Duke Ellington — birth chart across three traditions
Born: 1899-04-29 (time unknown) · Washington, United States
Data source: Rodden X (no recorded time). An encyclopedic biography gives the date, parents and city of birth; no hour of birth is stated.
American pianist, composer and bandleader who led his orchestra from 1924 onward and wrote works including Mood Indigo and Black, Brown and Beige. The birth date is uncontested. No hour of birth appears in the biographical record consulted.
Reading the chart
Taurus Sun — exact Moon sign unavailable because the birth time is unknown.
Saturn carries unusual weight here — strong essential dignity (multiple dignities).
T-square: Sun opposite Jupiter, both square Mars — the apex (Mars) marks a recurring pressure point and growth engine.
Fire is the leading element (58% weighted), while water is least emphasized — a texture worth noticing, not a verdict.
Fixed modality leads: the chart's default rhythm is sustaining — consolidating and holding course.
Sun at 9°08′ Taurus: core identity, vitality and sense of purpose operates steadily, sensually, with a taste for the durable — the keynote is consolidation.
Moon: exact longitude and sign unavailable because the birth time is unknown. Daily interval 262.1982° → 276.2619° (Sagittarius → Capricorn).
Grand trine: Venus, Mars, Uranus (fire) — an easy, self-reinforcing flow between these functions.
T-square: Sun opposite Jupiter, both square Mars — the apex (Mars) marks a recurring pressure point and growth engine.
Saturn opposition Neptune (orb 0°14′, applying): Saturn and Neptune face each other across an axis — awareness tends to arrive through other people and counterweights.
Mars square Jupiter (orb 1°06′, separating): Mars and Jupiter grind productively — friction between these functions builds real capacity when worked.
Mars conjunction Lilith (mean apogee) (orb 1°00′, applying): Mars and Lilith (mean apogee) fuse — these functions operate as one package, for better and for richer.
Western natal chart
Sun Taurus 9°08′ · Moon Sagittarius or Capricorn (daily interval) · Ascendant omitted (birth time unknown) — Placidus houses, tropical zodiac.
| Body | Sign | House | Dignity | Motion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Taurus 9°08′ | — | peregrine | direct |
| Moon | Sagittarius or Capricorn (daily interval) | — | — | indeterminate |
| Mercury | Aries 16°19′ | — | — | direct |
| Venus | Aries 3°14′ | — | detriment | direct |
| Mars | Leo 5°56′ | — | peregrine | direct |
| Jupiter | Scorpio 4°50′ | — | peregrine | retrograde |
| Saturn | Sagittarius 23°05′ | — | — | retrograde |
| Uranus | Sagittarius 7°07′ | — | — | retrograde |
| Neptune | Gemini 22°51′ | — | — | direct |
| Pluto | Gemini 14°22′ | — | — | direct |
Strongest aspects
- Saturn ☍ Neptune (opposition, orb 0.2°)
- Mars □ Jupiter (square, orb 1.1°)
- Mars ☌ Lilith (mean apogee) (conjunction, orb 1.0°)
- Sun □ Mars (square, orb 3.2°)
- Mars △ Uranus (trine, orb 1.2°)
- Sun ☍ Jupiter (opposition, orb 4.3°)
- Venus △ Mars (trine, orb 2.7°)
- Venus □ North Node (square, orb 2.7°)
Chinese Bazi 八字 — the Four Pillars
Day Master: Yin Fire (丁). Luck pillars run backward. Hour pillar omitted — it needs the exact birth time.
| 己亥 Jǐ Hài | 戊辰 Wù Chén | 丁卯 Dīng Mǎo |
Luck pillars 大運
| From age | Year | Pillar | Ten God |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.2 | 1907 | 丁卯 | friend |
| 18.2 | 1917 | 丙寅 | robWealth |
| 28.2 | 1927 | 乙丑 | indirectResource |
| 38.2 | 1937 | 甲子 | directResource |
| 48.2 | 1947 | 癸亥 | sevenKillings |
| 58.2 | 1957 | 壬戌 | directOfficer |
| 68.2 | 1967 | 辛酉 | indirectWealth |
| 78.2 | 1977 | 庚申 | directWealth |
Vedic kundli ज्योतिष (sidereal, Lahiri)
Moon-dependent Vedic calculations are unavailable without an exact birth time; no local-noon Moon, nakshatra or dasha is published.
Vimshottari mahadashas
| Period lord | From | To | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailable without an exact birth time | |||