A household name by age seventeen, Mischa Barton first shot to fame with her role as Marissa Cooper on the hit teen soap opera The O.C. but there’s much more to her legacy: she’s starred in several acclaimed indie films, conquered theatre, modeled for the biggest names in fashion, and most recently has become a designer herself. Style icon, party girl, fashionista, It-Girl, call Mischa Barton what you will, but don’t dismiss her as just one of the beautiful people. Although beautiful is certainly an accurate word to describe the 25-year-old actress, few other young famous actresses have profited and suffered quite as much as Mischa from the explosion of internet exposure. No matter how the scurrilous tabloids have depicted her in the past, in real life she rapidly dissolves those preconceived notions. It was acutely evident when I first meet her that there is much more to Mischa Barton than meets the eye. Part West London/part NY/part LA, Barton happens to be incredibly likeable, openly candid, and irrepressibly enthusiastic about music. Best of all, she has a maturity that belies her youth.

In a world where people are finding love through the internet and reality shows, a world where tabloids judge people’s shortcomings for recompense, it’s refreshing to meet someone who recognizes life for what it is: complicated, a lot of work and ultimately wonderful.

Name one thing necessary to your happiness?
I would have to say music, actually. Music and books. My vinyl collection is imperative to my happiness. I love to just come home at night and put on an album. And first thing in the morning I put on an album, have a cup of coffee and just sit- that’s my downtime.

What are 5 Albums you can’t live without?
Def Leopard, America, Modest Mouse, White Stripes. I listen to a lot of old stuff too: Muddy Waters, Grateful Dead, The Doors; and new stuff: Radiohead, LCD Sound System. A big mixture. I love music, I am very particular about it, though. What I listen to depends on my mood. On a laid-back day it would be Muddy Waters or Otis Redding, but an upbeat day would be the White Stripes, the Black Lips or the Flaming Lips.

What was the last movie that made you cry?
BAD BLOOD, a French film. But I didn’t really cry. The last film I cried in was HARRY POTTER when Dumbledore died. That’s the kind of thing where I get attached to these characters. I don’t watch that much stuff. I’m not that up-to-date on movies.

Since this is our Crush issue, who was your first crush?
Joey Torgeano from Catholic school. He was an Italian/Irish boy and we went through First Communion together and had to walk down the aisle together in the church. I had such a crush on him. That was when I stopped listening to my parents for advice. That’s what turned me off of him. My mother would say, “Oh he’s so cute! He’s a little Irish boy—you should go after a boy like that.” And that was when I was like, “Ah I don’t like Joey anymore.” [laughs] Then I went for Max, this little crazy-haired Jewish boy.

What books are you crushing on now?
Well right now I’m reading Bill Bryson’s, A Short History of Nearly Anything. It’s a great book that I can dip in and out of. It’s nice and thick, full of substance that I want to really absorb. I’m really into philosophy and reading books about ancient philosophy. Illuminations by Rimbaud, he’s one of my favorite writers. There is so much comfort in buying your favorite books and surrounding yourself with them. I could spend so much money on books. All types of books—coffee table books, photography books, biographies. I really loved Patti Smith’s Just Kids and have a ton of books on her and Robert Maplethorpe’s photography.

Speaking of books, how do you feel about the iPad or Kindle?
At first I was really against it. There’s something nostalgic about actually holding the book you’re reading in your hands. But I think the accessibility behind them is a marketing genius. Especially in a place like Los Angeles. We’re always running around from place to place, it’s easy to just have a Kindle in your bag. But for me personally, I could never do it. I mean, I’m TERRIBLE with technology. I barely use my computer. Which hasn’t always been a good thing. I mean, the way the media chooses to portray you as a young actor, is left un-combated in the cyber world. That’s something I’m working on now, is getting my proper voice out to my fans on the Internet.

