Maria Shaw's Star Gazer: Your Soul Searching, Dream Seeking, Make Something Happen Guide to the Future

by Maria Shaw

Book Overview

Wouldn't you like to learn more about someone's personality and what kind of friendship (or possible romance) the two of you will have just by knowing their birthday? How about developing your psychic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738704229
• ISBN13: 9780738704227
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Divination 101 For Teens

Maria Shaw, a former model and TV anchor, has written the first comprehensive guide to the New Age that's geared specifically to teens. Now a professional astrologer, intuitive, and author, Shaw found herself fielding questions from her daughters and their friends about everything from astrology to tarot. She realized that there wasn't enough information out there for teens about these subjects. Her solution? Write a book about New Age topics for ages 12-18. Almost everyone wants to know more about themselves. Self-discovery and understanding is why personality tests and systems are so popular. Likewise, this is a part of the reason that many are drawn to astrology, tarot, palmistry, dream work and the like. Not only are individuals looking to understanding themselves, there is a curiosity about the future and how life will unfold. Curiosity about self usually leads to an interest about others: is another trustworthy? Would they make a good friend? Could they be a love interest? Teens are no exception to this curiosity and interest, wondering why they are on this Earth and for what purpose. Maria Shaw's Star Gazer is an excellent primer for beginning the quest of knowing and understanding self. Shaw acknowledges that New Age topics such as developing intuition and psychic abilities was taboo as recent as the 1970's, and it wasn't easy to find books about numerology, astrology, and other New Age arts. Of course, there is nothing new about the New Age, since it's really ancient wisdom that's been around for centuries that was forced to go underground because of the social or religious atmosphere of the times. This book is soft cover, and 308 pages long. It's almost like a workbook, with sections devoted for writing down thoughts and impressions. Chapter 1 of Star Gazer: Your Soul Searching, Dream Seeking, Make Something Happen Guide to the Future begins with a 58 page section on Astrology. Five pages are devoted to each of the 12 Sun signs. On the first page is a picture of the Sun sign, the astrological symbol, and the sign's color, ruling planet element, gemstone, lucky day, and number. Two pages are dedicated to describing the attributes of the Sun sign. An interesting element to this section is that Shaw actually addresses decans. Each astrological sign is divided into 3 decans; for example, the first decan of Aries is March 21-March 30, the second decans is March 31-April 9, and the third decans is April 10-April 20. There is a several sentences addressing the different "flavors" of the decans. (I must say, however, that both my husband and myself are Scorpios, and neither one of our decans described us accurately. In fact, they were way off.) There are whimsical, cartoonish drawings throughout the book, and in the astrology section, there is an illustration of the "Best Buds" of each Sign and "Best Traits". Also displayed are "Amazing Attractions", "Heart Breakers", "Worst Traits", and "Careers to Consider". What bothered me about the

Just for Teens

Teenage years can be some of the most difficult, as we all know. Most teens must cope with the pressures of expectations from school, peers, and parents, as well as doubts and insecurities about their capacity to measure up and to be accepted as they prepare to make their way into adulthood. Because the future may seem uncertain, many teens can be helped by guidance in how to tap into their own inner wisdom and how to gain more self-knowledge. Maria Shaw's Stargazer is an aid for them to do just that. StarGazer is a delightful and visually appealing book for teenagers who are curious about metaphysical subjects such as astrology, numerology, the Tarot, and palmistry. The book provides readers with a basic understanding of these subjects, as well as explanations of how to use crystals, how to interpret dreams, how to develop intuition, and how to read auras. Teens get straightforward information in terms they can relate to. For example, in an explanation of the tarot card Justice in reverse position, one of the caveats is "to avoid after school detentions and suspensions." And, the best crystals and gems for passing tests and exams are given! In addition to practical advice for navigating everyday issues, the book does focus on self-knowledge. There are workbook-style lists and diagrams available for readers to plot their own lines in the palmistry section, and to write a list about their thoughts regarding astrology. The book is written with a strongly positive emphasis on making the most of astrological signatures and readings of any type. A section on using affirmations to create positive changes is included. There are very valuable guidelines given for choosing and consulting psychic readers, which is very important for young people who may be more vulnerable to being hoodwinked by frauds. A glossary and index are provided for easy reference, as well as suggestions for further reading. Because of the book's visual appeal, its readability, and its ease of use, it makes a wonderful gift for any teen. Even if a teen were not initially curious about metaphysical subjects, the emphasis on positive strategies for navigating teenage life is valuable. The book has the potential to open some doors for teens, some of which could form a beginning foundation for spiritual investigation to enrich their lives.