collapse

* Recent Posts

"Christ Is King" by Altair
[Today at 01:09:34 am]


Re: Cill Shift Schedule by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 11:04:57 pm]


Re: Stellar Bling: The Good, the Bad, the OMG! by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 11:21:37 pm]


Re: Spring Has Sprung! 2024 Edition by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 10:24:10 pm]


Stellar Bling: The Good, the Bad, the OMG! by Altair
[March 21, 2024, 02:52:34 pm]

Author Topic: Thoughts on New Age spirituality  (Read 7188 times)

Geroth

  • Sr. Apprentice
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 96
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« on: October 11, 2011, 09:01:30 am »
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?

Asch

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 883
  • Total likes: 5
    • View Profile
Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2011, 09:30:00 am »
Quote from: Geroth;24842
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?

I am indifferent & disinterested except for when/where it infringes or obscures hard facts, mocks logic, or demands acceptance if absurdities (i.e. Van Daaniken etc)

Celtag

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 424
  • Total likes: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2011, 09:36:40 am »
Quote from: Geroth;24842
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?


Like with most things, there are good things about it and bad things to. It does make fore some interesting reading material.
[Now using the Cryfder account]

Miss

  • Journeyman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 150
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2011, 12:02:50 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;24842
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?

 
My apologies for having to ask this, but what all does "New Age" encompass?

Lokabrenna

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 829
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2011, 01:19:01 pm »
Quote from: Miss;24869
My apologies for having to ask this, but what all does "New Age" encompass?

 
In my experience, it's a really broad category and there's even some crossover with Pagan traditions. I personally divide it up into "Eastern" and "Western" concepts. (Note that these aren't official academic designations, just what I've gathered from reading a ton of New Age literature.)

Western: channeling, psychics, "angel therapy" (a la Doreen Virtue), ley lines, spirit guides, power animals, "Native American" beliefs (A.K.A 'plastic shamanism'), Atlantis, Mu, Lemuria, crystals, auras, Law of Attraction (including works like "The Secret"), indigo, crystal, or rainbow children

Eastern: chakras, some forms of yoga, the (over)use of OM/AUM and "Namaste", (neo) tantra (especially if it's all about the sex), a particular form of reincarnation

Now, this list is not exhaustive, and before everyone jumps on me and says: "But I do some of those things, and I'm not a New Ager!" hear me out.

As I mentioned before, there is some crossover between the New Age movement and Paganism. Many Pagans (including myself) use tarot, or crystals, or believe in power animals. Likewise, Hindus and Buddhists generally believe in reincarnation. The difference is that the New Age understanding of reincarnation is different from a Hindu or Buddhist understanding of reincarnation, likewise with systems like tantra or Native beliefs (which are so numerous it's practically impossible to say anything is universally adopted by every tribe, ever). One of the major critiques of the New Age movement is that it's "fast food spirituality" distilling complex systems into something that can be marketed to the masses. If you want an academic take on the subject, the book Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion by Jeremy Carrette and Richard King was one of my required textbooks in the course on religion and popular culture that I took in university. I don't agree with everything they have to say, but it might be worth checking out: http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Spirituality-Silent-Takeover-Religion/dp/0415302099

I was really "into" New Age things in my late teens. I'm very interested in anything to do with dolphins, and there are apparently a lot of dolphin lovers in the moment, because dolphins are seen as having a sort of "special connection" to the Divine, and they're full of loving, positive energy. The New Age accounts always neglect to mention that dolphin behaviour includes kidnapping and killing for fun, hardly exemplary of creatures of love and light, you know? As someone who was at one time considering a career as a marine biologist, I would say that these people aren't looking to engage with real dolphins, but with candy-coated fantasy dolphins, and that's just...not for me, I guess.

Anyways, this is turning into a bit of a rant and I've probably already offended someone, so I'll stop. It just seems so pre-packaged to me.

Owl

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 587
  • Country: 00
  • Total likes: 24
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Other
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2011, 01:31:01 pm »
Quote from: Lokabrenna;24876

I've always gotten the feeling that New Age stuff tends to be very much sweetness and light, rainbows and unicorns, everyone and everything has your best interests at heart.  My mother is that way somewhat and it drives me nuts.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2011, 08:33:54 pm by SunflowerP »
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.

Etheric1

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 421
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2011, 02:01:49 pm »
Quote from: Celtag;24847
Like with most things, there are good things about it and bad things to. It does make fore some interesting reading material.