Are there any designers that you are crushing on right now?
I’m always into Miu Miu and Givenchy, I love the last season. Proenza always. I’ve been into some of the Prada stuff too. Mostly the last season’s accessories. I’m a huge accessory person.

You have a bag line right?
I have a bag line yeah! You can get them at mischabartonhandbags.com

What are your inspirations when you’re designing your handbags?
It’s kind of all over the map, really. I get inspiration from vintage bags. For example, I have a doctor’s bag design that’s taken directly from a vintage doctor’s bag I used to have. From the design, to the clasps and closures. It’s endless really. You can pretty much get anything done well these days, you just have to have a strong vision. I make lots of box bags, like old makeup cases, etc. I also have some classic designs that are catered towards the average working London woman going to work. Slouchy and small.

Mostly all of my bags are PVC [thermoplastic polymer], because it keeps the price down, which keeps it affordable and accessible. Coming off The OC, I have to keep in mind that a lot of my fans are the average person, so it would be a shame if I made a line that they could not access easily. You can easily fall into having a huge company for something and just attaching your name to it. But I really want the bags to be a proper representation of who Mischa Barton is and what my style is like. Prada is great, but the average person can’t afford that. Don’t get me wrong, I do make some high-end bags, a couple are leather, but most are PVC, which is vegan friendly. So not only are you getting a great bag, but you don’t have to worry about killing any animals, which I like. The bags still look and feel really good.

Do you look for a certain something in the movies that you do, or the characters that you portray when you choose a role?
Yes, absolutely! I look for a mix of things, some common identifying factor that I can relate and lend something to. Something that is going to push me to be something I would never get to be. That’s why I love acting. I was painfully shy when I was young and acting brought me out of my shell. When I got on stage I was able to really flourish because I felt that people were not judging me. I was putting a lot into the character and I was getting this respect from adults, which I was not ever getting from my peers. I mean the popular kids weren’t mean to me, but they definitely didn’t want me hanging around all the time. I was a loner and acting has been something I could hide behind. I gravitate towards relatively dark work, or heavily flawed characters.

What kind of people are you drawn to in your personal life?
Characters. People who are strong and independent. A little off-beat. Most of my friends are quirky and older than me. I have a lot of parent figures as friends. My family and background is quite reserved—me being English and born in London. When we moved to America, I wanted friends and people around me who were different from what I had always known. My friends are always there for me and I can really confide in them without out too much judgment. They’re very passionate and emotional.

I’m the only one in my family who gravitated toward acting. Everyone else does law politics and economics. But don’t get me wrong, I do have some friends who do fall into the same character as my family. All of my friends are very intelligent, and we have some amazing conversations. All of my friends are kind and thoughtful. My best idea of a night is a good dinner party with lots of good friends. I quite like it when they get a little heated in conversation. I really think people form a sort of bond over situations like that.

How do you feel about how you’ve been portrayed by the media?
[In 2009] I lived in Paris for a year, and living in France I got really used to good food and conversation. It was amazing. I don’t think anyone knew what I was doing or where I had gone. It was when things were getting bad with the press and I needed a safe place to be. The press kept on going on about me over here. It boiled down to me not having enough of a public voice. The entire time I was over in Paris living a healthy, completely different life then I was being given credit for. My life has never been as it has been perceived. There is a huge disconnect in the real Mischa and what people think is me.

Most people think I’m very Californian. I couldn’t be further from that. I moved to California for that show [The OC] at 17. I graduated early to do the show. I had NEVER been to Orange County. And I said that going into the character. The director said, “I know, that’s what I like about you. You have this European mindset with a New York sophistication. But you’re only 17 and we want to portray that in these young kids, to show that they are growing up too fast.”

