Chart patterns result in us all approaching and receiving life so differently…
Seesaws, Bucket and Fan charts have planets across the chart from each other. They may be opposite or not, but are the most common charts with oppositions. Due to the numbers of planets on either side, Seesaws have the most likelihood of oppositions, often several in one chart.
When the outer planets are all on one side of the chart, as we have in 2024, then when the inner planets are outside that area by more than 60°, Seesaw Charts are formed! There are two groups of planets functioning separately yet exchanging informations, with handshakes across the table. Negotiating, bargaining are natural results. Cultural differences are often shared with gusto, as each offers their best, especially things the other did not even know existed! They are inaugurating diversity!
If the inner planets are with the outer planets, and a single planet, like the Moon, speeds out of the base group, bingo, you have a Bucket Chart with a one planet eye catching handle! There can be more planets with the handle. IF they are very close together, they can be called a handle. If they are not close together, then the chart is a seesaw even if it is only two planets. The planet out on its own is called the Handle to the Bucket. OR, it can be called the FANHANDLE to a fan!
If the Handle is before the perpendicular midpoint of the base group, then the chart is considered literally more laid back, reluctant, needs encouragement. It can be a bit shy perhaps, not so aggressive, considers carefully before going forth. If that planet is after, beyond, forward from the midpoint position, the chart is considered more bold, inquisitive, gets the needed information, doesn’t hold back, has more initiative, feels more free to share, brings clients, makes sales! It may hell bent for breakfast, wanting to spur the group on, take them further than they bargained for, or joyously, they win the prize!
It is both inlet and outlet. That planet, or a planet or two closely with it, can act like a direction finder, cutting through the waves, inspiring the others to follow! It can be an outreach planet/group, taking information from the base group planets to outsiders, the public, make its findings known, let people know their purpose and what they need. It also acts as an information gatherer from the outside and brings it back to the home group! It keeps the group updated. Part of the group may never seek away time, but does well staying productive inside, at home base.
Is it a Bucket or a Fan?! Technically, some astrologers divide them into two groups depending on how close the base planets are to each other. Astrotheme’s author says: ‘In the bucket pattern, the width of the cluster can be up to 190 or 200 degrees, whereas the fan allows a width of 120 to 140 degrees only. Relatively rare. ….it is very understandable that the isolated element takes an importance that is even stronger than in the bucket pattern.’ See the April 8 2024 Jupiter conjunct Uranus chart below!
It’s true, it’s usual for the singleton planet to be noticed and talked about. But, if the base planet grouping is unique in some way, it may actually have dominance, a special potency! If you reverse the thrust, instead of the lone planet leading, it may be the concentrated ‘fan’ that leads, like a plow clearing the way. It is more streamlined, not a gatherer like a Bowl that may slow them all down. A Fan is more like wings tight to the body, flying fast and streamlined, shooting through space, avoiding the pitfalls! Bucket or Fan, the planets may act as protection for the lone planet, sheltering it from storm, buffering it from certain adversities, filtering the intake on the fly to cleanly feed the lone planet all it needs!
Yet the lone planet may surprise us all and lead from behind! It may be the director, the rudder, shifting direction as it wishes. The lone planet may be the instigator, the point with the purpose, the rest of the planets acting in behalf of this powerful protagonist, moving it all forward due to its motivation! Whether being the direction finder or leading from behind, that lone planet has a lot of power, the chart’s most precious gem. Take good care of it.
Look at an entire chart to see which you think leads the chart most of the time. The nature of the handle planet is very different if it is Neptune or Mars or Jupiter or it is in Virgo, Aquarius or Taurus. Look at the nature of the whole chart. Is the handle planet in the 12th House, or in the 8th house with privacy factors? It might prefer a backseat. In the first or 10th, it’s out in front! How powerful is the Bowl or Fan?!
If the handle is favorably activated by Mars it may be happy to lead! If the handle is in Virgo it may want to work and not be bothered. Who knows? I think fan/handle charts can change direction at will, as needed, as activated! Sometimes the handle leads, sometimes the fan! Maybe various Progressions/Transits cause shifts depending on which chart factors are activated, and how many there are to what. A major Mars activation could shift the leadership to where the Mars is. A major Saturn activation might bring the whole chart to a temporary standstill while necessary adjustments are being made.
Not only are we activated as individuals, but so are the charts of organizations and companies. There can be two generally distinct characteristics. Certain facets are more publicly engaged while others are more quiet or private background material, a backdrop.
