Ketu is the south node of the Moon, a shadow point rather than a body, and always exactly opposite Rahu. In Vedic astrology it signifies detachment, past skill, intuition, research, sudden events and moksha, liberation. Where Rahu reaches for what it has never had, Ketu already knows, and is often ready to let go.
Ketu moves backwards through the zodiac, about eighteen months in each sign and eight in each nakshatra, so everyone born within the same few months shares its nakshatra. The house it occupies, the lord of the sign it sits in and the planets it touches make it personal. The nakshatra adds the particular skill Ketu carries, and the particular thing it is learning to release.
How to read Ketu’s nakshatra
Read it in three layers.
Ketu has no sign of its own in Parashara. Traditions differ on its exaltation (Scorpio or Sagittarius) and its debilitation (Taurus or Gemini), and each guide names both views wherever they apply. Because Parashara’s table of natural relationships does not rate the nodes, Ketu is usually read through the lord of the sign it occupies, and through the widely quoted maxim that Ketu acts like Mars.
The nakshatra lord colours it. Ketu rules Ashwini, Magha and Mula itself, and works there in its own idiom. Elsewhere it takes on the agenda of the nakshatra’s lord.
Read the axis. Ketu in one nakshatra always puts Rahu in the second half of the nakshatra thirteen places on and the first half of the one after. Each guide names Rahu’s position pada by pada, because the two read as one axis: what Ketu lets go of on one side, what Rahu reaches for on the other.
Ketu’s own mahadasha lasts seven years, and it opens life for anyone whose Moon is in Ashwini, Magha or Mula. Ketu’s nakshatra shapes how that period and the nakshatra lord’s periods play out.
Quick reference
| Nakshatra | Span | Lord | Dignity by sign (traditions differ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | 0°00’ to 13°20’ Aries | Ketu (its own) | no classical dignity |
| Bharani | 13°20’ to 26°40’ Aries | Venus | no classical dignity |
| Krittika | 26°40’ Aries to 10°00’ Taurus | Sun | Aries: no classical dignity; Taurus: debilitated in one tradition |
| Rohini | 10°00’ to 23°20’ Taurus | Moon | debilitated in one tradition |
| Mrigashira | 23°20’ Taurus to 6°40’ Gemini | Mars | Taurus: debilitated in one tradition; Gemini: debilitated in another tradition |
| Ardra | 6°40’ to 20°00’ Gemini | Rahu | debilitated in another tradition |
| Punarvasu | 20°00’ Gemini to 3°20’ Cancer | Jupiter | Gemini: debilitated in another tradition; Cancer: no classical dignity |
| Pushya | 3°20’ to 16°40’ Cancer | Saturn | no classical dignity |
| Ashlesha | 16°40’ to 30°00’ Cancer | Mercury | no classical dignity |
| Magha | 0°00’ to 13°20’ Leo | Ketu (its own) | no classical dignity |
| Purva Phalguni | 13°20’ to 26°40’ Leo | Venus | no classical dignity |
| Uttara Phalguni | 26°40’ Leo to 10°00’ Virgo | Sun | Leo: no classical dignity; Virgo: no classical dignity |
| Hasta | 10°00’ to 23°20’ Virgo | Moon | no classical dignity |
| Chitra | 23°20’ Virgo to 6°40’ Libra | Mars | Virgo: no classical dignity; Libra: no classical dignity |
| Swati | 6°40’ to 20°00’ Libra | Rahu | no classical dignity |
| Vishakha | 20°00’ Libra to 3°20’ Scorpio | Jupiter | Libra: no classical dignity; Scorpio: exalted in one tradition |
| Anuradha | 3°20’ to 16°40’ Scorpio | Saturn | exalted in one tradition |
| Jyeshtha | 16°40’ to 30°00’ Scorpio | Mercury | exalted in one tradition |
| Mula | 0°00’ to 13°20’ Sagittarius | Ketu (its own) | exalted in another tradition |
| Purva Ashadha | 13°20’ to 26°40’ Sagittarius | Venus | exalted in another tradition |
| Uttara Ashadha | 26°40’ Sagittarius to 10°00’ Capricorn | Sun | Sagittarius: exalted in another tradition; Capricorn: no classical dignity |
| Shravana | 10°00’ to 23°20’ Capricorn | Moon | no classical dignity |
| Dhanishtha | 23°20’ Capricorn to 6°40’ Aquarius | Mars | Capricorn: no classical dignity; Aquarius: no classical dignity |
| Shatabhisha | 6°40’ to 20°00’ Aquarius | Rahu | no classical dignity |
| Purva Bhadrapada | 20°00’ Aquarius to 3°20’ Pisces | Jupiter | Aquarius: no classical dignity; Pisces: no classical dignity |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | 3°20’ to 16°40’ Pisces | Saturn | no classical dignity |
