Rahu is a "shadow planet" in Vedic astrology — not a physical body, but the mathematical north node of the Moon's orbit, where it crosses the ecliptic on its way north. Rahu represents obsession, foreign elements, sudden ambition, unconventional paths, and karmic addiction. It is always retrograde, opposite Ketu (south node), and takes about 18 years to traverse the zodiac. Its placement in a chart shows what the soul came in seeking — and where it can also be deceived.
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Rahu
The North Lunar Node — point where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic ascending.