A question about the planetary system

[Stevicus]

Can someone explain to me the nature and meaning of the 2 entities in the Vedic planetary system called T.Rahu & T.Ketu ?

[Moog]

Rahu and Ketu are the north and south nodes.

T might stand for 'Transit' or 'Transiting'

[dr. farr]

These are points of the intersection of the Moon's plane and the earth's plane; they are points ("shadows"), not actual bodies in space; T. might refer to the true node because usually the mean (average) node is commonly used in astrology.
Other names for the Lunar Nodes:
-Rahu aka North Node, Ascending Node, Dragon's Head
-Ketu aka South Node, Descending Node, Dragon's Tail

[Stevicus]

OK i need to fit this into my understanding so i can see it in my minds eye, its no good just having it register as a piece of dead information it has to be felt seen & understood.
I understand to some extent how lunar astrology works and there are a number of different expressions of its motion but for simplicity the moon rises from new to full then descends from full to new so it should line up with the earths equatorial plane once as its waxing & once as its waning so is this what is refered to as ketu & rahu ?

[Simha]

Ra/Ke have nothing to do with waxing and waning of moon. Ra/Ke are the point of intersection of moons orbit with earth's orbit. They are not the normal celestial physical bodies but imaginary planets. They do not own any signs but own nakshatras(constellations). They are called shadowy planets. Rahu/Ketu are always retrograde. They always give results suddenly and when unexpected. Rahu also represents foreign, unconventional. Ketu can give sudden rise to the top.

[dr. farr]

Correct: the North and South Nodes are the points of intersection between the Moon's orbit and the Earth's orbit: these POINTS are followed and tracked (especially in Vedic astrology, but there are many in Western astrology who consider these points just as strongly as in Vedic) and their relationships with actual planets, and with the signs and houses, are given various meanings and interpretations.

Some Modernists reject the Nodes since they are not actual "things in space" (like planets, asteroids or stars) but "only" points in space. However, many practitioners value them (among Modernists who do, see for example Judith Hill's excellent "The Lunar Nodes", available from astroamerica.com and other astrology book vendors)

I consider the Nodes equal in delineative and influential importance, to the planets...

[Stevicus]

So we are talking about where the moon intersects the earths orbital plane ?

As i see it the moon orbits the sun & the earths wake causes it to rise & fall in a zig zagging big dipper motion so it has to line up with the earths centre of gravity once when it rises & once when it falls.
Are we talking about the same thing or is this some thing that occurs only occasionally ?

[Moog]

I couldn't do without the nodes, I think they are absolutely crucial for understanding charts/people.

[JUPITERASC]

Originally Posted by Moog

I couldn't do without the nodes, I think they are absolutely crucial for understanding charts/people.

As well as for the timing of events IMO

[dr. farr]

[QUOTE=Stevicus;400007]So we are talking about where the moon intersects the earths orbital plane ?

Almost: they are the 2 places (points) where the plane of the Moon's orbit intersects the plane of the Earth's orbit

[dhundhun]

Calculation of True Nodes takes Earth's wobbling into consideration - so Nodes go direct and retrograde two-three times every month. Vedic Astrology uses Mean and so Nodes always retrograde.

In Western Astrology, those who look into progressions over Nodes can benefit from True Nodes.