Details of Rahu in Leo (Simh) and Ketu in Acquarius (Kumbh)

Rahu in Leo helps the native to realise his desires, which are of a lofty nature. He has a fine ambition; and even if he is not an artist, he is none the less a man of good taste, a lover of form and of everything that is fine and noble.

His fine imagination should enable him to discover or invent new, pleasing and attractive things, which will profit him. His enquiring mind makes him continually desire to know and learn everything new. This helps him to progress. Rahu in Leo enables the native to conquer the difficulties of life.

Ketu in Aquarius causes the native to be easily deceived. He is inclined to be indolent. He does not react, nor know how to act wisely; and this is detrimental to him. People should be kind, but they should know how to discriminate, and this is not the case with Ketu in Aquarius, as the native is too much inclined to listen to fine words. This position also indicates deceit over love matters; it is a sign of infidelity on the part of the native or his partner. It also upsets iether the mental or the physical balance.

Rahu in Leo gives executive ability and qualities of leadership. Needs to be independent to do a good job. Has nobility and pride. The virtue hidden in pride is self-respect. To this, Leo has the right. If self-respect is lacking, the individual would have the ability to cultivate it in this life.

Ketu in Aquarius shows the past habits have been to retreat from the world because of a snobbishness or distaste. Strong egocentric tendencies have to be overcome.

The Leo Rahu symbolizes a struggle with the will. In this incarnation, the individual is learning to develop strength within himself. Conditions force him to stand alone, very often with the absence of shoulders to lean on. He eventually learns that if his life is to be better it must be created by himself. But before he can build any such creations he must overcome his lackadaisical carefree attitude.

He still continues a past-life tendency to spend too much time feeling sorry for himself at his lack of friends when he feels they are needed most. Somehow in moments of stress, others always seem to be absent. Long periods of loneliness, isolation and in many cases a good part of the time spent as a hermit are not uncommon.

Ultimately, when the mind is made up, there is little that can sway this individual from his destiny. He must learn that his isolation is a self-imposed prerequisite for gathering strength. Very capable of strong leadership in this life, he must learn to overcome all doubts within the self.

The continuance of his past-life desires for friendships actually weaken him, as they do little to build his individual confidence. He must learn how to become more goal-oriented rather than following his accustomed tendency to dissipate his energies. The interesting thing is that while he continues to think he needs others to answer his questions, he rarely takes their advice.

The friends that he does have will be from all walks of life. In a sense, this increases his scope, for they bring to him now the awareness that he earned in former incarnations.

Once determination takes root, there is no stopping the path towards success, for he does not like to settle for second best. Much thought is given to the future. In fact, he is used to living there, until one day he makes the realization that ‘today is yesterday’s tomorrow’ and that nothing will exist in the future that is not created now!

He is not the easiest of people to understand, for he will do anything to retain and emphasize his own sense of individuality. In past incarnations, he developed a detachment from the majority of the world, allowing him to feel free to go his own way. Now he takes pride in being unique and different, caring not as much for the traditions of society as for whatever rules he has set up for himself.

His main difficulty in this life is a lack of control. Without discipline he can generate his power into useless projects, until he realizes that nobody will stand over him with a whip.

If he builds on past-life knowledge, he has a great ability to do something for the human race, for he is capable of depersonalizing his actions for the good of all mankind.

Many with these Nodes live a rags-to-riches life, the big change coming after the tendency to overlook is turned into an ability to oversee! Their greatest amazement occurs when they discover prior-life talents in themselves that they never thought they had.

Happiness is reached once principles to which to dedicate the life are found. Furthermore, these principles must be unshakable so that the individual feels he is creating something solid. He will then identify his life in terms of the size of the principles to which he has attached himself.

Disturbed by the scattered activities of others, which remind him of his own past incarnations, he feels the strong need to see life moving along a directed course towards a specified goal. Still, he wants to retain his complete independence. As a result, he finds it difficult to tolerate others cramping his style. When they do, they will find him constantly testing limits.

The Aquarius Ketu brings with it past life roots strongly embedded in the principles of fairness and equality. In the current life, the individual is given the opportunity to be on his own so that unhampered by others he may express his intrinsic beliefs. His job now is to show people as flamboyantly or as powerfully as he may choose the ways in which the world can overcome its burdens. His greatest achievements occur after he has surrendered his personal will to the service of humanity.

There is no question but that this is good leadership material so long as the ingrained past-life Aquarian sense of fairness is never violated. This individual is capable of making revolutionary changes in what was once established tradition. He is first, last and always amazed and fascinated by all the possibilities man can reach. At the same time, he is offended when he sees people pitying their self-imposed limitations, for well he knows the experience of pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps.

