Reframing the Concept of Purpose
The word “purpose” often carries different meanings for different people. In consultations, many individuals express a desire to “find their purpose,” but deeper inquiry often reveals concerns around dissatisfaction with career, financial struggles, or relationship issues. These challenges, while valid, reflect a search for stability rather than a true understanding of the soul’s journey.
Destiny is not always accompanied by comfort, prosperity, or societal success. Sometimes, it is expressed through hardships—emotional trials, material scarcity, or isolation. True purpose may unfold through discomfort, leading to inner growth, transformation, and resilience.
Mind’s Desires vs. Soul’s Calling
It’s essential to distinguish between the goals shaped by the mind and the path chosen by the soul. The mind may crave success, love, recognition, or wealth. The soul, however, often seeks experiences that help cultivate humility, surrender, trust, or courage—qualities rarely born in ease.
Purpose is ultimately the soul’s path—what it incarnated to experience and evolve through. This may not always involve achievements or visible milestones. Sometimes, the experience itself—regardless of outcome—serves a higher learning.
Rahu’s Role in Soul Evolution
From a classical Vedic perspective, the Sun (Surya) is the natural significator of the soul, representing dharma, inner light, and divine connection. Rahu, by contrast, is a shadow graha—it eclipses the Sun, distorting light and clarity. It moves against the natural order of the planetary system and is often considered a disruptor or rebel.
The 9th house in astrology, representing dharma, spiritual belief, and life philosophy, is traditionally seen as an unfavorable place for Rahu. According to the wisdom passed down by my teacher, this is where Rahu loses strength or becomes harmful to the natural spiritual order—referred to as marana karaka sthana (a death-like state for that planet).
Rahu symbolizes bhoga—the pursuit of material enjoyment, indulgence, and worldly ambition. It expands the qualities of the house it occupies, often creating obsession, craving, and a restless desire for more.
With this in mind, how can Rahu show the destiny of the soul?
Rahu as a Catalyst, Not a Compass
While Rahu does not point directly to the soul’s purpose in the spiritual sense, it does highlight where the soul is being challenged to evolve. The area of life where Rahu is placed becomes a zone of discomfort, confusion, or obsessive focus. It represents a karmic lesson—a domain that requires conscious effort, maturity, and eventual transcendence.
Rahu pushes a person out of the familiar and demands growth. It may trigger events that force deep inner questioning and transformation, ultimately nudging the soul toward greater awareness.
Living the Rahu-Ketu Axis: A Personal Journey
In my own chart, Rahu resides in the 3rd house, while Ketu is positioned in the 9th. This axis has shaped both my internal and external life experiences in profound ways.
1. Creator of My Own Reality
With Rahu in the 3rd house, I’ve come to understand that I am responsible for my life. I cannot rely on fate alone. My actions, decisions, and efforts determine my direction. This has been both empowering and challenging.
2. Managing Multiple Interests
Rahu here fills life with an abundance of interests—Jyotish, yoga, healing, karam kriya, esoteric practices—but it demands depth. Spreading myself too thin has often led to burnout. The lesson is clear: focus, structure, and prioritization are essential.
3. Action Over Perfection
Rahu’s strategic nature can trap the mind in overthinking. Striving for flawless outcomes often results in paralysis. I’ve learned to act despite imperfection—to move forward even when the plan isn’t perfect.
4. Letting Go of Control
Ketu in the 9th house reminds me that not everything is in my hands. When things don’t go as planned, surrender becomes the medicine. Trusting a higher order has brought peace where logic could not.
5. Overcoming the Illusion of Independence
Rahu tells me to do everything myself, but I’ve learned the value of seeking support. Asking for help doesn’t weaken me—it connects and balances me.
6. Taking Responsibility Without Waiting
This placement urges me to make decisions based on my values and vision, not on external validation. I’ve stopped waiting for permission and started creating space for my own choices.
7. Discerning Teachers, Not Idolizing
Ketu in the 9th house has taught me not to place teachers on pedestals. They are guides, not deities. I respect wisdom but rely on my inner voice and resonance above all.
8. Balance Between Effort and Trust
Life is a dance between doing and letting go. I do all that I can—but when efforts fail, I surrender outcomes to divine will. That’s the rhythm of svadharma (personal path) and dharma (universal path).
9. Sharing From Where I Am
I once believed I had to “know it all” before I could teach or share. But Ketu reminds me that knowledge deepens in the act of sharing. When I allow myself to speak from my current awareness, insights and right words follow naturally. The people who come into my life are not random—they come in divine timing, offering lessons for both sides.
Spiritual Tools Supporting This Path
Interestingly, these insights mirror the teachings of karmic numerology and karmic astrology (karam kriya and Jyotish), both of which I study deeply. These disciplines offer practical tools for self-inquiry and understanding one’s path in this world.
The Real Message of Rahu
Rahu does not directly show the soul’s highest calling. However, it powerfully illuminates where karmic evolution must take place—where discomfort exists not to punish but to refine and awaken.
The soul’s essence may be better reflected by the Sun, Atmakaraka, or the 9th house. But Rahu marks the terrain where challenge transforms into growth, and where the ego is stripped so that the soul may emerge.
Rahu creates friction—but without that pressure, the light of consciousness would never break through. In this way, even the shadow becomes a teacher.
Invest In Yourself First!! 