Rahu, Ketu and the Eclipse

In Vedic astrology, eclipses are seen as a symbol of revenge or as a bad omen.

According to mythology, eclipses are caused by the Chaya Graha (shadow planets) Rahu and Ketu, who were once part of a divine serpent. The story is traced back to a time before creation in the tale of the churning of the ocean, known as the Samudra Manthan. The churning of the ocean represents our consciousness. After an awful and lengthy war, the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) cooperated to churn the galactic material called the Milk Ocean. The churning poured forth several gifts and treasures. They included the goddess of wealth Lakshmi, the wish-fulfilling tree Kalpavriksha, the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu, and Dhanvantari, who carries a pot of amrita and a book of medicine called Ayurveda. Amrita is a Sanskrit word that means “immortality” and is a drink (or nectar) intended only for the gods.

A serpent demon (Svarabhānu) aspired to become invincible. Sitting between Surya (the Sun) and Chandra (the Moon), Svarabhānu disguised himself as a deva and managed to take a sip of Amrita during Samudra Manthan. Surya and Chandra recognized the imposter and informed Mohini (the female form of Lord Vishnu), preserver of life and order, who quickly decapitated him. As they were now immortal, Lord Vishnu needed to find a place for them, so he put them in two specific points in the sky.

The head of the serpent demon (without the body) became Ratu, who fell on one side of the sun. The tail without the head that fell on the opposite side of the sun became Ketu. The sun stopped all movement in order to keep Rahu and Ketu from meeting one another. Twice a year they can create confusion and exact revenge by consuming the Sun and Moon causing the world to suffer from darkness.Rahu swallows the Sun, and Ketu, the Moon. But only for a short while as the Sun and Moon have also taken in the amrita. Offerings of coal, mustard, sesame, saffron and lead are made to appease Rahu. For Ketu, offerings of lead, sugar, saffron and sesame are made along with offering food to a dog with black and white fur.

As seen above, eclipses can be seen as highly inauspicious. Light and power diminish which corrupts their positive qualities and creates disturbances in the natural order of things. It is believed that auspicious work should only be started in the light. Because of this, beginning any new ventures during this period of darkness is not recommended, as it can bring upheavals, obstacles, and turmoil.