Butterfly Mind ~ Splash and other chart shapes

Mine is one of those natal charts with planets well-spread over the whole area of the circle. Astrologers call this a "splash" configuration, and it's said to bestow versatility, but lack of concentrated focus. The splash chart can bestow its owner with a "butterfly mind", a mind that skips around continually, never settling for long. Considering that my natal Mercury is in strict and structured Capricorn, and in a pretty strong position near an angle, I'm quite surprised to be reporting that I possess a "butterfly mind".

I'm fairly versatile and interested in just about anything - except sport. I enjoy variety, and have lived in big cities, small towns, country and coast. I turned my hand to many different occupations before settling down in a department of the UK's civil service for a long career, where my particular job often required the ability to control several things at the same time - my fluttery mind came in very handy there! Earlier in life I'd worked for an archivist, then I was a hotel receptionist in several locations, I did stints as barmaid in some fairly low dives, secretarial work in a computer accessories firm, accounts clerk at a 'bus company, assisted my parents in a variety of businesses, and for a time, during my first short-lived marriage, ran our own cafe with my ex-husband. I did the cooking !

Husband gazes disbelievingly over my shoulder as I type.

"You.....cooking?!"

"It's all down to my splashy chart, I've moved on now from that particular area."

"Yes - I'd noticed."

"But it's worked out well. In the last few years you've moved into the cooking area of your own splashy chart", I respond, with some satisfaction.

Whenever it's called for, I can focus on a specific subject as well as the rest of 'em. I don't, it appears, have the kind of focus required to drive me on to notable success and fame.

So many individuals who have been particularly successful in a chosen career or calling have natal charts where planets form a bundle or bowl configuration (planets all lying within half, or less, of the full circle). There are famous people with splashy natal charts, of course, but I've noticed the bowl and bundle come up more frequently among charts I've looked at during research for these blog posts.

Of the other chart patterns commonly considered by astrologers, the "funnel" or "bucket"(a bunch of planets with one rogue lying opposite the cluster) and the "see-saw" (two planet clusters opposite one another) seem to manifest most clearly.

Astrologer John Townley's article "Planetary Order III: Islands in the Sky" is one of the best and clearest articles I've seen on the topic of chart shapes or "Jones Patterns", as they are known. They are named for Mark Edmund Jones, an American astrologer who studied chart shapes, defined and introduced names for them.

I long ago accepted that I'm a scattered individual with a butterfly mind.

The butterfly, a cabbage-white,
(His honest idiocy of flight)
Will never now, it is too late,
Master the art of flying straight.

~Robert Graves, "Flying Crooked".

KALEIDOSCOPE-WISE

In childhood, my kaleidoscope was a favourite toy. I still find in them a source of fascination....which led me to an archived post from summer 2008. It seemed to beg for a complete update.

Done! The theme is here dragged kicking and screaming into 2010 ~~~

These days there's an uncomfortable feel to things in general. The "enticing new possibilities" spied by Ms Kanter in the following quote are thin on the ground just now, especially in politics - unless you happen to be entranced by the antics of that group of people with a thing about tea bags.

“Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility."
(~Rosabeth Moss Kanter, American social scientist & business expert)

Still... I'll try tweaking Ms. Kanter's thought and look at some of our astrological "floating bits and pieces", otherwise known as the seven planets ancient astrologers traditionally used. Let's see what emerges, kaleidoscope-wise. Focus will be on the USA mainly, but passing readers will no doubt be able to orient patterns towards their own locations.

Our "floating bits and pieces" - how do they shape up ?

Sun, in general represents leadership. Newly moved into Libra, it signals an emphasis on either diplomacy or indecisiveness. In the USA's current leader traces of both traits can be detected. The President panders to his masters, the corporations, bringing forth weakness of resolve and an appearance of indecisiveness, as he tries, at every turn, to satisfy his masters and the Republicans over the needs of what was once his "base". His diplomacy leans only towards those who finance him, not those who worked hard to support him in 2008, in fact, on more than one occasion he, and his underlings have mocked this faction's hopes and wishes.


