Saturn moves so slowly that it spends roughly two and a half years in a single zodiac sign, and during that stretch it turns retrograde more than once. Retrograde motion doesn't mean Saturn is physically moving backward, it only appears that way from Earth, but the visual effect is real enough that Saturn often slips back into the sign it just left. That's exactly why many people believe their Sadhesati is over the moment Saturn changes signs, only to find its effects returning a few months later. Simply tracking Saturn's sign change isn't enough, what actually matters is whether Saturn comes back into the same sign again. Right now, Saturn's Sadhesati is active for three signs, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries, and each one is at a different stage of the cycle.
Sadhesati is traditionally split into three phases: the first when Saturn transits the sign before the Moon sign, the second when it transits the Moon sign itself, and the third when it moves into the sign right after the Moon sign. Because Saturn keeps shuttling back and forth during its retrograde spells, these phases don't always move forward in a straight line, sometimes the third phase reverts to the second, or the second reverts back to the first.
Aquarius: In the final phase, but the story isn't fully over yet
Aquarius is currently going through the third and last phase of its Sadhesati. The moment Saturn first enters Aries, Aquarius natives will get relief from this Sadhesati. But that isn't the end of the story: Saturn will later turn retrograde and move back into Pisces, though it will not re-enter Aquarius. That's why, within this particular transit cycle, Sadhesati will not return for Aquarius even after Saturn's retrograde dip back into Pisces.
Once this cycle closes, Aquarius natives face a long wait of around 29 years for the next round. The next Sadhesati for Aquarius will begin only when Saturn re-enters Capricorn, which, based on current planetary calculations, is expected to happen around 2054-2055.
Pisces: Several phase changes between 2027 and 2029
Pisces is currently in the second phase of its Sadhesati, and the next couple of years will bring repeated back-and-forth movement. On June 3, 2027, Saturn will enter Aries. That will not end the Sadhesati, instead it will trigger the third phase. Just a few months later, on October 20, 2027, Saturn will turn retrograde and move back into Pisces, restarting the second phase. Then, on February 23, 2028, Saturn will enter Aries again and the third phase will begin once more.
This shuttling will finally end on August 8, 2029, when Saturn moves into Taurus. That is when Pisces' Sadhesati will be completely over. Saturn will later turn retrograde again and move back into Aries, but it will not return to Pisces, so Sadhesati will not recur for Pisces in this cycle.
Two dates matter most for Pisces: October 20, 2027, when Saturn turns retrograde and re-enters Pisces, restarting the second phase, and August 8, 2029, when Saturn's entry into Taurus brings the Sadhesati to a close.
The next Sadhesati for Pisces will begin only when Saturn enters Aquarius again, an event current transit calculations place around 2057-2058.
Aries: The longest and most tangled Saturn sequence
Aries natives' Sadhesati began on March 29, 2025, when Saturn entered Pisces, and the first phase is currently underway. On June 3, 2027, Saturn will enter Aries, starting the second phase. But soon after, on October 20, 2027, Saturn will turn retrograde and slip back into Pisces, restarting the first phase all over again.
On February 23, 2028, Saturn will re-enter Aries and the second phase will return. Then, on August 8, 2029, Saturn will move into Taurus, beginning the third phase. The sequence still isn't done: on October 5, 2029, Saturn will turn retrograde once more and move back into Aries, restarting the second phase. Finally, on April 17, 2030, Saturn will re-enter Taurus and the third phase will begin again.
Aries' Sadhesati will be considered fully over only once Saturn makes a permanent entry into Gemini, because after that Saturn will not return to Taurus again.
Two dates are worth remembering for Aries as well: October 20, 2027, when Saturn turns retrograde and returns to Pisces, restarting the first phase, and October 5, 2029, when Saturn turns retrograde again and returns to Aries, restarting the second phase. The Sadhesati's true end will only be counted from Saturn's permanent move into Gemini.
The next Sadhesati for Aries will begin only when Saturn re-enters Pisces, an event current transit calculations place around 2060-2061.
Why does the Sadhesati phase keep changing
Sadhesati always begins one sign before a person's Moon sign. Its second phase runs while Saturn is in the Moon sign itself, and the third phase is counted once Saturn moves one sign ahead of the Moon sign. Whenever Saturn turns retrograde and slips back into the previous sign, the Sadhesati phase shifts accordingly, a third phase already underway can revert to the second, or a second phase can fall back to the first.
This is exactly why astrologers give more weight to Saturn's stable, forward transit rather than any temporary sign change. The real start and the real end of a Sadhesati are decided based on that stable movement, not a passing shift caused by retrograde motion. That's why anyone under Aquarius, Pisces or Aries needs to track the exact dates and phases listed above to know precisely where they stand.