| Revati | 16°40’ to 30°00’ Pisces | Mercury | no classical dignity |
Ketu in each nakshatra
Ketu in Ashwini (0°00’ to 13°20’ Aries)
Ketu in Ashwini nakshatra sits in its own nakshatra, in Aries, ruled by Mars. It gives an instinctive, unrefined kind of detachment: quick insight, quick release and little patience for slow processes, expressed mainly through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Ashwini nakshatra
Ketu in Bharani (13°20’ to 26°40’ Aries)
Ketu in Bharani nakshatra sits in Aries, in a nakshatra ruled by Venus and governed by Yama, the god of dharma and restraint. It brings detachment applied to desire and to endings, an instinctive comfort with thresholds, expressed mainly through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Bharani nakshatra
Ketu in Krittika (26°40’ Aries to 10°00’ Taurus)
Ketu in Krittika nakshatra sits partly in Aries and mostly in Taurus, in a nakshatra ruled by the Sun and governed by Agni, the fire god. It sharpens Ketu’s detachment into something closer to purification, a precise cutting away of what no longer serves, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Krittika nakshatra
Ketu in Rohini (10°00’ to 23°20’ Taurus)
Ketu in Rohini nakshatra sits entirely in Taurus, in a nakshatra ruled by the Moon and linked to the myth of the Moon’s favourite wife. It asks for detachment from exactly the comfort, beauty and growth this placement is best known for, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Rohini nakshatra
Ketu in Mrigashira (23°20’ Taurus to 6°40’ Gemini)
Ketu in Mrigashira nakshatra sits across Taurus and Gemini, in a nakshatra ruled by Mars and symbolised by a searching deer. It doubles Ketu’s own gift for research and intuition against a myth about a search that has to be interrupted, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Mrigashira nakshatra
Ketu in Ardra (6°40’ to 20°00’ Gemini)
Ketu in Ardra nakshatra sits in Gemini, in the one nakshatra ruled by Rahu, its own opposite point on the axis. Governed by Rudra, the storm god, it intensifies Ketu’s link to sudden events and release through tears, expressed mainly through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Ardra nakshatra
Ketu in Punarvasu (20°00’ Gemini to 3°20’ Cancer)
Ketu in Punarvasu nakshatra sits mostly in Gemini and briefly in Cancer, in a nakshatra ruled by Jupiter and the boundless mother goddess Aditi. Its name means the return of the light, so it turns Ketu’s detachment into the space renewal needs, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Punarvasu nakshatra
Ketu in Pushya (3°20’ to 16°40’ Cancer)
Ketu in Pushya nakshatra sits in Cancer, in a nakshatra ruled by Saturn and named for nourishment, under the guru-deity Brihaspati. It places detachment inside the most protective and sustaining nakshatra of the zodiac, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Pushya nakshatra
Ketu in Ashlesha (16°40’ to 30°00’ Cancer)
Ketu in Ashlesha nakshatra sits in Cancer, in a nakshatra ruled by Mercury and governed by the Nagas, the serpent deities. It brings hidden, intuitive knowledge close to Ketu’s own past-life signification, with a coiled quality that releases suddenly, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Ashlesha nakshatra
Ketu in Magha (0°00’ to 13°20’ Leo)
Ketu in Magha nakshatra sits in its own nakshatra, in Leo, governed by the Pitris, the ancestors, and symbolised by a royal throne. It gives inherited, ancestral authority held without personal attachment to it, expressed mainly through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Magha nakshatra
Ketu in Purva Phalguni (13°20’ to 26°40’ Leo)
Ketu in Purva Phalguni nakshatra sits in Leo, in a nakshatra ruled by Venus and governed by Bhaga, god of marital happiness and good fortune. It places detachment inside the nakshatra most devoted to rest, pleasure and reward, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Purva Phalguni nakshatra
Ketu in Uttara Phalguni (26°40’ Leo to 10°00’ Virgo)
Ketu in Uttara Phalguni nakshatra sits mostly in Virgo and briefly in Leo, in a nakshatra ruled by the Sun and governed by Aryaman, god of contracts and alliances. It turns Ketu’s detachment towards steady, unglamorous support rather than reward, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Uttara Phalguni nakshatra