When you settle down to have a family, do you want it to be in Europe, or America?
I like the European sensibility. I think the way the world is right now, America isn’t thriving. Artistically, I think London’s music and film scene is great. So it makes the decision easier. I’m English and I’m not sure I want to break that blood line yet. I would do what my parents did: being raised in London, and then moving to America young. If my dad didn’t come here for the World Trade Center, I would have very much grown up in this glass ceiling. America brought us all these opportunities, especially for me. We moved to America when I was six and by eight, I had found acting in summer camp and I ran with that. I was so lucky to have a career at such a young age, and I knew I was lucky. Being from a family with three girls, it was always an issue of identity. Acting gave that to me. I didn’t have to go through school questioning myself. I didn’t have to grow up wondering if I would be good enough to live up to the law and economics background that my father had.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Well it goes without saying, that at 25, I already feel more settled than most. I feel like a completely different person, in a very good way, compared to how I felt about myself and life even two years ago. I think those leaps are daily. Every day I am growing and becoming a different person. I’ve settled down so much. For so long I was just going, going, going—I was being pushed to work so hard by so many people, I had a difficult time ever slowing down in anything. Don’t get me wrong, between my movies and my bag line, I do work and travel a lot. But in my older age it’s more on my own time, which is nice. I’m a hard worker, so when you stop, you make up all these catch-ups. I just moved out of my parents’ house this year, which is very old for most people. I had so much dedication and work ethic within my world, the simple things you do as you grow up, were never pushed. I’m used to being alone, and in all this downtime, I’m really finding myself.

In five years time, I think I will be quite done with living in the city all the time. I hope to be living in the English countryside, starting a family. I will always keep a home in New York or Los Angeles to come back to. But for the most part I want to be tucked away in a charming home, focusing on the important things in life.

What other projects are you currently working on?
It’s strange. Everyone keeps asking me about what I’m working on right now. But it’s quite the opposite. It’s about what projects I’m turning down, which identifies me as the actor I want to be. I’m in this funny phase in my career, where it’s super important to not do a project unless I’m really passionate about it. What [roles] you choose to take is how people are going to view you. It is hard, though. The way you want to go isn’t necessarily the way you get to go as an actor. This industry is run by fear. When you go too long without working, you have people hassling you. The jobs I do choose to do will form who I am.

I do have BHOPAL: A PRAYER FOR RAIN coming out soon, the movie I did with Martin Sheen [release date TBA 2012]. It’s a drama based on Bhopal and the gas problem in India. We got really good Indian actors to play the characters.

For the right role, would you ever return to T.V?
Yes, for the right role. Although I’m more interested in guest star roles. Being on a television show that does well is very time consuming. You’re working twelve-hour days, for hopefully quite a few seasons. You really get sucked into this image and ideal of who you are and who you want to be. During The OC, I was so young, it’s really a shame how these adults in my life and the media were able to portray me. So yes, now that I am adult and know who I am, I would return to television for the right role. But I definitely would keep more control on the environment. Television has been good to me, but it’s so overly publicized.

The only reason I said I wouldn’t go back to TV is simply because I don’t have enough time to dedicate just to one thing. Television is a machine, and it’s pretty exhausting. You have to love it.

At 25 years old; Paul Brickman is a rising star on the NYC Photography scene. His photographs show a unique perspective on what’s alluring and controversial, and gives a new platform to contemporary art.  He challenges his audience to look deeper into the idea of  the “sex symbol” through examples of dark social commentary, in a new series titled, Like A Lamb To The Slaughter. This sexy, scary, and always unique body of work serves as a visual commentary on our society; seeking acclaim while slipping into the herd.

This June marks the Lamb series’  first chance for an audience to experience the exhibition in it’s entirety. However, before he and his team can execute a show, they need to fund the printing, framing, mounting, and transporting for all pieces. This is where we implore you to help and donate. Please click on the following link to explore how you can participate:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulbrickman/paul-brickmans-like-a-lamb-to-the-slaughter

In exchange for donations, Paul will be giving out special treats and rewards such as signed postcards and artist catalogs, and selected images from the series.

Please spread the word: share with friends and colleagues.

