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Rahu and Ketu: the lunar nodes in Jyotish

Rahu and Ketu are not planets but the points where the Moon's orbit crosses the Sun's path. In Jyotish they are two shadow grahas: Rahu is desire, ambition and everything new; Ketu is release, intuition and past experience. They always stand opposite each other, and their axis shows the direction of growth.

JyotiSoft editorial team · dates checked by calculation

In short

Rahu is the north node, Ketu the south; always exactly 180° apart.
They move backwards and change sign about every 18 months.
On 25 November 2026 Rahu enters Capricorn and Ketu Cancer (true node).
Rahu's dasha lasts 18 years, Ketu's 7.
Eclipses happen when the Sun and Moon are near the nodes.

Myth and astronomy

In the myth, the asura Svarbhanu secretly drank the nectar of immortality; Vishnu cut off his head, and the head became Rahu, the body Ketu. Ever since, they “swallow” the Sun and Moon at eclipses. Astronomically they are where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic: eclipses do occur only when a new or full Moon falls near a node.

The Rahu–Ketu axis in a chart

Rahu shows where a person wants more, reaches for the new and unfamiliar, sometimes to the point of obsession. Ketu shows where they already know a lot but value it little and are ready to let go. The axis is read by house: Rahu in the 10th and Ketu in the 4th, for example, pull strongly towards career and public role, with inner detachment from home.

True node and mean node

The nodes can be calculated as the mean node (smoothed motion) or the true node (including the wobble of the Moon's orbit). They can differ by up to 1.5°, so sign-change dates differ by several days between programs. JyotiSoft uses the true node — the same one used in every chart in the bot and the app.

The transit of 25 November 2026

On 25 November 2026 Rahu enters sidereal Capricorn and Ketu enters Cancer (JyotiSoft calculation, Lahiri, true node; about ten days later by the mean node). For roughly a year and a half, the houses that Capricorn and Cancer occupy in your chart become a zone of change: new goals and temptations on Rahu's side, review and release on Ketu's.

The dashas of Rahu and Ketu

Rahu's mahadasha (18 years) often brings sudden rises, moves, work with foreigners and technology, but also restlessness. Ketu's (7 years) brings re-evaluation, interest in spirituality and unexpected turns. Both depend first of all on the lord of the sign the node occupies.

Kala Sarpa yoga

When all seven planets fall on one side of the Rahu–Ketu axis, it is called Kala Sarpa yoga. Classical texts barely mention it, and popular literature greatly exaggerates it. JyotiSoft shows it as a feature of the chart, not a verdict.

Questions

Are Rahu and Ketu planets?

No, they are mathematical points — the nodes of the Moon's orbit. Jyotish treats them as full grahas with dashas and aspects.

When does Rahu move into Capricorn?

On 25 November 2026 (true node, Lahiri). Sites using the mean node give a date about ten days later.

Are Rahu and Ketu always harmful?

No. Rahu does well in the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th houses, Ketu in the 3rd, 6th, 11th and 12th.

What does Rahu in the 7th house mean?

An unusual partner, often from another culture, and a strong pull towards relationships — with Ketu in the 1st, some detachment from oneself.

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