Judy Blume - A Legacy of Communication and Love

Judy Blume has been delighting readers of all ages for decades.  She was one of the first young adult authors to discuss controversial topics such as menstruation, teen sex, birth control and sex.  She is beloved all over the world, with her novels selling over 82 million copies, translated into 32 languages.  

She has come back into the spotlight recently with the documentary “Judy Blume - Forever,” premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.  Later in the year, “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret,” arguably her most beloved novel, will be released as a film over 50 years after it was first published.  

The fact her story and this book are garnering this level of attention and excitement after so much time is a testament to the impact of her writing.  Judy makes significant impressions on children’s hearts which remain with her audience long after childhood has passed.

Let’s look at the main components in Judy’s chart which show her ability to communicate with young people in such a way that when they grow up, she is still considered to be their beloved childhood teacher and friend. 

Judy’s ascendant is in Virgo, the earthy, detail oriented feminine expression of Mercury.  Anyone who has read Judy’s books appreciates the “realness” of her novels.  She recounts how things affect the characters in her books on a practical and emotional level.  There is a critical feeling to Virgo as Mercury dissects the impact of day-to-day experiences.  The sanskrit name for Virgo is “Kanya,” a young girl.  This innocent aspect of Virgo is a reflected in the girls who are often the first person narrator of the stories Judy tells. 

Her ascendant is in the nakshatra of Chitra, which is ruled by Mars.  This Mercury/Mars combination further emphasizes her ability to use detail and combine information and components in a way that is straightforward and easy to understand.  The specifics which Judy uses in her narrations do not bog down the story, but rather make it more relatable. 

Her ruling planet Mercury goes to the 5th house of creativity and children.  This placement and the planets located inside it are the key to both her ability to connect with children and young people in a way which has lasting impact.   Mercury is how we communicate, and it being in 5th house shows who her main audience is.  It is there with Jupiter, the indicator of children. Jupiter in the 5th gives her the blessings of children as well as intellect, which reinforces her Mercury - the indicator of intelligence and the ability to communicate. Jupiter is the great benevolent friend, teacher and guide, which is the way many young people feel towards Judy herself for the value they receive from her books.  

Both Mercury and Jupter are in the nakshatra of Shravana, which means “The One Who Hears.”  When Judy speaks, young people listen.  Mercury is about two way communication, so Judy has the capacity to listen as well.  In 1986, a book was published titled “Letters to Judy:  What Your Kids Wish They Could Tell You.”  This book is a compilation of  letters from children to her confiding their concerns with friendships, families, illness, sexuality, and other problems; and in return, Judy shares similar moments from her own life, both as a child and as a parent.

Jupiter and Mercury are in the sign of Capricorn, ruled by Saturn.  Saturn is the indicator of things which will stand the test of time, and here it indicates that not only has her career still has meaning to many people decades after she began, but that it will last far into the future.

Jupiter in Capricorn isn’t always an easy combination, as Jupiter is about expansion and Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn is about restriction.  However, this placement can also mean that Judy has a soft spot for the “underdog,” so to speak.  Often the characters in her books are having a tough time and she brings out the best in them.  Mercury in Capricorn shows how her attention to detail goes deep into the matters which she is exploring in her books.  This is another reason her writing comes across as so practical and realistic.  Another aspect of Mercury is that it helps us to re-write the stories we tell ourselves, which happens often in Judy’s books.  The protagonists face challenges which eventually lead them to a different and deeper understanding of who they are.

Being a Virgo ascendant means that Mercury also rules Judy’s 10th house of career.  This is another indicator of how she made a career out of the way her Mercury in the 5th operates.

Opposite the planets in the 5th is Judy’s moon in its own sign of Cancer in the 11th house.  This shows Judy has a selfless, loving quality which makes an impact on a large number of people.  The 11th house is the part of us that wants to leave the world a better place than we found it and the moon is the part of us which is reflecting back whatever it is in contact with.  In Cancer this means what she is reflecting towards the public through her writing is considered nurturing and supportive. With Judy’s moon here, opposite Jupiter and Mercury in Capricorn, her legacy will be that she was able to give her young readers (Jupiter) a way of looking at the world and themselves differently (Mercury) so they feel loved and supported (moon in Cancer).

Her moon is in the Nakshatra of Pushya, whose presiding Deity is the Guru/teacher Brihaspati, an incarnation of Jupiter.  This intensifies the Jupiter/children connection which is found in Judy’s 5th house.  Pushya is also called the “Star of Nourishment,” which shows that Judy’s young readers get a sense of feeling comforted and satisfied by her work.  They continue to feel connected to her and her books long after they have been read, and long after they have grown into adults.

Lastly, let’s look at Judy’s two most popular and controversial novels and the dasha cycles they appeared in, as it gives another level of understanding as to how her career has unfolded.

Though her career began a few years earlier, it did not take off until she entered her Ketu/Jupiter period.  Her breakthrough novel, “Are You There God?  It’s Me Margaret” was published in 1970.  

This period lit up her Ketu in the 9th house which shows past experience and deep hidden pain surrounding guidance from teachers and role models. What this can lead to is questioning different teachings and philosophies from things like tradition and religion.  One of the central plots of the book is Margaret trying to decide which religion she wants to be.  

This period also activated her Jupiter in the 5th, which began her journey as a teacher and friend to her young readers.  Plus, the idea of Shravana, “The One Who Hears,” is central to the story of the book as well, since Margaret is talking to God, and hopes He is listening to her.

“Forever,” one of her most controversial books, was published in 1975 during her Venus/Venus period.  This lit up her 6th house in Aquarius, which has to do with bringing to light difficult societal issues.  Subjects such as family conflict, bullying, body image and sexuality were huge themes in this book.  This is where her natal Sun and Venus are.  Venus is how we interact with people, the Sun is who we came to be in this world.  In the 5th house she birthed the books that are her “children,” and in the 6th house she does the hard work it takes to defend them. 

Being a writer about uncomfortable societal issues, yet handling them with tender loving care is the hallmark of Judy’s career which also brought her fame.   Even more than the books themselves, she has been a spokesperson for the children she writes about and communicates with.  In the end, all her 5th house Jupiter/Mercury combined with her 11th house Moon, she certainly will leave a legacy of love and communication which will last for generations to come.