For more information about Paul and his work, please click over to www.paulbrickman.com. We look forward to seeing the exhibition in June! – Tina Miller

photographs /  David Joseph Perez

hair / Kimiyuki Misawa

makeup / Stephanie Peterson

model  /  Kursten @ Wilhelmina

interview / Koko Ntuen

Who was your first crush? Ummm, I actually can’t remember his name for the life of me, but i know it didn’t last long though. LOL
What is your favorite reality show to watch? Mob Wives!
What is your favorite brand? Hmmmm. It’s a tie between Chanel and Christian Dior.
Who would you love to work for? Victoria’s Secret!
What was the best shoot you ever did? That’s a hard one, probably the very first one I’ve ever done because somewhere during the shoot I realized my passion for modeling.
Who is the nicest designer you ever met? I can’t say really, the ones I’ve met are all really nice! :/
How do you start your mornings? With a shower and two blueberry eggos!
Who is the last person you kissed? C.T. <3
What is the most challenging thing about modeling? For me it would have to be accepting the fact that not everybody’s gonna like you, and even though they might not you have to keep going no matter what.
Who is the last person you said I love you to? My mommy
Where do you want to be in ten years? I want to have graced the pages of every notable fashion magazine, have a contract as a Victoria Secret Angel, be recognized as a top model, be the co-owner of a restaurant with my mother as the chef and on the way to starting a family of my own.
Who is your celebrity crush? Kanye West.
What magazine would you love to be on the cover of? Vogue Italia or V.
What was your last scary dream? Omg!The last one I had I thought a spider was crawling on the wall and I thought there was one of my pillow too, so I jumped out of my sleep, freaking out because I actually thought it was real.
Who do you get advice from? Definitely my mother, I can talk to her about any and every thing and for 19 years,she’s never been wrong about anything she’s told me.

The Myth, The Woman, The Frenemy

story /  ALY VANDER HAYDEN

photos / JACK ClARIZIO

Alida Nugent: the hidden goddess of The Frenemy, a blog for women “who are the urban normal: fashionable, confident, slightly alcoholic BAMFS who can take a freakin’ joke.” With entry titles such as “What I’d Rather Do Than Lose Five Pounds” and “How to Be Social,” Nugent has begun to highlight and embrace the awkward, secretly hilarious woman who is “NOT fabulous” (though we would beg to differ). Since the start of the site, she has been turning out daily unabashed posts as well as writing a memoir and tentatively working on a television sitcom based on the blog. I got to speak with Nugent about her aspirations to become a Lifetime movie, being drunk on the job, and the very real, terrifying life after college.

What made you want to start The Frenemy and what did the blog start out as?

Well senior year right before graduation I broke my computer and I did not back anything up because I’m stupid. So I thought I needed a portfolio because I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know what kind of writer I wanted to be, I had no idea, but I was like alright let me show that I can at least write stuff everyday. So I was drunk with my roommate, and my grandmother had gotten me a subscription to Cosmopolitan, I guess she wanted me to be good at blowjobs-I have no idea. So she gave me this subscription and I was looking at it and I was like, ‘This sucks, I could do better.’ Not in a way that I could do better than Cosmopolitan because I really never will. I’m not going to have a magazine like that, so I was like, I can make fun of it. So I did, and people didn’t read it for like two months. I was sitting alone on the couch eating snacks and being like, ‘I guess I’ll do this.’ Then people started reading it and eventually it sort of evolved into something else because you can only make fun of a magazine for like a year. So I kind of write about my own life and what I think other girls are feeling and doing.

Yeah, definitely. I remember my friend sent me the “Carrie Bradshaw Math” post and that’s what got me into The Frenemy.

Yeah that one become pretty viral more than anything else I wrote. People got very mad at me about it, which is kind of hilarious. I got like the nastiest emails from people being like, ‘You’re a BITCH.’ I was just like Carrie is fake, I don’t get it. Laughs.

