with others.
Rahu in the 5th house
Apparently, and theoretically, this placement causes disruption in school education. And trouble conceiving children. In my experience, neither of these statements are fully accurate. Rahu in 5th chart holders do and can have children, sometimes multiple. And I’ve not observed any reason to correlate academic trouble with this placement. But, if you have this placement and have had trouble with school education or having biological children, do comment. I’d love to hear from you.
Rahu in the 6th house
Some astrologers consider this placement to be ideal for Rahu. Along with the 3rd and 11th. Because these three houses are known as ‘upachaya’ houses. Upachaya houses simply means the planet placed in 3rd, 6th or 11th will gradually improve its functioning over a long period of time. The 6th house is interesting because generally, its also seen a a ‘dusthana’ or a house of grief, disease and sorrow/loss. However, Rahu in 6th can help the chart holder overcome their competitors, enemies and impart a strong constitution. Again, these positive expressions of Rahu depend on other factors (sign/nakshatra ruler and Moon placement).
Given that Rahu is not a planet, and a shadow energy, the proper functioning of Rahu will depend on the strength of its nakshatra and sign ruler. As well as the placement of the Moon as Rahu impacts the psychology/psyche first, which then manifests in the external world.
Rahu in the 8th house
This Rahu placement is correlated to financial enmeshment with family and others. Financial entanglement may look like receiving property or monetary inheritance, working in insurance or wealth management or at worst- being in debt. The 8th house is a challenging place for Rahu who magnifies the anxieties and turmoil associated with this house.
Rahu in the 9th house
Rahu in this house makes foreign lands and foreign culture attractive and irresistible. It can also indicate the chart holder converting to a foreign religion or belief system at a certain point in their life. For eg- a person with this placement is brought up in a Christian culture but becomes a Buddhist at some point.
Like Rahu in the 3rd, this placement speaks of a love for learning and an active, open mind that seeks new perspectives and experiences.
Rahu in the 11th house
Like the 3rd and the 6th, this placement is considered relatively beneficial as compared to the others. Maybe because Rahu is placed in a house(gains, desires, wishes) where he can exert maximum influence. The individual with Rahu in the 11th is future oriented, rebellious and a humanitarian. They develop a wide network of connections to aid them in their humanitarian ideals. If the sign and nakshatra lord are well placed, Rahu in the 11th can bring massive fame and fortune during its Mahadasha.
Rahu in the 12th house
Rahu entering the foggy, misty, dissolving house magnifies its energy on the psyche of the individual. Depending on the sign and nakshatra ruler, Rahu in the 12th can indicate inexplicable expenses and unfathomable desires/wants that influence the natives life subtly. If planets are placed in this house with Rahu, the shadow aspects of those planets are magnified multifold. For eg- Sun placed in the same nakshatra as Rahu can distort the energy of the Sun to create an intense hunger for fame, glory and power. This manifests in extremely hidden ways, given the nature of the 12th, leading to the native unintentionally deceiving themselves and others about their true nature.
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