Kala Sarpa 2012 – New Discoveries Or Painful Inadequcy BY RYAN KURCZAK ON JULY 23, 2012

Many people are blaming certain difficulties on a retrograde Mercury at the moment. It’s important to
remember, that Mercury goes retrograde often, and unless you have a terrible Mercury in your chart, it’s not
going to affect you as often as people like to say it will. Also, your will power and clear intention go a long way
to negate any potential planetary negativity. The planets can only trigger what is happening inside you. If
there is no internal trigger, there is no external experience.

If you are experiencing:

more frustration than usual

When we have all the planets between Rahu and Ketu we have Kala Sarpa Time.

It’s not Mercury retrograde, it’s what is called a Kala Sarpa Yoga happening up there in the sky. When all of
the planets are between the nodes of the moon, or Rahu (North Node) and Ketu (South Node) as we call them in
Vedic Astrology, this creates a very interesting combination of energies. (Read the bottom of this post for
specific information about this combination.) Most people have more trouble with the nodes of the moon in
their horoscope than Mercury.

This transit happened between July 15th, 2012 and July 28th, 2012. It occurs again on August 11th, 2012
through August 23rd, 2012 and then again between September 7th, 2012 and September 20th, 2012. After
September 20th, Mars moves out from the hemming in of Rahu and Ketu, breaking the cycle for the rest of the
year.

If you had difficulty as described above during the July dates, it may occur again during the September and
August dates too. The nodes represent our cravings, desires, obsessions and ambitions. They show where we
have been in the past, and where we want to go. With Rahu in Sagittarius it can show that this is an excellent
time to grow beyond our past limiting belief or faith structure, to find a higher faith or purer philosophy, as
Rahu, positively speaking indicated detoxification, and Sagittarius represents higher ideals, faith and
philosophy. Ketu in Gemini shows that our ways of thinking and understanding the world intellectually are out
dated and not appropriate to the current time of our life. Ketu represents where we have found security in the
past, and Gemini represents the thinking faculty and our ideas.

We can struggle holding on to what no longer serves us, and then the frustration, difficulty and bad luck will
happen. Or we can listen, spend more time within, in meditation, or contemplation and hear what spirit has to
say about our inner growth. We will either make new and exciting discoveries, or we will be left feeling
painfully in adequate. It all depends on if Rahu and Ketu are well situated in our horoscope or if they are
troublesome. Of course, through intention, meditation and purposeful living we can transcend these spectral
influences. I say spectral, because the nodes of the moon are not embodied planets like the Moon, Sun, Mars,
etc. They are points in space where eclipses occur, which is why they represent where our inner light can
become eclipsed if we let it.

Here is the current picture of a horoscope for July 27, 2012 illustrating all the planets between Rahu and Ketu.

In the mean time, consider taking up a mantra practice for Rahu and Ketu. Spend more time alone at home in
a spiritual or contemplative mood. Be intentional about your life, and don’t let passing clouds or confusion get
you down or stop you from living. Reflect on what you might need to do to purify your relationship, mind,
spiritual and emotional life. Take steps towards the purification.

In the meantime, the following is an excerpt from our recent book. It explains what your life may be like if you
have Kala Sarpa Yoga in your birth chart.
Kala Sarpa Yoga – an Excerpt from The Art and Science of Vedic Astrology by Richard Fish and Ryan
Kurczak

“There are very few yogas involving Rahu and Ketu. By far the most important one is Kala Sarpa Yoga, which
occurs when all seven planets are located on one side of the axis created by Rahu and Ketu. Kala can mean time
or black and sarpa means serpent. The “dark time serpent” probably refers to Ketu.

The results of this yoga are said to give difficulty and hardship. There are two types of Kala Sarpa; Anuloma,
in which all the planets are moving towards Rahu, and Viloma, in which all the planets are moving towards
Ketu. Whichever way round, one of the transiting retrograde Nodes will encounter each of the planets, creating
a potential problem or crisis as it does so. There is frequently a strong energization of one’s psychic nature.

With Anuloma Rahu’s influence casts itself on all the other planets within the chart. Rahu represent illusion,
ambition and worldly desire—the forces of maya. This form of Kalasarpa Yoga projects a strong current of
psychic energy that can cause disruption or difficulty, particularly in the functioning of the astral body.

With Viloma Ketu’s influence is cast over the planets, giving either spiritual aspirations and an urge towards
liberation from bondage or a fixation on the past. Sometimes it gives a need to assert oneself by dominating
others.

Kala Sarpa can act as an obstruction to other more positive yogas, causing obstacles, conflict or
misunderstanding. It is important to consider the two houses that are involved. With Anuloma the house that
Rahu occupies becomes an important consideration—matters related to that house are likely to be disturbed
and disrupted. With the Viloma version of this yoga, Ketu’s house becomes a key factor, full of contradictions
or associated with the focus of one’s spiritual interests.

Any planets in close association with the Nodes will have a significant influence. Malefics will cause the Yoga to
be particularly difficult while benefics will improve it. It is also important to note the placement of the planets
that rule the signs containing Rahu and Ketu. If both are well placed then this yoga can be very good. This yoga
also improved if the Nodes are in compatible signs, such as Virgo-Pisces or Taurus-Scorpio.”