The Ketu of Comets
The significance of comets in Indian and Tibetan astrology, with an interpretation of Comet Neowise.
I.
Comets are an interesting astronomical phenomenon that is not often considered for its astrological implications. Perhaps the lack of discourse surrounding comets owes to their rarity and obscurity as a phenomenon, compared to annual eclipses, and the visible lights of sun, moon, and planets.
A fundamental conception of astrology is that it derives phenomenological and epistemological value from the observation of astronomical phenomena. This means astrology will naturally be focused on the most observable of astronomical phenomena. What is within the spectrum of visibility is more proximate to us, physically and energetically. This is why astrology is known in India as jyotisa, “the study of light”. Therefore, comets as observable and lighted phenomenon holds meaning and influence. And influence of comets becomes meaningfully relevant to us when it passes close enough to the Earth to be visible to the naked eye.
II.
So what is a comet? A comet is a cosmic snowball of frozen gases and particles. As comets orbit closer to the Sun, they heat up and release gases, giving them the appearance of a long tail. The head and tail appearance of comets also links them archetypally to the lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, which are often described as the respective head and tail of a serpent or dragon.
The ancients astrologers were aware of comets, meteors, and the like and referred to these phenomena as ketu. Previous to the 6th century, it seems that ketu only referred to comets and like phenomena. It is likely that the Indian astronomer Varahamihira expanded this reference to include the south node of the Moon, whereas previously the lunar nodes were simply encompassed within “Rahu”. Thus, in the astronomical lexicon of India, ketu holds two meanings—the south node of the Moon and comets. As with most Sanskrit words, many meanings apply. In astronomical literature, “ketu” is being used with the meaning of “tail”. Comets are marked by their long tail. Similarly, the lunar nodes are described archetypally as the head and tail of a serpent (or dragon), where Rahu represents the head and Ketu the tail. As is characteristic of ancient languages, we see both literal and archetypal meanings embedded within a single word. A comet has a visible tail, while the “tail” that is the south node is metaphorical, a way of indicating what is “behind” us.
In the Kalacakra Tantra of Tibetan astrology, older conceptions are maintained. Unlike Vedic astrological texts, the Kalacakra Tantra describes ten heavenly forces (instead of nine). These ten are described as follows: the seven visible planets (Sun-Saturn), the two lunar nodes (Rahu and Kālagni), and comets (Ketu). In this conception, the south node of the Moon is given a unique reference, “Kalagni”, which literally means “black fire”. This is a reference to the “shadowy” qualities of the lunar nodes as eclipse points. The term “ketu” is reserved as a reference for comets and like phenomena. In the Tibetan schema, the south node and comets are referenced with two different words, and notably, comets are included in the “standard” group of ten heavenly influences.
III.
”Ketu” is a multivalent term, an archetypal reference. It has fixed technical meaning, but it has fluidity of reference, which is common in ancient languages. Some may argue that in astronomical texts, Ketu is used as a strictly descriptive technical term and does not have interpretive value. I propose that Ketu as a reference to comets is both a descriptive convention and an archetypal indicator. When astrologers speak of Ketu as the south node of the Moon, they principally ascribe to it the pattern-values of karmic merit and karmic purification. It is the 9th and last planet, the moksha-kāraka, or “giver of liberation”. In other words, Ketu represents all karmic factors (past life, ancestry, etc.) and the transcendence of those karmic factors. All of these meanings apply to comets. The “tail” meaning of Ketu also has connotations of the flames of a fire. From this perspective, Rahu correlates to the Water element, or the nourishment that feeds our growth while Ketu correlates to the Fire element, the purification and sacrifice of self. A comet is also “ketu” in this fiery sense, because it’s long tail is literally an image of combustion, and therefore a symbol of transformation. The comet is the kindling of the essence, the offering of soma into agni.
