We recently had a chance to talk with Amanda Owen, an astrologer and author who utilizes her unique expertise to help individuals understand them selves and work towards the futures they want. Her insights into children's astrology is also incredibly beneficial for parents! When we talked to her, she had plenty to say about what astrology really is, what insights you can gain from it, and how to use it in your own life or to deal with issues you face when parenting. Plus, after the interview, find out how you can ask Amanda a question about your own life or parenting your child.
When did you get started with astrology?
In 1974, when I was nineteen years old, I attended a party where I had a very interesting conversation with an astrologer. Up until that time, the only thing I knew about astrology was my Sun Sign. I was fascinated to hear this astrologer talk about how much was involved in the study of astrology and I decided to learn more. She told me where I could purchase the books I would need to mathematically construct a birth chart. There were no computers back then to do the calculations. For the following ten years, I did the charts of friends and family members as I deepened my understanding of astrology.
I was twenty-nine years old when I decided to make astrology my profession. I began to give readings part time and that same year I cofounded the Philadelphia Astrology Society with several other astrologers. One of the astrologers who had a full-time practice moved to Europe for a year and gave me his practice. By the time he returned, I had a full-time job as an astrologer!
What was it that interested you in the field?
I was fascinated by the idea that a map of the sky at the moment of birth could reveal information about me that could help me to make good decisions. Once I had studied astrology for a decade, I wanted to make that information available to other people.
Can you give us some background information on astrology charts and horoscopes?
Astrology addresses every part of your life from your deepest dreams and desires to your spirituality, from your friendships to your love life. Although astrology has been around a long time (historians trace it back to at least 2500 B.C.), it has been adapted over the years to meet the changing needs of humanity. It has survived the rise and fall of civilizations, from times when astrology’s benefits were available to everyone, to periods when it was reserved for royalty and the wealthy. In modern times astrological information has been used by people from all walks of life, including presidents (Ronald Reagan), business people (J.P. Morgan), and those you personally know.
Astrology charts are maps of the sky at a particular date, time and place. Everyone has their own map called a birth chart. When astrologers provide consultations for their clients, they look at much more than the Sun Sign. The date, time, and city of birth are used to calculate an astrology birth chart, which contains all of the planets in addition to the Sun and Moon. Astrologers examine the location of the planets and the signs they occupy; they observe the planets angular relationships to each other and their relationship to the earth. It’s complicated and takes years to learn.
A horoscope that you read in the newspaper, a magazine or online, gives information about only a part of that map—the Sun Sign. Even though your Sun Sign doesn’t tell everything about you, it does describe an important and central theme of your life. Think of it this way. If you go to the doctor and have your blood pressure checked, the doctor can give you information based on that test. She or he will not be able to tell you about everything that is going on in your body. Reading your daily or monthly horoscope based on your Sun Sign, is just the same. A skilled horoscope writer will be able to impart information that can be helpful or give you something to think about. But detailed information is something only a qualified astrologer can give you.
How should a person integrate their horoscope into their daily life and decisions?
Horoscope information can be valuable when placed within a larger context. Most people understand that advice offered in a medical column is not a substitute for a visit to the doctor, nor does reading a self-help book replace the guidance of a therapist. But, clearly, both can be helpful.
Not all horoscopes are written by skilled astrologers! So first, follow what a particular horoscope says and determine if the information has any value for you.
Has studying astrology taught you any life lessons that you find especially valuable?
Where do I start?! Learning astrology has had a profound effect on my life. Knowing my own birth chart has helped me to understand myself, has helped me to make use of my strengths and gifts and to work out and heal those parts of myself and my life that have been difficult. Astrology provides a non-judgmental view of yourself and your life. Because of that it becomes easy to look at all of the different parts of yourself.
I also use astrology for timing. Sometimes, no matter what you do, it seems as if the world and people are not cooperating. Other times, it’s like you have a green light. Astrology shows you when those times occur.
We understand that you have nieces and a nephew with whom you have shared astrology. How have they been able to use it themselves?
My nieces and nephew have told me that knowing something about their astrology charts—especially their Sun Signs have helped them to understanding themselves and to make better decisions because of that knowledge. For example, my ten-year-old Scorpio niece tells me that knowing that Scorpios tend to not talk about what they are feeling and that they will feel better if they share their feelings made sense to her. She reminds herself to speak up.
I was talking with my Virgo niece the other day. She is eighteen years old now! We were discussing astrology. Now that she has just finished her first year of college and is working full-time for the summer, she said knowing that her desire to be productive, helpful and to work hard (three Virgo characteristics) are innate and integral to her personality, she understands how important it is to find work that she likes. One of a Virgo’s strongest traits is their desire to help, which leads many Virgos to the helping/healing professions. Knowing that she has a tendency to overly focus on helping others, she reminds herself to include her own needs so that she feels more balance in her life.