Moon -I'll use it as representing the public, I understand it does so in horary astrology. A public sharply divided (and sub-divided) in the USA. It was ever thus, but possibly never more clearly sub-divided than now. Further sub-divisions have merged in the 2 years since the General Election. Under the Republican "umbrella" the aforementioned Tea Bag movement has found a place. They differentiate themselves from middle-of-the-road, old-fashioned conservatives. As for the Democrats, they now sub-divide into those for whom the Obama Kool-aid hasn't yet worn off, and those for whom scales have fallen from their eyes. One faction still insists that "he's doing his best in shitty circumstances", parrot buzz words such as "small steps" and "lesser-evil". A more clear-eyed sub-division on the far-left, seminal group of radical left-wingers, theorise that is there is no true difference between the two parties, both are bought by, and run by the corporations, and shadowy figures at the top of an elite pyramid.

Mercury represents all forms of communication. Even since 2008 new lines of communication and networking possibilities have continued to mushroom. Facebook and Twitter have become a bigger part of the fabric of everyday life (for some). A metaphorical wolf may be approaching the door though. Net neutrality is essential for things to remain as they stand currently. The forces who appear to be controlling politics will, sooner or later, also demand control over the internet.

Venus the arts and love planet ought to provide some softer pastel background colour to what is so far a sombre kaleidoscopic pattern. Even here though, there's a harshness in evidence. Modern musical styles could hardly be described as "soft and pastel", modern style in the arts tends towards dark satire and cynicism. Love, in many cases takes a back seat to lust and sexual gratification.

Mars represents energy, war, aggression. The reddish hues of Mars almost overpowers the view these days, leaving little room for much else. No need to peer too closely, or even to name specifics.

Jupiter, planet of excess, religion and long-distance travel. Religious fundamentalism in both Christianity and Islam continue to mushroom, while long-distance travel becomes less accessible for working folk and the unemployed. Past excesses are now having impact upon the environment as well as the economy. Jupiter, as benign a planet as it is considered to be by astrologers, has dark undertones as the result of decades of excess are recognised.

Saturn, planet of laws, restrictions, limitations and authority in general. The US Supreme Court springs immediately to mind. This year's decision of the Court, overruling two important precedents about the First Amendment rights of corporations, bitterly divided the Justices when it ruled that the government may not ban or limit political spending by corporations in candidate elections, thus making it even easier for the corporations to buy politicians and parties, so tightening their stranglehold.

So, gazing upon the kaleidoscopic picture presented by our planetary bits and pieces, it's not hard to see how one piece leads to, and relates to another. The whole forms a pattern, pictorially and, as metaphor, politically. I've seen far more pleasing patterns in my time. However, trying to find a positive angle, it's a pattern which, if given a gentle shake (continuing the kaleidoscope motif), could change beyond recognition, and morph into something quite different.




(This is meant to be a moving image, but I'm not sure whether Blogger's platform will crank it up - if not.... it's pretty anyway.)

Finding Astro-Patterns

My software offers me a bewildering number of "patterns", configurations formed by the planets' positions in my natal chart. The same will apply to many natal charts, especially those where planets are scattered around the whole circumference of the zodiac circle, though not in every case. "Splash" charts, as these are called, are prone to being pattern-heavy. There's not as much chance of this when planets are bunched together within just a few signs.

I tend to ignore any patterns other than Grand Trines, Grand Crosses, T-Squares and Yods. Not because I reckon the rest don't mean anything, but because if there are a lot of patterns available, what's involved can become ridiculously complex, confusing and ultimately incomprehensible.

Grand Trine is a triangle with a planet at each point. 120 degrees between each planet (give or take a degree or two, the tighter the better - and more obvious in a personality). A Grand Trine indicates the easy flow through the native's personality of whatever element the planets are in. In my own chart there's Grand Trine in Earth signs, indicating unsurprisingly a down-to-earth attitude which, though not all-encompassing, is very likely to pop up in most situations most of the time. Grand Trines in Fire signs, Water signs or Air signs likewise emphasise a free-flow of the attributes of those elements in the personality. Planets involved offer further clues as to how the Grand Trine is likely to manifest. In my Grand Trine, Mercury, Uranus and Neptune are involved: communication (writing in my case), creativity, novelty, but with a practical, sensible edge (that's the theory!)

