Sade Sati is three phases, not one long sentence

Sade Sati is the roughly seven and a half years in which Saturn moves through the sign before your Moon, your Moon's own sign, and the sign after. Each phase is about two and a half years.

They feel different. The first often shows up as expenses or loose ends. The middle, over the Moon itself, is the one people mean when they say "heavy". The last often lands on money and family matters, and eases as it goes.

Two things worth knowing. Plenty of people do well in Sade Sati, especially when Saturn is a friendly planet for their ascendant. And it comes round about every thirty years, so most people meet it two or three times. It's a season, not a curse.