Where do you get most of the inspiration from your posts?

Most of it’s just conversations I have with my friends and my own life too, and sometimes I’ll just kind of like think about some awkward thing I’ve done in the past and write about it. Drinking usually inspires me.

Do you ever write posts drunk?

Laughs. Yes, I have. You can sort of tell. Sometimes I’ll get home from a bar at like two in the morning and write an insane list and the end of it is just like bat-shit crazy. The other day, since I haven’t been drinking while I’ve been on this juice fast, I wrote posts sober. People seem to like the drunk ones more, which is like terrible. Laughs. They’re just like, ‘She’s so crazy, I love this! Keep drinking.’ Write drunk edit sober.

So you majored in creative writing in college. Do you think that helped you at all with The Frenemy?

I don’t know, I didn’t actually write any non-fiction until like late senior year. I started off as a screenwriting major and I hated it because I can’t edit, I can’t use cameras. Then I was just a writer and I wrote a lot of stories from the mind-set of a teenage boy. I guess I just wrote more than I would have if I didn’t major in creative writing.

Do you ever feel pressure from your large number of readers, especially since you mentioned the type of hate mail you receive?

Yeah, I can be kind of pretty shy sometimes. It reached a certain point where I realized a lot of people were reading me, and then I was like ‘Oh my god these people are all reading me!’ I usually get nice emails though. I don’t worry so much about the negative criticism because you’re going to get that walking down the street I guess. Sometimes I worry about writing something that I like every time, where it’s like I’m sending this out to web people and it’s only my single opinion.

The majority of your posts always have a very comical outlook on life, but is there anything that ever gets you super down that it’s hard to write about or joke about?

Yeah, I mean I think everything can be sort of joked about. Well maybe not everything, but most things can be. If I ever get bummed and I don’t want to write about it I guess I don’t. If I get bummed about something that I think other people have felt I’ll usually write about it. I wrote about being sad about a heartbreak or something like that. I’m not going to write about every time I get sad, and sometimes you know stuff bums me out that’s kind of bigger than just ‘girl problems,’ and I’ll just write about that for myself.

Where did the title of your blog come from? What is your definition of a Frenemy?

Ah, I don’t know. It’s kind of one of those things where I really just did it because I was going to make fun of Cosmopolitan. Like, I’ve never ever said that term about anyone, and I think most of the people who read me haven’t either. So it’s just kind of like a jokey title.

Have you made any friends in the blogging community, and are they just blog friends or are they real friends now?

I’ve met a couple people, and I think I have two or three friends that I now consider my ‘real friends’ just through the blog. I went on a blind date with one of the readers, he’s got his own blog, and now we’re just like regular friends.  I have a really good friend, who works for Thought Catalog, and she and I are just normal pals now. She wrote for the blog once. I didn’t get chopped up by anyone so that’s nice.

No Craiglist killer status for you then?

No, seriously. It’s a good Lifetime movie though. I wouldn’t mind if something happened to make me a Lifetime movie. You can chop me up.

Do people often contact you for personal advice?

Yeah, I get a lot of that, which is really bizarre to me. I mean I like hearing it and I’m glad I could help, but I’m really awkward and not really good at romantic advice. They’re like, ‘My boyfriend’s mad at me,’ and I’m like I haven’t had a boyfriend in like 37 years, what do you want me to say? Like eat and cry, I don’t know. I have no idea.

Tell me about your book coming out.

It is a comedy memoir. Well I’m not sure I would say memoir, but it’s about the year after I graduated from college, so it’s like a chapter for each month. I lived in Boston and worked in Starbucks for a while. I actually worked at Starbucks for six years; it was a career in rage. Then I lived at home for a bit, and then I moved to Brooklyn. So it’s sort of the up and down and learning about paying loans and dating outside of college, which sucks. Well, dating in college sucks too. It’s just kind of a comedy about that. It comes out in like late 2012 early 2013.

