Horoscopic Influences of Ketu

1.0 As a planet Ketu is diametrically opposed to Rahu. When this southern node of the Moon moves backward through different signs of the zodiac, it always maintains an angular distance of 180º from its northern counterpart Rahu. All traits therefore, present in Rahu, are absent in Ketu. Rahu is materialistic but Ketu stands for spiritualism. Its assumed lordship over Pisces—the terminal sign of the Zodiac or the end of the mundane journey for transcendation into the finer world of spiritualism is perhaps symbolic of Ketu's location in 12th house because it is here its anti-materialistic traits find the most elegant expression. In fact Ketu in the 12th house especially in Sagittarius or Pisces is an excellent sign for spiritual pursuits or long term research work comparable to Tapasya. Since it is anti-materialistic, Ketu in this house—the house of bed pleasure—denotes also a disturbed sex life. In this connection it may be mentioned that results expected of a planet which are beyond its jurisdiction and domain and which also do not fit into its Karakatwa can never happen. Ketu cannot give the Karakatwa effects of Venus and vice versa. Such irrational expectations are bound to generate frustration and disillusionment. For instance Ketu always retains its anti-materialistic characteristics independent of its placement in the chart. In the house of luck, instead of ensuring material prosperity it can enrich him with philosophical knowledge. Its placement in the rising sign makes a man of wandering type. Such a man, even if he is affectionate, his affections fall on persons beyond his family. He becomes a non-conformist. Similarly, Ketu in the second house or in the house of current income i.e. the 11th is not a helpful sign for accumulation or flow money. There is however an exception which follows from element of suddenness inbuilt into Ketu's character. Thus, if a strong Ketu with either the 2nd or the 11th lord occupies either the 2nd or the 11th house, it may create opportunities for unexpected income. This does not mean that Ketu is conducive to material properity. It merely means that Ketu can create unexpected event. So it is another characteristic of Ketu. 1.1. Thirdly, like Rahu, Ketu is also a first rate malefic but its modus operandi is entirely different from that of Rahu. If Rahu is a catalyst, Ketu is basically a depressant. Hindu astrologers assume Ketu to have no aspect of its own. From this assumption can we logically and reasonably infer that Ketu's effect is essentially point effect concentrated on the house of its placement in the basic chart? As a malefic Ketu has been observed to spoil the house it occupies and as a depressant it affects both the lordship and karakatwa of the planet with which it is conjoined in the basic chart. The general principle of conjunction states when two planets unite in a house, a fusion takes place which modify their individual characteristics to a considerable extent. As a result one is prone to give the result of another or some mixed effects emerge. Ketu on the other hand instead of modifying characteristics of the associated planet renders it, like a coiled serpent, functionally immobile. Ketu thus becomes more effective inn producing its own result during its own period good or bad than its associated planet. 1.2. This brings us to the fourth characteristic of Ketu. Ketu like a coiled serpent is secretive and surreptitious in movement. It has unique ability to delay a process and make a simple thing complicated. A good number of examples will be necessary to develop the idea. For instance, Ketu as a malefic produces good results in the 3rd house, 6th and 10th and 11th house as has been already stated. Ketu in the 6th allows the enemy to surreptitiously operate only to be crushed at the end. Pandit Nehru had the 6th lord Jupiter with Ketu in his 6th house. The royal enemy undermined his vitality and destroyed the most valuable part of his life. He however eventually emerged triumphant. Ketu in the 3rd house gives guts but here also it cannot shake off its sneaky habits. Hitler had Jupiter-Ketu in the 3rd house in Sagittarius. He had courage but unscrupulously adopted all dirty tricks to grab the lands of other independent nations before the formal announcement of the second world war. When the lagna lord gets entangled with Ketu, a man's thought process becomes involved. He cannot play straight. This attribute may help a philosopher but not a common man. Most of the delays in promotion, unnecessary complications in service life, reservation, victimisation due to conspiracy are creation of Ketu due to its unholy conjunction with 10th lord in the chart or its habitation in the 10th with any one of the trika lords, viz. 6th, 8th and 12th. Similarly Venus-Ketu may delay marriage or implicate the native in sex scandal. Diseases which stealthily enter into body and erupt all of a sudden are contributions of Ketu. In fact conjunction with the ascendant lord in the 6th. 8th or 12th houses is extremely bad for health. Similarly its conjunction with these lords in any house may give rise to diseases relating to that house. For instance, in the 5th house with the 6th lord it may give rise to serious type of pancreatitis or intestinal infection. In the 2nd house with the adverse lord it may give mouth cancer. People reportedly suffering from piles or rectum cancer may have their ascendant lord with Ketu in the house of death. To reiterate, Ketu in the realm of disease is secretive in action but sure to raise its ugly head in the last scene of the drama. Needless to say, Saturn and Mars aggravate the whole process. 