What The Shape Of Your Birth Chart Reveals About Your Personality
There are seven birth chart shapes, each providing insight into your unique strengths, weaknesses and overall personality.
Jessica Aceret and Hadiiiben’s Images / Canva Birth Chart shapes are patterns created by the placement of the planets in your chart at your time of birth. According to Astrologer Marc Edmund Jones, known as the "Dean of Astrology,” there are seven distinctive chart patterns that include seesaw, bowl, bucket, splash, bundle, locomotive and splay.
Let’s take a look at what these patterns mean and their effects in the natal chart.
The 7 birth chart shapes and their meanings
1. Seesaw
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In this pattern, the planets are basically bunched up into two opposing groups, resembling seesaws found on playgrounds. If this is your chart shape you may feel that you are pulled in opposing directions. You may have to learn about balance and your greatest life lessons will come through others. This style of chart can generate a certain amount of instability until the person learns better balance when it comes to the empty houses in the chart.
If you have this pattern you may behave like a seesaw in terms of your unpredictability which can follow a pattern of several distinct behaviors. Parts of your life may feel as though they are in competition with other parts involving the houses the two groups of planets fall and their signs. If there are additional aspects to these two groups of planets, especially sextiles or trines, it can improve the equilibrium of the individual. Once the person with this chart shape learns equilibrium and balance they generally become quite good at solving problems and dealing with life’s ups and downs.
2. Bowl
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In a bowl-shaped chart, all of the planets fall in six houses, or one-half of the chart, forming the appearance of a ‘bowl.’ Individuals with this pattern often feel there is something missing from life. There is frequently a focus on the areas of life the planets do fall into, so the feeling of missing something would connect to the half of the chart that has no planets. The greatest opportunities and fulfillment in life will come through the houses the ‘bowl’ falls in.
The life theme of this individual is often ‘me and you,’ or ‘me and the rest of the world.’ This person may spend a great deal of life looking for the things they feel are missing in the empty houses and are looking for something to make them feel complete, even if they are not conscious of exactly what that is. They can often come across as dependent, especially if they have a partner. In a relationship, they may not be able to distinguish the boundaries between them and their partner. The planets that fall on the edge of the ‘bowl’ become contact themes with the rest of the chart and are the key to finding balance in life.
3. Bucket
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This is a chart where all except one planet occupies half of the chart. The lone planet is significant as it is across from the rest of the planets and becomes the ‘handle’ of the bucket which typically becomes a lifelong theme. The lone planet becomes very strong and tends to dominate the rest of the chart. It is very important for the individual to learn to manage the energies of the ‘handle’ of the chart correctly.
This individual typically feels as though they belong in the mainstream hustle and bustle of society although they typically wait for their talents to be discovered as opposed to trying to show their talents to the world. With this type of chart, the individual is often single-minded and focused on one theme throughout life.
4. Splash
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This is a chart where planets are splashed throughout all but two houses in the birth chart, giving the individual many diverse talents and interests in life. This person may come across as fairly well-balanced but can also easily become scattered with so many interests. Focus on one area may be harder to come by and they may have a difficult time keeping the focus on any one area such as a career or some other area. These individuals can typically be a "jack of all trades, but master of none.” This chart would have planets in at least seven signs and no stelliums.
This chart indicates a very wide range of interests and the individual can come across as sophisticated and knowledgeable, but they can also lose their attention or concentration span at a certain point. They are open to sharing their wide range of knowledge with a variety of people. Diversification is typically the number one asset of this person and they are constantly seeking new ideas and information but focus may be a problem.
5. Bundle
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In the bundle-shaped chart, also called a wedge, the planets are bunched into no more than four houses of the natal chart. All of the planets appear within the span of a 120-degree orb or a trine.
This pattern gives the individual a tremendous amount of focus in life allowing them to make a difference in a major area depending on where the planets are located. They may be unrelenting throughout life when it comes to a specific focus or area allowing them to accomplish great things. Understanding of others, however, may be somewhat limited as this person is so intent on their singular focus in life and it can be difficult for this person to share their life with anyone who doesn’t have the same interest.
6. Locomotive
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This chart is seen when planets occupy two-thirds of the chart or nine out of 12 houses. The other third of the chart is frequently unexpressed unless an effort is made to work on these areas. In this chart, the planets cover a span of 240 degrees that includes eight signs or houses. This means there is a space or a span in the chart of 120 degrees where there are no planets. In this chart, regardless of the Sun sign, the planet that rises clockwise following the empty space will be of major significance in the life of the individual with this chart pattern. In this way, it is like a ‘locomotive’ in the chart driving the individual toward their goals with significant if not unrelenting effort. The leading planet reveals where and how this person will spend their energy and efforts.
On a psychological level, this person is driven by a perceived lack or problem to be resolved as indicated by the empty houses in the chart. They often wait for others to catch on to their views and much of the time this person comes across as a loner. The first President of the United States George Washington had this pattern in his chart.
7. Splay
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This chart has the presence of two or often three pairs of planets distributed randomly around the chart in a ‘splay’ effect.
A great deal of effort is required for the talent and potential of this person to become worthwhile assets to them and others. They do not like to be pinned down and are individualistic in almost everything they do in life. They avoid the mundane and routine and seek to preserve their own individual status as opposed to a regimented life of organization and compliance. The different skill sets this person has may be of no relevance to each other creating a lack of cohesiveness to benefit his or her life experiences. This person will have great talent but will have to focus and work hard to turn the talent into marketable skills.
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Leslie Hale is a professional astrologer offering personal astrology readings worldwide by phone, WhatsApp, or Zoom.