Thomas Hardy’s Jude remains Obscure

Monday March 3, 2014: Any Cosmic News? Austere Saturn in forceful,secretive Scorpio turned Rx yesterday which will somehow affect events and actions in the Crimea via authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin. Here I’ve posted Crimea’s natal horoscope with the Pisces New Moon of March 1, 2014.

On Saturday March 1, 2014, Mars turned Rx square US natal Pluto in Capricorn, a time of power struggles and revenge as past actions (Mars Rx) come to the fore. This is Not a good time to poke Great Bears like Russia for anger leads quickly to destruction and peril. Now I know that boys will be boys, but really, fellas. Calm down.

My tech troubles continue and there’s not much personal news except that I’ve been re-reading an old favorite author in the last few weeks when I get a chance at odd moments: Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure is first up. Wish I still had my old copy from school but I’m settling for a Kindle version.

The Olden Days of Jude and Sue and Thomas

Thomas Hardy was born in Dorchester England on June 2, 1840 at 8:00 am (astrodatabank has his bio and natal horoscope if you wish a peek. You’ll note that his natal 12th house Moon @10Can48 is again being transited by Jupiter Rx which will Station Direct on March 6, 2014–right upon Mr. Hardy’s natal Moon! If the author walked among us still this would be a happy time for him as any grand desires may be fulfilled during this transit. As it is, our natal horoscopes remain affected by posthumous transits so perhaps the Jupiter-to-Moon conjunction made stronger by Jupiter’s seeming to stand still while stationing will attract a few extra readers to his poems and novels and benefit his estate!

Now film critic Roger Ebert described Jude the Obscure (Jude must have been ‘born’ under somber Saturn’s rays!) as “bleak and shocking” in his review of the 1996 movie adaptation starring Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet.

Hmm…perhaps I should see the film particularly since in the world of politics it seems the far right in the US want to return American women to a regressive time of antiquity to endure many of the same prejudices and substandard treatment suffered by the ladies of Thomas Hardy, both real and imaginary.

Yet sprightly heroine Sue Bridehead did possess an independent streak to be sure and was educated in the Classics to a larger-than-usual degree for a woman of her day–she actually had an interest in them including Poetry, of course.Being a teacher was a natural career for her though it didn’t last due to changing social conditions. (I’m about 1/2 way through the book–don’t spoil it for me if she returns to teaching after her marriage!)

Of course the behavioral standards between men and women of 19th century were restrictive (Saturn) especially for such a Geminian free-ish spirit as Sue and we find the ‘eternal youth’/young girl role of Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, playing a major part in the novel’s plot line. Even Jude is described by the author as a “child” at one point though finagled into marriage by one Arabella then subsequently falling in love with changeable Cousin Sue whose true feelings he can seldom guess. Jude loves and adores Sue but an earlier guileless mistake makes…well, you know the tale, don’t you?

Okay, I’ll hush up for now for I didn’t intend to write about Jude the Obscure at this particular moment in time. But since it’s done, I’ll not delete.

Jude, the Undeleting