1.3. Filthy though (i) a first rate malefic and (ii) an anti-materialistic (iii) with a cobweb psychic, Ketu gives excellent result in certain specific areas of life. As a planet it is endowed with a rare and penetrating insight to see into things. A man blessed with a powerful Ketu can earn eminence in homoeopathy, astrology, bio-chemistry, toxicology, or subjects dealing with bacteria, virus and molecular physics. Renowned homoeopaths and biochemists are often favoured with Jupiter-Ketu in their birth chart specially in the house of learning. A successful astrologer may have Venus-Ketu in the strategic house in his horoscope. Ketu linked with Mercury makes a man competent statistician who can go behind figures for facts of life. It will not be out of place to mention that Ketu is always tempered with benevolent Jupiter. Its mystic qualities find the most cogent expression through the medium of this natural benefic. Venus though a natural benefic is highly materialistic. Its conjunction or opposition with Ketu does not help the later. 1.4. Lastly, Dasa and Sub-dasa results of Ketu. Barring exceptional circumstances Ketu is too niggardly to create cheerful atmosphere during its major period. A prima facie case for this sweeping generalization rests on the fact that Ketu has no aspect. So forming exchange and opposition relationship with other planets in the chart becomes out of question. This together with its tendency to make the conjoined planet functionally inoperative reduces prospects for varied result under its major period to a considerable extent leaving its Karakatwa effects to dominate the scene. These Karakatwa effects, as already delineated are (i) a depressive backdrop (ii) behind the curtain secret activities (iii) delay in fructification of events (iv) creation of unnecessary complications (v) surreptitious entry of fatal diseases into the body etc. Exceptional circumstances when Ketu has been empirically observed to give good results during its dasa are (i) strong placement of its dispositor (ii) powerful aspects of Jupiter on the radical Ketu and also (iii) its conjunction with the Yogakaraka planet in a favourable house. Even then its karakatwa effects loom large. Good results occur against a gloomy backdrop after unnecessary delays and complications. It is of course true that a man's intuitive faculty may usually develop during Ketu. A homoeopath or an astrologer may flourish. A magician may earn reputation. A gambler may unexpectedly gain. A research scholar in biochemistry or molecular physics may make a breakthrough in the frontiers of knowledge or a diplomat can successfully forestall opposition move. All these spectacular events take place without noise as if these so happen in real life. In other words Ketu's Karakatwa effects always loom large and eclipse its other effects. I do not like to firm up my favoured conclusions with the help of horoscopes of my choice. Instead I request the request the readers to verify these results with the help of cross section data at their disposal. They will invariably come across events like (i) victimisation due to conspiracy (ii) delay and denial of due promotions (iii) false implications in scandals (iv) reversion and supersession in service life (v) sudden transfer to unhealthy place (vi) sudden succumbing to disease which stealthily creeps into the body, and, of course, (vii) deep long duration research and probe into the unthought-of area and lastly (viii) renunciation to take place during Ketu Mahadasa. 1.5 Ketu's sub-dasa effects either good or bad depends on its placement in the chart and the specific major period the native has been undergoing. Here, Ketu has to operate like other planets within the framework set by the major period lord. Even then, it tries to produce its own effect. For instance if Ketu is posited either in the 6th, 8th or 12th house in a chart and the owner of the chart happens to get the major period of the lord of any of the three trika houses, then Ketu in its sub-period in the major period of the relevant dasa lord is sure to produce the most disastrous result. For the trika lord to manifest its effect, Ketu serves as the most appropriate medium because it is posited in the house of a trika lord. Of course, converse will also be true in the case of Ketu's location via favourable house and the native comes under the dasa influence of the lord of that favourable house. Here Ketu will have no option but to give the good effect of dasa lord. (Condensed from The Times of Astrology, February, 1990.)