7 years · the chapter of refinement
A Mahadasha is a chapter of life ruled by one planet. Ketu is the south node — detachment and old mastery; the part of life you have already had enough of, often without knowing why.
Where Ketu stands, you withdraw, simplify and see through things. A Ketu chapter settles things by release more than by effort.
A year inside it: a year of release — simplifying, finishing, and the quiet that follows.
| Length | 7 years of the 120-year Vimshottari cycle |
| Place in the order | The first of nine — after Mercury (17 years), before Venus (20 years) |
| Birth stars that begin in it | Ashwini, Magha, Mula |
| When the turn comes | Life simplifies |
| As a sub-chapter | Inside another planet's chapter, a Ketu sub-chapter reads go deep. Upskill, research, finish the certification — outer pushes land softer now. |
A Ketu chapter detaches you from what no longer fits. Titles may matter less; mastery and meaning matter more. Excellent for deep skill and poor for forcing external wins.
The move it rewards: Go deep, not wide. Let go of the path that's already ended.
Every Mahadasha is divided into nine sub-chapters (Antardasha), one for each planet, beginning with its own. Each length is fixed by the two planets' years.
| Sub-chapter | The turn | Length | Begins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketu–Ketu | life simplifies | 4 months 27 days | at the start |
| Ketu–Venus | sweetness returns | 1 year 2 months | after 4 months 27 days |
| Ketu–Sun | visibility rises | 4 months 6 days | after 1 year 6 months 27 days |
| Ketu–Moon | feeling deepens | 7 months | after 1 year 11 months 3 days |
| Ketu–Mars | the pace quickens | 4 months 27 days | after 2 years 6 months 3 days |
| Ketu–Rahu | ambition surges | 1 year 18 days | after 2 years 11 months |
| Ketu–Jupiter | doors open | 11 months 6 days | after 3 years 11 months 18 days |
| Ketu–Saturn | structure calls | 1 year 1 month 9 days | after 4 years 10 months 24 days |
| Ketu–Mercury | words sharpen | 11 months 27 days | after 6 years 3 days |
Lengths by the classical rule: the chapter's years times the sub-chapter's years, divided by ten, gives the months; the remainder times three gives the days. The nine add up to exactly 7 years.
When a day lights one part of your chart in this chapter, the counsel is to let something there go.
Gemstones are not prescribed on a page. A stone is a decision for a consultation with a practitioner who has your whole chart in front of them.
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Read next: Career astrology by date of birth — what your chart shows
How long does the Ketu Mahadasha last?Seven years, out of the 120 years of the Vimshottari cycle. It opens with its own sub-chapter, Ketu–Ketu, which runs 4 months 27 days, and closes with Ketu–Mercury, which runs 11 months 27 days.
What comes after the Ketu Mahadasha?The Venus Mahadasha, for 20 years. The order of the nine chapters never changes: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, and then Ketu again.
Who begins life in a Ketu Mahadasha?Anyone whose Moon stood in Ashwini, Magha or Mula at birth, the three birth stars Ketu rules. How much of the seven years remained at birth depends on how far the Moon had travelled through that star, which is why the birth time sharpens the dates.
What is a Ketu Mahadasha like?A Ketu chapter settles things by release more than by effort. A Ketu chapter detaches you from what no longer fits. Titles may matter less; mastery and meaning matter more. Excellent for deep skill and poor for forcing external wins.