Rahu's World
And What to Do About It
The most powerful force in US politics at the moment is not who you think it is. No not one of the erstwhile candidates or the now president-elect. Nor is it some shadowy cabal of puppet masters—at least not the kind those words are likely to conjure.
Shadowy, though: that’s a good word for the fellow I’m talking about. And like any conspirator worth his salt, he does prefer to operate behind the scenes. Where else can one so effectively sow chaos and confusion. This guy has sworn a vengeful oath to do just that. His passion—his whole job, really—is to pervert clear understanding until it’s hard to tell which way is up. Pretzel logic is his M.O. His favorite abode, a horror-show smoke-and-mirror funhouse.
Who am I talking about? Meet Rahu, floating serpent-head in the sky, a.k.a. everyone’s favorite shadow planet.
Also known as the North Node, Rahu isn’t a planet at all in the usual sense, but then Rahu doesn’t do “usual.” Rather, he’s one of two points (or nodes) where the earth’s orbit crosses the moon’s. This point and its counterpart (the South Node, known in India as Ketu) are where eclipses occur. When the sun, moon and nodes line up just so, it’s eclipse o’clock. This happens twice a year, generally. But Rahu is like a constant eclipse, a shadow personified. He’s a fly in the ointment, the mole in the machine.
Not at all coincidentally, the United States is in the middle of an 18 year period (called a mahādaśā) ruled by none other than Rahu. As Dr Robert Svoboda recently pointed out, the beginning of this period coincided more or less with the political rise of Donald Trump. Now it must be said that Trump, sporting an eclipse in his natal chart, has a heavy Rahu signature; the man is something of a Rahuvian emissary. But to be fair, Kamala Harris is no slouch in the Rahuvian department, either (she has Rahu as the sole influence on her ascendant). The point is, Rahu rigged things so that no matter who won, it would be a victory for him. This is his party, and he doesn’t much care if you vote for him, and he’s only a third of the way through his 18 year term.
You have to give him credit, the political scramble he’s already effected has seen former Democratic stalwarts siding with Trump and neocon operators like Dick Cheney endorsing Harris. Can’t you just feel him grinning from ear to ear and doing a mischievous little jig at the sheer bizarre-ness of it all? The topsier-turvier, the better, as far as Rahu is concerned.
Needless to say, none of this is a particularly good look for the ol’ U.S. of A. We’re ravaged by division, shrouded in confusion, and bloated with ego. Because, oh yes, that’s another major Rahu attribute: as the serpent’s disembodied head, he’s full of ego. And insatiable appetite.
If all this sounds familiar, it’s because we’re living in Rahu’s world.
Talking heads everywhere you look.
Addictive new tech metastasizing too fast to keep up (never mind regulate).
Identity theft and unprecedented levels of scamming.
Fake news.
Reality tunnels.
2024 has Rahu written all over it.
Perhaps you’re asking: what use it, this mythologically-informed perspective on current events? What’s the point? Does it empower us to think or act differently?
I suggest that it does.
Not only does the story of Rahu help us see through confusion and recognize some of the underlying dynamics, it also suggests some remedial possibilities.
In Hindu tradition, each of the so-called malefic planets is kept in check or otherwise remedied by a particular deity. In Rahu’s case, that deity is Durga.
Yes, that Durga. Lion-riding, no-prisoners-taking, demon-slaying, head-severing Durga. She who unleashes her righteous fury against the wicked for the sake of liberation of the oppressed. Durga who don’t take no shit from no one, least of all a slippery sharp-tooth scoundrel like Rahu1.
Having gravitated to more playful manifestations of the divine mother in the past, I’m only just starting beginning study and devotion to this fierce incarnation. But the times call for a certain intensity, don’t they. The times call for Durga the demon-slayer. Who knows what medicine she’ll bring. It may not be gentle. But sometimes heads must roll (spiritually-speaking).
Join me, if you will, in deepening in with this aspect of the divine mother. (Here’s a mantra to get you started.)
May her worship spread like mycelium within the dark earth.
Jai Ma.
To be clear, Rahu isn’t all bad. He’s devilish and problematic, but he’s also wildly original, and he can be the life of the party. Whether it’s a party you want to go to (or vote for) is another question. But, respect where due, you can always count on Rahu to thicken the plot and stir the pot. There may even be method to his madness.