The descending node
Ketu is the descending lunar node, always exactly 180 degrees opposite Rahu, and shares the same eighteen-month-per-sign pace. Where Rahu intensifies the desire for the material world, Ketu is traditionally associated with detachment, release, past-life memory and a sudden loss of interest in what was previously pursued.
Ketu Mahadasha and spiritual shifts
Ketu Mahadasha is widely regarded in Jyotish as a period of letting go: relationships, roles or possessions that no longer fit fall away, often quickly and without warning. It is also the Mahadasha most associated with spiritual practice and moksha in traditional texts.
How Ketu transits are read
Ketu transiting the ascendant or the eighth house is traditionally considered significant for letting go of identity or attachment, while Ketu over the fourth or ninth is linked to a shift away from family or belief. Read these dates against the nodes in your birth chart for a personal interpretation.
Ketu transit questions
How long does Ketu stay in one sign?
About eighteen months, the same pace as Rahu, because the two nodes are always 180 degrees apart.
What does Ketu signify?
Ketu is associated with detachment, spiritual insight, past-life memory, moksha and the sudden end of attachment. It is the karaka for the head in the skeleton and for the matted locks of Shiva.
Do Rahu and Ketu share one schedule?
Yes. They share a single 18-year cycle and always occupy opposite signs, so both move through the zodiac at exactly the same rate.
Are these transit dates the same for every city?
Yes. The instant a body changes sign is an astronomical fact, not a local one, so the underlying UTC date is identical everywhere on Earth. This page converts those instants to your selected city for display, so changing your location changes the clock time you see but never the date, and never triggers a new calculation.