The Nodal Axis of Signs 3-9: Balancing the Book and the Library

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The Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program is offered on the teachable.com platform, where you can access the lectures, exercises, quizzes, and assignments at your own pace. You will learn about the fundamentals of Vedic Astrology, such as the rasis, the signs, the houses, the planets, the vargas, the dashas, the yogas, and more. You will also learn how to interpret charts, make predictions, and apply remedies.

If you are looking for even more rigour, you can also enrol in the Certification Pathway, a complementary program that allows you to submit your work for assessment at the end of each semester. There are nine semesters in total, and each one has a specific focus and theme. By completing the Certification Pathway, you will demonstrate your mastery of Vedic Astrology and earn an invitation to join the Practicum Year of supervised, applied Vedic Astrology.  Successful completion of the Practicum Year will entitle you to Certification from Asheville Vedic Astrology and its associated benefits.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself the quality of the work produced by students on the program. Today’s blog post is a paper written by one of our apprentices at the end of the seventh semester, which explores what Rahu and Ketu mean when they are on a particular axis of the ecliptic.

We hope you enjoy reading this paper and find it informative and insightful. If you are inspired by what you see and want to join our program, please visit the Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program on teachable.com or contact me for more information. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey of learning Vedic Astrology.

The Nodal Axis of Signs 3-9: Balancing the Book and the Library

The lunar nodes are the points in space at which eclipses occur. They are the points where the path of the Moon crosses the path of the Sun. Although they are not embodied, they exert significant influence on the Earth’s magnetic field. 

The nodes serve as the spiritual army of the zodiac. Examining their influence in the chart offers profound insight into the native’s karmic journey, both past and present. Together, the nodes complete each other in balance. This paper uses the 3-9 axis to demonstrate how the nodes act as karmic guideposts for the soul’s spiritual evolution.

Ketu is the constricting, descending, south node. He represents the native’s combined past life knowledge. Previous incarnations encompass many life experiences, and Ketu possesses the ability to move between them. As such, the tendency is to want to hold onto this “comfort zone” and to rely on past strengths for security in this life. But this energy hinders evolution, since it keeps the soul locked into a limited understanding from the past.

The expanding, ascending north node, Rahu, represents yet-unexplored areas of life. Karmic balance is achieved by living into these areas. The native is inspired to master them in this lifetime, since the soul has little experience here.  Rahu tests boundaries and explores new horizons so that consciousness can evolve. 

Wherever Rahu or Ketu are placed in a chart, their imbalanced energy upsets that sign’s natural modes of expression. The south node limits one from seeing the potential of expanding into the regions of Rahu; the north node’s desire nature creates a voracious compulsion for experience at all costs. Thus, Rahu and Ketu become wildcards, “smoky” (1) shadow grahas that confuse and obstruct the influences already present in the chart.

In the zodiac, Signs 3 and 9 illustrate the corresponding polarities of intellect versus faith, detailed reasoning versus expansive acceptance. If Sign 3 is the book, then Sign 9 is the library. While neither approach is wholly incorrect, they must balance one another in order to prosper. 

Sign 3 is designated as vipat (2), or “flying apart.” This indicates a separation of the preceding two that facilitates developing into something greater. Sign 2 is stabilization, responsibility, and nourishment. The resources of Sign 2 offer support for Sign 3 to follow its curious impulse to explore the world. This quest results in trying things out, acquiring new skills, and determining whether each new experience holds subjective meaning. From this place, the individual becomes strong in the self through the development of personal beliefs and reasoning. This enables them to function autonomously in the world beyond the security generated in Sign 2. Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." (3) But this quote applies as equally to writing as to reading. Three asks the individual to write their own book – to determine what they want to say, and to stand in their power by expressing themselves with grace and integrity.

The Yavanajataka describes Sign 3 as follows:

The third sign is a couple. It is a woman holding a lyre and a man holding a club. This sign shows the shoulders and arms of the cosmic man. Here, you can find dancers, singers, artisans, women; places for gaming, sexual acts, gambling, and recreation. (4)

The imagery of the lyre and the club implies that the feminine, creative aspect needs safety in order to express itself. Here, the individual learns to defend their beliefs and modes of self-expression. The shoulders and arms of the cosmic man allow for action, building, and manipulation. The resource security of Sign 2 offers the foundation from which to create and explore, as is reflected in the list  of “extracurricular” activities that follows. These are all past-times that the responsible, balanced individual engages with after their responsibilities have been understood and managed.

