I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Maria Shaw, professional astrologer and author, about teens and the New Age--and about teen spirituality and the future of the planet. Maria Shaw has been in the national spotlight appearing on shows such as Blind Date, Soap Talk, and the FOX reality show Mr. Personality. She currently writes a monthly astrology column for Soap Opera Digest and is a regular contributor to various new age publications. She even finds time to do a weekly radio segment on a local morning program. Now, Maria Shaw is lending her astrological expertise to the teen market with books like Maria Shaw's Star Gazer.
Janet: Hi Maria! Uranus will be entering Pisces at the end of this year. What kind of impact will this have on adolescents and teens?
Maria: I think we are already seeing some of the affects. It actually went into Pisces last March and then went retrograde back into Aquarius. I expect to see a lot of changes in the growth of teen spirituality. Take Llewellyn Publishing for example: they have expanded their teen division this past year. Many new titles dealing with "New Age", or should I say "new thought", have emerged on bookstore shelves. Teens are devouring everything they can get their hands on that has to do with increasing their psychic abilities or learning more about their spiritual selves. Wicca is becoming even more popular. The Harry Potter book released last spring broke sales records. Anything that has to do with the mystical, the unknown and magic will continue to be very popular. Teens are becoming very serious about seeking a higher truth. And that is all good.
One of my concerns is that the negative side to Uranus in Pisces could be unhealthy addictions. But this can be overcome by reaching toward the positive side of this Uranus transit. Uranus is the planet of change. Expect the unexpected when it comes to call. Uranus takes 84 years to make one complete orbit about the sun. Since there are 12 zodiac signs, it takes about seven years to go through each sign. This year, Pisces teens will see major changes in how they view the world and personal changes within. Virgo teens will deal with lots of relationship issues both in the family and their social circle. The other signs will all be affected in some way. But the aforementioned will experience the most change. Uranus always brings in needed change. Sometimes the transit is pleasant. Others times, we feel as if we are being hit by a tornado.
The last time Uranus was in Pisces, the motion pictures were developed and the flapper girls debuted. Women shortened their dresses and started wearing make-up. What will 2004 -2010 bring? More fantasy and fiction. More spiritual themes in movies, music and media. But because Pisces also rules terrorist acts, teens are very aware of 9/11 and the fact that they are living during a time when this country is susceptible to terrorism. We may see more attacks and possible chemical warfare. But let me say this also...astrologers have predicted for years major castrophric events that never took place that should have. I believe the collective consciousness can change and alter the energies and forces on our planet. By people banding together to pray or hold peace rallies to affirm good in the world, by meditating or visualizing peace, they can make a difference. I truly believe some major tragedies were stopped by the power of the collective consciousness. One positive person can negate the negative energy of 144 "bad" energies. Just think what 100 people could do, or a thousands perhaps. I feel teens "get" this theory and we'll probably see more teen rallies and prayer circles for peace in the next few years.
Janet: What will teens be facing as we seem to be between a technology age and an age that hearkens to a return to ancient wisdom and emotional smarts?
Maria: A pull between two generations: the need to succeed in a world that is all about money and ego versus the need for spiritual fulfillment and service to others. More and more young people will opt to take a simpler approach to life--maybe follow career paths that are service oriented or choose a field that will help make the world a better place rather than a trip down Wall Street. I think everyone on some level since 9/11 has looked at their life from another perspective. They've had to. And with that, knowing they are our future, teenagers feel a need to do something to create a new world. What's the first thing we all did when we saw the planes hit the twin towers? We called a loved one...we prayed....we cried....we banded together to light candles or pitched in and donated money or time to help the victims and their families. We got back to what really mattered: home, family, service to others, etc. Teens experienced this too. They wondered why the world had to come to this and they understand the future is in their hands in the next decade or so. The young adults I have been talking to don't want a repeat of 9/11. They want to change the world and many of them think war and violence is not the answer, but rather love and peace. So because of this impact, many will opt to go into a career field that will help them fulfill this purpose-- to love, serve and bring more spirituality to the world.
Janet: How do New Age arts like Tarot, astrology, and numerology affect teens--especially since this kind of information has only been available widespread for the last decade or two?
Maria: All of the tools you have mentioned can be a great help to teens to bring them more understanding of their spiritual self and allow them to develop their intuition. However, because New Age techniques were not so popular 20 years ago and are still looked down on by some, teens today may have to battle old stereotypes and stand up for their belief systems against parents, adults, religious leaders and other generations. These truth-seekers may very well pave the way for New Age arts to become more accepted.
Astrology for instance can tell teens so much about themselves, their personalities, their fears, phobias, and talents. I always say your birth chart is like a road map of your life but you still drive the car. Your "map" is basically what your soul chose to work on in the current lifetime before it reincarnated; the lessons your soul wants to learn, the people whom you want to reconnect with, the debts you want to pay, the challenges you wish to meet and so much more. The reason behind this is so your soul can grow and be closer to God (or whatever your belief system may be). If a teenager understands their natal chart, they can get a pretty good idea of what their life path is all about and their soul's purpose. Besides reading charts on a mundane level, I also look for spiritual purposes and past life issues. The chart is a wealth of information to anyone at any age, but as young adults it is even more important that they gain this inner wisdom and knowledge. In turn, they can make the right choices and not waste a lot of time figuring out what it is they are here for and what they are supposed to do.
Janet: Have noticed any patterns in teen behavior as far as religion and/or spirituality? What do you think this means for the future of humanity?
Maria: Yes, more and more are not satisfied with organized religion and are seeking other information to make their own choices and form their own opinions about what they want to believe in. In the past, young people were raised in one religion and very seldom learned or knew of any other belief system. I feel because of the media, television and some new authors in the market today, teens have a choice to explore and decide for themselves what works for them. With the freedom to choose and experiment comes more growth and understanding and the opportunity to expand our minds and hearts. Teens today are not as apt to accept any old answers if they have questions. They want to know the whys, whats and wheres like never before. They are trusting their instincts more than their parent's generation. They are not as naive as older people think, but they are open to at least looking at new ways of doing things and trying new concepts. Therefore, we will see much potential for spiritual growth among this age group. They want to learn what they can about their past lives, understand their present situation and learn to use their instincts to create the future they so desire. This is a very exciting time to be a teen even though society is making great demands on them.
Janet: Do you have any final advice for teens?
Maria: Knowledge is power and more and more young adults are aware that they have an inner power. But what they need is more information and education on how to develop it and use it. My new book Star Gazer is hopefully a place where they can get some answers. My mission is to make information available to teens so they can expand their spiritual side and learn to harness this incredible power we all have. Thank goodness the folks at Llewellyn had the vision to develop a teen division of their publishing house. I am very fortunate to be associated with a front-runner in the industry and a company that I believe is a catalyst for change in the way we all think and view our spiritual selves.
Janet: Thank you so much for your time and insights, Maria.
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