Rahu moves into Capricorn (Makar) and Ketu into Cancer (Kark) on 25 November 2026 at 17:53 IST by the true node, per Lahiri ayanamsa. If your calendar says about 5 December 2026, it is using the mean node, and that is not an error: it is a different, equally traditional way of calculating the same point.
This post explains that ten-day gap in plain words, then gives the nakshatras the nodes pass through, how long they stay, and what tradition reads for each of the 12 Moon signs. As always, transits are read from your Moon sign (rashi); a free kundli shows it.
The dates at a glance
| Event | True node (we use this) | Mean node |
|---|---|---|
| Rahu enters Capricorn, Ketu enters Cancer | 25 Nov 2026, 17:53 | 5 Dec 2026, 22:31 |
| Rahu leaves for Sagittarius, Ketu for Gemini | 24 May 2028, 14:53 | 24 Jun 2028, 01:29 |
The previous pair, Rahu in Aquarius and Ketu in Leo, began on 30 May 2025 at 00:20 (true node). Before that Rahu was in Pisces from 29 November 2023.
By the true node, Rahu's stay in Capricorn is 546 days, about 18 months. Our Rahu in Capricorn transit page shows both versions side by side.
True node vs mean node, explained
Rahu and Ketu are not physical bodies. They are the two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the Sun's apparent path (the ecliptic). Eclipses happen near them, which is why tradition gives them so much weight.
Those crossing points slide slowly backwards around the zodiac, completing a circle in about 18 and a half years. But the slide is not perfectly smooth. In our engine's words:
Mean node: the node's average, smoothly moving position. True node: its actual position, which wobbles around the mean by up to about 1.5° as the Sun and Moon pull on the Moon's orbit. A sign change can therefore differ by days or weeks.
Since the node moves only a little each day, a difference of a degree or so in position becomes a difference of days in the date it crosses a sign boundary. This time the gap is 10.19 days on entry and about a month on exit.
Why many calendars say 5 December
The mean node is the older convention. Classical calculation texts work with mean motions, the mean node is easy to compute and always moves backwards at a steady pace, and many Indian almanacs and software defaults have used it for generations. So the date you most often see quoted is about 5 December 2026. Different sources also quote slightly different clock times on that day, depending on the exact method; our own mean-node calculation gives 22:31 IST.
Why we use the true node
Our engine computes every planet from its actual position, and for the nodes that means the true node. It is the point that actually decides where eclipses fall, and it is the default in our kundli and transit pages, so this post stays consistent with the chart you see there. The Rahu transit hub and Ketu transit hub list every sign change on the same basis.
Which one should you follow?
Both are legitimate. Astrologers who learned with the mean node read it with good results, and so do those who use the true node. What matters is to be consistent: if your family astrologer uses the mean node, read the transit as starting about 5 December; if you follow our pages, read it as 25 November. For the ten days in between, the two methods simply place the nodes on different sides of the boundary.
Nodes always move backwards
You will sometimes see "Rahu retrograde" written as news. It is not: the nodes move backwards through the zodiac nearly all the time, which is why Rahu goes from Aquarius into Capricorn, not into Pisces. The true node occasionally pauses or steps forward for a short while; the mean node never does. Neither is a special event.
Nakshatras along the way
Rahu enters Capricorn in Dhanishta (pada 2), ruled by Mars, and then moves back through:
- Shravana (ruled by the Moon), from 21 April 2027, 19:37
- Uttara Ashadha (ruled by the Sun), from 26 November 2027, 18:55
Ketu, always exactly opposite, starts at the end of Cancer in Ashlesha (ruled by Mercury) and over the stay moves back through Pushya (ruled by Saturn) into the last part of Punarvasu. Our Ketu page gives the exact dates for each.
All 12 Moon signs: where Rahu and Ketu fall
Classical texts, including Phaladeepika's chapter on gochara, treat Rahu and Ketu like Saturn: generally helpful in the 3rd, 6th and 11th signs from the Moon, and asking for more care elsewhere. House numbers below are counted from your Moon sign by our engine.
| Moon sign | Rahu (Capricorn) | Ketu (Cancer) |
|---|---|---|
| Aries (Mesh) | 10th | 4th |
| Taurus (Vrishabh) | 9th | 3rd, favoured |
| Gemini (Mithun) | 8th | 2nd |
| Cancer (Kark) | 7th | 1st |
| Leo (Simha) | 6th, favoured | 12th |
| Virgo (Kanya) | 5th | 11th, favoured |
| Libra (Tula) | 4th | 10th |
| Scorpio (Vrishchik) | 3rd, favoured | 9th |
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | 2nd | 8th |
| Capricorn (Makar) | 1st | 7th |
| Aquarius (Kumbh) | 12th | 6th, favoured |
| Pisces (Meen) | 11th, favoured | 5th |
What tradition reads, sign by sign
Rahu is read as amplifying and restless: it pushes towards what is new and unfamiliar. Ketu is read as detaching: it loosens attachment to the area it sits in. Both themes are mild over a long stay.
- Aries: Rahu in the 10th stirs ambition and change at work; Ketu in the 4th asks for patience at home.
- Taurus: Rahu in the 9th brings questions about beliefs, teachers and long travel; Ketu in the 3rd is a favoured position for effort and courage.
- Gemini: Rahu in the 8th suggests going carefully with sudden changes and joint money; Ketu in the 2nd asks for care with speech and family matters.
- Cancer: the axis runs through your 1st and 7th: Ketu in your sign can make you more inward, Rahu in the 7th puts partnerships in focus. A good time for honest conversation.
- Leo: Rahu in the 6th is one of the classic favourable positions, linked with overcoming competition and obstacles. Ketu in the 12th leans towards rest, retreat and spiritual interests.
- Virgo: Ketu in the 11th is favoured for gains; Rahu in the 5th brings new interests and asks for patience with children and studies.
- Libra: Rahu in the 4th brings change around home; Ketu in the 10th can make you less attached to titles at work.
- Scorpio: Rahu in the 3rd is favoured for initiative, short journeys and communication; Ketu in the 9th turns the mind towards inner questions.
- Sagittarius: Rahu in the 2nd puts family and money habits in focus; Ketu in the 8th is read as an inward, research-minded time.
- Capricorn: Rahu in your own sign heightens drive and visibility; Ketu in the 7th asks for patience with partners.
- Aquarius: Ketu in the 6th is favoured for clearing old problems; Rahu in the 12th leans towards travel and spending.
- Pisces: Rahu in the 11th is a favoured position for gains and wider circles; Ketu in the 5th asks for calm with children and creative work.
These are tendencies only. Your rashifal applies the current transits to your Moon sign day by day, and your birth chart decides how strongly any of this is felt.
What it does not mean
A Rahu–Ketu transit does not give anyone kaal sarp dosha; that is a pattern in the birth chart, explained in our post on kaal sarp dosha. Nor does it require any ritual. The nodes are long, slow influences, and the classical texts weigh them against the dasha running in your chart, which usually matters more. If you are running a Rahu or Ketu dasha, this transit is worth a closer look in your own kundli.
Try it yourself
Open the Rahu in Capricorn transit page for both the true-node and mean-node dates, nakshatra by nakshatra. Make your free kundli to see where Capricorn and Cancer fall in your own chart and which dasha is running. For a written reading of the transit against your whole chart, see the detailed kundli report.