When Ketu is in Sign 3, the above energies are warped and obscured. Past life experiences have been dominated by the successful use of intellect and experimentation. The soul was likely skilled in many areas of interest, and had a profound artistic expression. In order to discourage overdependence on these qualities, the Great Liberator Ketu now gives doubts about what the native knows. Information that runs contrary to what they believe they know is met with resistance, since this threatens their security paradigm. The native must focus on belief systems that surpass their personal philosophies. True liberation begins with releasing the need to know and accepting that the only thing to be certain of is that nothing is certain. 

Just as Rahu and Ketu are two halves of a whole, so the opposing signs of the zodiac are bound. The energy of Sign 3 finds its balance in Sign 9. When Rahu is in the ninth sign, the native strives for faith. Their work in this incarnation is to develop ideals and beliefs that encompass the areas of life that are incomprehensible or unable to be rationalized. Where Ketu gives doubt, Rahu seeks faith and intuition. He goes out into the unknown to cultivate the faith that he will know what he needs to know at any given moment. The soul must learn to surrender to a higher philosophy and to trust those wiser than they are, even when there is no tangible or rational proof.

Sign 9 is called “supremely friendly.” (5). It marks a deeper connection in the evolution of consciousness. Sign 8 finds fulfilment within; at Nine, this overflows into all possible viewpoints. Like a library filled with myriad books, the ideals and culture of Sign 9 reflect a higher principle so that humanity can exist in harmony with itself and with the world. As Victor Hugo said, “A library implies an act of faith.” (6). At this pivotal point, the sense of I expands beyond the small self and prepares to contribute to the whole. The individual is called to use the strength and adaptability learned through the breaks and changes of Eight to amplify those capacities for the greater good. 

The Yavanajataka describes Sign 9 as such:

Here we see a man carrying a bow. His rear half is that of a horse. This represents the thighs of the creator. Related to level land; places where horses and herds of horses reside; places where there are alcoholic drinks, weapon-bearers, sacrifices, chariots, and – again – horses. (7)

The rear half as that of a horse indicates that consciousness is progressing.  The strengths of Signs 1-8 are accessible to the animal realm; evolution into humanity requires the ability to harness those qualities and direct them towards something superior. The faith and culture of Sign 9 give the archer a sense of vision and a higher goal to aim for. The thighs of the creator are powerful muscles for propelling the soul forward into expansion. Level land and herds of horses signify cultivation and coming together. The power of Signs 1-8 can be harnessed and thus managed. This comes about through the growth of society, moving from animal to human through the development of culture and belief systems. From this point, the individual can conceptualize the future and make sacrifices for a better way of living for all.

When Ketu sits in Sign 9, the soul has found past security through cultivating faith and intuitive understanding. There is a deep capacity for understanding spiritual philosophies and world religions, but Ketu seeks to liberate the native from overreliance on their convictions and intuition. They are attached to beliefs that have brought them past success, and this may lead them to try fitting everything into one particular set of ideals – regardless of whether it is effective or not.

At the other end of the spectrum, Rahu in Sign 3 must test this faith through trial and error to find out what actually works. This can bring uncertainty when the individual faces new events without the experience to make an informed decision. The aim is to learn how to define and focus one’s intuitions in such a way that they can be clearly rationalized. This requires the detachment to accept the objective results of these experiments, and the adaptability to flow between paradigms based on the truth of the moment.

If the native can find balance between Signs 3 and 9, then the soul continues on its path of evolution. Emphasis on personal convictions must be tempered by allegiance to universal principles that provide guidance, and vice versa. This is a challenging task, since the nodes disrupt and mystify the areas that they influence in a person’s life. However challenging it may be, the work lies in stepping away from the familiar and moving towards unknown regions. Rahu and Ketu are just as important to the growth of consciousness as any other graha: although they may upend the native’s life experience, it is with growth in mind. By studying the nodes’ impact in the chart, the astrologer gains a deeper understanding of an individual’s karmic journey and becomes better equipped to serve as a guide on their inexorable march onward into the future.

WORKS CITED

(3) “Frederick Douglass.” National Park Service, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/frederick-douglass-the-collector-and-educator-of-anacostia.htm

(1) Sage Parasara. Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra. “The Lunar Nodes. Class 1.” Uploaded by Ryan Kurczak. http://vedic-astrology.teachable.com

(2), (4), (5), (7) Sphujidhvaja. The Yavanajataka. “The Lunar Nodes. Classes 4 & 6.” Uploaded by Ryan Kurczak.  http://vedic-astrology.teachable.com

(6) “Victor Hugo Quote.” LibQuote, 2023. https://libquotes.com/victor-hugo/quote/lbh2a5c