Is the drafting going well?

It’s going. Laughs. I’m going insane, but it’s cool to sit around and write all day.

That is scariest thing to think about, life after college.

Oh yeah. It was much scarier than I thought, and much more fun. It’s cool to do your own shit, but it’s also like I have never realized how to balance a checkbook, and people are talking to me about 401(k)s. I’m like, ‘Dude I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but okay I guess this is my life now.’

Yeah, like I don’t want people to be in serious relationships around me. Laughs.

My roommate met his boyfriend at my Frenemy party, which is literally the cutest story in the world. They both went to the same Lady Gaga concert, and he was the one that got called up. I guess before “Telephone” or something like that she called someone up, and he went on stage and they met at my party. When Adam, my roommate, heard this, he had a picture of him on his phone. Now they’re like in love and dating and it’s so cute, but I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m single, I have to see this lovely example of a functional relationship.’

If you could send one message to your readers, as well as Ladygunn, what would it be?

I guess don’t hate on yourself too much. You’re fine. Calm down. It’s cool, just have a drink and enjoy it. I feel like people are really stressed out about stupid shit. I know I am. The biggest thing for me is for people to not hate on their bodies. I think that’s like my biggest plight. I really, really hate that, it drives me crazy. We’ve all been on like crazy diets and worry about our thighs and I just don’t fucking get it. I walk around and I’m like, ‘That girl looks fucking great!’ and she’s saying to herself, ‘I look so bad today!’ I’m just like ‘No you don’t.’ So that’s like my thing.

story+ photographs / Ericka Clevenger

art  / courtesy of Matt Doust

I met Matt Doust during his brief visit to Los Angeles a few months back at the Bootleg Theater. We spoke briefly and parted ways. A couple months later at a BBQ in Echo Park, Matt approached me and pulled out a Polaroid picture from his wallet. “Is this you?” he asked. It was in fact me in the picture. It was from
the night that I met him a few months back. The likelihood of us meeting again in such a manner was astonishing. “I guess we were meant to meet again.”

Matt and I kept in touch after the second meeting, and continued to develop both a work and friend relationship. I have continued to be blown away by the philosophic, poetic, and artistic mind of Matthew and am excited for his future as a highly recognized artist in America.

Matt was born in Santa Monica California in 1984, but moved to Australia just as he was taking his first baby steps. He has lived there his entire life, creating memories and a name for himself in the Perth art world. After visiting America last year with his good friend, he decided that Los Angeles would be a place to call home. Matt’s live/work space is a simple loft that overlooks the broken skyline of wholesale clothing and fabric districts in downtown Los Angeles. It is sparsely decorated, almost completely white, full of oil paints and empty whiskey bottles. It is open, inviting and inspiring. You can even smoke inside!

Definitely a rarity in the city of Angels.

Matt is not an artist of small stature. His art is not a past time, nor a meaning to make ends meet. His art is more of a means for survival than food. His dedication to his art has morphed into a lifelong search for meaning and value within it. The way he speaks about his paintings are both inspiring and entertaining. He seems to humanize the humans he paints, bringing them off the canvas and directly into your face. The detail and structure of each piece is created by layers of oil paint which takes many hours of seated devotion. He always takes a photograph of the person he is going to paint, making sure that there is enough light on their faces to expose the shape and colors need for reconstruction. Along with his painting, Matt makes stark, dreamy portrait videos of the subjects he paints. The soft lighting and simple nature of the videos create an honest, and emotional connection with the viewer and the subject.
Matt has no training in any art institution, but privately mentored to learn the different techniques of oil, charcoal, and the use of space. He was also taught proportion mathematics, theories of time, and the ability to language oneself truthfully through instinct. His mentor once told him that he must fall in
order to succeed. “Your parents have high hopes for you….you must fall”. Those words became stepping stones for Matt’s life as he states “I have been falling as a full time art maker for 6 years.