2024 starts with Pluto at 29° Capricorn, Uranus at 19° Taurus, all six outer planets only 110° apart! See the Chart! As long as all the planets on their side are less than 210° apart, planets about 60° or so further away from the base group can qualify to make a Seesaw or if very tightly together, a Bucket Chart. That means as Jupiter moves as far along as early Leo, and other planets are within the 210° apart, we can still have these two formations! The furthest Jupiter gets in 2024 is 21° Gemini, just 141° from Pluto at that time, well under less than half the zodiac, forming a Bowl.
Pluto is now the base planet of the outer planet group. Pluto will be in Aquarius 21 years, until January 2044! Pluto was last in Aquarius 246 years ago, 1777 to 1799, a 22 year period of worldwide uproar and change – American revolution, the French revolution, the Industrial revolution in England. And it won’t be any different this time! Since that last 246 years ago we now have bombs, climate change, a pandemic, electronic communication, robotics, and a helluva a lot more people on the planet, 603M than compared to 7.9B now! Water and weather wars are possible. Actually, water wars are already starting. We need to reassess our mandates for political leadership – age and both physical and mental health. There are going to be some bumps. Some say, after the kinks are worked out, there will be a ‘Golden Age!’ Make it so. Or maybe that would be just toooo boring. Next! Evolution is no quitter! Pluto as the base outer planet takes on new meaning!
And, in context of the AstroLogical world today, what we know about Pluto is changing! It went through being taken out of Planet status. However those of us who have seen it in action, still use it with respect. The James Webb Space Telescope is giving us extensive information about how Pluto functions and comparisons with Earth and other planets! For you astronomy lovers, deep thinkers, and Pluto followers, especially now at its sign change into Aquarius, here is a 41 min video James Webb Telescope Just Announced The Clearest Image Of Pluto Seen In History! that will fascinate and likely surprise you, change some of your long held ideas about Pluto!
Be aware that not only is the April 20, 2024 Jupiter Uranus conjunction amazing, but it is changing the outer planets pattern! Uranus has been the lead outer planet, but when Jupiter gets supercharged by Uranus and catapults past him, the baton is passed! There is a whole new tone to our planetary purpose and we have a brilliant bold new leader! Jupiter in Taurus will bring further programs forward regarding Earth changes. Jupiter will be the lead outer planet until he gets beyond the Aug 21 2026 sextile with Uranus. After that point he is getting less close enough to the group to be considered part of the group. When Jupiter gets into his own sign Sagittarius, Dec 7 2030, he sextiles Pluto and is considered to be close enough again to be part of the outer planets group and becomes the outer planets’ base planet. The pattern shifts again.
Depending on the time of day at your location, a chart’s planets span very different houses. Seesaw planets can be side to side of the chart, top to bottom, anywhere in between. Side to side may draw relationship, business partnership and legal questions. Top to bottom is career and housing, family, local community. In betweens, second to eight, can be financials. Five to eleven can be romance and friendships, world community. There is more.
If you are born with a Seesaw chart you may find yourself with dilemmas similar to Libras. It isn’t always easy to make up your mind with two parts of yourself at odds. Yet, you may be a naturally skilled Peacemaker; intricate relationships can form. When they have fallen apart, sometimes heart warming reconciliations can occur. Some have legal skills. Reacting to distractions is normal. Priorities become important. You may have a broad base of connections, lots of great resources.
Where a Bucket/Fan Chart Handle falls can be a really intense focus point and can be any house. Sometimes, when more than one planet forms the handle, they may straddle a cusp, involving both houses. Do check with your astrologer if you anticipate a critical time. Some handles are super proactive while others may be more reactive and protective.
In your birth chart, you may have almost an obsessed fascination or infatuation where that Handle falls! It could be money, love, kids, school, the spiritual Universe, saving the Planet! The planets themselves have their own meaning as do the sign(s) they are in. It is a special place, and a unique way to live. You can have tremendous focus, an extraordinary skill that may bring you a bit of fame. Where that handle is may be where you reach out, very powerfully, have a super sensitivity to your surroundings, take in important knowledge that feeds the whole rest of your chart, being!
Bucket chart planets have a ‘Bowl’ component, planets more widely spread, opposite the Handle. Fan chart patterns, with planets much closer together, have a Bundle flavor opposite that Handle. The base and lead planets and their relationship with the Handle planet(s) is important. See Bowl & Rare Bundle Charts 2015 to 2026
We discussed them above in transit charts. In natal charts, they can be any combinations depending on when and where you were born. The base planet, like in hiking groups, makes sure ‘stragglers’ are ok, gives encouragement, makes sure everyone is hydrated. If there is an emergency, it’s that person’s first responsibility. Word is sent up the line to halt the hike and get further help if needed. We sometimes have to rescue our self. Make sure you have tools and resources, personal strength to do that. If you can’t do it alone, have those phone numbers handy. That base planet needs good attention at times. Do follow ups and check ups periodically. If it is overloaded, see about delegating, getting an assistant or outside help.