 
This.  I will agree that some of the most annoying things about it are some of the absurdities and beliefs that everything is all love, unicorns, and pixies.  It is a nice contrast to the hellfire, damnation, and repent and follow Jesus stuff often seen with some (but not all) Christian churches.  What I do like about New Age stuff is it can be thought provoking and can get people to at least question things and perhaps find a better path if they so choose.
No matter how dark the fur, the bunny is still fluffy. - Mel\'s Law of Dark Fluffs.
Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. – Albert Camus
You can easily judge the character of a person by how they treat those who can do nothing for them. - unknown
“We cannot change our memories, but we can change their meaning and the power they have over us” - David Seamands

HeartShadow

  • Adept Member
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 2195
  • Total likes: 3
    • View Profile
    • http://www.flamekeeping.org
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2011, 02:08:22 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;24842
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?

 
A lot of time I think it's "New Age is what THEY do, Pagan is what WE do" type stuff.  It's a way to put down the *them* doing stuff you don't like.

At least, I've never seen a clear difference between New Age and Pagan.  Just that blurry line of "us" and "them" which moves depending on the speaker.

Tana

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 2295
  • Total likes: 3
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2011, 03:05:19 pm »
Quote from: HeartShadow;24888
A lot of time I think it's "New Age is what THEY do, Pagan is what WE do" type stuff.  It's a way to put down the *them* doing stuff you don't like.

At least, I've never seen a clear difference between New Age and Pagan.  Just that blurry line of "us" and "them" which moves depending on the speaker.


*nods*
'New Age' is an umbrella term just as 'Pagan' is.
And it is actually pretty hard to tell what exactly is in an eclectic practice, so you depend on the label the practioner gives it and there we go again, with what Shad said.
\'You had to repay, good or bad. There was more than one type of obligation.
That’s what people never really understood.….Things had to balance.
You couldn’t set out to be a good witch or a bad witch. It never worked out for long.
All you could try to be was a witch, as hard as you could.\'
Terry Pratchett \'Lords and Ladies\'

Confuzzled and proud. :p

monsnoleedra

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Banned!
  • Posts: 957
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2011, 03:31:24 pm »
Quote from: Lokabrenna;24876
.. Western: channeling, psychics, "angel therapy" (a la Doreen Virtue), ley lines, spirit guides, power animals, "Native American" beliefs (A.K.A 'plastic shamanism'), Atlantis, Mu, Lemuria, crystals, auras, Law of Attraction (including works like "The Secret"), indigo, crystal, or rainbow children

Eastern: chakras, some forms of yoga, the (over)use of OM/AUM and "Namaste", (neo) tantra (especially if it's all about the sex), a particular form of reincarnation
..


Channeling has been practiced since at least the late 1880's the main difference I can see is that New Age is almost always some sort of space being / interdemensional being.  In the old days it was almost always spirits of the dead.

Atlantis, Lemuria and Mu can be traced back to the concept of "Root Race" presented in the late 1880's into the early part of the 1900's by Madame Blasky (sp) with its influnce of occult / pagan practices.  Lemuria being the first or second of the races to inhabit the earth by that school of though.  Not the sole source but a significant source upon the occult facet of its history.

Ley Lines also date back quite a ways and occur before the New Age notation.  Ley Lines also match up with the notion of Dragon lines, fire lines, especially in the concept of Britian where the term was coined.

Not sure about the "Children" as that to actually predates the New Agey stuff.  Rainbow Children goes back to Native American vision beliefs (Black Elk if I recall correctly (Rainbow Warriors actually)), Star Children I know goes back to the 1950's, I was born in 1959 and that is what I was called.  Then each generation coming up with its own special recognization.

A lot of the eastern mystic stuff came into the states in the early to mid 60's which also tends to predate the so called New Age movements.  Though it might fall on the border of it with the Rising of Aquarious.

I do agree there is quite a bit of cross over with many Pagan practices.  Yet I also tend to think that cross over occurs more in the eclectic avenue Paganism took in the late 80's early 90's vice the closed initiation practices that existed prior to that for the most part.

Angels definatley are part of the New Age thing, that and the inclusion of the Charmed notion of White Lighters and probably a good deal of the "Love" is everthing and binds the universe together.

Marilyn/Absentminded

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • *
  • Posts: 975
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2011, 04:47:06 pm »
Quote from: monsnoleedra;24901


I think you have your timing a bit skewed.  The New Age did not begin in the 70's (although the concentration on the lollipop aspects of it might have).  The actual date for the beginning of the Age of Aquarius is also controversial, with estimates from the 15th century to the 25th.

Most of the things which you say pre-date the New Age were actually the beginning of it.  Helen Blavatsky is considered one of the mothers of the movement, writing in the late 19th century.  Very little has been added in the last fifty or so years, although the name and date of the appearance of the 'special' children has been rather constantly updated to refer to the current generation.  Ego, I think, of those born in the given times, as well as disappointment that the last named generation didn't do anything radically different than their forebears.

