Skipped Step Planets

[Wendy]

Hello All,

I've been here on the forum just not participating as much.  I'm grateful to commune with all of you here and hope to engage more fully soon.

Question:

If Saturn is the skipped step in a chart and Saturn conjuncts one planet and opposes three additional planets, are those planets considered part of the skipped step too?

Gratefully,

Wendy

[Upasika]

Hi Wendy,

I can start you off.

A skipped step is defined by any planet square the Moon's nodes. If it is square one node it will automatically be square the other node too.

In your situation, a planet conjunct Saturn is presumably also square the nodes, so it is also a skipped step in it's own right. Likewise with the planets opposite Saturn, they will presumably also be square the nodes so they are all skipped steps too. In this case the skipped steps are all part of a compound skipped step situation.

Other planets aspecting a planet square the Moon's nodes, by any aspect, are indirectly involved in the skipped step shown by the planet squaring the nodes. The nature of this indirect involvement is shown by the planet itself, along with the house and sign it's in, that is aspecting the skipped step planet, and also the aspect involved.

Thus, in the case you are considering, even if the planet conjuncting Saturn isn't technically in a square to the Moon's nodes (say using a 10 degree orb or less), the fact that it's conjunct Saturn means its certainly indirectly involved, more rather than less as the aspect is a conjunction. The same for the planets opposing Saturn - even if they aren't strictly speaking square the nodes, they will still be at least indirectly involved in the skipped step represented by Saturn, as they are in aspect to Saturn. However an opposition is a major aspect, like a conjunction, so it will be more involved rather than less.

Some would say that the planet conjuncting Saturn and also those planets opposing it, are brought into a condition of actually directly squaring the nodes too even if they are outside the orb of a square, by virtue of the fact they are conjuncting/opposing a planet that is in orb of a square to the nodes. This rule of thumb certainly applies to a conjunction, and more often than not to an opposition, but not to other aspects.

Hope this helps, others may correct what I have written, or add to it.

blessings Upasika

[Wendy]

Thanks Upasika,  I appreciate your reply. 

So all the planets in relationship with Saturn have something to do with the skipped step.  I really know this already, but needed to check again.  I was thinking about the planets opposed by Saturn.  They are in square to the north node, whereas Saturn is square the south node.  Clearly they all are intertwined and do not function incognito. I think I was trying to understand whether/how the planets square the north node helped support the skipped step issue, somehow different from Saturn directly.  I'm sure why I needed to separate them out?

Blessings,
Wendy

[Upasika]

Hi Wendy,

So all the planets in relationship with Saturn have something to do with the skipped step.  

Yes, they all have something to do with it, just what depends on their particular relatonship with Saturn, and the nodes themselves.

I really know this already, but needed to check again.  I was thinking about the planets opposed by Saturn.  They are in square to the north node, whereas Saturn is square the south node.  Clearly they all are intertwined and do not function incognito. I think I was trying to understand whether/how the planets square the north node helped support the skipped step issue, somehow different from Saturn directly.  I'm sure why I needed to separate them out?

The whole phenomenon of skipped step(s) involves the Moon's nodes, planets squaring those nodes, and planets aspecting the skipped step planet(s), and aspecting the nodes themselves (but possibly in a more indirect role). Remember that a planet squaring one node is always squaring the other node too, so it's not a case here of Saturn just squaring the south node, with the planets opposing Saturn squaring the north node. Saturn and the planets opposing it are all squaring both the south and north nodes simultaneously.

To determine the significance of each node in the skipped step situation you need to see what node each skipped step planet (Saturn and the planet conjunct it, and the planets opposing Saturn) are "applying" to. In this case Saturn and conjuncting planet will be applying to one of the nodes, and the planets opposing Saturn will be applying to the other node. It's the node that each planet is applying to that must be embraced to "support" the resolution of the skipped steps. In this scenario, both nodes will need to be fully embraced for the resolution to fully occur, but for different reasons. The reasons for embracing a node will be related to the particular planets applying to that node only. This is important because that node will actually be detrimental to planets applying to the opposite node.

With many planets involved in a skipped step situation such as this each one will be contributing in it's own way to the whole situation ... it has become "compounded", and implies usually that the person has been avoiding something very essential over a long period of time (many lives) and that now the whole thing has got really out of hand.

