Chapter 10: Generational Influences: Your Age Group

In this chapter we will discuss characteristics and traits of your generation. Of course, you may not share all of the characteristics of your generation, but you are greatly affected by the tone that is set by your generation. The first topic is "The Subconscious and Emotional Drive of Your Age Group". In this section we will describe a deeply felt urge, even compulsion, of your age group. This deeply felt drive comes to the surface with great force and power, and consequently leaves in its wake considerable upheaval and change. The second topic is "The Ideals and Illusions of Your Age Group", that describes the dreams, fantasies, and spiritual aspirations of your age group. The third and last topic is "What is New and Different in Your Age Group", which describes areas in which your age group tends to be innovative, inventive, unusual, and also where it may be unstable and unreliable. The characteristics described below may affect a group of people for anywhere from a few years to about 30 years. There are one or more different astrological factors described in each of the three sections below. The Subconscious and Emotional Drive of Your Age Group You are part of a 20 year period that is often referred to as the "ME" generation, a generation that has a very proud and self-reliant attitude. You are a generation that is very concerned with self-development and personal integrity. Women's rights and minority rights are issues that your generation has fostered and they reflect your concern with individual respect, integrity, and honor. Your age group has a deeply felt sense that each person has an equal right and opportunity to fully develop his or her inner potential. However, your group also finds it difficult to be part of a team and a strong egotism makes group efforts difficult; you tend to see the individual as more important than the group. You also defy authority and often feel that no one has the right to tell you what to do. The strong movement to refuse drafting into the military is one example of your age group's strong sense of individual rights and freedom. Your age group has popularized the idea of self-development, and has contributed a great deal to the development of individual potential as well as human rights. However, there is also a tendency to be rather self-centered; others may wonder how you can spend so much time developing yourselves and have so little time to contribute to your families! The interest in personal development also sometimes manifests as a fascination with particular individuals and a great deal of hero worship. Every generation, of course, has lots of idols, but your generation is particularly prone to needing a specific individual to represent and embody an idea or feeling, and to serve as a focal point of interest. Perhaps the most extreme example of this is the concept of the guru that was popularized by your age group. The Ideals and Illusions of Your Age Group You are part of a 14 year group of people who have a very idealistic sense of brotherhood and universal cooperation, which, among other things, fostered the peace and freedom movement. Your age group is also interested in the spiritual philosophy and ideals of other cultures, and is not at all dogmatic in its approach to religion. You incorporate the approaches of other religions. Your age group tends to have an eclectic approach to religion, utilizing elements from many religious perspectives (e.g. Eastern and Western), and finds it difficult to follow traditionally defined religious practices. A gullibility and an unwillingness to be decisive and judgmental inclines your age group to be easily deceived, and consequently many of the well-intended ideals and goals are frustrated by a lack of clear purpose and direction. The entire generation to which you belong has tremendous opportunities for spiritual rebirth and awakening. This will not be forced upon you or precipitated by unavoidable events, rather it comes from an inner yearning and a natural propensity to seek the depths. What is New and Different in Your Age Group You are part of a 7 year group of people who have a strong need to feel unrestrained by family ties and personal heritage. Your age group tends to find personal relationships very restrictive, and also tends to feel alienated and distant from family ties and concerns. Forming long-term personal relationships is difficult for your age group, and divorce rates are high in your group. However, you are an emotional and sensitive group also, and this instability is painful at times. Finding personal freedom and closeness with others at the same time is a big challenge for you.