He aspires to stand tall and not be ridiculed for those beliefs which he has struggled so hard to express.

While his capabilities for love run deep, the rest of him is not too far below the surface. The continuation of his past-life attractiosns to momentary fascinations keep throwing him off the track, making it difficult for him now to see the core of his true self clearly. And so, he must identify with his achievements as the only real barometer of his worth.

Though he may at times strongly wish to be alone, he could never live without people, for he thrives on their admiration of his achievements. He believes in firm justice, and yet he is quick to pardon once people have admitted they are wrong. He is never one to strike when a person is down. The sense of fair play has become such a part of his soul that although he feels he should be more competitive, it makes him uncomfortable to be part of any competition which involves foul play.

Things which wouldn’t have bothered him in past incarnations suddenly become important as he starts to dig into life rather than disassociate from it. Although it is his present life karma to apply his Uranian ingenuity through practical and traditional Leonian outlets, he still struggles to maintain his unique character.

Some with this position spend the later years of their life alone. Others who are married still hold onto such a strong streak of independence that they tend to keep other family members on the periphery of their circle.

The house position of the Ketu indicates the area where past-life needs for originality and freedom are still seeking expression.

The house position of the Rahu shows the area through which all the chart energy can be focused into a new shining creation of substantial size and worth, a gift of generosity to the world. Truly these are the Nodes of the ‘inventor’.

Previous incarnation for this person was spent in many unusual activities. He seldom had time to be individualistic. Most of the efforts were towards achieving things for others. In this time, he has decided to be substantially individualistic. Making his own name or getting the credit for his work is significant in this lifetime. Cultivation of personality, ego and general magnetism is noticed in this person. He will use his powers and connections to get where he wants to go in life. He may have to step on others; but he will look at that as a favor to them, and later on when he is up there, he will help those who indirectly were helpful to him. Strong self-conditioning and self-confidence is noticed in him in this life.

You need to learn to love deeply. Your Aquarius Ketu may reply: ‘Who: me? What do you mean? I love absolutely everybody. Except for my ex-best-friend and my ex-lover, and that snooty sales clerk who implied I had no taste....’

Your problems may include that you are looking for Utopia. Your ideals have frustrated your needs for love and companionship.

Possible reasons for these problems: You’re inclined to be lazy about developing your creativity, preferring to idealize others’ accomplishments at the expense of your own. You spend most of your tiem serving others’ causes at the expense of fulfilling your own goals. Traumatic experiences have caused you to retreat from the world to some extent. Ingrained stubbornness hinders the formation of relationships. A subconscious superiority complex.

Possible solutions: Get in touch with your need for dignity, and channel it properly. Discover and use your fertile imagination. Learn to lie skillfully. Have a lot of lovers. Devote yourself totally to a humanitarian organization, cause, or activity.

Rahu in Leo almost always has some degree of untapped creativity. Sometimes shyness keeps it untapped. The shyness is in itself a manifestation of the untapped Leo Rahu potentials, since Leo is the sign of confidnece. Ketu in Aquarius encourages the individual to lose himself or herself in a whirl of friendships and acquaintance-making, or in some vast utopian ideal. In either case, the motivation is to avoid having to come to terms with his or her own individuality. These people are seldom recognized as shy, because their shyness manifests on a personal rather than a public level.

Another manifestation of Leo Rahu - Aquarius Ketu imbalance is seen in the person who leaves more prosaic creativities untapped while he or she searches for that great talent that will make a contribution to the world. The Leo Rahur isn’t content to enjoy developing his or her creativity unless he or she can make a great artistic, dramatic or social contribution to posterity.

In my experience, people with an over-developed Aquarius Ketu are generally: kept busy dealing with other people’s problems; wanting to be in the spotlight, but they often wind their contributions get obscured; egotistical in an unusual way - they emphasize equality and refuse to acknowledge that some people have more potential than others: in other words, you can’t do any more than they can; intellectual at the expense of their emotions; spiteful; fond of shocking others; extremist in their work for change; contradictory, in that the brain doesn’t know what the heart wants; averse to traditional marriage - women are often militantly liberated to the point where they resent or dislike men in general; and inclined to believe everything you tell them about themselves as long as it’s flattering.

Rahu in Leo would like to be seen as someone with a tremendous amount of vitality. He or she wants to be known as someone who’s attained creative or business success. He or she may aspire to be a famous movie star or politician, or may want to be known for his or her lovely home or lavish parties. He or she wants to be respected and able to impress others. This person is social and capable of expressing emotion, albeit in a rather detached way. He or she may have some rather funny loyalties or a misconception of loyalty. this may serve to prevent success, as the person is inclined to be afraid that his success might inconvenience or be unfair to others. This preoccupation with the good of the group, as opposed to his or her own good, can lead to unpredictable behavior that brings more controversy than respect.

