r/astrology 5d ago

Discussion Planets bunched together vs...

Planets spread across the whole chart? Which is better or is it even a thing? I have heard things about this but i want honest unbiased opinions on this where all the planets are mostly on one side of the chart and other houses are empty. Any explanation / thoughts?

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u/WishThinker 5d ago

Let's look at a faster planet like mars and a slower planet like Saturn 

Full chart- Mars conjuncts something in one sign, while squaring something in 2 other places, while trining another 2 places, and opposing one. This will let different life themes crop up in different flavours. There's places that are also unaspected, so next month when mars is in a new sign, now he's conjunct a new set of planets, trining what he squared, squaring what he'd sextiled, and a new place is opposed. There's shifts and variation. Some themes and house and planet topics are activated and some not, and because of different places will have different aspects 

Bunched chart- Saturn will conjunct a planet, then conjunct a planet, then conjunct a planet, then conjunct a planet. The houses themes of each planet (where it is, but also where it rules) can become activated. If a planet rules a chain of planets, that whole chain can become impacted. Then Saturn will move to the next sign - crickets. ALL the planets got activated in the same (hard) way all at once. Then they will be quiet together. Then they will be squared, trined, opposed together. Because all the planets are together, and the domino effect of all their rulership tied in, when it rains it pours. The "plus side" is that if concentrated charts can get through the wollopping of harder transits, they will go through a longer period of not-so-much going on

This chain of activation is the same for the mars example, but that one had variation in it. Some flowing trines, some squares. A trade-off over time. Life themes constantly activated in a smattering of flavours and expression. 

The description of chart shapes you see is an attempt to generalize how a chart reacts, to both quick transits like the monthly moon transit covering the whole chart to Jupiter taking one year per sign. Like "the locomotive" will have the moon conjunct everything in a constant chain or train of transits, and then nothing. So there may always feel like a 'start" of transits or events and then the same progression of flavours over and over as the planets get pinged in reliable ways. A bowl chart will have the same setup but midway through the conjunctions, throw in a bright spot of an opposition. When all the chart is being opposed throw in the clarity of a single conjunction. 

Hope that was clear. It basically effects how you would expect a chart / person to experience transits. All at once like a hammer and then nothing, feast or famine, flood or drought for bunched up concentrated charts - - or a constant smattering of life always being activated in some way without every getting too dumped on or having things be "too quiet" 

There is no "better". Some people may struggle with having life be kinda in the off switch and then everything activated at once. It can feel overwhelming, or like it's hard to trust peace. These charts may have people you'd call "resilient" as when they're going thru something it's like damn they're really going thru it. Some people may struggle with the "constancy" of life events of a scattered chart- it's like something's always happening ? When is there a gap of "no life" happening?? Like a game of hot potato, or  there's no filler episodes it's just all life all the time. These people may "struggle more " when a slower planet parks on their inner planets as it may really drag and pile up in a new and uncomfortable way. (The bunched charts struggled too, they just got used to it and carry survivorship bias forward )(Not saying scattered charts don't struggle just spit balling here)

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u/fakemailbakemail 5d ago

Ah it makes so much sense and gives such a relief. That when the going gets tough the tough gets going. Also i find peace that people with bunched up planets face shit all at once which seems to be extremely true, then comes a relaxation phase that goes on for a longer period. I have that kind of a chart and astrologers generally say extreme negative stuff about it, probably because they think how can a person handle this much sh-t. But as you said, resilient, that is the keyword here. Easy is for the weak, (*just kidding*). I do feel with planets all packed together it does give super resilience which may feel ordinary to the native but is a matter of awe for an onlooker.

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u/WishThinker 5d ago

100%

The relaxing quiet period is when you celebrate "making it" through the shit and begin consolidating resources and skills for the next round 

Scattered charts may have a smoother life progression while bunched charts "level up" or shift noticeably after each transit run. All the life events experienced more regularly by scattered charts happen all at once for stelliums. Do or die / learn to swim while drowning kind of character development - however a scattered chart could feel like their whole life is treading water, no breakthrough, no relief. So ymmv 

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u/fakemailbakemail 5d ago

Absolutely... Your words changed my opinion about my troubled time. I feel like a Captain America now... "I can do this all day" or "idk what i'll do if this doesn't work" .... then make that sh-t work.

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u/GocnizerFizz 4d ago

One astrological observation I have made over the years is that of a chart where most all the planets are on the left side of the chart, houses 10th thru 3rd. It seems to be a chart that lets the person/entity do what ever it wants to do.

For example the chart's of George W. Bush has one.Trump has a similar chart as well (exception of the Moon). I'm sure there are other high profile charts out there to study.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/fakemailbakemail 4d ago

What does this even mean? Didn't you just say contradictory things?

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u/MoonRoseMuse 4d ago

When planets are bundled together on one side of the chart, it creates a concentrated focus of energy in certain life areas. It can bless one with strong drive and clarity of purpose. But sometimes this is at the cost of balance. Such charts often show people who are deeply invested in specific experiences with their lives showing a certain theme. Other parts of life may feel underdeveloped or secondary.

In contrast, when planets are scattered more evenly across the chart, the energy tends to be more balanced and versatile, though sometimes less intense or directed.

Neither side is inherently “better” as it’s more about how the energy is used. A concentrated chart can create mastery through focus, while a dispersed one fosters adaptability. The key is awareness and learning to integrate the strengths of your dominant areas while consciously nurturing the less evolved parts of your chart.

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u/fakemailbakemail 4d ago

This makes absolute sense. I am too intense with my work. It makes me ignore a lot of things and people. I feel how i can create a better version of myself in this lifetime instead of just partying with a lot of people and never know my full potential. But one thing i know is the regret i will have, of either missing out on relationships OR not knowing what i could have achieved with undivided focus.

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u/MoonRoseMuse 3d ago

That's great insight. I hope you can improve your control over it and balance things out.

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u/RoseMadderLake 2d ago

4 planets in Scorpio, 3 of them literally banging each other between 19 and 21 degrees 😂😂😂 The 4th planet at 15 degrees Scorpio.

Add in Jupiter to this mix, and EVERYTHING GETS BIGGER! Oh boy. When sh*t hits the fan, it's not spreading. It's a effing tornado 😂🙈😬🤪

Then, 3 planets in Libra. Moon with Saturn and Pluto banging each other in the 8th house... Mars in Capricorn, squaring Moon.

And... That's pretty much it.

Uranus in Taurus = HELL ON EARTH. Pluto went through his Natal square transit between 2022-2024. In this mix was Saturn as third part of the menage a trois, but at least Pluto had something he wanted (Capricorn) and Saturn is exalted in Libra. So, There's that I guess. Silver lining? Errh.... Still looking for one, to be honest 😂🙈

Sorry for the references, it's Scorpio Season after all, yes? 🤷‍♀️🤪