Ketu: The Spiritual Serpent-Part 2

Ketu has no earthly feeling: He is at the extreme opposite of the queen of feelings, the Moon. Lack of feeling brings inhumanity. He has no sympathy for earthly relationships or actions. His thoughts are always actuated by divine dissatisfaction with earthly existence. There is no planet of obstruction greater than Ketu so far as earthly actions are concerned for even Saturn pales into insignificance before this mightiest planet of obstruction.

Ketu is conscious only of the soul – “I am.” His consciousness does not take cognizance of others. This Self-consciousness is completely different from that of Rahu. Rahu is selfish but Ketu is unselfish from the worldly point of view. Ketu is either in Samadhi or in isolation from human society.

Ketu is the supreme contraction. Saturn is also of the same nature but to a lesser degree. Saturn loves his environment and body but Ketu loves his soul and soul alone. In earthly existence, Ketu is the supreme planet of disinterestedness.

Ketu is heartless in human relationships. He is a Himalayan Yogi in search of communion with the Divine Soul through samadhi or he is a merciless murderer. His murder is not motivated by rivalry or money but by a desire to free people from worldly attachments. He is ever ready to enlarge the sphere of human relationships with the supreme motive of self-gratification. Ketu is the master of supreme worldly detachment. Wherever he finds the deep attachment, he is ever ready to cut it at the very root.

The motivated unselfishness of Ketu is one of deep spirituality. He is by the side of the prisoner in jail, the nun in her monastery, the opium-eater in his den or the debauchee in the brothel to utilize their moments of aloofness from society for attracting their mind to the spiritual sphere. His mission is to remind mortals that their souls are sparks of the Divine Soul and the purpose of evolution through so many births and deaths is ultimate to be merged with the Divine Soul.

Ketu represents a coward as well as a tyrant. The negative Ketu desires to forget this vile world by having recourse to painting, love of nature, day-dreaming, poetry, etc. The positive Ketu wants to destroy all earthly values and stands first among all the planets to place an obstruction in the way of the success of all earthly endeavors.

Ketu of Indian astrology can be equated with Neptune of Western astrology. The symbol of Neptune, on analysis, shows a combination of all the five non-luminous planets and thus mysteriously conforms to Maharshi Vyasa’s conception of Ketu controlling the five non-luminous planets. Neptune is an idealist, mystic, and spiritualist. He has no connection with the practical, everyday worldly life. He is a dreamer, happy in the intoxication of drinks and opium. He takes to painting, poetry, etc., to depict an ideal world as he is not satisfied with earthly imperfection. The spiritual side of Neptune has not been elaborated graphically by western astrologers as western religion is not so mystically profound as the eastern ones.

Ketu’s influence in the occupation of the twelve houses detailed after Parasara with additional information from other sources is subject to modifications due to the conjunction of planets, position of Karakas and aspects of other planets. Moreover, Ketu’s strength under the Parasari Shadbala, Shodasavarga and Shadavasta classifications have to be properly assessed.

1st House – Ketu makes one an expert in various fields of knowledge, happy and loved by all, an orator and a man of action. (In Gemini, Ketu is not at all-powerful and as such, early death with intense sufferings is prominent. In Sagittarius, Ketu has got maximum power and makes one intensely happy and all diseases are easily cured).

2nd House – A poet, learned, modest and honored, having conveyances of his own. A speaker, beautiful in appearance and sweet in words. (In Aries, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Aquarius, minimum effort. In Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, happiness consists in earning maximum wealth by minimum effort).

3rd House – Ketu indicates a poor sickly person, whose action is vile and who is disgusting in appearance (In Gemini, sufferings from diseases in early life come in and intense sorrow over the death of brothers).

4th House – A beautiful, qualified, Sattwic person appears, who loves the Sastras and extends the hand of friendship to all. (In Sagittarius, women befriend ad give good advice on all matters. A learned wife also adds to his good luck. In Gemini, however, friends turn out to be vile enemies and conspire his murder).

5th House – An all-rounder: Happy, ready to enjoy life, artistic, good-natured, fluent in speech, reasonable and have a profound faith in Guru. (In Gemini, many hurts come in life by fall from height and also suffering from paralysis).

6th House – Ketu brings out a courageous man, full of friends but deadly to enemies and maternal relations. The person displays intense foresight.

7th House – A gambler and enjoyer of base passions, having a great friendship with bad women (In Scorpio and Capricorn, Ketu bestows a diseased wife to be nursed throughout her life).

8th House – A debauchee interested in others’ wives; a shameless doer of evil deeds, a veritable sinner. (In Gemini, Virgo and Scorpio, death by murder are usual. In Aries and Taurus, wife’s inhumanity forces one to commit suicide by poison, fire or hanging, painful death is inevitable).

9th House – A religious soul, ever ready to do good to others and having a calm and cheerful mind. (In Gemini, passion is not satisfied with a faithless wife and as such, leaves the house, takes a woman companion and satisfies his passion throughout his life. In Sagittarius, however, Ketu makes one lucky, having education and intelligence, happy and religious, without any debt; and ultimately death while on a pilgrimage).

10th House – Ketu ushers in a charitable person, with love of brahmins, having good luck, joy and intense attraction for women. (In Sagittarius, independent work brings one up in society. In Scorpio, the mother puts an obstruction in one’s activity and the person also becomes diseased. His income is through irreligious people. In Gemini, we find a lazy person, having no work and thus no earning even to get food. The conjunction of Jupiter, the Full Moon, Venus or Mercury brings wealth through unfair means but the person remains in want always).

11th House – A wealthy person, appears courageous, ready to arrange for religious functions and always gaining something. (In Gemini, Ketu makes one poor, a glutton suffering from indigestion and poor health. In Sagittarius, however, wealth increases by leaps and bounds through various channels).

12th House – A hated person, attached to others’ wives, courageous but a doubting Thomas and engaged in vile actions.

Courtesy: MODERN ASTROLOGY (Author: B. N. Addy, M.A., B.L)