Ketu in Hasta (10°00’ to 23°20’ Virgo)
Ketu in Hasta nakshatra sits in Virgo, in a nakshatra whose very name means hand, ruled by the Moon and governed by Savitar, the enlivening aspect of the Sun. It gives skilled, hands-on ability held without grasping, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Hasta nakshatra
Ketu in Chitra (23°20’ Virgo to 6°40’ Libra)
Ketu in Chitra nakshatra sits across Virgo and Libra, in a nakshatra ruled by Mars and governed by Tvashtar, the divine architect who shapes forms for the gods. It brings real skill in design and craft held without needing credit for it, expressed through the house this falls in in your own chart.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Chitra nakshatra
Ketu in Swati (6°40’ to 20°00’ Libra)
Ketu in Swati nakshatra places detachment in Swati, the Libra nakshatra of independence, ruled by Rahu, Ketu’s own opposite point. The native carries an inborn self-sufficiency and comfort with constant change, with the specific effect shaped far more by Ketu’s house placement and by Venus and Rahu’s strength than by the nakshatra alone.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Swati nakshatra
Ketu in Vishakha (20°00’ Libra to 3°20’ Scorpio)
Ketu in Vishakha nakshatra places detachment inside a fiercely goal-driven placement ruled by Jupiter, spanning late Libra into early Scorpio. The native often already knows how to reach a chosen goal, and this life asks them to notice how little the reaching itself still means, especially once Jupiter and the occupied house are read together.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Vishakha nakshatra
Ketu in Anuradha (3°20’ to 16°40’ Scorpio)
Ketu in Anuradha nakshatra places detachment inside Scorpio’s nakshatra of friendship and alliance, ruled by Saturn. The native usually already knows how to build lasting cooperative bonds, and this life tends to loosen their personal need for the belonging they create, with the real effect shaped by the house involved and by Saturn’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Anuradha nakshatra
Ketu in Jyeshtha (16°40’ to 30°00’ Scorpio)
Ketu in Jyeshtha nakshatra places detachment inside Scorpio’s nakshatra of seniority and protective authority, ruled by Mercury and governed by Indra. The native has usually already carried real authority before, and this life tends to release the need to hold the senior position, with the effect shaped by the house involved and by Mercury’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Jyeshtha nakshatra
Ketu in Mula (0°00’ to 13°20’ Sagittarius)
Ketu in Mula nakshatra places detachment in its own home, one of only three nakshatras Ketu itself rules. The native tends to have an unusually direct relationship with whatever is actually true beneath a situation, with the specific effect shaped by the house this falls in and by Jupiter, the lord of Sagittarius.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Mula nakshatra
Ketu in Purva Ashadha (13°20’ to 26°40’ Sagittarius)
Ketu in Purva Ashadha nakshatra places detachment in Purva Ashadha, the Sagittarius nakshatra of purification and quiet invincibility, ruled by Venus. The native usually already carries a tested, unshaken confidence, and this life tends to turn that confidence inward, with the real effect shaped by the house involved and by Venus’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Purva Ashadha nakshatra
Ketu in Uttara Ashadha (26°40’ Sagittarius to 10°00’ Capricorn)
Ketu in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra places detachment in Uttara Ashadha, the nakshatra of lasting, universally supported victory that spans late Sagittarius into early Capricorn, ruled by the Sun. The native usually already has a durable structure to their name, and this life tends to release any personal need for credit for having built it.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra
Ketu in Shravana (10°00’ to 23°20’ Capricorn)
Ketu in Shravana nakshatra places detachment in Shravana, the Capricorn nakshatra of hearing and preservation, in a nakshatra ruled by the Moon under Vishnu. The native usually already carries an unusual capacity to absorb through listening, and this life tends to turn that capacity inward, with the effect shaped by the house involved and the Moon’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Shravana nakshatra
