(c)8-11 By Donna Cunningham, MSW
If you’re trying to track the Alpha dog planet in a stellium or major configuration, it helps to know the major issues and qualities of each of the planets. You’ll find a link to a useful new tool below–a table I’ve created that summarizes them briefly.
Here is a segment of the table. I’ve chosen the outermost planets, as many find them the hardest to describe succinctly. Download the full table here: issues of the planets-handout . Having a bad hand day, folks, so can’t write more.
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SATURN ISSUES: Structure; discipline; desire for quality and EXCESS: Rigid, perfectionistic, hypercritical, DEFICIT: Lack self-discipline, structure, goals, and planning; |
| URANUS ISSUES: Finding your uniqueness and where you fit into groups; friendship; independence; breaking with the past; becoming your own authority; adolescence. EXCESS: The rebel, non-conformist; having to prove DEFICIT: Follower, conformist, afraid to |
| NEPTUNE ISSUES: The desire to transcend the self and surrender to something greater; seeing beyond apparent reality; service, psychic abilities, spirituality. EXCESS: Poorly grounded; deceives self/others; DEFICIT: lacks imagination, creativity; |
| PLUTO ISSUES: Power and control; trust; to analyze what lies beneath the surface and eliminate the undesirable; separateness; holding on to things or feelings; death. EXCESS: Alternates isolation/symbiosis; controlling; DEFICIT: Unable to look deeply within; |
Sky Writer 
Nice Format Donna! Thank you!
I’ve just printed it… I know this stuff but I like the handy reference:)
By: VT on August 6, 2011
at 11:48 am
Thanks Donna.
Sorry to hear that your hands are not cooperating!
I hope resting will help you to feel better soon.
How would you pick the Alpha dog planet out of a grand square? Or, wouldn’t you?
By: Angela Artemis/Poweredbyintuition on August 6, 2011
at 12:52 pm
The same way, essentially. watch monthly as the moon circuit hits off the 4 corners. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 6, 2011
at 3:34 pm
Hi Donna and Angela !
Just thought to share some info from Esoteric Astrology by Alice Baily and The Tibetan. Cant help it, her book on Astrology was my FIRST book on Astrology and it made an impression on my approach.
After certain initiations ( expansions of Conscious awareness) the Sun and Moon are shattered and have no effect and become conditioned by veiled planets. Neptune and Uranus. It seems this is so for me because the transits of the moon ticking off certain positions has little effect, even on the angles. However when one of the 3 outer planets hits an angle there is definite effect…so I must conclude all three are a unit. I can relate to all 4 you have listed above, positive and negative throughout my life.
One of the first things I studied was gestalt patterns and the Fixed Cross is a major TEST and initiation in this lifetime for you Angela. How it plays out , one would have to see the chart. Its a pivotal lifetime . Love/ Wisdom in Action,tests.
By: Barehand on August 7, 2011
at 4:24 am
I remember the Bailey books from decades ago, too,BH. I must have given them away in one of my cross-country moves. An esoteric astrologer who follows her still is Alan Oken in his regular Dell column. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 7, 2011
at 9:15 am
Thanks for the table Donna! It definitely ended my wondering what my stellium alpha planet is. It is definitely Saturn. The Sun, Moon, and Uranus descriptions barely fit me but Saturn is spot on! Especially for my 8th house issue, which is where my stellium is.
I hope your hand feels better! ❤
By: Lizzie on August 7, 2011
at 5:38 am
Any chance of a Chiron Issues/Excess/Deficit list? 😉 When I do the tests, Chiron tops out, and I wouldn’t disagree with that at all, from everything I’ve read about Chiron it makes sense. Plus it’s the apex of a yod and part of two T-squares. (I also have a stellium as part of the yod, with Merc-Sat-Pluto – looks like Saturn lords over that trio!) I’ve seen a comment before with someone else having a similar chart and you commented that they have a complex chart, and I agree there, I’m a complex person and have had a complex and never-boring life full of challenges! All of it does seem to get filtered through Chiron.
By: Lindsey on August 7, 2011
at 6:36 pm
cHECK out Radical Virgo, blog of our resident Chiron expert, Joyce Mason. Ask her. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 8, 2011
at 4:56 pm
Hi, Donna. Sorry to hear about your hand injury.
with me it’s definitely Uranus. I have always gravitated to what is unusual and different. When I was younger I kept my uniqueness under wraps (suppressing your true self is so hard and fear that other people will criticize you for it kept me in line). Now that I’m older I’m proud of who I am! Hanging out with artists and other non-conformists helps 🙂
By: katley on August 8, 2011
at 8:42 am
Donna, here’s to a speedy recovery for your wrists!
