USING PLANETARY PATTERNS
THE BOWL
DONALD TRUMP
The heavens are in constant motion, ever-changing, as the planets sail along their orbits against the background of the distant fixed stars. The sky is kaleidoscopic. The human mind has the power to perceive, or really to create, discernible patterns in this motion, and to assign symbolic meanings to them.
Marc Edmund Jones introduced the astrological world to seven patterns, sufficient to include any horoscope in one of the seven types, in his book Essentials of Astrological Analysis. The seven patterns he introduced are: the Bundle, where all planets are contained within the space of a trine; the Bowl, with all planets contained by an opposition (all planets in one hemisphere, defined by the opposition); the Locomotive, where the planets occupy two-thirds of the sky, with the space of a trine empty; and the Splash, in which the planets are more or less evenly distributed through the signs and houses. There is the Seesaw, where one group of planets stands in opposition (ideally) to another, and the Bucket, in which a single planet opposes the other nine. Last, the catch-all type, is the Splay which divides the planets into three groups, usually with one of them a singleton.
The patterns of planetary distribution have several important uses in astrological delineation. First, they give useful information about the native’s temperament type, how he is oriented to life and how he approaches it. The patterns show the structure of the personality. They assist the astrologer in determining which of the planets exercises the most power in the chart. Five of the seven patterns point directly at one planet as being in high focus and strongly influencing the entire chart and life. The use of patterns helps us to see the chart as a whole and leads to a holistic interpretation. Because the patterns are so fundamental (they don’t depend on anything other than the pattern created by anonymous planets), they guide us in the interpretation of the parts of the horoscope because the parts must act according to the matrix in which they exist, shown by planetary patterns, preponderances and such things.
The chart of Donald Trump provides us with an interesting case study of the Bowl Pattern. All planets are found east of the opposition Moon-Uranus. Sun-Uranus are in separating conjunction with an orb of 5*02’. I will take the conjunction to function as a single planet. This “planet” is the leading planet in this chart. Uranus is the first planet of the ten to cross the horizon by diurnal motion. Uranus (the conjunction) becomes a “super-planet”; its power and influence are greatly increased and it affects all areas of the life. It “leads the native into life”. This conjunction enfolds the North Node, with Moon conjunct the South Node; a lunar eclipse occurred 3 hours and 45 minutes after the birth of Donald Trump. Its shadow did not fall on New York. Nine of the ten planets are in the east. Only Moon is western. All of the planets below the horizon are retrograde (Moon doesn’t count in this measurement). The three planets in Cancer are intercepted in the 11th House; their only aspects are squares to the Second House retrograde pair. Mars, at the Ascendant, and Jupiter form strongly supportive trine-sextile aspects to Sun-Moon. This support is very important in the life. There is no T-square. The Ascendant is only 5 minutes of longitude from changing sign. The planets are pretty uniformly distributed through the occupied hemisphere.
This is a typical Bowl, but with some very unique and powerful features. What I would like to show here is the power of patterns to give immediate insight into the character of the native, without using other chart factors. Here are some of the characteristics of the Bowl as described by Jones.
Intensity of character. Subjective self-sufficiency.
All or nothing psychology. Yes-no, true-false, black-white, us-them, no greys or lukewarm. There is a thorough and complete self-dedication to whatever cause interests him.
There is an uncompromising effort to compel recognition, acceptance, approval from others. There is a conscious and exaggerated self-importance.
Holds fast under strain.
Basically conservative. Preserves and protects values and possessions. Will generally adopt the tried and true path; not likely to venture into untried territory. Favors actuality over potential.
The tilt, or orientation, of the Bowl tells us that Trump has major freedom in pure self-expression (as opposed to being constantly constrained by circumstances), that he takes joy in experimental self-discovery. (Uranus, as leading planet, is Experimentative). He is oriented toward public position, fame or notoriety. He is concerned with his place in the social order, among the people.
These things we know about Donald Trump without ever considering a single individual planet or aspect. His most fundamental traits and drives are shown by the planetary pattern. We need not know which sign the Sun or Moon or Ascendant occupy. And we have found the dominant planet in the chart (in this case a conjunction).
