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Rahu and Ketu Are Moving

Writer: Maryann Haack
Maryann Haack
Oct 15
4 min read

Updated: Oct 16

Night sky over mountains, Rahu and Ketu transit 2026

What you are hungry for, and what you are ready to release


Some movements in the sky are quick and loud. Others are slow and quiet, and you only notice them once your life has already shifted. The lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, belong to the second kind.


In December 2026, they move onto a new axis. They will stay there for about eighteen months. And together with Saturn’s move into Aries in June 2027, this shift sets the tone for much of the year ahead.


What Rahu and Ketu are

Rahu and Ketu are not planets. They are two points where the path of the Moon crosses the path of the Sun. In Jyotish they are called shadow planets, and they are always exactly opposite each other. Where one sits in your chart, the other sits across from it.

Rahu is hunger. It points to what we want more of, what fascinates us, sometimes what we chase without quite knowing why. Where Rahu goes, things get louder, bigger, more urgent.

Ketu is release. It points to what we already know, what we have done before, what slowly loses its taste. Where Ketu goes, things get quieter. Sometimes that feels like loss. Often it is a kind of freedom.


The new axis: Capricorn and Cancer

In December 2026, Rahu moves into Capricorn and Ketu into Cancer.

Capricorn is the sign of structure, work, status and long-term building. With Rahu here, many people will feel a stronger pull towards achievement and recognition: a new role, a bigger responsibility, a business that wants to grow.

Cancer is the sign of home, belonging and emotional security. With Ketu here, old ideas of where we belong may loosen. A home, a family pattern, a sense of safety that used to hold everything together may simply feel different.

Put together, this axis asks a question many of us know well: how much of my life do I give to building, and how much to belonging?


What this means for you: start with your Ascendant

The general picture is the weather. What matters is where Capricorn and Cancer fall in your own chart. The easiest way to start is your Ascendant, the rising sign. It shows you which areas of life the new axis activates for you.


Aries rising: Rahu in your 10th house brings a strong pull towards career and visibility. Ketu in your 4th asks you to loosen your hold on home and old securities. Ask yourself: what would I build if I felt safe enough to step forward?


Taurus rising: Rahu in your 9th draws you towards study, travel, teachers and new beliefs. Ketu in your 3rd quiets old habits of communication and constant effort. Ask yourself: which bigger picture am I ready to explore?


Gemini rising: Rahu in your 8th brings depth, shared resources and transformation into focus. Ketu in your 2nd shifts your relationship with money, family and values. Ask yourself: what am I ready to share, and what to let go of?


Cancer rising: Rahu in your 7th puts partnerships, clients and contracts at the centre. Ketu in your 1st invites you to release an old self-image. Ask yourself: who do I want to grow with?


Leo rising: Rahu in your 6th brings energy to work, health and solving problems. Ketu in your 12th quiets old escapes and invites a calmer inner life. Ask yourself: which daily habit would change everything?


Virgo rising: Rahu in your 5th lights up creativity, children, romance and taking risks. Ketu in your 11th loosens old networks and long-held goals. Ask yourself: what would I create just for the joy of it?


Libra rising: Rahu in your 4th turns attention to home, roots and inner security. Ketu in your 10th lets an old career identity soften. Ask yourself: where do I truly feel at home?


Scorpio rising: Rahu in your 3rd brings courage, writing, initiative and short journeys. Ketu in your 9th questions old beliefs and teachers. Ask yourself: what do I want to say in my own voice?


Sagittarius rising: Rahu in your 2nd brings focus to income, values and how you speak. Ketu in your 8th releases old fears around change and shared money. Ask yourself: what am I really worth, and what do I value?


Capricorn rising: Rahu in your 1st puts you, your body and your direction in the spotlight. Ketu in your 7th changes how you show up in partnerships. Ask yourself: who am I when I lead my own life?


Aquarius rising: Rahu in your 12th draws you inward and towards distant places. Ketu in your 6th loosens old routines and ways of working. Ask yourself: what needs more space and quiet in my life?


Pisces rising: Rahu in your 11th brings new networks, ambitions and gains. Ketu in your 5th shifts your relationship with creativity, joy and children. Ask yourself: which community do I want to belong to?


Two tips: If you know your Moon sign, read that one too. And remember that this is the general layer. How strongly you feel it depends on the planets that already sit in these houses, and on your current Dasha.


A word on fear

Rahu and Ketu have a dramatic reputation. Many people hear “nodes” and expect trouble. In my experience, the nodes rarely bring something that was not already there. They turn up the volume on one side and turn it down on the other. If you know which side is which, you can work with it instead of being surprised by it.


You can find your current chapter with my free Dasha Decoder*.

And on 3 December I will walk through 2027 live on Zoom, including the new Rahu-Ketu axis and Saturn in Aries, and how to read both in your own chart.* Details here*.*


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