To determine which node a planet is applying to, imagine the chart is a big circle on the floor, stand on the skipped step planet and face into the centre of the circle (chart). Then turn your head to the left and the node you see 90 degrees away (on your left) is the node that particular planet is applying to.

I hope this clarifies things ...

blessings Upasika

[Steve]

hi Wendy

In addition to what Upasika said (all of which is true), planets aspecting the planet that squares the nodes give clues to the nature of the skipped step, how it has been actualized.

Remember, it all goes back to the Soul's desire nature, the bottom line of why anything is in the first place.  When you see planets opposing each other and squaring the nodes this indicates deep conflicts in a Soul's desire nature.  It has been going back and forth, back and forth between opposing desires.  I describe it as wanting it to be day and night, summer and winter, at the same time.  Which is obviously not possible.  Over time the Soul gets confused and likely frustrated.  Can't figure out how to resolve the paradox, goes back and forth, back and forth.  Typically is unwilling to delve into the depths of what it would take to resolve the paradox.  When it gets to a certain point and it starts getting difficult in ways that are all too familiar, it suddenly flips to acting out the opposite node.  That works for a while.  Then the same thing happens at the other node.  It reaches a point where its too hard, and makes what's by now become the familiar flip to the other node, trying to get away from the pain or intensity.

The desire nature within Souls can be quite complex.  That is indicated when multiple planets square the nodes and the resolution node for some is the north node and others the south node. 

It is often tricky for the EA astrologer to grasp the nature of the conflicts and desires that led to these patterns.  It takes practice.  I can say from experience, once the nature of the paradox is intuitively grasped by the astrologer and related to the client you will start hearing in the client's own words the nature of their life-long back and forth flipping behaviors that will completely correlate to the symbols in the chart. As the astrologer starts grasping how this plays out in their clients' lives it gradually becomes easier to intuit the nature of what those symbols mean when seen in a new chart.  Each person will play out the same themes in their own unique ways.  But the core underlying complexes are always quite similar. 

It is a little tricky when the resolution node is the north node for some planets and the south node for other planets.  It basically means they need to learn to do the south node in new ways. Some of that will be through experiencing the south node in new ways which lets them act out the north node in new ways, and other parts from jumping into the north node, learning new experiences there and bringing those back to the south node.  That assists in learning to do the south node in new ways.  A key concept in those cases in Integration.  Often the person will be almost split inside into at least two very different personality parts.  They've had a hard timing integrating the different sides of self.  That is a key part of the work in such cases.  To acknowledge the validity of ALL of their sides.  To stop trying to deny or repress various parts of their nature.  To realize they are all valid and are all expressions of their one Soul.  Through the acceptance the integration process can proceed which leads to the ongoing resolution of the paradoxes in the desire nature.
Steve

[Upasika]

Hi Steve, really appreciated the extra understanding you've added, and sharing of your experience of this.
Upasika

[Wendy]

It is a little tricky when the resolution node is the north node for some planets and the south node for other planets.  It basically means they need to learn to do the south node in new ways.  Wow I just had a aha moment reading this...combining the skipped step planetary function and archetype with the function and archetype of the SN and its dispositor is crucial!  The two functions/planets are so opposite in the chart, thus truly integrating (as you mentioned) their connection could take a lifetime it seems!

Some of that will be through experiencing the south node in new ways which lets them act out the north node in new ways, and other parts from jumping into the north node, learning new experiences there and bringing those back to the south node.  That assists in learning to do the south node in new ways. 

A key concept in those cases in Integration.  Often the person will be almost split inside into at least two very different personality parts.  They've had a hard timing integrating the different sides of self.  That is a key part of the work in such cases.  To acknowledge the validity of ALL of their sides.  To stop trying to deny or repress various parts of their nature.  To realize they are all valid and are all expressions of their one Soul.  Through the acceptance the integration process can proceed which leads to the ongoing resolution of the paradoxes in the desire nature.  This all sounds like Gemini--multifaceted.
Steve

Thanks Steve, this explanation really helps.

[Stacie]

Hi Steve,

Just wanted to say the explanation you provided is terrific.  Your words are so on point in describing the actual emotional/psychological experience one has as the soul grapples with the perceived limitations and conflicting realities that arise when steps essential to that soul's intended process have been missed or left incomplete.  Thanks for sharing that particular perspective, it was refreshing to read!

Stacie