After exhibiting his work extensively in Australia, Matt moved to Los Angeles in late June of 2011. He feels the move is the key element in refreshing his perspective and to further his practice. Matt paints every single day. The mood of his heart and soul, becomes the mood of the people he is portraying. I asked Matt to explain his new art series that he allowed me to capture in his studio.

“My new body of work is based upon indulging in an idea. Adopting ideas for the purpose of hope. Whether it be an individual idea of true love, childhood, religion, or a passion that is open to being pursued. I am exploring what keeps us going. What motivates us to continue. I am also continuously through my practice examining and interpreting the nature of beauty and perception of beauty. I like to think my paintings withhold a pure foundation in expression then disguise, distort or deconstruct the subject in some way.”

Matt is truly a unique artist with a multidimensional mind that allows him to tap into wavelengths and portals beyond the traditional human conditions. His ability to capture the true essence of a person’s personality within his paintings is a talent that sets matt aside from most other artists. My advice? Go buy a Doust!

Here are two of his newest “About Face” Portraits that will survey at Thinkspace Gallery, LA Art Fair, and Picks Of The Harvest in Los Angeles.

Photography / David James
Hair and Makeup / Sophie Garth
Fashion / Imogen Wilson
Model /  Zoe at 62 Models

Jacket, Ksubi Kustom.

Shorts and Jacket, Stolen Girlfriends Club .

Jacket, Ksubi. Bodysuit, (worn underneath) Lonely Hearts.  Jeans, Ksubi Kustom. Shoes, Jeremy
Scott for Adidas .

Jacket, Ksubi Kustom.

Vest, Ksubi Kustom. Shorts, American Apparel.

Shorts, Ksubi Kustom. Jacket, Ksubi.

Shorts,Ksubi Kustom. Stylists own vest.

Jacket ,Ksubi. Shorts,Ksubi Kustom. Shoes, Jeremy Scott for Adidas.

It takes about 29 years for Saturn to orbit around the Sun. When a person is roughly 27 or 28 years old, astrologers consider the age to be the start of a two and a half year period called the first Saturn Return. This consists of the time where for the first time, Saturn returns to the same astrological sign and position that it was at the time of a person’s birth. When it does, the person is considered to enter “adulthood”. This is where Saturn’s themes to maintain a balance, stability, and practical needs weigh heavily on us, bringing a transformation to our lives if we are not where we need to be.

You might think it’s ridiculous to believe that celestial bodies orbiting along with our planet could possibly have an effect on our beings, but if the sun’s solar flares could electromagnetically disrupt our planet, and the moon can effect tides, does astrology really seem that silly? Just like the sun gives us life, surrounding planets may also help to lay out our personal paths. So forget the “fortune teller” assumptions about astrology. It just might be a divine compass that if we know how to read and understand will only make us wiser.  Do I sound too much like I have flowers in my hair and I’m banging a drum? Because, that would be kind of rad if it does.

If the Saturn energies are ignored, and one gets caught up in wanting to stay with youth’s naiveté and ignorance, they can become depressed, feeling without direction, and not able to take the next step. As we know, life does give us choices and we do make our own lives. It’s just that energy/planets can usher us into facing something at a particular time even if we are not ready for it, especially if we have ignored signs to change over the years.

Unfortunately because of the age parallel, some consider the Saturn Return and the “27 Club” to be somewhat associated together. However not all of those bright minds and sensitive artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Amy Winehouse died during their Return, but it’s believed that Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain did, depending on if their birth information is correct. Because of this, there is still shaky ground when comparing the two, and there are so many other factors to take in account with the aforementioned.

Saturn Returns are often misunderstood and looked at with fear because of the grand importance put on them by astrologers. You should however look at the Saturn Return positively as a chance to grow up and face responsibilities and necessities to create a balanced life and mind. Take time to learn and reassess, changing if you need to. It takes effort. Once you are out of it, you will see a better version of yourself and you can move forward with making bold life decisions.