Antidotes for Leo imbalance: psychodrama or dramatization of the nodal dilemma can be helpful if the repression is severe. Interior decorating, set design, etc. can be excellent antidotes if there’s aptitude in these directions. Political involvement and involvement in community action programs are ideal for stimulating a sluggish node in this position. The client should be encouraged to accept leadership roles in any capacity for which he’s suited.

The client should be engaged in a ‘What would happen if...’ diaolgue in which he or she is asked to visualize the worst possible things that could result from developing the Rahu. You should then help the client deal with these fears. This technique works best with clients who are able to laugh at themselves, since it’s often necessary to point out the preposterous-ness of their fears.

You should make certain that the client hasn’t confused ambition with ruthlessness, since this seems to be a frequent misconception with both Aquarius Ketu and Rahu in the fifth house. It seems seems to be less common with Sun square nodes, et al., although it sometimes manifests here as well.

For personal growth, you need to determine clearly your life direction and then focus and apply willpower to achieve objectives. This can be a challenge, as you tend to dissipate energies in different directions, partly due to a lack of future planning. You need to realize that you shape future experiences through the consequences of thoughts, actions, values and attitudes. What you do today creates your tomorrow; and a favorable future depends on choices and decisions in the present. If choices are misguided, you will face the inevitable disappointing consequences later.

To achieve this new life direction, you have to become more individual, breaking free from the consensual social conditioning indicated by the Aquarius Ketu. This does not imply that you become eccentric or socially alienated, but rather that you become more self-reliant and independent, true to your own light and taking responsibility for your choices and life path. Positive gains from this can include self-confidence and self-understanding. Moving beyond unnecessary doubts, you can realize your potential once your life direction is determined and relatively few obstacles block your progress. Asking others for signposts may be unwise and weaken determination or send you in a wrong direction; unfolding this path from within becomes your source of guidance. Once this direction is clarified, meaning and purpose are discovered, and pursuing this task will engage your willpower.

Yet this is not a search for a self-centered path; it is one which combines independent self-expression with awareness of social relationship and interdependence. Your proposed growth should ideally benefit all, as well as yourself. Building a personal value structure is important, and you will try to stay true to those guiding life principles which provide a firm inner foundation.

Your new creative direction can be effectively released in the sphere of life indicated by the Rahu’s house; and as your new worldview develops, you may feel inspired to share your beliefs more widely. Your humanistic concerns will dampen as feelings of social responsibility and contribution expand. Your growing idealism and altruistic spirit will shine more clearly, reshaping life by your ideals, so that by pursuing your path, you also contribute to benefit others.

The main issue concerns individual and group growth, and may focus on social needs for fairness and equality. Once a direction is established, you may emerge as an inspirational leader, aiming to create constructive change within traditional social practices and thought. Such activity may prompt mixed reactions from others, especially as progressive attitudes may be ‘before their time’, and difficult to be integrated by contemporary society. But your independent spirit must be retained, so that your transformation and new socially creative expression indicates a way that society can also take. For yourself, purposefully direction energies in creative and productive ways will bring satisfaction. But you should never forget the existence and needs of others. Be true to them also, because, by your living your humanitarian ideals, your path is formed.

In the fixed sign Leo, we are concerned with gaining a secure position in life. Leo is also a Fire sign; and the Leo personality consumes for its own benefit the living space surrounding others. Leo wants to be a monarch, and to possess a realm of which it can be said: ‘Here I am at home, and here I will carry out my activities. This is my territory, and I will never surrender it’. Leo always keeps a firm grip on a personal world that represents security in the changing scenes of life; and, of course, people play a decisive part in these scenes.

With the Node in Leo, we should adopt a positive, well-defined attitude to our environment. We ought to make ourselves known, place ourselves in the center of our world, and learn to cope with it. Usually the world does not leave us alone but is continually provoking confrontations. Anyway, this position of the Node helps to correct our development, and brings us out into the open.

In charts indicating a certain hesitancy or nervousness over making one’s presence felt, a Node with this placement may help to overcome this tendency. The Node here encourages the individual to come out of his or her shell and be willing to take a few risks. Finally, this Node urges us to test ourselves in the world, and be willing to experience euphoric self-realization, and the suffering of reverses, along with everything that lies in between. As a Leo, we may seem to ourselves and others to be very much on the offensive all the time; in reality, however, we are very much on the defensive, for Leo is a fixed sign, and only the Fire in it produces the touch of aggression.

To Be Continued