Ketu in Pisces
Avesalom Podvodny. Planets in the Zodiac Signs
The object here is crystallization. The individual must overcome the superstitions of past lives, which now hinder his growth, and clearly perceive the truth of all things. Previous tendencies, such as dependence on others and boundless self-pity due to lack of achievements, are obstacles to be overcome in this lifetime. The individual must not allow himself to become confused, as this clouds his inner vision. He becomes aware of the necessity not to hurt others and expends great effort in developing the ability to express what he truly feels. In essence, his weak point is causing pain to himself (even though he may have many opportunities in this life to understand this and be cautious). He must learn that nothing will happen in his life until tasks and goals are clearly defined. In past incarnations, he was often deceived because he was too compassionate. Now, as before, he shrinks upon seeing suffering, deeply feeling the pain of others, and allows external sorrows to drain his energy until he feels he has had enough. Recognizing that soft-heartedness is his vulnerability, the individual turns to his North Node in Virgo, where he develops the ability to discern what truly deserves his compassion and what is merely fantasy! The person spends much time carefully examining and analyzing his value system, discarding everything unimportant, cultivating a filtering mechanism that enables him to make critical judgments unaffected by emotions. This incarnation must teach him how to emerge from the dense fog into which he has fallen. His slipping into illusion was so subtle that he never truly realized it had occurred. The individual must strive at all costs to avoid escapism and daydreaming, as ultimately they weaken him so much that he may forget how to function on the physical earthly plane. His intuition is extremely strong, but along with it comes the despair and depression of Pisces, arising from the individual’s sensitivity to the disappointments and misfortunes of others. Learning the karmic lessons of independence, the individual eventually discovers that all those on whom he wished to rely ultimately begin to depend on him. He must always extricate himself from events, circumstances, and relationships whose burdens cloud his vision. His own pity for others may lead him into positions where he spreads himself too thin. Hating to tell people what they do not wish to hear, he develops the art of subtle sophistication. One of the greatest lessons in this life is to develop the ability to say “no” and mean it, because the gentlest pleas with tearful eyes have always compelled the individual to abandon his word. He knows his weakness, and precisely through this awareness he can develop his greatest strength. By refusing to submit to emotions, the individual gradually emerges from sorrow. Many people with this nodal placement experienced persecution in past lives and thus deeply understand the suffering and pain of others. However, they may be deceived by others, as if their inner softness is vulnerable, and they seem to invite into their lives the very persecution from which they once fled. For many years, they carry within themselves deep wounds and resentments, which from time to time erode their nervous system. Here, the North Node in Virgo can act as a savior, reminding them of the diet and healthy conditions that will bring the greatest benefit. This nodal placement is especially beneficial in the fields of medicine and healing, where the lingering residue of strong compassion for humanity, combined with a fresh desire for perfection, can be easily expressed. His idealism is high, but the soul’s memory of a lack of self-confidence, caused by such intense past persecution, makes it difficult to believe he can achieve his ideals. He must constantly struggle against the tendency to give up. Ultimately, it is the great wisdom gained through the bitter lessons of the South Node in Pisces that saves him. No matter how difficult the circumstances become, he remains faithful to his rainbow dream, where peace and love govern the world. The individual is very critical of others if they fail to live up to the ideals he knows they are capable of achieving. He must learn to practically apply his own ideas, which he has always vaguely sensed but could not express in words. While this continues, he feels misunderstood. Needing help, he considers himself entitled to ask for it. Instead, he continues to seek deep people, silently hoping that, seeing through him, they will want to immerse themselves in his problems. Constantly seeking warmth in others, such an individual becomes stone-cold in the company of coarse or vulgar people. One of the most remarkable qualities of the South Node in Pisces is that over the years the individual learns to forgive those who have caused him pain in this life, as well as in past incarnations. This nodal position represents clouds and sunlight, illusion and reality. Always seeking the better, the individual eventually discovers why other people suffer so much, and while he strives with all his might, risking pain to himself, to help all who suffer. The karma of his present life is the striving for purification and perfection within himself. At the same time, he is tolerant of the weaknesses of others. This brings the individual his greatest lesson—self-discipline! He must clearly learn when to let the water flow, when to stop it, and when to change its course. Pisces’ inattention to detail clouds the clarity of understanding he seeks. By developing a vision of clear perspective, he can rid himself of the impracticality he brought with him into this life. If he is to be happy, he must dedicate his life to service, rather than secretly wishing that others would drown out his past sorrows. His greatest lesson is never to doubt the purity of his aspirations. This individual makes things work on the earthly plane. In a past life, he intuitively understood the nature of how people and machines function, and now he must apply this knowledge in practice, rather than merely dreaming of a distant moment when dreams might become reality. He must be careful to make all times real and all places present, because only through living here and now can he crystallize into form the immense reserves of essence accumulated throughout all his lives. He must become the focusing lens in a projector containing millions and millions of blurry negatives. Through his North Node, he is able to enhance the quality of each one, so that ultimately no knowledge he has ever acquired is lost. In essence, this is a highly economical nodal placement. Here, mind and life are part of a single whole. When any part of life is not functioning properly, it must be immediately corrected or discarded. Life is connected with the striving to rise toward efficiency and order from the oceanic chaos of Pisces. Great work of the previous life was done in self-sacrifice. Now only vague memories remain. In this life, the individual must learn to manifest the perfect ideas he attained, discarding everything except his understanding of Divine Essence. The house placement of the South Node indicates the area of life in which the past incarnation achieved Cosmic understanding. The house position of the North Node reveals the area of life where crystallization can now bring this understanding into material reality.