What I have found in general when I talk about astrology with children and young adults is that astrology gives legitimacy to those personality traits that they know to be true. But it also gives them information about how to strengthen those behaviors that give them self-confidence and how to think more thoughtfully about how they can get in their own way without meaning to. Really, this is what we adults learn through astrology also, but getting that information early helps them to make beneficial decisions earlier in life.
You’ve studied children’s astrology charts. Can you explain the importance of understanding this specialty?
Knowing your child’s chart is like having a manual that has everything you could possibly want to know about the child. Anything that helps parents understand their children is valuable. Often problems arise in relationships with adults and children simply because of a lack of understanding.
How can astrology help moms navigate motherhood, both in terms of their own charts and those of their children?
This is a very big question that I could write an entire book about! So, let me give a couple of examples to illustrate astrology’s value.
Astrology offers information a mother can use to help her understand her child's talents, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge can help her to assist her child in becoming more comfortable and self-assured and can provide information about activities that fit his or her personality. Often, simply having the correct information can help us to understand a child's needs which are sometimes quite different from our own.
I'll give you an example of what I mean by this.
A mother came to me asking for help with her twin teenage girls. Each summer she took her children to a foreign country. This particular year, her children rebelled—refusing to go. The mother with her Sun in Sagittarius, a sign known for its love of travel, and her Moon in Aries, the sign of adventure, felt that learning about other cultures was not only fun, but helpful.
When I looked at the twins’ charts I saw that their Sun was in ambitious Capricorn and the Moon in hard-working Virgo. Both of these earth signs are known for their practicality and the desire to tangibly improve their circumstances. The overall astrological pattern showed that they were grounded sensible girls.
“It looks like they would rather get a summer job and make money,” I said. The mother told me that was exactly what they were begging her to let them do!
There was no way that the mother was going to change her Capricorn daughters into Sagittarians. The conflict she was experiencing had to do with her own difficulty in accepting the idea that her daughters did not share her love of travel.
Once she was able to let go of the idea that the summer trip would be "good" for her daughters, she decided to bring a friend with her on the trip and help her daughters find summer jobs.
Every mother wants to help her children to become successful happy adults. Astrology gives the mother specific information that helps her to support her children’s talents as well as clue her in to the areas they find difficult.
For example, a child with a Taurus Sun Sign or the Moon or planetary placements in Taurus feels the most comfortable knowing ahead of time what is going to occur. A Taurus will appreciate you saying, “After we have lunch, we are going to go visit grandma for a little while. On the way home, we will stop by the grocery store.”
A cuddly Cancer child is extra sensitive and loves family-time. They are collectors and whether they make a family of stuffed animals or have a stamp collection, they love to put things in groups and watch over them. They are sentimental. They are the kids who save a shell from their trip to the beach and a keepsake from their first day of school.
I
have a client who has two children. The oldest is an Aquarius and the second, a Cancer. When she took her oldest to his first day of school, he entered the classroom to join the other children without a look back at his weepy mother. She watched as he happily played with the other children. Three years later, she told herself not to cry as she brought her Cancer child to the school. She told me that she was guiltily grateful when her youngest child cried and wanted his mother to stay with him. She happily joined him for a while until he felt more comfortable.
Staying with these two Sun Signs for a minute—can you see that knowing an Aquarius child’s friendships are important helps the mom to make sure that her child is introduced to environments where there are other children? For example, a home-schooled Aquarian child will benefit by joining a Little League team, a dance class and going to plenty of play-dates. On the other hand, the Cancer child would love to stay home with mom and may need extra help acclimating to group environments which may feel a bit intimidating at first.
A child’s chart is much more complicated than this so I am giving you some general ideas. Each child chart is as unique as the child and like all people we are complicated with varying needs and desires.
What types of questions have you heard from parents when it comes to problems with their kids?
Many of the questions I receive are from mothers wanting insight into their children to help guide them. Some years ago I wrote a column titled Little Stars where parents asked questions about their children. They also provided their birth data. Here are a couple of typical questions:
My son Richard is shy with other children and I am curious as to whether this is due to him being an only child and not having a great deal of social interaction with others, or if his character reveals a natural tendency toward shyness. My husband and I are both very extroverted and I cannot imagine that we would have a shy child. Also could you tell me what his chart tells of his talents and interests? I would like to provide him with appropriate opportunities in areas which will be of interest to him.
Here is another one:
My daughter Kara is very bright, witty and talented but she tends to be argumentative and bossy with others. Could you please give some insight into ways that I could help her learn to live with a more cooperative spirit?
Other questions parents have are about helping children cope with divorce, acclimating to new siblings, socializing with other children or difficulties at school.
