Skipped Step in Astrology: Your Soul’s Repeating Pattern
- Nat ~Chai Astrology
- May 22, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 31
Understanding and Resolving Past Life Issues
Why Do Certain Patterns Keep Repeating?
Have you ever felt like you’re working so hard to move forward—but something keeps pulling you back?
Maybe it’s a relationship dynamic that shows up in different faces. Or a core wound that never seems to fully heal. Or a theme you thought you “graduated” from—but here it is again.
In Evolutionary Astrology, this isn’t random. It’s a sign of a Skipped Step—a soul-level dynamic you’ve encountered before but couldn’t fully resolve. Now, in this life, it’s back. Not to punish you—but to complete the soul work.
What Is a Skipped Step?
A Skipped Step is an astrological configuration where a planet squares both your North and South Node. It forms a T-square to the nodal axis and reveals unfinished karmic business—a soul lesson bypassed in a previous life.
“The nodes are the promises your soul made before incarnation.” And the skipped step is the vow your soul couldn’t yet fulfill.
These planets carry a tension—between where you’ve been (South Node) and where your soul longs to go (North Node). Until the skipped planet is integrated, you may feel trapped in a loop—one foot in the past, one reaching forward, and the skipped step acting as the snag.
How to Identify a Skipped Step in Your Chart
Look for:
A planet that squares both the North and South Node
Ideally within a tight orb (2–3° is strongest)
Note the sign and house of the planet—this tells you where the skipped energy plays out
Determine the Resolution Node (explained below)
The Resolution Node: Your Path to Integration
Your Resolution Node shows the direction that leads to healing.
North Node Resolution = Growth through discomfort. You’re being asked to move forward into unfamiliar territory, even if you feel “not ready.”
South Node Resolution = Healing through return. You’re called to reclaim gifts from the past, but with conscious awareness.
“The skipped planet’s healing comes when you walk the path your soul originally set.”
First Quarter vs. Final Quarter Squares
Skipped Steps come in two “flavors,” based on the evolutionary cycle:
First Quarter Square: The planet is 90° ahead of the South Node. This feels like a Crisis in Action—a push to build something new, despite resistance.
Final Quarter Square: The planet is 270° behind the South Node. This is a Crisis in Consciousness—where reflection, release, and reframing are the path forward.
Knowing which one applies offers insight into whether your soul’s growth comes through doing or being, building or synthesizing.
Common Themes of Skipped Steps
“Why does this keep happening to me?” = repeating life patterns tied to the skipped planet’s house
Blind spots around that planet’s energy
Emotional regression or immaturity when the skipped theme is activated
Inner conflict: One part wants to evolve (North Node), another clings to safety (South Node)
“This isn’t about failure. It’s about returning to what the soul left undone—and doing it differently this time.”
How Skipped Steps Are Activated
These patterns return in cycles—moments when the soul says, “Are you ready now?”
Look for:
Nodal Returns (ages \~19, 37, 56, etc.)
Saturn Returns & squares
Jupiter Returns for renewed growth
Pluto/Uranus transits for deep soul-clearing
Progressed Moon phases or lunations activating the square
“Resolution is not a one-time event. It’s a spiral. Each return is a deeper invitation.”
Interpretation Prompts for Your Skipped Step
Ask yourself:
What is the planet that squares the Nodes asking me to learn? Look at its sign and house. Is it Venus? You may be reclaiming self-worth. Mars? You may be integrating willpower or right use of anger.
How do I resist the North Node path? Do you fear being seen? Do you default to old behaviors under stress?
What strengths am I being asked to embody, now? What practices help you reclaim this energy in a healthy way?
Which Node is my path of healing? Are you being asked to step forward or return with awareness?
Example: Chiron as a Skipped Step
While not always covered in classic Evolutionary Astrology, Chiron can act as a skipped step when it squares the nodes.
Themes might include:
Soul wounds related to rejection, shame, or healing trauma
Overidentifying as “the wounded one” or “the healer” without balance
Avoiding vulnerability, or bypassing pain with spirituality
Healing comes through accepting vulnerability as sacred, and witnessing your own wound as the origin of your medicine.
Final Reflection
“You didn’t get it wrong. You outgrew the version that skipped this step. Now you’re ready to walk it with more courage, clarity, and love.”
Skipped Step aren’t detours—they’re soul invitations. And your chart holds the map for returning, with deeper intention.
Ready to Explore Your Skipped Step?
Book a Soul Signature Birth Chart Reading to uncover your karmic blueprint and integrate the energies your soul is ready to reclaim.
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