The Terrifying Sade Sati?

“Sade Sati” is an astrological time that many people are trained to fear. Saturn takes 2.5 years to transit from one sign. Sade Sati refers to a 7 ½ year period when the planet Saturn crosses over the sign prior to one’s Moon Sign, the Moon sign, and one sign afterwards. The reason this time is feared is that the Moon and Saturn are considered enemies. The Moon is the quickest changing “planet” in our sky. Every day it displays a new Moon phase and completes one journey through the sky in approximately 28 days. Saturn on the other hand, is the slowest of all the planets. He is in no rush. Saturn in comparison is timeless and firm and “heavy” in the sense when he makes a change, it tends to be more deeply grounded.

One analogy is that Saturn builds coliseums and pyramids, structures that last for thousands of years and used by many; whereas the Moon creates something like a tent that can be erected for personal use for one night, and then moved. The Moon also signifies one’s mind and emotions. The sign that one’s Moon is in, describes the type of operating system that you have come in with. For instance, an Aries Moon will give one, a different mental operating system than someone with a Leo Moon sign.

As the slow moving Saturn approaches your Moon sign, there is a natural clash that most painfully can be felt as your mind and emotions are being forced into a particular new pattern, despite all the rebellion it may put up on you. Saturn is determined to erect a new coliseum in your mind that will be more eternal and of service to others. Saturn takes approximately 29-30 years to cross all 12 zodiacs. The restructuring of the mind and emotions that Saturn brings during Sade Sati tends to create deep seated changes to one’s operating system, perspective and life that last for the next 30 years.

Below is briefly and generally what Saturn restructures during Sade Sati. Depending on which sign your Moon sign is (i.e. your operating system), the readings change:

During the time of Sade Sati each individual is brought to task on the core life issues they must learn. Sade Sati experiences vary widely. Some may lose the people they love, some may walk away from a career they have been doing for many, many years, and some may experience new found levels of despair and mental depression. These negative experiences, which are part of our human existence, are there to push one to new levels of understanding. For instance, certain planetary configurations may make one very self-reliant and assured of oneself, so much so that he or she relies too much on his own competencies and capabilities and deny the existence of a higher power outside of oneself. When such a person undergoes Sade Sati, the person is subjected to personal loss and misfortune which brings him to his knees in emotional suffering. Everything that this person thought was true and in control, is now taken away from them or his integrity is challenged by others or confidence in his own capabilities looks only egotistical or foolish to the outside world.

Is Saturn cruel to do this? Yes and no. From a superficial material outlook, why would this esteemed person suddenly fall and lose their loved ones and career? It would seem Saturn “has it out for them”. But remember, while Saturn is the cruel task master in the sense that he does not care if you suffer, he is also eternal and timeless. From a lifetime perspective, or multi-lifetime perspective, Saturn brings in new wisdom. This person will likely be reexamining what they thought was important. Perhaps they put too much value on position and a self-absorbed, overly self-reliant attitude. Now Saturn will make them pause more to value others contributions. He will also make them understand that ultimately we all go to our grave and how that means we value our day to day encounters.

On the positive side, many people who undergo Sade Sati find themselves propelled to even greater positions of responsibility and power. They develop discipline to do the hard work required to make something lasting and great, whether it is a company or in service to others. They may also have spiritual experiences.

How can you determine what Saturn has in store for you with your Sade Sati, or for that matter, with any transit he makes? There is an indication of the strength of a planet in each of one’s houses called “Ashtaka Varga”. On a scale of 1 to 8 “bindus”, it will indicate how strong a planet, such as Saturn, is in ones houses. In relation to Sade Sati, one would ideally like a 4 or above to indicate the Saturn will bring one more benefits than sorrows. Individuals with only 1, 2 or 3 bindus will likely experience great tribulations. The above is an over-simplification of Ashtaka Varga analysis as one’s Moon sign and Saturn’s rulership of other astrological Houses also flavors what is in store for ones Sade Sati. Astroved’s Custom Saturn transit report will reveal one’s bindus for this critical time of change in one’s life.