In Brihat Samhita, Varahamihira devotes a chapter to the discussion of comets. In his opening verses, he writes:
Some Sages like Parashara speak of 101 Ketus, while other such as Garga of 1000 Ketus. However, Sage Narada declares that there is only one Ketu which appears in many forms and places.
In other words, there are many classifications of comets, but they are all understood as expressions of a single force. This statement also supports the notion that “Ketu” applies archetypally to both the south node of the Moon and to comets, and that their significance is similar.
In India and Tibet, a comet was interpreted as a positive or negative omen based on the color of its tail and its resemblance to certain archetypal images. For example, Tibetan Astrology considers four types of comets as negative omens, each type described according to its appearance: “Smokey Long Tail in the East”, “Tiger-head Blazing Fire in the South”, “Yak-head Rough Wind in the West”, and “Blue Water-Drop in the North”). Varahamihira describes comets as negative omens when they appear in the shape of swords, as another example. In ancient times, individuals saw patterns in astronomical phenomena that corresponded to their cultural archetypes. However, I do not believe that it is necessary to evaluate astrological patterns in terms of “positive” or “negative”. They are simply outer signs of inner realities and processes, a kind of mirror. Intelligent observation on this basis has real purpose and value. In any case, powerful events like eclipses and comets show us an opportunity.
In addition to this, I suggest that it is possible to interpret comets just as we would eclipses. With comets, we can note the date it was discovered, its window of visibility to the naked eye, and the date of its closest proximity to the Earth.
IV.
Eclipses happen many times a year, but a comet appearing with naked-eye visibility from Earth is a rare phenomenon. Neowise was discovered on March 27. On July 23, it will be in closest proximity to the Earth. (These two dates are amusingly palindromic). Using the Cards of Truth system, we see that March 27 is a 9 of Clubs day and July 23 is a 5 of Clubs day. The 9 of Clubs is a card of universal perspectives and insight. All 9 cards are ruled by the 9th planet, Ketu, giving this Ketu-comet even more Ketu significance. The 5 of Clubs is a card ruled by the fifth planet Jupiter. It represents the Guru-principle, the expansion of wisdom, joy, truth.
Neowise is visible just below the Big Dipper, a constellation of seven stars known as the “rishi stars” in India and Tibet. In Tibetan medicine, water that is left under the rishi stars overnight acquires unique healing energy. This “star water” is used medicinally in many applications. I consider the comet’s proximity to this auspicious asterism to be a positive omen for healing and a reminder that the force of Grace is still with us, even in what seem to be the darkest hours.
A comet’s appearance during a time of pandemic is an especially powerful omen. Traditionally, Rahu and Ketu are said to be the causes of epidemic diseases, because they represent the domain of the unconscious and the realm of deep-seated karma. The medical texts are very clear that epidemics are the result of unconscious human behavior which provokes the self-correcting forces of nature. I have written about the eclipses which preceded the pandemic and the recent triplet eclipse season in the midst of the pandemic. All of this is significant. Similarly, the comet’s appearance at the tail-end of a potent eclipse season is not to be overlooked. It is rare for a comet to become visible to the naked-eye. The last time a comet was visible in this way was Hale-Bopp in 1997. It seems that a significant comet appears once in a decade. Comet Neowise will not be visible for another 6,800 years! It is, in some sense, a marker of a turning point in civilization.
Comet Neowise is icy blue in color. It is a beautiful comet to behold. It has quite a long tail and when gazing at it, it has a strong benefic quality. Comet Neowise confirms the karmic nature of the pandemic as well as its potential to transform society. A comet also signals a transformation in leadership, typically the fall of a leader or powerful person. Comets represent a unique concentration of life-force and therefore of karmic merit. Thus, at the level of human life, it has been traditionally observed that great people are born (or pass) during a comet’s window of visibility. Similarly, at the level of the world, a comet signifies a transition in consciousness. Comet Neowise may be a sign that we have the opportunity to put the past behind us, to purify our present collective karma, and move toward a brighter and blessed future together.