Billie Holiday

American jazz singer Billie Holiday was born on 7 April 1915 in Philadelphia. Growing up was difficult, her mother was only thirteen when she was pregnant with Billie, whose real name was Eleanor. Sexual abuse, prostitution and drugs were part of everyday life.

Billie Holiday in 1917, at age two

But an extraordinary vocal talent led to performances at various jazz clubs in Harlem in New York City, where she adopted the stage name Billie Holiday. Her vocal style was characterized by dramatic intensity. She was also a gifted songwriter, and many of her lyrics became well-known standards like "God Bless the Child," "Do not Explain", "Fine and Mellow" and "Lady Sings the Blues." A prolonged drug addiction led to an early death in 1959.

I recall that in my youth I kept wondering about the lyrics of her song "God Bless the Child" as I heard various other artists performing it. I did not get together what was really meant.

Mama may have, Papa may have

But God bless the child that's got his own

That's got his own

Only when I later heard herself do the song – in her somewhat rascal style - did I realize that it was not a religious song at all – the impression I got from the other artists' versions. In fact the song is about stealing money from the parents!

You can help yourself

But don't take too much

Mama may have, Papa may have

But God bless the child that's got his own

That's got his own

However, the lyrics are obviously multifaceted and not just about stealing money from the parents. It's also about how to cope with ones own resources ("God bless the child that's got his own") and about believing in oneself – an Aries theme, you might say. Throughout, the theme of the song also adresses the injustices of the world, that the rich always get more while the poor lose it all. So the words are multilayered, of course, as lyrics so often are.

How about the birth chart?

It follows here:

Billie Holiday, 7 April 1915, 02:30, Philadelphia, USA

(Source: Astro-Databank)

Aquarius and Pisces dominate, as does the Water Element as well as the First, Second and Twelfth Houses. It is worth noting that Venus and Jupiter, both in musical and artistic Pisces, in the horoscope of this great singer and performer, together form an otherwise "unaspected island" in her First House and so to speak live their own life. As a jazz singer Billie Holiday was a natural talent. The Ascendent and Chart Ruler Uranus in its own sign in the First House shows very well her unpredictable, eccentric, dynamic, unconventional and original personality and musicality.

Saturn and Pluto in her Fifth House suggest a strong creative ambition, a strong need to express herself creatively. The Moon in Capricorn in the Twelfth House in opposition to Neptune in Cancer in her Moon-ruled Sixth House demonstrates the way she was abandoned by her mother early in life. At the same time her Moon sextiles Mercury, Mars and Chiron in Pisces, all indicating her great artistic potential. The Sun in Aries in the Second House squaring the Moon and sextiling Uranus shows how important self-esteem was to her and that it was related to her ability to express her individuality and unique talent.

A little joke at the end. Considering the lyrics of "God Bless the Child": There seems to be an aggressive approach to getting money – Mars (aggressiveness) is in conjunction with Mercury (which also stands for thievery) in Pisces (secrecy) in the Second House of money and resources...

"You can help yourself

But don't take too much "