Ketu (south node) in jyotish: what it governs

Ketu (south node)

Ketu is detachment and the inner search — a headless shadow graha that lets go of what Rahu grasps. It rules moksha, insight, the occult, healing and research, and it separates you from whatever it touches so that you look deeper. GP calls it gentler than Rahu and the giver of wisdom (gnana karaka).

What it governs

moksha and liberation
spiritual insight (gnana karaka)
Vedanta, yoga and philosophy
the occult, mantra and astrology
healing and medicine
research and hidden things
detachment and renunciation
maternal grandfather
wounds and sudden cuts
devotion to Shiv ji and Ganesh ji
pilgrimage
wisdom after suffering

The body

abdomen
skin
left eye
palms and soles

Relatives

maternal grandfather
grandparents

Work

doctor and healer
lawyer and judge
priest, sage and spiritual teacher
astrologer and occultist
researcher
weaving and tailoring
fishing
pottery, tile and brick making
cable and wire work

Places

anthills
hill shrines and ashrams
places of pilgrimage
thorny jungle
mountains
the north

Strong

A well-placed Ketu — in Scorpio or Pisces, in the 7th (GP), in Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo or Capricorn, or in its own nakshatras Ashwini, Magha and Mula — gives insight, intuition and a quiet strength: research, healing, spiritual practice and technical depth come naturally, and loss turns into wisdom. Some treat Ketu as a full benefic. Its results come from about 48.

Weak

An afflicted Ketu — with Chandra, Surya or Mangal, or in the 8th or 12th — shows as a sense of loss or of being cut off, sudden breaks in work or in ties, low spirits, and doubt about where you belong. The areas to care for are the skin, wounds and fevers, and the stomach; see a doctor for anything persistent. Worship Ganesh ji, and give horse gram (kulthi) or red gram on Tuesdays.