What is Shani Sade Sati?
When Saturn transits through the 12th, 1st, and 2nd house from your natal moon, this is termed Sade-sati. Saturn takes 2 ½ years to pass through each sign; its passing through 3 signs make it 7 ½ years. Sade means “half” in Hindi and Sati translates to “seven”.
What happens in Shani Sade Sati?
Saturn is a planet of empathy, democracy, human values, and dispassion. When one is grounded, practical and follows the laws and rules of life, one seldom transgresses the values Saturn upholds. Saturn, during its Sade Sati, makes one learn the values of justice and way of living life beyond definitions of personal ego. Most often than not it seeks to break egoistic tendencies and the illusion of ego created by time. One fully learns the lessons of Saturn when he starts living in the Now.
Sade Sati cycle repeats about two or three times within one’s lifetime. It reappears after every 25 years from when it first finished. In rare cases, the Sade Sati may appear four times, in a lifetime.
It is believe the first cycle of Sade-sati affects parents more than the native. The 2nd cycle influences the domestic front as well as the business front, and the 3rd cycle affects children, family, health, and physical suffering or may even indicate the native’s death. Results depend on the planets placed in the chart, main and sub periods (Dasa and Bhuktis) and transits of other planets.
The nature of Sade Sati depends on Saturn’s relationship with the Ascendant (lagna) and the Moon Sign (Rasi) and its very character known through the Nakshatra which it falls under.
Saturn’s influence, in transit, over the 8th house from natal moon, is another dreaded period. When Saturn passes through the 8th house from the natal moon, it is called Ashtam Sani (Eighth house Saturn) or Kantak Shani. Here, Saturn creates disturbances in family life and often, family members, close friends and relatives become the source of misery, through their attitude and actions. Here too, Saturn’s influence teaches one patience and titiksha (the ability to bear pain but working towards a goal of self-improvement).
When Saturn passes through 4th house from the natal moon, it is called Ardha Kantaka Sani. This period is considered as bad as Ashtam Shani.
Why fear Sade Sati?
Saturn is a Karmic planet. He teaches you to see the truth beyond all illusions and perceptions. Sade Sati is one karmic period when you see your perceptions play in front of you. These perceptions are all placed in a particular time and they don’t exist in reality. If you are undergoing your sade sati period now, take a hard look at your perceptions. Know that nothing can be defined in the moment, because everything changes with time. The value of a person and object is only formed in the moment. You feel the pain inflicted by Saturn, because he forces you to delete and let go of your perceptions.
Shani Sade Sati isn’t Evil
Don’t consider Saturn as a doomsday planet. It seeks to correct your past mistakes during its Sade Sati and Kantaka Shani periods. Many ills of such periods are mitigated through a good main period (Mahadasha) – sub period (Bhukti) combination or by the transit of a beneficial planet in a supporting house.
Remedies for Shani Sade Sati:
• The best remedy for Sade Sati is to learn what Lord Saturn is trying to teach you. All your limiting beliefs that you have formed in your mind in different births will play in front of you and show you how wrong you were to pass judgements on them, and you will have to release these personal definitions. The more humble and simple you are, the more you will escape from wrath of Saturn, who wants you to be ego-less. Saturn will break your stubbornness, false pride and escapist tendencies. Sade-sati is about doing one’s obligatory duties without considering likes and dislikes. One who does this forever is least effected by Sade Sati. To some, positive gains come too. Sade Sati is the time for initiating spiritual activities to gain in understanding of life and not keep an escapist attitude.
• Saturn works on the third eye chakra of the individual. Meditations involving this chakra help most to focus on His lessons.
• Wearing a 14-mukhi Rudraksha, worship of Lord Hanuman and praying to Shani Yantra helps an individual through this period.
Mantra Japa for Shani Sade Sati:
Om pram preem proum sah shanaischaraya namah
Beej Mantra of Saturn:
Om Sham Shanischaray Namah
Katyayani Durga gayatri
Om Katyayanaya Vidmahe, Kanya Kumari cha Dhimahi, Tanno Durgih Prachodayat
