Shani Sade-Sati

There are total 12 signs. Sade Sati is a relative position of your sign where Moon is posited in your birth chart (Moon Sign or Rashi) and the current position of Saturn (Shani). The currently planetary position is called Transit position or Gochar position in astrological terminology. When Saturn is transiting through the 12th, 1st, and 2nd house from the natal (birth) moon, this is termed as Sade-sati. Sate-sati starts when Saturn (Shani) enters the 12th sign from the birth Moon and ends when Saturn leaves 2nd sign from the birth Moon. "Sade-sati" literally means 7 ½ i.e. 'seven and a half'. Saturn stays 2 ½ years on an average in a sign. So, in three signs combined, Saturn stays for 7 ½ and hence it is called sade-sati.

Similarly, when Saturn passes through the 4th house from the birth moon, it is supposed to give negative results. This position of Saturn is called Ardha Sade-sati (Half-Sade-sati) or Dhaiya, Panoti, or Adhayia. Some people consider the transit of Saturn from the 5th house of the natal moon as negative because it affects the quality of one’s judgment. When Saturn passes through the 8th house from the natal moon, it is called Astham Sani (8th Saturn). This 8th house transit is considered equally negative like the Sade-sati transit.

Sade-sati is very much hyped by Vedic astrologers and this period of seven and a half year is said to be very inauspicious. According to some, this is a period with many challenges, some unforgettable. People passing through the period of sade-sati, people may encounter road accidents, fractures, sudden falls from high positions, acute shortage of money, serious health problems and so on. Person passing through sade-sati is prescribed various remedies and parihars like mantra, japa, donation, and havan etc.

There are total 12 signs and as Saturn takes 2 ½ years to pass one sign, Saturn takes total 30 years for pass through all the 12 signs. Out of each 30 years, 7 ½ year are taken by sade-sati. If we include Dhaiya also, out of 30 years 12 ½ years are affected by Sade-sati and Dhaiya. If we also include 5th house and 8th house, we can add another 5 years which means out of each 30 years 17 ½ years are considered inauspicious due to Saturn transit.

There are two reasons for the existence of sade-sati. First, astrologers need some ways by which they can scare people and make money. By associating Sade-sati with Saturn, it is easy to scare poor people and make money in by suggesting gemstones and performing remedies for them. Sade-sati, like Kalsarpa dosha, is a good way for astrologers and pundits to make money. Secondly, astrologers who don’t understand astrology need some ways to explain bad events astrologically. As we have seen above, out of every 30 years, 17 ½ years are classified problematic by astrologers so they can easily blame Saturn for any problem in life. This is nothing but sheer lack of astrological knowledge.

In astrology, the birth chart (Janam kundli) should be studied in totality and an astrologer need to see various points like planet’s rashi position, Nakshatra position, position in various divisional charts, bala, aspects, various dasas etc. before concluding anything. The astrologers who don’t have knowledge of analyzing birth chart in totality depend upon concept like sade-sati and kalsarpa dosha for explaining all negative events.

How to Calculate Sade-Sati?
You need to know your moon sign to knowing your sade sati period. If you don't already know your moon sign, you can use http://www.astrosage.com/ for knowing it. Once you know your Moon sign, go again to astrosage.com and cast the chart for today (by entering today's date and time) and check the sign where Saturn is posited. If the present sign of Saturn is equal to the sign of Moon, previous sign of Moon or next sign of Moon, it means you are passing though the sade sati. For example your Moon sign is Virgo (sign number 6), then if Saturn is in sign number 5 (Leo), 6 (Virgo) or 7 (Libra), you are passing though Sade-sati period.
[Update 2012: You can go to Shani Sade Sati Calculator at AstroSage.com and calculate your shani sade sati for life.]

Remedies for Sade-Sati
OK, what should be the remedies for Sade-Sati? According to me, there is no remedy require for Sade Sati. As mentioned above, Sade-sati is nothing but either a money making tool for an astrologer or result of astrologer's lack of knowledge. There are thousands of examples where a person got fame, fortune and finance during the period of Sade-sati. Indira Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Bill Clinton are much quoted such examples. The objective of this post to make my readers understand sade sati and understand that there is nothing to fear about. If you are facing any problem in life, the birth chart should be analyzed in totality and the remedies should be performed accordingly. Please, please, please don’t get influenced by fraud astrologers and disturb your mental peace & waste your money.

Related Posts:
1. Shani Sade Sati in Year 2012
2. Shani Sade Sati in Year 2008
3. Moon Sign calculator
4. Shani Sade Sati calculator with detailed report