Many people are blaming certain difficulties on a retrograde Mercury at the moment. It’s important to remember, that Mercury goes retrograde often, and unless you have a terrible Mercury in your chart, it’s not going to affect you as often as people like to say it will. Also, your will power and clear intention go a long way to negate any potential planetary negativity. The planets can only trigger what is happening inside you. If there is no internal trigger, there is no external experience.
If you are experiencing:
- more frustration than usual
- difficulty feeling understood or understanding others
- feeling uncomfortable in your skin or with who you are mentally, emotionally or psychologically
- having more bad luck than usual
- or are feeling psychically weird and out of sorts
When we have all the planets between Rahu and Ketu we have Kala Sarpa Time.
It’s not Mercury retrograde, it’s what is called a Kala Sarpa Yoga happening up there in the sky. When all of the planets are between the nodes of the moon, or Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node) as we call them in Vedic Astrology, this creates a very interesting combination of energies. (Read the bottom of this post for specific information about this combination.) Most people have more trouble with the nodes of the moon in their horoscope than Mercury.
This transit happened between July 15th, 2012 and July 28th, 2012. It occurs again on August 11th, 2012 through August 23rd, 2012 and then again between September 7th, 2012 and September 20th, 2012. After September 20th, Mars moves out from the hemming in of Rahu and Ketu, breaking the cycle for the rest of the year.
If you had difficulty as described above during the July dates, it may occur again during the September and August dates too. The nodes represent our cravings, desires, obsessions and ambitions. They show where we have been in the past, and where we want to go. With Rahu in Sagittarius it can show that this is an excellent time to grow beyond our past limiting belief or faith structure, to find a higher faith or purer philosophy, as Rahu, positively speaking indicated detoxification, and Sagittarius represents higher ideals, faith and philosophy. Ketu in Gemini shows that our ways of thinking and understanding the world intellectually are out dated and not appropriate to the current time of our life. Ketu represents where we have found security in the past, and Gemini represents the thinking faculty and our ideas.
We can struggle holding on to what no longer serves us, and then the frustration, difficulty and bad luck will happen. Or we can listen, spend more time within, in meditation, or contemplation and hear what spirit has to say about our inner growth. We will either make new and exciting discoveries, or we will be left feeling painfully in adequate. It all depends on if Rahu and Ketu are well situated in our horoscope or if they are troublesome. Of course, through intention, meditation and purposeful living we can transcend these spectral influences. I say spectral, because the nodes of the moon are not embodied planets like the Moon, Sun, Mars, etc. They are points in space where eclipses occur, which is why they represent where our inner light can become eclipsed if we let it.
Here is the current picture of a horoscope for July 27, 2012 illustrating all the planets between Rahu and Ketu.
In the mean time, consider taking up a mantra practice for Rahu and Ketu. Spend more time alone at home in a spiritual or contemplative mood. Be intentional about your life, and don’t let passing clouds or confusion get you down or stop you from living. Reflect on what you might need to do to purify your relationship, mind, spiritual and emotional life. Take steps towards the purification.
In the meantime, the following is an excerpt from our recent book. It explains what your life may be like if you have Kala Sarpa Yoga in your birth chart.
Kala Sarpa Yoga – an Excerpt from The Art and Science of Vedic Astrology by Richard Fish and Ryan Kurczak
“There are very few yogas involving Rahu and Ketu. By far the most important one is Kala Sarpa Yoga, which occurs when all seven planets are located on one side of the axis created by Rahu and Ketu. Kala can mean time or black and sarpa means serpent. The “dark time serpent” probably refers to Ketu.
The results of this yoga are said to give difficulty and hardship. There are two types of Kala Sarpa; Anuloma, in which all the planets are moving towards Rahu, and Viloma, in which all the planets are moving towards Ketu. Whichever way round, one of the transiting retrograde Nodes will encounter each of the planets, creating a potential problem or crisis as it does so. There is frequently a strong energization of one’s psychic nature.
The Art and Science of Vedic Astrology: The Foundation Course
Authored by W. Ryan Kurczak, Richard Fish
With Anuloma Rahu’s influence casts itself on all the other planets within the chart. Rahu represent illusion, ambition and worldly desire—the forces of maya. This form of Kalasarpa Yoga projects a strong current of psychic energy that can cause disruption or difficulty, particularly in the functioning of the astral body.
With Viloma Ketu’s influence is cast over the planets, giving either spiritual aspirations and an urge towards liberation from bondage or a fixation on the past. Sometimes it gives a need to assert oneself by dominating others.
Kala Sarpa can act as an obstruction to other more positive yogas, causing obstacles, conflict or misunderstanding. It is important to consider the two houses that are involved. With Anuloma the house that Rahu occupies becomes an important consideration—matters related to that house are likely to be disturbed and disrupted. With the Viloma version of this yoga, Ketu’s house becomes a key factor, full of contradictions or associated with the focus of one’s spiritual interests.
Any planets in close association with the Nodes will have a significant influence. Malefics will cause the Yoga to be particularly difficult while benefics will improve it. It is also important to note the placement of the planets that rule the signs containing Rahu and Ketu. If both are well placed then this yoga can be very good. This yoga also improved if the Nodes are in compatible signs, such as Virgo-Pisces or Taurus-Scorpio.”
Categories: Astrology Influence 2012, Rahu and Ketu
Asheville Vedic Astrology 
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