Maija is a Latvian-American who was born in Riga, Latvia, and came to the States when she was eight. Her family's escape from then war torn Latvia, and subsequent culture shock in coming to America in 1950, has been translated and published in Sveika (Yo, ), Amerika, A Displaced Person Remembers (Madris, '02) . Basically, a "Jersey Girl," Maija grew up in East Paterson, New Jersey, within the metropolitan district of New York City, receiving her B.A. in social studies from Trenton State College. Maija added a B.S. and the equivalent of an M.S. degree in literary arts, plus her permanent teaching license, from Oneonta State College in New York in 1968.
After spending her early professional years as an educator of youth, specializing in working with youth at-risk-of-failing, and for 10 years developing and training staff within the NYS Division for Youth, since 1999 Maija has been self-employed as a certified astrology consultant and now a published writer. Astrology had been an interest and avocation since the early '70s.
Proud of her two brown belts in karate, a step below the coveted black belt, Maija remains an ardent world traveler and hiker, who continues to write and to teach experiential astrology in hometown Albany, New York.
