Ketu in Taurus

Avesalom Podvodny. Planets in the Zodiac Signs

Here the individual learns how to accept revolutionary changes within himself, in society, and in the conditions of his life. He would like to rest, believing that his soul’s journey has ended. He is so weary from memories of past lives and the yoke of his earthly burden that he desires, at all costs, to feel stability and peace. As a result, it is difficult for him to develop strength for future changes. He stubbornly clings to old behavioral patterns that served him well in previous incarnations. He is accustomed to accomplishing tasks through sheer effort. Like an ox plowing a field, he moves slowly and heavily through life, as if along one long, straight furrow. He expends so much physical energy that he weakens his Spiritual Self to the point of becoming blind, unable to see any new possibilities beyond the dull and monotonous existence he is used to. This individual finds it difficult to learn from others. He would rather forge his own path. Consequently, in every phase of growth, he spends more time, effort, and energy than necessary. Yet he feels he must be self-assured. His need for confidence and reliability is so great that even when he makes changes in his life, they are not truly changes, but merely different aspects of the same behavioral patterns he has always used. In past incarnations, the individual was highly sensitive to his environment. To cope with this, he begins early in life to explore the world of sensory experiences. He learns what is pleasant and how to obtain it. Nevertheless, he never achieves complete and lasting satisfaction. He does not understand that one appetite generates another. A strong desire for possession makes it difficult for him to enjoy anything he does not personally own. As a result, he imposes upon himself prolonged struggles for ownership over people, things, and ideas. He tenaciously holds on to everything that comes his way. The more he accumulates, the more he backs himself into a corner. What was in previous lives a necessity for acquiring possessions now becomes excess baggage. Over the years, his burden grows heavier. He desired to feel influential, seeking temporary refuge from the oppressive sense of failure that tormented him in past incarnations. As a result, he seeks even in this life an occupation that will provide him with an authoritative position. In past lives, the individual suffered such great harm to his ego that now he wants to prove he is worthy of respect. If others perceive any flaw in him, it will cause deep depression, so he will strive for success at any cost. It is practically inevitable that in this life the intensity of karma will bring him into contact with the police (at least indirectly). When this individual reaches his North Node in Scorpio, he undergoes a complete transformation. He begins to destroy old behavioral patterns, burning bridges behind him. Experience teaches him how to cleanly sever ties so as not to enter the future bound to the past. His greatest growth occurs when he is able to free himself. The needs of inner dependency must be transformed into complete independence of thought and action. Strength increases with each passing year as the individual gradually removes from his consciousness everything that oppresses him. He must learn to objectively examine the results of his subconscious desires in order to earn a sense of self-worth through the practice of self-discipline. This nodal placement symbolizes a soul that has moved along a degenerative path through many lifetimes. Now the vessel of the soul must be turned upside down to release the decay it has accumulated. The fulfillment of karma through this overturning process is extremely painful for the individual, as he may lose everything he has ever considered close and precious. In the end, he will undoubtedly relinquish far more than he expected. This transformation is so powerful that many people with this nodal placement ultimately spend their later years in solitude. In the process of eliminating excess, they have discarded everything except themselves. Nevertheless, much of this is necessary if the individual is to reach a point where he can clearly see himself at the deepest levels. From this symbolic death of everything he once possessed comes his new life. The house placement of the South Node indicates the area that has become degenerate due to past incarnations. The house placement of the North Node indicates the path of rebirth in the current life.