Ketu Transit in Krittika

Krittika is the Sun's nakshatra, with Agni as its deity and a razor or a flame as its symbol. Its first pada lies in Aries and the other three in Taurus. The Sun and Mars are friends, and Ketu, acting like Mars, is received well by the lord. In the signs, Venus, owner of Taurus, is neutral, and Mars, owner of Aries, is kin.

Moving backward, Ketu enters Krittika in Taurus at the fourth pada and leaves from the first pada in Aries. Around seven months pass in the stay, and the true node's direct spells sometimes divide it into two visits. Krittika cuts, burns and purifies, and sharpness, criticism, cooking, fire and the removal of what is impure are its themes.

Ketu with the razor cuts cleanly. Habits that fed the body without feeding the person are dropped, and speech grows sharper and briefer. Fevers, burns and inflammation are the bodily cautions, with the eyes in the Aries pada. Rahu stands in Anuradha at the same time and moves back into Vishakha for the second half.

In the Taurus padas, Pisces, Sagittarius and Cancer Moons receive Ketu in the third, sixth and eleventh, which Phaladeepika names favourable. Taurus Moons have Ketu on the lagna and Rahu in the seventh, and Scorpio Moons the reverse. Once Ketu reaches the Aries pada, Aquarius, Scorpio and Gemini Moons take the favourable houses, and Aries and Libra Moons hold the axis. The lagna is counted the same way in both signs.

The transit shows what a person is willing to burn. Ketu offers the fire, and the person decides what goes into it.

The remedy is Ganesha and Om Kem Ketave Namah, with a small daily offering to Agni, such as a ghee lamp or a spoon of grain into the cooking fire. Parashara prescribes mantra and dana for Ketu, and the traditional gifts are a blanket, sesame or food for dogs on Tuesday.