Today’s chart pattern is a Bucket with Jupiter as the handle planet. The energy behind the Bucket pattern is the drive to figure out how to get things accomplished or to share our personal experience with others. There is also a desire to develop our own inner stability - the inner stability that supports our ability to get things done. The Bucket is represented by the Teacher archetype - adapting circumstances for the needs of our students and inspiring others to be the best they can be. It is about being pragmatic about implementing an idea, without worrying about every step along the way, just the most essential steps. It is about not being content with shallow or tentative results - we want to see impressive results in every area of life.

The focal (most important) point of the bucket pattern is the Handle Planet, since it is calling attention to itself by being the singleton, the lone planet on one side of the chart, not closely associating with the other planets. Jupiter is the Handle Planet today, and will be for a while.

 -- Jupiter is in Virgo, triggering a strong desire to be of service, and to have high religious or spiritual ideals and possibly supporting an obsession with details and perfection, which isn’t all bad if it is tempered with a bit of good judgement about when enough turns into too much.

 -- We are driven to dig deeply into the area of life defined by the house that Jupiter is in right now and much of our energy is put into figuring out how to get the best results from focused activity.  The house that Jupiter occupies in your chart will affect the nature of the area of emphasis for you. 

Jupiter is closer to the leading planet, so this will leads us to think a bit more of ourselves before making major decisions or taking major actions; more toward self-assertion and less of our responsiveness to our external environment. It can also lead to more self-awareness.

The Leading Planet, the Moon, representing our personal and emotional needs, takes the second position of importance after Jupiter.  This suggests that our emotional needs are guiding much of this process described.

The “high council” remains Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Venus until April 30th, when Venus moves into Taurus and takes the throne for a while. For now, though, each of these four council members is looking to another for guidance. It can be challenging to get anything done when the leaders aren’t able to make decisions and continually abdicate responsibility to another.

The primary aspect pattern we are still working with in the sky is the T-Square from Jupiter to Neptune, with the release point at the Mars/Saturn conjunction.  The best summary I have ever heard that explains this lineup perfectly is “Spirit meets us at our point of action.” 

This set of chart patterns is the same tomorrow, and on the 25th will shift slightly as the Moon moves farther into the “bowl” area and allows Mars to become the leading planet. The next major shift in this will occur on April 30th when Venus moves into Taurus, taking the reigns for a while, yet the bucket pattern itself is set to remain in place until May 9th. (I will discuss these shifts when they occur.)

**Disclaimer: I do not advocate deterministic astrology. I am not going to dictate how you are going to experience this flow of energy - you get to choose how these energies will show up for you today and utilize them to the best of your ability. There is much more symbolism involved in any one of these planets than I can convey in just a few words, and it is unfair for me to cast a net over the likely mood of everyone in the world (since this astro-weather does affect the entire planet simultaneously)… not to mention, your natural inclinations as suggested by your natal chart, and the individual interactions between the planets here and your own natal chart adds a layer of depth and complexity that I cannot account for except within the context of a personalized reading. That said, the energy the planets in the sky are carrying and communicating does have an effect on us nonetheless. I prefer to utilize the energies that show up as opportunities for personal growth and insight into ourselves. The sky-map is not determining what occurs, it is simply mirroring what is already occurring. With that said, I offer you the “picture” of today’s planetary lineup with a description so that if you desire to harness it’s energy for your own personal growth, you will be able to grab the most poignant points of leverage to work with.**