Lucinda Vale
- Nov 10, 2023
- 3 min read

Cosmic Serpent Power ~ Ketu-Rahu

~ The serpent power of Ketu, its karmic force and Rahu, its transformative creative force ~

Rahu and Ketu are two shadow entities and considered malefic planets. Although they are not actual planets, they have a deep and powerful influence astrologically.

Ketu and Rahu, represented by a dragon (in western astrology) or serpent (in Vedic astrology) with Rahu at its head and Ketu at its tail, show our past life energy and our current lifetime goals and desires.

Rahu and Ketu form the core of our desires and what we need to heal from the past. If we can understand their depth, we can heal the present and our spiritual process of evolution and refinement of materialisation to spirit.

Ketu ~ Karmic Force

Ketu relates to karma and our past life energy. As we have been through it before, it is a strong point in familiarity.

It shows our highest potential and abilities in life and by the house it occupies in our astrological chart, we can learn the parts of life that will be affected by Ketu.

Ketu shows our creativity, talent and aspects that we have mastered karmically and therefore must be used in this current lifetime, with our subconscious mind.

With a predominance of Mars influence and some aspects of Saturn, Ketu can stir powerful subconscious emotions causing self-negativity, isolation, wrong judgment and poisons at a lower level.

Ketu at the tail end of the serpent, can take us beyond the mind with the head of the serpent representing the entire cosmos. Just as Goddess Chinnamasta carries her head in her hands, suggestively indicating the separation of the mind from the body, Ketu symbolises the transcendence of physical reality.

With spiritual practice and sadhana, at the highest level, Ketu is a powerful source to benefit from its higher dimensions, spirituality, psychic insight and liberation from body and mind.

Rahu ~ Transformative Creative Force

Rahu is the power of transformation and working on the present to transform it into the future. This force may compel you to radically change your lifestyle and improve your outer-self to be a better reflection of your inner potential.

Rahu sees the future and works to transform the present and helps us in destruction of old ways. Rahu can be considered as the planet of worldly desires and transformation but can also include unpleasant changes. With Rahu ruling fear, confusion, obsession and disappointment, if the mind is uncontrolled, you can feel shattered and lost. Rahu can cause pure chaos, uncertainty and confusion.

Rahu is involved in material and earthly matters, representing focus where you are most likely to put your efforts … it can also represent insatiable desires and can be the root cause of illusion and deception.

Rahu belongs to Vata element and a positive and favourable Rahu is like a strong wind in your favour that clears up your path for extraordinary gains.

Awareness and learning from Ketu ~ Rahu

~ Ketu connects the present to the past and shows us what we have already mastered karmically.

~ It can bring the deep depths of our subconscious mind and allow us to remember mysteriously, ancient past and karma to affect every aspect of the present.

~ Rahu shows the direction to evolve towards the future and if we can maintain a balance with our minds, we can avoid the deviation towards the lower impulses.

~ Rahu represents living in the future which can take us out of the present moment where the Divine resides.

~ One of our challenges is to curb or control desires in order to find some balance in our lives.

~ To help us progress forward and to do this we can reflect on emotions and subconscious feelings that disconnect us with the present and habits that help or harm us.

~ We can also change our perspective about a situation knowing that Rahu bridges the gap between the present and the future.

~ The key to Ketu is to loosen up and not be so rigid about the way things are

~ The key to Rahu is to be authentic, let go of the mask and speak the truth