When parents are faced with a problem with their child, how do you balance finding an answer through astrology vs. just writing it off as a bad day?
If you think of your own life, you know that some things have always come easily to you while others have required effort to learn. As we get older, we realize that everybody has a mixture of easy and hard and that it is how we deal with both that forms our character and determines our choices.
Here is an example. A child with Mercury, the planet of thinking, perception and communication next to Saturn, the planet of responsibilities, will be a careful and conscientious communicator. She may also be afraid of making a mistake and studying for a test can be quite an anxiety-producing experience.
While most kids will want to do well on an exam and can feel anxious when studying, they don’t carry that feeling into other areas of life. But the Mercury-Saturn child wants to apply her mind in a very serious way to everything. How can a parent guide this child?
First, telling her to not to worry or to lighten-up won’t be helpful and may even cause her to feel bad about the way she thinks. Introducing her to subjects and engaging her in conversation where she can apply her strong methodical mind would help give her confidence and praising her for her contentiousness will help her to feel good about herself.
Some famous people who have these two planets next to each other in their charts are the signers Alanis Morissette and Pink and the actor Ricky Schroder. Noam Chomsky, who is known in as one of the fathers of modern linguistics, and Albert Einstein also have Saturn and Mercury together in their charts. All of these people have applied their considerable mental power but in different areas.
What would you say is the most important advantage to be gained from understanding and utilizing astrology?
Astrology provides a nonjudgmental framework within which people can understand themselves and the important people in their lives. Often we personalize people’s reactions and behaviors that really have little or nothing to do with us. Or, if one of our innate gifts does not receive support from others, we may never explore a talent that would bring great satisfaction and happiness.
Using astrology for timing is one of its most wonderful uses. I have an article Destiny, Fate, and Free Will: Using Astrology for Planning on my website that talks much more about this subject. For now, think about it like this: You look up the weather forecast so that you are informed. If snow is arriving the following day, you may decide to take the train instead of drive to work. If rain is forecasted, you are likely to bring your umbrella with you. No one would accuse you of not using your free will!
An astrologer analyzes the solar system “weather” and tells you when times are harmonious, as an example, to launch a business. But the most common way that people utilize this part of astrology is to consult an astrologer to look at the year ahead so they can utilize that time period in the most productive way possible.
Do you have any advice for moms who are interested in astrology but have no idea how to start making use of it in their own lives?
Because astrology is a non-regulated profession, the best way to find a qualified astrologer is to get a referral through someone you know and trust. Make sure they have been an astrologer for over ten years and preferably longer. Once you find someone, and most astrologers consult by phone so he or she does not have to live near you, make an appointment to discuss your chart. Reading children’s charts is a special skill and many astrologers do not really know how to talk about children’s charts. So first see how they do talking about just your chart.
My book Lucky Stars after three printings recently went out of print or I would recommend it! You may be able to find a used copy. I wrote Lucky Stars to help young people to become more confident, empowered human beings and to provide practical strategies to assist them in negotiating their world. But, even though I wrote it for a younger audience, it is for anyone who wants to know more about their Sun Sign and how they can use the traits of the Sign to become happier and more successful. I am looking for another publisher, so if any of your members would like to be notified when Lucky Stars is re-released, they can sign up for my free newsletter.
If anyone would like to learn more about the planetary influences, I post weekly information about them on my site at www.amandaowen.com. That information is not for each Sun Sign, but is about what we all experience. For example, when there is a full moon, the heightened emotions that so often accompany full moons affect us all.
Thanks so much for talking to us, Amanda!
Curious about astrology and its effect on your own life? Want to understand something about your child? If you have a question you'd like to ask Amanda, please leave a comment below or send us an email (so your question can be anonymous). We'll then post your questions along with Amanda's answers at a later date. And, in the meantime, don't forget to follow Amanda on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DailyStarTweets
Amanda Owen Bio:If there was a map that showed your strengths and described in detail how to capitalize on them to create success and happiness, would you want it? For over twenty-five years Amanda Owen has been interpreting that map, the astrological birth chart, helping people to create the life they want. Amanda is passionate about educating the public about astrology and its modern-day application to peoples’ lives. Her astrological studies began in 1974 and she has maintained a private practice serving an international clientele since 1985. Amanda is the author of Lucky Stars: Use Astrology to Get the Scoop on Life, Love and Friendship (Three Rivers Press, 2001), countless articles and is currently a featured writer for the world’s largest astrology website www.astrology.com. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Power of Receiving: A Revolutionary Approach to Giving Yourself the Life You Want and Deserve. Her websites are www.amandaowen.com and www.thepowerofreceiving.com. She also has a blog Sand Painting My Life One Day at a Time where she posts her photographs accompanied by inspiring quotes. And, for daily astrological information, follow Amanda on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DailyStarTweets
