Find your Shani Sade Sati timeline: Aarambh, Madhya, and Antya phase dates, current status, plus previous and next cycles. Computed from date, time, and place of birth using Lahiri sidereal ephemeris.
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Supports 1900 onwards for better calculation reliability.
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astrology| Total duration | ~7.5 years (3 signs x 2.5 years at Saturn’s mean motion) |
| Phase 1 - Aarambh | Saturn in 12th-from-Moon (rising / first ~2.5 years) |
| Phase 2 - Madhya | Saturn on Moon sign (peak / middle ~2.5 years) |
| Phase 3 - Antya | Saturn in 2nd-from-Moon (setting / last ~2.5 years) |
| Traditionally most intense | Madhya (Saturn directly on natal Moon); outcomes vary with full chart |
| Cycle period | ~29.5 years (Saturn’s sidereal orbital period) |
| Required input | Date, time, and place of birth (for natal Moon sign) |
| Engine | Meeus VSOP87 + Lahiri ayanamsa (same as Kundli) |
| Saturn position accuracy | Sidereal longitude within ~0.3 deg vs Swiss Ephemeris |
| Ingress date tolerance | Conservative ~10 days at Saturn mean motion; cycle dates rounded to nearest day |
| Privacy | Birth-data calc client-side; reference table server-rendered. No personal data sent. |
Sade Sati (Shani Sade Sati) is a roughly 7.5-year period in Vedic astrology when transiting Saturn (Shani) passes through three consecutive zodiac signs: the sign immediately before your natal Moon sign, your Moon sign itself, and the sign immediately after.
Saturn takes about 2.5 years to traverse each sign, so the full Sade Sati window spans around 7.5 years. The cycle repeats roughly every 29-30 years - Saturn’s sidereal orbital period - so most people experience Sade Sati two or three times across a typical lifespan.
The 7.5-year window is divided into three 2.5-year phases, each named for Saturn’s position relative to the natal Moon:
| Phase | Saturn position | Approximate duration | Traditional framing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aarambh | 12th-from-Moon (sign before Moon sign) | ~2.5 years | Rising / build-up |
| Madhya | Moon sign itself | ~2.5 years | Peak / mid (often considered most intense) |
| Antya | 2nd-from-Moon (sign after Moon sign) | ~2.5 years | Setting / wind-down |
The Madhya phase is traditionally often considered the most intense because Saturn transits directly over the natal Moon. Outcomes nonetheless vary with the rest of the chart - planetary aspects, dasha periods, and other transits all interact, so this is a framing rule rather than a verdict.
Most classical and modern Vedic sources cite Madhya as the peak phase of Sade Sati because Saturn is on the natal Moon position throughout it. AstroSage describes the second charan as the peak; AstroCamp characterises the Moon-sign transit as the mid-phase peak. Both leave room for chart-dependent outcomes - a strong Moon, well-placed Saturn, or favourable concurrent dasha can soften the Madhya experience, while a weak Moon or difficult dasha can amplify it.
Aarambh and Antya are typically described as build-up and wind-down, with Aarambh bringing change to the foundations of life (12th-house themes) and Antya bringing themes of resource and value (2nd-house themes from Moon). Neither is universally gentler or harsher than the other; both depend on the rest of the chart.
As of 31 May 2026, transiting Saturn is in Pisces (Meena). Three rashis are currently in Sade Sati (shown first); the remaining nine are not.
| Moon sign (Rashi) | Sade Sati status | Phase explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Aries (Mesha) | Aarambh | Aarambh (rising) - Saturn in 12th-from-Moon |
| Pisces (Meena) | Madhya | Madhya (peak) - Saturn on Moon sign |
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | Antya | Antya (setting) - Saturn in 2nd-from-Moon |
| Taurus (Vrishabha) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Gemini (Mithuna) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Cancer (Karka) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Leo (Simha) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Virgo (Kanya) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Libra (Tula) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
| Capricorn (Makara) | Not in Sade Sati | - |
Table updates daily (revalidate: 86400 seconds). The next Saturn sign change rotates which rashis are in Aarambh, Madhya, and Antya - typically every ~2.5 years.
Both Sade Sati and Shani Dhaiya are Saturn-transit frameworks measured from the natal Moon, but they target different houses:
This calculator covers Sade Sati only. A separate Shani Dhaiya tool is a planned future addition.
