Major Planetary Transit - June 6th, 2011

Rahu and Ketu Move into Scorpio and Taurus Respectively

The Snake Planets Rahu and Ketu

Unlike the other planets, Rahu and Ketu travel in a counter-clockwise direction over the natal charts spending around 1-2 years in each of the signs. This year, they are changing signs or making a transit commencing on June 6, 2011. Rahu is shifting from Sagittarius into Scorpio, while Ketu is moving from Gemini into Taurus where they will remain for the next 18 months.

Major transits like these can give us interesting insights about our future. Results can range from aggravation to atonement depending on the individual's chart - where your other planets are placed - and predictions from our expert astrologers. However, Rahu and Ketu can bring positive or negative effects on your life completely dependent upon their positions in your birth chart.

Rahu and Ketu are unique in the sense that they always appear in the chart in a retrograde direction. Both of them contain key clues about your karma from previous lives as well as important issues for you to work on in this one.

The effect of this upcoming transit depends on how we respond to both favorable and unfavorable situations as there is always a free will.

Rahu has a positive side and can offer great boons in communication, innovative ideas, new inventions and improved technology. Ketu is sometimes called the saintly planet as Ketu can help push us to be motivated for spiritual liberation. Rahu can help make us extroverted, affirming and ambitious, while Ketu's influence can push us to be more introverted or detached. However, both Rahu and Ketu can have a poisonous side as well and their malefic energies are dreaded as Rahu can trigger out of control behaviors such as addiction, and Ketu can make material comforts evaporate.

Rahu's transits show where someone is likely to expand, become driven, try new things and disperse their energy into materialistic pursuits. Wherever Rahu is in your birth chart is an area you may have avoided in your recent past lives, and it is an area you may have to work on this lifetime.

Ketu's transits shows where someone is likely to experience restriction, detachment, completion or focus and deepen their spiritual pursuits. Wherever Ketu is in your birth chart may be a place you have felt more comfortable in past lives and may be where you naturally wish to focus again now. However, you must first deal with the lessons of Rahu before the fruits of Ketu can open.

One further note, if either Rahu or Ketu are your current major or minor planetary influences (called Dasha/Bhukti), a home remedy of lighting lemon lamps during Rahu periods or anytime on Sundays, Tuesdays or Fridays can be done.

Preparing Your Lemon Lamps

1. Cut a lemon in half - cross section, not end to end

2. Squish out the juice with your fingers, and remove most of the pulp

3. Very carefully so as not to tear the outer rind, turn the halves inside out so that the outside rind is cupped and the fleshy part is on the outside.

4. Fill the lemon cup with ghee or lamp oil

5. Place a cotton wick in the cup like you would for a ghee lamp

6. You have a lemon lamp!

Make as many as you like. Only burn once and then toss away.

A transit period is an excellent time for everyone to send these planetary beings some love and respect!