THE BOWL
DONALD TRUMP
The heavens are in constant motion, ever-changing, as the planets sail along their orbits against the background of the distant fixed stars. The sky is kaleidoscopic. The human mind has the power to perceive, or really to create, discernible patterns in this motion, and to assign symbolic meanings to them.
Marc Edmund Jones introduced the astrological world to seven patterns, sufficient to include any horoscope in one of the seven types, in his book Essentials of Astrological Analysis. The seven patterns he introduced are: the Bundle, where all planets are contained within the space of a trine; the Bowl, with all planets contained by an opposition (all planets in one hemisphere, defined by the opposition); the Locomotive, where the planets occupy two-thirds of the sky, with the space of a trine empty; and the Splash, in which the planets are more or less evenly distributed through the signs and houses. There is the Seesaw, where one group of planets stands in opposition (ideally) to another, and the Bucket, in which a single planet opposes the other nine. Last, the catch-all type, is the Splay which divides the planets into three groups, usually with one of them a singleton.
The patterns of planetary distribution have several important uses in astrological delineation. First, they give useful information about the native’s temperament type, how he is oriented to life and how he approaches it. The patterns show the structure of the personality. They assist the astrologer in determining which of the planets exercises the most power in the chart. Five of the seven patterns point directly at one planet as being in high focus and strongly influencing the entire chart and life. The use of patterns helps us to see the chart as a whole and leads to a holistic interpretation. Because the patterns are so fundamental (they don’t depend on anything other than the pattern created by anonymous planets), they guide us in the interpretation of the parts of the horoscope because the parts must act according to the matrix in which they exist, shown by planetary patterns, preponderances and such things.
The chart of Donald Trump provides us with an interesting case study of the Bowl Pattern. All planets are found east of the opposition Moon-Uranus. Sun-Uranus are in separating conjunction with an orb of 5*02’. I will take the conjunction to function as a single planet. This “planet” is the leading planet in this chart. Uranus is the first planet of the ten to cross the horizon by diurnal motion. Uranus (the conjunction) becomes a “super-planet”; its power and influence are greatly increased and it affects all areas of the life. It “leads the native into life”. This conjunction enfolds the North Node, with Moon conjunct the South Node; a lunar eclipse occurred 3 hours and 45 minutes after the birth of Donald Trump. Its shadow did not fall on New York. Nine of the ten planets are in the east. Only Moon is western. All of the planets below the horizon are retrograde (Moon doesn’t count in this measurement). The three planets in Cancer are intercepted in the 11th House; their only aspects are squares to the Second House retrograde pair. Mars, at the Ascendant, and Jupiter form strongly supportive trine-sextile aspects to Sun-Moon. This support is very important in the life. There is no T-square. The Ascendant is only 5 minutes of longitude from changing sign. The planets are pretty uniformly distributed through the occupied hemisphere.
This is a typical Bowl, but with some very unique and powerful features. What I would like to show here is the power of patterns to give immediate insight into the character of the native, without using other chart factors. Here are some of the characteristics of the Bowl as described by Jones.
Intensity of character. Subjective self-sufficiency.
All or nothing psychology. Yes-no, true-false, black-white, us-them, no greys or lukewarm. There is a thorough and complete self-dedication to whatever cause interests him.
There is an uncompromising effort to compel recognition, acceptance, approval from others. There is a conscious and exaggerated self-importance.
Holds fast under strain.
Basically conservative. Preserves and protects values and possessions. Will generally adopt the tried and true path; not likely to venture into untried territory. Favors actuality over potential.
The tilt, or orientation, of the Bowl tells us that Trump has major freedom in pure self-expression (as opposed to being constantly constrained by circumstances), that he takes joy in experimental self-discovery. (Uranus, as leading planet, is Experimentative). He is oriented toward public position, fame or notoriety. He is concerned with his place in the social order, among the people.
These things we know about Donald Trump without ever considering a single individual planet or aspect. His most fundamental traits and drives are shown by the planetary pattern. We need not know which sign the Sun or Moon or Ascendant occupy. And we have found the dominant planet in the chart (in this case a conjunction).