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ABC Basic Delineation #9 — Basic Chart Patterns Date Published: 4/01/2001 by Marion March

Bio: Marion March

Marion March is a noted teacher, lecturer and writer on astrology, as well as a valued astrological counselor in her own right, and the mentor of many younger astrologers. With Joan McEvers, she is the author of a series of comprehensive instructional books: The Only Way to Learn Astrology in five volumes, which has gone through many editions, and has been translated (and published) in several languages besides English including German, Spanish and Portuguese.

The Bucket

The Bucket Pattern is the second most common pattern. It is a 9-planet Bowl pattern where the 10th planet stands outside the Bowl as a singleton. Visually, this pattern looks like a bowl with a handle and its name bucket makes good sense. The handle or singleton assumes great importance as it represents the outlet for the energies stored in the Bowl. It is this singleton which can indicate the special abilities or talents which an individual will express. The self-containment and subjectivity often found in a Bowl now changes into a sense of purpose and direction.

Ideally, 9 planets of the Bucket are contained within an angle of 180 degrees or six houses, while the singleton or 10th planet occupies any one of the empty houses, as long as its distance from the other planets is more than a sextile (65 degrees). The position of the singleton is also important – if it stand straight up (in relationship to the Bowl) the person usually knows what they want and how to go after it; if it leans to the left, the individual may be self-initiating, but lose steam halfway into a new venture; leaning to the right may indicate a person who prefers others to take the first step or one who expects lots of cooperation from others in any venture entered into.

The entire Bucket Pattern revolves around the handle or singleton. Whichever planet it happens to be, where it is located and how it is aspected, will make all the difference in the horoscope interpretation. A Saturn handle will evince other priorities than Mars or Venus. Mars in the 6th house could be a hard-working individual, the kind every employer dreams of. But in the 6th involved in a T-square with Jupiter and Uranus, [the individual\ could be a work-a-holic who doesn’t know boundaries and falls victim to a nervous breakdown. As always, keep in mind Astrology’s only absolute; look at the whole chart before jumping to any conclusion.

Jacques Yves Cousteau
June 11, 1910, 1:10 p.m. LMT
Ste Andre de Dubzac, France 44N59 0W27
Koch Houses
Rodden Rating: AA (BC/BF)

At times the handle assumes even more importance, because it becomes the singleton in hemisphere, as is the case with undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. This inventor of the aqualung, museum director, self-taught scientist, winner of three Oscars, author of more than 65 books, French navy officer, environmentalist, business tycoon, scholar and of course captain and owner of the famous research ship “Calypso” well describes Uranus in the handle of a Bucket, singleton in the Southern hemisphere (9 above/1 below) in practical, achievement-conscious Capricorn. In the 4th house, it represents the essence of the man described as “totally private, simple, shy and humble despite his fame and fortune.” The nearly exact opposition to Mars is abundantly evident in the list of activities just recited.

Dorothy Hamill
July 26 1956, 9:18 pm. CDT
Chicago, IL 87W39, 41N51
Koch Houses
Rodden Rating: AA (BC/BF)

Dorothy Hamill, world figure ice-skating champion and 1976 Winter Olympics gold medalist…presents a different type of Bucket. Her handle is represented by two planets linked closely together. Both of them are conjunct the Ascendant. They are not the only occupants of the Eastern hemispher, since venus is also there (by 1 degree). Neither in Cousteau’s nor in Hamill’s chart do the rim planets form an opposition, but all the Bowl planets are contained within six houses.

Hamill’s Moon/Mars conjunction is not only the handle of the Bucket, but also the focal point or arm of the T-square with Venus and the Midheaven (I use the MC to form configurations). The strong Pisces/Leo combination, 5th/12th house emphasis, so often found in the charts of performers, especially motion picture actors, takes on an added dimension through the Bucket pattern falling out in Pisces (feet) and Mars (physical activity) conjunct the Ascendant (outer persona, physical body) being one of the handle planet. The moon not only shows her total emotional involvement, but also her need to express creatively, since it rules her 5th house. Space does not permit me a real delination of all the other Mars/Moon aspects, but do observe the trine to Saturn for the discipline needed to become the kind of champion she was.

Bucket type individuals at their best can inspire or teach, or because of their willingness to share, set a good example. At their worst, they can become disgruntled or frustrated and foster negativity in others.

[This article first appeared in the Spring, 1985 issue of Aspects Astrological Magazine]

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