There is a second Saturn Return that arrives around age 57-58 for another two and a half year period which ushers in maturity, and the third Saturn Return happens around 87-88, ushering in the wise old age. But, the first Saturn Return is most prominent, as it’s the first time where the structure you’ve built your life upon is challenged. It may be possible that we thought we wanted to go one direction and instead we will choose another. The proverbial fork in the road. The moment where we find out that we can no longer skip through life on our charm. Or we realize that we can’t let certain ingrained fears stay an obstacle in our life’s path anymore. Maybe we’ll even change the direction of our career. For example, it’s been said that Vincent Van Gogh officially evolved into a painter during the time of his Saturn Return, rather than becoming a minister as he had originally set out to do.

It may also quite possibly be the Saturn Return drawing so many of the 27 and 28 year olds to their ten year high school reunion. Maybe there is still unfinished business– a chapter trying to be closed before they begin a new one, grow up, and move on.

The sign and house/degree in your astrology chart that your natal Saturn is in is another important factor. Right now we are still dealing with Saturn in Libra with themes associated with relationships, commitment, and blame. Those in their Returns are especially learning to let go of relationships that no longer work for them, and realizing that you can’t blame others for the unhappiness you feel. But with 2012 approaching we will soon see Saturn go into Scorpio and all those born during the last month of 1982 through 1985, will arrive into their Return. So if you’re feeling a little Mayan calendar doomsday queasy, you can chalk it up to Saturn in Scorpio as well. Themes like the occult, jealousy, manipulation, fears of emotional rejection, death, intimacy, and sex will stare us down until we leave denial and deal with them like an adult. If we understand and embrace the unique and perceptive beings that we are by sensibly mastering and taming the negative feelings and fears, rather than trying to obsessively hold on to control to stay stagnant, we will build strength and character and be able to overcome any fears we may have. We will propel ourselves into a higher understanding, a higher consciousness and come out as a better version of ourselves.

The Saturn Return, especially the first time around is an exciting time, but because you’re at the point where you can no longer coast, and choices are necessary, it can also create uneasiness. Trust your intuition– the quiet with the comfortable thoughts that tell you which way to go.

Alec

What’s on your wish list? A haircut.  Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? I’m not going to put any expectations on it. Just want it to be a new year.

Suzanne

What’s on your wish list? A pair of Isabel Marant booties. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Spending more times with friends and family and working less.

Alena

What’s on your wish list? A warm winter because I have to work all winter, and an emerging blender for cooking, and world peace. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? The end of my lease. Getting my safety deposit back and living in a place not infested by mice.

Dominique+ Talia

D: What’s on your wish list? Great thrifting, shoes, great new places in Brooklyn, fun times in Cali. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Making the best of 2012, turning 21, lots of peace, great bud and to stay slim. T: What’s on your wish list? A lot of boots, shoes, bags, cool stuff, travel, a plane ticket to Cali. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? I hope to have a great year in school and to start auditioning and shit next year. Food, pizza, staying slim.

James

What’s on your wish list? Better year for our growth in produce. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Better profit.

Kaylayna

What’s on your wish list? Clothes and Beats the headphones. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Just do better in school and to help people, that’s it.

Nada

What’s on your wish list? For President Obama to veto the National Defense Authorization Act and veto the bill to put the Keystone XL pipeline in place. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Going to school and seeing how the elections turn out and how everything turns out.There is a lot of hope right now.

Drew

What’s on your wish list? I want tickets to everything at BAM, including Batsheva Dance Company and Richard III with Kevin Spacey and a guitar. Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Just to new beginnings everything that it has to hold for us. Fresh start.

Jennifer

What’s on your wish list? Completing my Masters Degree Also, what are you looking forward to in the new year? Having a healthier lifestyle and eating more natural foods.

photos + video/ Brian Schutza

interviews / Koko Ntuen