Grand Crosses are not as friendly as Grand Trines. Made up of linked square (90degree) aspects, and 180 degree oppositions, between signs of the same mode (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable). These configurations indicate challenges, often constant, some minor, some major,some inner, some outer. Sometimes this formation can indicate a person with intellectual restlessness, always ready for conflict. I don't have one of these to use as an example, but I do have a couple of T-squares, made up of an opposition and two squares. Neither is very tightly formed though. Sun opposite Pluto both squared to Uranus is probably the tightest. As my Sun is Aquarius and Uranus is its ruler, I'm in conflict with my ruler, and Pluto, I guess. Well, it hasn't done me a lot of harm so far, but has probably made me even more obtuse than I might otherwise have been, if born a bit earlier or later.

Yods are intriguing. A sextile (60 degree aspect) between two planets which each make a quincunx (150 degree aspect) to an apex point at a third planet. The signs' and planets' attribtues, blended and funnelled through the apex planet/sign. I have one of these in my chart. Mars sextile Neptune, with apex of the Yod at Aries Moon. I dunno....an energetic, creative imagination which isn't consistent but comes and goes like the phases of the Moon?

In all, my software throws up 19 different chart patterns for me, far too many to make composite sense of.

Finding chart patterns without the aid of software isn't too difficult. Just look for planets which lie at the same degree of different signs (give or take around 5 degrees), then note the signs' elements and modes.
Air= Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
Fire= Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
Water= Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
Earth= Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.

Cardinal= Aries, Cancer, Libra Capricorn.
Fixed= Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.
Mutable= Gemini, Virgo,Sagittarius, Pisces.

If three planets with similar degree numbers are in the same element, you have a Grand Trine. If 2 planets are opposite each other and also link to two others at a similar degree number 3 signs away, in the same mode - you've got a Grand Cross. The Yod needs a pair of planets at similar degree numbers in the next sign but one (60 degrees away) which both lie in similar degree number to a planet almost opposite but not quite - one sign away from opposite (=quincunx 150 degrees). It sounds confusing, but once you "get your eye in", it's straightforward.

Diagrams of configurations borrowed from Wizard's Castle

Butterfly Mind

Mine is one of those natal charts with planets well-spread over the whole area of the circle. Astrologers call this a "splash" configuration, and it's said to bestow versatility, but lack of concentrated focus.

I'm fairly versatile and interested in just about anything - except sport. I enjoy variety, and have lived in big cities, small towns, country and coast. I turned my hand to many different occupations before settling down in a department of the UK's civil service for a long career. I worked for an archivist, I was a hotel receptionist in several locations, I did stints as barmaid in some fairly low dives, secretarial work in a computer accessories firm, accounts clerk at a 'bus company, assisted my parents in a variety of businesses, and for a time, during my first short-lived marriage, ran our own cafe with my ex-husband. I did the cooking !

HeWhoKnows gazes disbelievingly over my shoulder as I type.

"You.....cooking??!!"

"It's all down to my splash chart, I've moved on now from that particular area."

"Yes, I've noticed."

"But it's worked out well. In the last few years you've moved into the cooking area of your own splashy chart", I respond, with some satisfaction.

Whenever it's called for, I can focus on a specific subject as well as the rest of 'em. I don't, it appears, have the kind of focus required to drive me on to notable success and fame.

So many individuals who have been particularly successful in a chosen career or calling have natal charts where planets form a bundle or bowl configuration (planets all lying within half, or less, of the full circle). There are famous people with splashy natal charts, of course, but I've noticed the bowl and bundle come up more frequently among charts I've looked at during research for these blog posts.

Of the other chart patterns commonly considered by astrologers, the "funnel" or "bucket"(a bundle configuration with one rogue planet opposing the planet cluster) and the "see-saw" (two planet clusters in opposition) both seem to manifest most clearly. I'm doubtful that the "locomotive" and the "splay" are as easy to see in action, but that's just my own view.

Astrologer John Townley's article "Planetary Order III: Islands in the Sky" is one of the best and clearest articles I've seen on the topic of chart shapes or "Jones Patterns", as they are known. They are named for Mark Edmund Jones, an American astrologer who studied chart shapes, defined and introduced names for them.

I long ago accepted that I'm a scattered individual with a butterfly mind and a butterfly chart. I'd never make the top sections of Astrotheme's lists of dominant signs or planets, even should I, in some fantasy world, become a celebrity or an axe murderer. My splashy natal chart may even help to save me from either possibility - so it's not all bad!