Sade Sati ends when transiting Saturn finally clears your 2nd-from-Moon sign for good - the last forward exit out of your Antya phase. If you are currently in Sade Sati, the calculator above shows the exact cycle end date using the inclusive first-entry / last-exit convention; that date already accounts for any retrograde re-entries near the boundary.
Two common confusions: Saturn briefly entering the next sign and then retrograding back into your 2nd-from-Moon is NOT the end of Sade Sati under the inclusive convention - the cycle ends only when Saturn exits for good. The cycle end date is the calendar date Saturn crosses out forward; subsequent activity in the next sign is normal Saturn-transit life, no longer Sade Sati.
Sade Sati is a roughly 7.5-year period in Vedic astrology when transiting Saturn (Shani) passes through the zodiac sign immediately before the natal Moon sign, then the Moon sign itself, and finally the sign immediately after. It runs in three 2.5-year phases - Aarambh (rising), Madhya (peak), and Antya (setting) - and the full cycle repeats roughly every 29-30 years (Saturn's sidereal orbital period).
Approximately 7.5 years in total, divided into three phases of about 2.5 years each. Saturn takes ~2.46 years to traverse one sign on average, so the nominal Sade Sati window is around 7.4 years; the inclusive first-entry / last-exit convention used by this calculator can extend the window slightly to include retrograde 'preview' and 'extension' periods near sign boundaries.
Three rashis are in Sade Sati at any given moment, determined by Saturn's current sidereal sign. The dedicated 'Which rashi has Sade Sati now' table further down this page shows today's three affected rashis, refreshed daily. The rashis rotate roughly every 2.5 years as Saturn moves into a new sign.
The Madhya (peak) phase is traditionally often considered the most intense because Saturn transits directly over the natal Moon. However, outcomes vary widely with the rest of the chart - planetary aspects, dasha periods, and other transits all interact - so 'worst' is not universal. AstroSage and AstroCamp both note the Moon-sign transit as the peak/mid phase while leaving room for chart-dependent outcomes.
Sade Sati is Saturn transiting the 12th, 1st, and 2nd signs from the natal Moon (7.5 years total). Shani Dhaiya (also called Ashtama Shani when in the 8th) is Saturn transiting the 4th or 8th sign from the Moon - each lasts about 2.5 years. Dhaiya is calculated similarly but uses different reference houses; this tool covers Sade Sati only.
Sade Sati ends when transiting Saturn forwards out of the sign immediately after your natal Moon sign. The calculator above gives you the exact end date of your current cycle (inclusive convention, last-exit). If you are in the Antya phase, the end date you see is when Saturn finally clears your 2nd-from-Moon for good.
No. Sade Sati is a timing framework in Vedic astrology, not a guarantee of difficulty. Classical texts describe it as a period when Saturn-themed lessons (discipline, responsibility, slow progress) become more prominent, but actual outcomes depend on the full chart, your dasha period, and life context. Treat the dates as a calendar entry for self-reflection, not a verdict.
Yes. Saturn's sidereal orbital period is about 29.5 years, so Sade Sati recurs every ~29-30 years. Many people experience it two or even three times across an ~80-year life. The tool shows your previous and next cycles for that context.
From the natal Moon sign (Janma Rashi), not the Sun sign. Vedic astrology uses the Moon's sidereal sign at birth as the primary reference for personality and timing frameworks like Sade Sati. If you only know your Sun sign (Western horoscope), you cannot determine your Sade Sati window accurately without birth date, time, and place.
Saturn's sidereal position is computed via the Meeus VSOP87 ephemeris with Lahiri ayanamsa (Indian Government standard) - typical precision around 0.3 degrees vs Swiss Ephemeris. Saturn moves ~0.033 degrees per day at mean motion, so the 0.3-degree position bound translates to roughly 9-10 days of ingress-date drift. Cycle start and end dates may differ by up to ~10 days from competitor calculators that use different ephemeris implementations; this is expected and within engine tolerance.
Want your full birth chart with planetary positions and Vimshottari Dasha? Free Kundli Generator computes Lahiri sidereal D1 and D9 charts with Mangal Dosha and Dasha timeline.
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