As to the actual question, I find New Age stuff both charming and intriguing, especially when you get beyond the love and light stuff into the darker aspects (yes, it has them).  As for the Native American influences, that has been going on for a long time too.  I get tired of the Noble Savage silliness, but at the same time I feel that demanding that each aspect of NA tradition they choose to venerate be traced precisely to originating culture is kind of like demanding that someone who practices Scottish (or Irish, or Welsh, or whatever) belief, trace every act and practice to the specific clan with which it may have originated.  

Absent
« Last Edit: October 11, 2011, 04:47:33 pm by Marilyn/Absentminded »
I smile when I\'m angry.  I cheat and I lie
I do what I have to do to get by
But I know what is wrong, and I know what is right
And I die for the truth in my secret life

   In My Secret Life, L. Cohen

monsnoleedra

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Banned!
  • Posts: 957
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2011, 05:02:40 pm »
Quote from: Marilyn/Absentminded;24923
I think you have your timing a bit skewed.  The New Age did not begin in the 70's (although the concentration on the lollipop aspects of it might have).  The actual date for the beginning of the Age of Aquarius is also controversial, with estimates from the 15th century to the 25th.


Oh I very much agree that the "Age of Aquarius" has a number of supposed starting dates and that its a number of centuries wide in possibility.  I was more so pointing to the "New Age" as mostly defined today, as you put it the lollipop practice.  Though I have to admit sometimes I refer to it as the Charmed Practice.

Quote
Most of the things which you say pre-date the New Age were actually the beginning of it.  Helen Blavatsky is considered one of the mothers of the movement, writing in the late 19th century.  Very little has been added in the last fifty or so years, although the name and date of the appearance of the 'special' children has been rather constantly updated to refer to the current generation.  Ego, I think, of those born in the given times, as well as disappointment that the last named generation didn't do anything radically different than their forebears.


A lot of what I think pre-dates the current mindset is what many used to call the Spiritualist Movement.  Granted the current "New Age" movement is built upon that back bone but a lot of what has come to be included seem's more wishful thinking than anything I've seen equated to the Spiritualist movement of the late 1800's and into the 1920 time frame.

catja6

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 381
  • Total likes: 5
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2011, 05:29:34 pm »
Quote from: Lokabrenna;24876
...


Thanks for the book recommendation!  

For myself, I've always seen the primary divide between "New Age" and "Pagan" as:  New Age tends to grab living non-Western traditions (and combines it with a hodgepodge of stuff inherited from Romanticism/Spiritualism/Theosophy/etc.), while Paganism refers back to "dead" Western traditions (and combines it with a hodgepodge of stuff inherited from Romanticism/Spiritualism/Theosophy/etc.).  Both are intrinsically bound up with the development of "alternative" religious/spiritual discourses in the 19th century in the wake of Enlightenment loosening of religious strictures and Romanticism's questioning of dominant social/moral codes; I tend to see them as just kind of branching in different directions from a similar socio-cultural root structure.  

New Age discourse is more likely to shade into problematic cultural appropriation -- a LOT of the important historical developments in New Age thought were a direct result of colonial expansion -- while Paganism is more likely to fail in the direction of historical fantasy; likewise, New Age is more likely to be oriented toward the future (hence "New Age") while Paganism tends to be more about invoking an idea of the past.  

They're broad and overlapping categories of course, but I think those are the best dividing lines, and often comes down to a question of emphasis.  It's most easily illustrated by some of that stuff that falls into the Venn-diagram overlap space.  Like, say, ley lines -- Pagan discourse would be more likely to emphasize Celtic (or "Celtic") holy sites, King Arthur, etc., while New Age discourse would lean toward emphasizing Eastern (or "Eastern") ideas about chi and the like.

Miss

  • Journeyman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 150
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2011, 05:52:17 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;24842
I'd just like to find out people's opinions on the New Age movement, like? dislike?

 
Quote from: Lokabrenna;24876
In my experience, it's a really broad category and there's even some crossover with Pagan traditions. I personally divide it up into "Eastern" and "Western" concepts. (Note that these aren't official academic designations, just what I've gathered from reading a ton of New Age literature.)

Western: channeling, psychics, "angel therapy" (a la Doreen Virtue), ley lines, spirit guides, power animals, "Native American" beliefs (A.K.A 'plastic shamanism'), Atlantis, Mu, Lemuria, crystals, auras, Law of Attraction (including works like "The Secret"), indigo, crystal, or rainbow children

Eastern: chakras, some forms of yoga, the (over)use of OM/AUM and "Namaste", (neo) tantra (especially if it's all about the sex), a particular form of reincarnation

Now, this list is not exhaustive, and before everyone jumps on me and says: "But I do some of those things, and I'm not a New Ager!" hear me out.

