Some qualities of Saturn in general:

Saturn being traditionally called as the Dharma Karmadhipathi (which means the executor of justice and the planet which leads to actions depending upon past samskaras or Karma) has to discharge its duties most sincerely and effectively. For those who have good sanchith karmas (store karmas of previous births’), it goes without saying that Saturn will surely do good, no matter which Dasa they are running. Generally, a good Astrologer will analyze the 8^th bhava and also the position of Saturn at birth. Presuming for a while that the outcome of this point indicates good karmas stored in the 8^th bhava, probably, if such people run Sade Sathi, they might have everything to rejoice.

Why Sadesathi may not affect right through the period of seven and a half years?

Assuming that the points as mentioned in the above paragraph are not all that satisfactory to give favourable results, let us not get worked up with Astrologers scaring us with Sade Sathi. The main reason for this is that the planets are continuously moving and as stated already Saturn takes nearly two and a half years to move from one Zodiac sign to the next. This is with reference to the Rasi chart only. One Zodiac sign is 30 degrees (30 degrees X 12 signs = 360 degrees). Human life cannot go on the way we are living and experiencing events unless there are some Astrological points involved which changes our routine every day and every hour.

Movements in Navamsa are the one which modulates the effect of planets.

Movement of 3 degrees and 20 minutes in the Rasi chart, the planet moves by one Navamsa. Incidentally, 3 degrees and 20 minutes correspond to one Nakshathra Pada and every Nakshathra has four padas.

Thus, each Zodiac sign is divided into 9 equal divisions and it is called the Navamsa. Therefore, for every Zodiac signs there are 9 Navamsas. There is an accepted methodology for this and is not relevant for our purpose at this point in time. The point which I am trying to convey is – whenever a planet moves by one Navamsa as explained above, the impact of such movement is that, it will activate a specific area of our life, which in other words means, a change of effects of a Bhava. To explain very briefly, let us say 4^th bhava which includes education in case of students apart from a host of other aspects of life as well, might be under the sway of Saturn. It is quite possible that the student might slightly be sluggish in studies during that period (when his 4^th bhava is directly hit by Saturn in Navamsa also) when Saturn covers 3 degrees 20 minutes which roughly translates to around 3 months approximately depending upon the speed of the planet. The planet speed depends upon its proximity to Sun. These points may be tough for readers to understand right away.

Is the movement in Navamsa applicable for all planets?

Certainly, yes. Even for Moon, the fastest moving planet, despite the fact that it stays in one Zodiac sign for approximately 56 hours and 43 minutes, its movement in Navamsa alone impacts our routine. For that matter the Ascendant or the Lagna itself moves at the rate of approximately 2 hours per sign. These two factors considered together, one can predict an event accurately.

Therefore, the bottom line message is that Astrology as Telecast totally ignores the vital points and thus wrongly conveys information as if a planet gives continuously the same effects right through when it remains in one sign.

The very purpose of this article is a sincere attempt to annul doubts and fears which might have cropped up by watching TV programmes on Astrology. We might as well call it, an attempt to get rid off Astro-phobia!

What is Sade Sathi

 Sade Sathi is a period of seven and a half years. In the context of Astrology, this period is referred to movement of Saturn in the Zodiac with respect to Moon in the birth chart.

Saturn takes approximately 30 years to complete one cycle in the Zodiac. To give an example, Saturn entered Aries on the 17^th April, 1998. On the 3^rd June 2027, Saturn again will be Aries. This is one cycle of Saturn.

What is the meaning of the period of seven and a half years within the approximate 30 years explained above?

This is a personal issue of each individual depending upon where was Moon at birth? For example, let us say Moon was in Taurus at birth. Obviously, the Moon sign of that person is Taurus. Then the period of seven and a half years has begun on the 17^th April, 1998 and ending on the 26^th May, 2005.

Thus the word Sade Sathi, viz., when Saturn transits one sign behind, on the Moon sign and the one next to the Moon sign is typically meaning seven and a half years period. Saturn normally stays in one sign for approximately about two and half years.

Which Moon sign natives who may not be much affected normally due to Sade Sathi?

Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius.

Who will be affected by Sade Sathi?

The wrong doers will be surely punished while it may have marginal impact on good people. Saturn being the causative planet of Dharma, it will surely do its best to sincerely discharge its duties. Thus, to scare every one uniformly is the worst side of making generalized statements on Sade Sathi and terrorise the innocent public through media.

What are the other considerations in judging the effects of Sade Sathi?

1. Where is Saturn posited in the natal chart (birth chart)?
2. What is the Dasha, Bhukthi and Antara the native is running during Sade Sathi?
3. Which Bhavas are aspected by Saturn during Sade Sathi?
4. Does Saturn receive the benefic aspect of the greatest benefactor Jupiter?

Apart from the points above, there are a gamut of other considerations in Astrology before anyone can comment on the ill-effects of Sade Sathi.

Saturn has been given a dubious distinction by the Astrological community, most often, out of context and with a very heavy bias as a dreaded planet.  If Saturn and likewise Rahu and Ketu which are amongst the planetary kingdom were undesirable as per Astrologers, how is it that we are conducting Navagraha Pooja before performing any auspicious functions? Do planets which are bad and harmful from the Astrological prediction perspective deserve to be worshipped? Were our yester year saints and sages imprudent on this issue or is it that our thought process is derailed due to our inability to grasp the impact of these planets?

A quick glance of prenatal epoch of child birth obviously and decidedly reveals that once a female conceives the countdown of child birth thus begins. Obviously, the transit of Sun is the measure of time. This implies that Sun normally transits in nine Zodiac signs which totals to nine months while the ideal gestation period is 9 months, 9 days and 9 hours. Therefore, Sun automatically transmits the relevant ‘Pancha Tatwas’ (five Tatwas – Ether, Air, water, fire and earth) of all the nine planets including that of Saturn and incubates them in the baby inside mother’s womb. Zodiac is an excellent template covering the entire universe with constellation of Asterism wonderfully laid out which repeats itself in three uniform quarters starting from Aries with Ashwini star up to Cancer ending in Ashlesha and again from Ketu star in Leo up to Scorpio ending with Jyesta and again from Sagittarius to Pisces. Therefore, the necessary condition for a child to be born is the Cosmic influence of all the nine planets and to continue life on earth, it is indeed imperative that we need the Cosmic energy of all the nine planets. On this premise, is it not prudent on our part not to classify any planet as bad for life. In total defiance of this factor, the word Sade Sathi seem to be the subject matter of Astrologers to scare the general public through media, particularly the Electronic media, in such strong language and terrorise them.

As in the case of Ascendant or Lagna, an arithmetical approach will give us an insight in to the above statements. Normally, there will be three (or even more than 3) Sade Sathis in the life of everyone with normal longevity. This amounts to 7.5 years X 3 times = 22.5 years. Is it that 22.5 years of our life has gone for a toss as if it is the worst part of life?

Therefore, from the above statistics which are realistic by any means, it is high time that we stop irrelevant and erratic interpretation of Sade Sathi.

What is certainly disastrous is the fact that, generalizing the effect of transits (movement of Planets) exclusively from the Moon sign perspective only, and pronouncing a ‘Universal Judgment’ airing views on possibilities and probabilities thus amounts to psychologically assassinating innocent viewers. At this point, let us recapitulate what has been stated on a gamut of issues about the Ascendant or Lagna.

In effect, when we delve into these points more, I think it is high time that we pump in good sense before further terrorizing the viewers who are already drowned in routine to eke out a livelihood. It is ironical that the subject of Astrology which probably is a gift of God to reduce mental tension and motivate, is exactly on the opposite direction, just to suit the convenience of creating a theme or content for TV channels. Astrology, a divine subject is in the hands of chosen few to harass the viewers instead of improving the morale of people to face life. Thus a gift of God has become a curse at the hands of chosen few.

The Ascendant or Lagna

                                             …………the nucleus of Astrology

 Overview

With the penetration of the Electronic Media, almost all TV channels in India are agog with innumerable predictions of all sorts based on the Moon sign in Astrology. Perhaps it is time now to introspect the impact of this callous attitude, lest millions of viewers who watch TV get bogged down psychologically, and develop phobia of a possible danger and get themselves drowned in fear and demoralize themselves.

Astrology is an integral but independent chapter in the path of spirituality. Astrology is supposed to imbibe hope and confidence in our daily life and not destroy it. Human beings may/can survive without Oxygen for a few minutes, whereas, ‘without hope’ to survive for a minute is next to impossible. Therefore, may we say that the daily and weekly predictions televised is amounting to Astrological terrorism, while, a negligible percentage of viewers might get excited with highly favourable prediction one week and the week next to that they are bound to hear the near total destruction of the previous week’s hype! Is our life going on as per the TV programmes on Astrology?  Are there any Social objectives in such Telecast? Does it serve any purpose? Who are the beneficiaries, if any?

What is Ascendant or Lagna?

Ascendant or Lagna is the most critical point in Astrology. Whole of Astrology revolves around this. Ascendant is an ‘Imaginary Point’ ever rising in the East. As the clock ticks, every second there is an imaginary point rising at any given location. Thus, it is different for each spot on the earth. The geographical location of the spot in terms of the Longitude and Latitude of the spot thus gains importance.

When a child is born, the moment it inhales the first puff of atmospheric Oxygen is the actual birth time and the imaginary point then, is the Ascendant. All other planets including Moon, Astronomical location at that point in time are then considered with respect to the Ascendant. Therefore, the Ascendant becomes ‘Unique’ for each child and thus the child gets a discrete, independent identity so far as Astrology is considered. Let us recognize here the Astrologically vulnerable point that, the Ascendant is not a physical object like any planet while it is an imaginary point holding the key to Astrological prediction.

To draw a bottom line message encompassing the factors above means Moon’s position is with respect to the Ascendant whilst all Telecasts on Astrology is in total isolation and disrespect to the Ascendant. Moon sign or ‘Rashi’ is subordinate to the Ascendant. Thus, the most sensitive and critical Astrological point which determines the life of people is given a good bye, and the TV programmes rally around the Moon sign only because it has to address a very large number of viewers in total defiance of the basic tenets of Astrology.

Now, a little insight on the outer periphery of the subject of Astrology vis-à-vis the mathematical approach clears many points that might arise in our mind. Firstly, the Ascendant takes approximately two hours to cover one Zodiac sign. Secondly, Moon takes approximately about 60 hours to cover one Zodiac sign. Don’t we find how the equation of 2 hours versus 60 hours sound, to blabber all sorts of imaginary predictions based exclusively on the Moon sign? Is it not absurd, misleading and irrelevant? Is it a service to the Society? Don’t we think that many deadly utterances made, impact the viewers’ negatively and create a fear psychosis? Therefore, the TV programmes on weekly predictions based on the Moon sign is nothing short of Astrological terrorism.

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