I love this table – thank you for putting it together. It is a little scary for me as I resonate with a issues listed for each of the planets. There’s not one with which I don’t have some resonance. Fortunately I’ve been working on most of this stuff over the course of my life, and can say that while I’m not perfect, I’ve definitely brought many of them into balance.
I guess the number of issues I relate to doesn’t surprise me given my chart. My Pisces stellium in the 10th is part of a T Square. The only planets that are not part of the T square\Stellium are my Capricorn Moon\Venus conjunct in the 8th, and Neptune in the 6th in Scorpio. Interestingly, Neptune is now conjunct Sun and Midheaven, and will spend time passing through the rest of the planets in Pisces and activating the T-square for a few years.
If I had to pick an alpha, it would be Saturn in the excess and fortunately I’ve moderated most of those issues. Fear is the residual piece and it shows up as a persistent white noise in my life right now. I guess it’s good I can notice the white noise at all 🙂
Even though Saturn is the alpha dog, it’s very blended with Mars and Pluto issues which also makes sense. Saturn is conjunct Mars and almost exactly opposite Pluto.
But Neptune gets the top billing in my life right now given it’s play time with my Sun, Midheaven and the upcoming stroll through Pisces. Hopefully all the work I’ve done will makes it’s stroll more spiritually enlightening than illusory and confusing. It’s time with my Sun has been mostly about connecting spiritually, napping and keeping my mildly addictive qualities in check. Classic Neptune conjunct Sun.
Thank you for your work on Stelliums. It has been most enlightening. Sandy
By: Sandy on August 10, 2011
at 7:13 pm
Great analysis–shows lots of work on self. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 11, 2011
at 6:49 am
This IS great. thank you. As I suspected Saturn is my bull goose loony. Structure, discipline, hypercritical, fearful… all of those are me.
and even cooler, it shows where i need to work more; Uranus!
thanks for doing this; shining a bright light at those faraway planets!
By: mimi on August 11, 2011
at 7:19 am
LOL! I’m glad it’s helping. Not to worry–I charged TMA for it ages ago and just resurrected it. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 11, 2011
at 7:53 am
OH! I just found the print out. GOOD GRIEF, it’s like a reverse Astrology chart!
what a handy guide!
yes, I’m printing it out too. You should be charging for this one.
By: mimi on August 11, 2011
at 7:37 am
Donna,
I pray to God that you will recover very soon.
Best regards, Nathan.
By: Nathan on August 11, 2011
at 7:18 pm
Thanks, Charles, Nathan, Sabrina, all! This is frustrating, but the doctor sez I do need to take more time–I miss the fun! Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 12, 2011
at 5:46 pm
Hello Donna, I’m Anges from Poland. I love Your book ” An Astrological Guide to Self-Awareness”. Thank You, You are very smart and inteligent woman, I read that book with real joy:)
Donna Marry Christmas and happy New Year 2012, a lot health !!!
By: Agnes on December 13, 2011
at 11:10 pm
I think I can safely say Saturn runs my chart.
I have:
Moon in Capricorn
Mercury in Capricorn
Venus in Capricorn
Mars in Capricorn
Neptune in Capricorn (I know, generational, but still…)
Now let’s look at his aspects…
Sun Trine Saturn
Venus Square Saturn
Mars Square Saturn
Jupiter Sextile Saturn
Saturn Sextile Uranus
Saturn Trine Pluto
Saturn Sextile ASC
Gemini Ascendant = Mercury in Capricorn my chart ruler.
And to put the cherry on everything, Saturn is also retrograde in my natal chart.
Thankfully, no tenth house planets. I do have Pluto Square MC.
I will definitely credit my self awareness to Saturn. I’m aware of my huge weaknesses and my greater strengths.
By: Kronos on February 12, 2012
at 12:52 pm
I’m sure you’re right, Kronos. Saturn just gets better with Maturity and as you pay your dues in the areas it touches. I’m going on 70, and although Saturn is not the alpha dog of my Gemini stellium, I doubt that I would have accomplished even a third of what I have with my writing without the steadiness and perseverence it brings. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on February 13, 2012
at 7:25 am