Ketu in Dhanishtha (23°20’ Capricorn to 6°40’ Aquarius)
Ketu in Dhanishtha nakshatra places detachment in Dhanishtha, the nakshatra of rhythm, wealth and fame that spans late Capricorn into early Aquarius, in a nakshatra ruled by Mars. The native usually already knows how to build success and let it go again, since Mars, the planet Ketu is traditionally said to act like, also rules this nakshatra.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Dhanishtha nakshatra
Ketu in Shatabhisha (6°40’ to 20°00’ Aquarius)
Ketu in Shatabhisha nakshatra places detachment in Shatabhisha, the Aquarius nakshatra of vast mystery and solitary healing, in a nakshatra ruled by Rahu, Ketu’s own opposite point. The native usually already holds deep, private knowledge, and this life tends to let that knowledge simply exist without needing to be explained, shaped by the house and Rahu’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Shatabhisha nakshatra
Ketu in Purva Bhadrapada (20°00’ Aquarius to 3°20’ Pisces)
Ketu in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra places detachment in Purva Bhadrapada, the fierce, ascetic nakshatra spanning late Aquarius into early Pisces, in a nakshatra ruled by Jupiter. The native usually already faces transformation directly rather than avoiding it, a comfort with intensity that the house involved and Jupiter’s strength shape further.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra
Ketu in Uttara Bhadrapada (3°20’ to 16°40’ Pisces)
Ketu in Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra places detachment in Uttara Bhadrapada, the still, deep nakshatra of Pisces, in a nakshatra ruled by Saturn under Ahir Budhnya. The native usually already holds settled wisdom at depth, rarely surfacing it, with the specific effect shaped by the house involved and by Saturn’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra
Ketu in Revati (16°40’ to 30°00’ Pisces)
Ketu in Revati nakshatra places detachment in Revati, the last nakshatra of the zodiac, governed by Pushan, guide of travellers, in a nakshatra ruled by Mercury. The native usually already carries the fatigue and peace of a long journey completed, and this life allows real rest, shaped further by the house involved and Mercury’s strength.
Read the full guide to Ketu in Revati nakshatra
By nakshatra lord
- Ketu-ruled (its own): Ashwini, Magha, Mula
- Venus-ruled: Bharani, Purva Phalguni, Purva Ashadha
- Sun-ruled: Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashadha
- Moon-ruled: Rohini, Hasta, Shravana
- Mars-ruled: Mrigashira, Chitra, Dhanishtha
- Rahu-ruled: Ardra, Swati, Shatabhisha
- Jupiter-ruled: Punarvasu, Vishakha, Purva Bhadrapada
- Saturn-ruled: Pushya, Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada
- Mercury-ruled: Ashlesha, Jyeshtha, Revati
Related reading
- Ketu in all 12 houses
- Ketu in all 12 signs
- Rahu in all 27 nakshatras
- The Rahu-Ketu transit, 2026 to 2028
- The Rahu-Ketu axis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What does Ketu's nakshatra show in a birth chart?
It shows the skill you arrive with and what you are learning to release: where you act from instinct and familiarity, and where detachment comes easily. Because Ketu is slow and shared by many people born in the same months, the house it occupies and its sign lord make the reading personal.
↳ Is Ketu exalted in Scorpio or in Sagittarius?
Traditions differ. One line of teaching exalts Ketu in Scorpio and debilitates it in Taurus; another exalts it in Sagittarius and debilitates it in Gemini. We name both rather than pick one, and weigh the house and the sign lord more heavily either way.
↳ How do Rahu and Ketu work together?
They are always exactly opposite, so every chart carries both ends of one axis: Ketu where you already know, Rahu where you are reaching. Read Ketu's nakshatra alongside Rahu's, and see the Rahu-Ketu axis guide for the houses.
↳ How do I find my Ketu nakshatra?
You need your birth date, time and place calculated in the sidereal zodiac. The free kundali tool lists Ketu's nakshatra and pada in its planetary positions table.