Ketu in Cancer
Avesalom Podvodny. Planets in the Zodiac Signs
This individual is learning how to achieve maturity. In past incarnations, he viewed life through rose-tinted glasses, seeing only what he wanted to see, with a certain conviction that the rest did not exist. Now he is still, in many ways, a “child,” left in his South Node in Cancer. He is used to struggling with his subordinate position while seeking support, so his present life is the ruins of escapist, childish habits that continue to complicate his growth. Truly, he is an eternal child who desperately wishes to retain the role of the center of parental attention. He would prefer that his parents make all decisions for him. Everyone he meets or knows—whether a friend, business partner, or marriage partner—automatically becomes his symbolic father, gathering the fragments of his misfortunes and shielding him from blows. He is even capable of imposing illness upon himself if others claim the love and affection he craves. Constantly preparing to become an adult, he never seems fully ready to make the transition. For some reason, he continues to feel that he first needs much more practice. Everything he does in this life is based on the soul’s memories of the subtle feelings of past lives, which are still shattered by the slightest rejection.
Many people with such a nodal position are deeply immersed in the affairs of their country. They embody the government, because for them it is part of (in a broader sense) their own Cancer family. They possess an exceptionally strong sense of patriotism and devotion. Many individuals with this nodal position focus an inordinate amount of their strength and attention on young people. They love to listen to the experiences and misfortunes of others but, unable to resolve problems quickly, keep everything inside. Under the weight of accumulated problems, they seem to age despite their years.
The heaviest karmic problem of the South Node in Cancer is the art of liberation. The individual brings into this life a fear of losing or forgetting something and tries with all his might to preserve everything he has ever experienced. Thus, he makes himself a “psychic garbage can” for the past. Again and again, he analyzes the present in light of what he did years ago—or “in a past life.” He is often seen poring over old photographs, hoping to build the future from fragments of the past. At times, he exhausts others by using everything done for him as a springboard to demand more. He tests others’ patience by presenting his emotional problems and refuses to see logic beyond the veil of his emotions. He is less interested in understanding why something went wrong than in restoring the lost feeling.
Completion is especially difficult for such an individual. The word “farewell” has never been part of his vocabulary, as he always tries to prolong relationships for as long as possible. He also clings for too long to objects and nostalgic memories they carry.
The main karmic lesson for a person with the North Node in Capricorn is the identification with an ideal greater than life itself. The individual must finally learn to stand for something, despite all real or imagined difficulties. He must understand what true responsibility is. Many people with this nodal position appoint themselves guardians of tradition. They would rather die than allow an outsider to learn of any part of their life that contradicts the principle they uphold. Through the North Node, an image is established that others may respectfully gaze upon and later model their lives after. The individual must uphold this image even at the cost of his life. For the most part, he strives to become methodical and cautious if he can overcome excessive emotional reactions.
In women’s charts, this nodal position represents an exceptionally strong search for a father figure. In men’s charts, such Nodes speak of the awareness of the need to fulfill the parental role. The most important feature of the South Node in Capricorn is that it represents the point at which the individual will encounter his karmic mission. For this reason alone, many people with such a nodal position reluctantly accept the full concept of adulthood. They would prefer to remain in an immature state for as long as possible, because they sense the verdict that awaits them. Like a condemned man seeking a stay of execution, they try to hide behind others, constantly pushing themselves to the brink in order to avoid facing the consequences of all they have created. This is why many such people barely acknowledge their own chronological age. They openly agree with it but try not to live up to it. The person remains immature. The soul has become fixed at some point in early growth, and now it is difficult to move past it. Yet it will be passed if the individual finally takes a stand for something.
The zodiacal constellation of Capricorn is the gate through which the soul must pass when leaving the physical body, and in this most occult of all signs, it will stand before the Judge—but this may not be the final incarnation on Earth. According to its house position, it will receive a karmic verdict in one sphere of life. The individual with this nodal position (Cancer–Capricorn) will be helpless for half of his life, but one day he will be able to say, “This is the best of all I have ever done.”
The position of the South Node in the house indicates the sphere in which residual immaturity seeps into the present life. The position of the North Node in the house shows the ways in which the individual can now enter responsible adulthood, building his life according to the principles of honor, respect, and tradition. Once he learns how to do this, a brilliant achievement awaits him.