Your lead planet may need special feedings at times to keep up its strength in a good way. It may need some schooling, skills training in communication and sales, taking better care of your body to do this good work, to keep good connections alive, hang out with helpful and inspiring people. Keep your gear in order, clean, in good condition, up to date. Learn when to take time out, when to stand on the pedal!
Have your astrologer look to see the connections from/to your base and lead planets to your Handle planet(s). Challenging connections may need a little extra attention. Take care of that so things roll smoothly. Give yourself a pat on the back! If the connections are easy, be sure you are not just lazily taking-things-for-granted gliding, but proactively using them! They need their workouts to maintain peak performance with fun results!
If the Bowl or Fan mid degree between the first and last planets is occupied by a planet(s), that planet takes on importance because it aspects those beginning and ending planets equally! No matter how many degrees are between them, it is powerfully influencing both of their actions with the same flavor, creating a thread between them. As their liaison they look to him; he watches over them. He collects and synthesizes their input, keeps each informed. Of course, they both give what they’ve got to him, so that planet is enriched and others look to him as well. That is a common configuration to Bowls or big groups of planets. If it is the midpoint of a 180 degree opposition, forming the Bowl’s boundaries, it is called a T Square! If the Bucket handle is opposite that midpoint, the formation is called a Grand Square! Ts and Grand Squares are considered challenging, but some relish the challenge, and after all, if you live with it all your life, somewhere along in time, you learn to use it well.
In transit charts, it can be a challenging period. When slow moving outer planets are involved, some formations can go on for years. If your chart is connected, a Soul agreement has been made, accepting that important task for the duration. That planet at the belly of the Bowl is the T Square point of the Bowl. It can be a settling point, grabs what’s theirs and keeps ahold of it, or the ‘point’ of the bowl that leads from within, or a bit of both, used as needed! Once you have the info needed and it is analyzed, you can get going!
The April 20, 2024 Jupiter conjunct Uranus is a dramatic example of a classic strong Fan Chart formation with FIVE unique features! The Base planets span an amazing only 109°! Mother Moon, potent at 29°, the last degree of Virgo, is the handle opposite Neptune. The fan planets are uniquely representing their signs placed in THREE mini stelliums in a row, three planets per sign! Saturn, Mars, Neptune in Pisces. Mercury, Venus, Chiron in a tight four-five degree conjunction in Aries. Sun is at 1 Taurus, with the Jupiter Uranus conjunction at 21°! Five planets 19 to 22° degrees. Venus and Chiron 19 and 20° Aries are MIDPOINT, semisextile Mars at 22° Pisces, and semisextile Jupiter and Uranus at 21° Taurus! The mini stelliums are all in semisextile sequence, in neighboring signs.
Pisces has insight and compassion; Aries is an impatient gutsy leader; Taurus grounds the keepers, making steady progress. From ancient spiritual Pisces, to right-this-minute Aries, to Taurus, loyal and steadfast forever. Mother Moon, powerful at the last degree of her sign, is using her solid earthy experience. She is out of sign favorably trine Pluto in Aquarius! She helps Sun 1° Taurus weather his challenging square with Pluto 2° Aquarius. They are new in their signs and are in fixed signs that don’t always adjust easily, but Virgo, and Moon going into Libra, make excellent adjustments, negotiate with surprising results! See more about the April 20 Jupiter Conjunct Uranus in Taurus! Happens only Once!!!
What an extraordinary Chart!
All the different chart patterns offer unique energy. Seesaws help spread the good word and bring sharing that moves our hearts. Their stand for equality makes a difference. Bucket/Fan charts can have superlative focus. The handle has an immense reservoir, the bowl/fan planets at their fingertips. The bowl/fan planets offer several answers to one question, enriching the possibilities, or making a project come to fruit using several steps or stages. Overseeing from a distance, the handle can bring all the components of the other planets into a well finished result. The bowl/fan’s ability to glean the best fresh outside collective information keeps the chart inhabitants on the cutting edge producing the finest up-to-date offerings! The bowl/fan planets can make a formidable team pushing through barriers, making super connections and sales. They gather a maximum diversity of materials and take it back for upgrading their already very fine creations!
These charts seeks connection with other systems in behalf of greater purpose.
See your favorite astrologer to see what chart pattern you have! Astro.com, aka Astrodienst, is a safe site to have your charts calculated free!
Updated 1.4.24
Cerena Childress, Astrologer! 