As I mentioned before, there is some crossover between the New Age movement and Paganism. Many Pagans (including myself) use tarot, or crystals, or believe in power animals. Likewise, Hindus and Buddhists generally believe in reincarnation. The difference is that the New Age understanding of reincarnation is different from a Hindu or Buddhist understanding of reincarnation, likewise with systems like tantra or Native beliefs (which are so numerous it's practically impossible to say anything is universally adopted by every tribe, ever). One of the major critiques of the New Age movement is that it's "fast food spirituality" distilling complex systems into something that can be marketed to the masses. If you want an academic take on the subject, the book Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion by Jeremy Carrette and Richard King was one of my required textbooks in the course on religion and popular culture that I took in university. I don't agree with everything they have to say, but it might be worth checking out: http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Spirituality-Silent-Takeover-Religion/dp/0415302099

I was really "into" New Age things in my late teens. I'm very interested in anything to do with dolphins, and there are apparently a lot of dolphin lovers in the moment, because dolphins are seen as having a sort of "special connection" to the Divine, and they're full of loving, positive energy. The New Age accounts always neglect to mention that dolphin behaviour includes kidnapping and killing for fun, hardly exemplary of creatures of love and light, you know? As someone who was at one time considering a career as a marine biologist, I would say that these people aren't looking to engage with real dolphins, but with candy-coated fantasy dolphins, and that's just...not for me, I guess.

Anyways, this is turning into a bit of a rant and I've probably already offended someone, so I'll stop. It just seems so pre-packaged to me.

 
Hmm, judging by what you wrote I definitely have experienced things from your list I like, and others I feel really iffy on.

I've been reading a shaman practitioners blog, and from the looks of it it's often a consuming path to follow. She says the spirits demand things from you, whether it's convenient at the time or not. So I can empathize with her attitudes towards people who just takes the shiny happy aspects of it and toss out the exhausting pieces of the practice. This also sums up my attitudes to other people into new age practice (or what I defined as new age practice from your post). They seem to grab the feel good aspects and neglect anything that might require them to put more into it.

On the other hand, I would like to learn more of some of the listed items. Ley lines,chakras,yoga,etc =)

RandallS

  • Site Admin
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Location: NE Ohio
  • Posts: 10311
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 296
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Hellenic Pagan
Re: Thoughts on New Age spirituality
« Reply #14 on: October 11, 2011, 05:54:34 pm »
Quote from: catja6;24934
For myself, I've always seen the primary divide between "New Age" and "Pagan" as:  New Age tends to grab living non-Western traditions (and combines it with a hodgepodge of stuff inherited from Romanticism/Spiritualism/Theosophy/etc.), while Paganism refers back to "dead" Western traditions (and combines it with a hodgepodge of stuff inherited from Romanticism/Spiritualism/Theosophy/etc.).

I think that the clearest division of the two I've seen, given the large amount of overlap.
Randall
RetroRoleplaying [Blog]: Microlite74/75/78/81, BX Advanced, and Other Old School Tabletop RPGs
Microlite20: Lots of Rules Lite Tabletop RPGs -- Many Free

Tags:
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
30 Replies
10001 Views
Last post June 19, 2012, 03:31:40 pm
by GoldenSiren
13 Replies
2311 Views
Last post June 13, 2013, 11:05:04 am
by Enid
50 Replies
5961 Views
Last post March 28, 2013, 08:51:54 pm
by Phi92
1 Replies
1478 Views
Last post April 01, 2013, 01:02:34 pm
by Darkhawk
6 Replies
1692 Views
Last post November 18, 2013, 09:05:46 pm
by Bear-craft

Beginner Area

Warning: You are currently in a Beginner Friendly area of the message board.

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 197
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 0

There aren't any users online.

* Please Donate!

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

* Shop & Support TC

The links below are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links you will go to the listed shopping site with The Cauldron's affiliate code. Any purchases you make during your visit will earn TC a tiny percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.

* In Memoriam

Chavi (2006)
Elspeth (2010)
Marilyn (2013)

* Cauldron Staff

Host:
Sunflower

Message Board Staff
Board Coordinator:
Darkhawk

Assistant Board Coordinator:
Aster Breo

Senior Staff:
Aisling, Allaya, Jenett, Sefiru

Staff:
Ashmire, EclecticWheel, HarpingHawke, Kylara, PerditaPickle, rocquelaire

Discord Chat Staff
Chat Coordinator:
Morag

'Up All Night' Coordinator:
Altair

Cauldron Council:
Bob, Catja, Chatelaine, Emma-Eldritch, Fausta, Jubes, Kelly, LyricFox, Phouka, Sperran, Star, Steve, Tana

Site Administrator:
Randall

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal