New Age is just a Label

[RainInanna]

A lot of people get turned off by the term "new age". That's too bad, because once we called it Hermeticism, and once we called it Theosophy. Once we called it Sufism, Feri Witchcraft, Wicca, or Chaos magic.

New Age simply means spirituality that doesn't have to be nailed down to some old religion, dogma, creed, or rule. It means drawing from any religion, culture, or idea, and putting it together to create your own spiritual path. It means finding the Sacred wherever and however you find works for you, every day of your life, or maybe just the one day you need to pray to god to get through the day.

It means not living by anyone's rules of how often to pray, or adhering to any religion that tells you where and when its ok to talk to god.

It means drawing on popular culture, economics, marketing, media, art, poetry, music, sports, games, ancient mythology, psychology, neurochemistry, physics, and life as you live it every day.

It means making a spirituality of your own that works for you this moment, here and now, and then making it work again tomorrow. It means feeling sacred when you get 30 seconds in the bathroom without your kids talking to you about Dora. It means finding god when you smell that scent you love so desperately. It means finding god in the sky or the sound of your heartbeat as you sink into the bathtub at the end of a long day. Its the magazine you flip through during your lunch break, that soundbyte Oprah said as you flipped through the channels before bed, the inspiration you get.

It means Inspiration. Anywhere. Anytime.

God. Hope. Faith. Love. Even when life is hell and you hate your job and you are afraid you won't be able to buy food next week. It's that moment you get to breathe in and out, close your eyes, and listen to nothing at all.

If you're into New Age beliefs, welcome to this forum. Welcome to Mystic Wicks. Welcome to spirituality, god, life. Welcome to those moments when you find the sacred even in the trash heap or the worst day of your life, and those moments when you pass the smile on and help others see the sacred too.

[BearDancing]

you are very good at expressing yourself....it is alway nice to read what you have posted...

I am New Age....if we call it that....I personally like Source.ress...in the process of getting closer to Source...for me meaning God

When I was in HORRIBLE pain for 5 yrs....I had my ups and downs... more down than up....yet it was always God that helped me see the small things that bring joy....I can not even imagine getting through those years without God...

[Woodwose]

I think that the term "New Age" was developed as a marketing concept back in the 1980's as a way of putting a more positive-sounding label on various forms of occultism. For the majority of the public, the term "occult" holds negative connotations, so in order to better sell things like books, tarot cards, etc., companies marketing such items latched onto the term "New Age" to give them a more positive sound and thus make them more marketable. It sounds a lot like the "Age of Aquarius" and suggests that it is something fresh, new, trendy and represents an advancement in spirituality, as opposed to something old, outdated, and archaic. Of course, there really isn't anything new about Astrology, Palmistry, Dream interpretation, magic, or mediumship, but by calling these things "New Age" suggests that they aren't Medeival or Gothic, when might turn a lot of people in mainstream society off.

[RainInanna]

Also I have to recommend Christopher Penczak's book again - Ascension Magick - it is towards Theosophy - old style Christianity, Judaism, etc. and focuses on angels and fairies as well as other life forms, and finding the Sacred in myriad ways, and he begins the book by mentioning how New Age means "home" to him.

The Sacred has ALWAYS meant home to me. Every day I am reminded again why.

[No More Apologies]

I think that the term "New Age" was developed as a marketing concept back in the 1980's as a way of putting a more positive-sounding label on various forms of occultism. For the majority of the public, the term "occult" holds negative connotations, so in order to better sell things like books, tarot cards, etc., companies marketing such items latched onto the term "New Age" to give them a more positive sound and thus make them more marketable.

Yeah. Diff'rnt strokes for diff'rnt folks right :) Doesn't matter what ya call it, as long as you know it when you find it.

[*oonagh*]

What is the difference between "new age" and "eclectic pagan"?

[BearDancing]

what is an eclectic pagen? and then I will tell you the difference between the two....:boing:

[*oonagh*]

what is an eclectic pagen? and then I will tell you the difference between the two....:boing:

an eclectic pagan is someone who takes information and traditions from various sources (cultures) to create the path on which he/she travels.

[BearDancing]

I guess their is not much difference...except maybe "new agers" have a tendancy towards ascention....and I am quite sure "God"

[*oonagh*]

I guess their is not much difference...except maybe "new agers" have a tendancy towards ascention....and I am quite sure "God"

so...new age is also christian?

[BearDancing]

well I beleive in Jesus...he is my personal Mentor....I beleive in God... I beleive that much was left out of the bible and that the organized religions did not show people how to have their own relationship with God... it is like they put themselves inbetween the person and God... so am I Christian...or did I take from Christianity what works for me

[*oonagh*]

i'm just wondering if being christian is needed to be new age. see, it just seems to me that new age and eclectic pagan are the same thing. but, you said that bit about ascension and god and that made me wonder if i have it wrong.

[Agaliha]

so...new age is also christian?


i'm just wondering if being christian is needed to be new age. see, it just seems to me that new age and eclectic pagan are the same thing. but, you said that bit about ascension and god and that made me wonder if i have it wrong.

No, you don't need to be Christian to be "New Age."

In fact most mainline, conservative and orthodox Christian sects teach New Age is comparable to Satanism, Paganism and all those "evils" (in their view) that lead one astray. They even call it a cult. You can find countless sites that speak of it in such a way.

Liberal Christianity and those that gain wisdom from the faith (on whatever path, Pagan or not), would maybe be more open to New Age, but it's not a necessity or prerequisite to be a Christian or even have Christian beliefs. I've seen New Age sites that mention angels, saints, and even Jesus, but they're viewed in a different manner than Christianity. Also, usually, the New Age view of God is different than that of Christianity, but that doesn't mean there aren't similarities.

Also, Paganism and New Age are different in many ways, but they do share some of the same things, sure. Calling yourself a Pagan will give a different impression than calling yourself a New Ager.

[Terra Mater]

New Agers were originally those that were inspired by an astrologic calculation that claims we are in a "new" age of Aquarius which began in 1844 and is projected to last until about 3194.

The New Age Movement first appeared as an entity in the 1960s and 1970s, although elements can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It gained momentum in the 1980s and strengthened with the Harmonic Convergence event of 1987. New Age practices and philosophies are found among many diverse individuals from around the World.

The New Age Movement includes elements of older spiritual and religious traditions ranging from atheism and monotheism through classical pantheism, naturalistic pantheism, and panentheism to polytheism combined with science and Gaia philosophy: particularly archaeoastronomy, astronomy, ecology, environmentalism, the Gaia hypothesis, psychology, and physics. New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Sufism; with particularly strong influences from East Asian religions, Gnosticism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Western esotericism.

Ages are believed by some astrologers to affect mankind while other astrologers believe the ages correlate to the rise and fall of mighty civilizations and cultural tendencies.

Aquarius traditionally "rules" electricity, computers, flight, democracy, freedom, humanitarianism, idealists, modernization, rebels and rebellion, mental diseases, nervous disorders, and astrology. Other keywords and ideas believed associated with Aquarius are nonconformity, philanthropy, veracity, perseverence, mankind and irresolution.

The appearance or elevation in status of many of these Aquarian developments over the last few centuries is considered by many astrologers to indicate the proximity of the Aquarian age. There is no uniform agreement about the relationship of these recent Aquarian developments and the Age of Aquarius.

Some astrologers believe that the influence of a new age is experienced before it arrives due to a cuspal effect or Orb of Influence. Other astrologers believe the appearance of Aquarian developments indicate the actual arrival of the Age of Aquarius.

(paraphrased from various sources)

[Owd Scrat]

Yeah. Diff'rnt strokes for diff'rnt folks right :) Doesn't matter what ya call it, as long as you know it when you find it.


Yes, exactly! I hate the term New Age as I said before, it's so pre-packaged and smacks of consumerism to me.

One can call it whatever you want, but I'd rather stick to a mundane manufractured term personally.

[BearDancing]

I too dislike the name "new age"....I preferr source.ress, on my journey towards source/knowledge/experience

[BearDancing]

i'm just wondering if being christian is needed to be new age. see, it just seems to me that new age and eclectic pagan are the same thing. but, you said that bit about ascension and god and that made me wonder if i have it wrong.

I am not sure what electic pagan is....or all those other names that Agaliha lists.....I really do not know any one path wholely.... I am not interested in history/etc... I know what works for me and I feel that God leads me where I need to be in the moment....and I just keep learning as I go along and practice..I have very different views....I do not believe in the devil or evil spirits...I would never ever try get revenge on anyone for any reason...stuff like that...that is just my path

[Agaliha]

I too dislike the name "new age"....I preferr source.ress, on my journey towards source/knowledge/experience

Interesting :)
Though, some may misread it as sorceress since they're nearly identical.

[BearDancing]

I am going to look up sorceress..

[Agaliha]

I am going to look up sorceress..

It's linked to:

Sorcery:
–noun, plural -cer⋅ies. the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sorcery

Sorceress would be a female practitioner of the above.

I mostly see it in RGP games...sort of like wizard, mage, etc.

[Darth Brooks]

A lot of people get turned off by the term "new age". That's too bad, because once we called it Hermeticism, and once we called it Theosophy. Once we called it Sufism, Feri Witchcraft, Wicca, or Chaos magic.

While I can appreciate the similarities that exist between these different paths, I cannot agree that they are synonyms for "New Age." I regard Theosophy as being a distinct system of mystical beliefs codified by Helena Blavatsky, in much the same way that Thelema is a distinct system of mystical beliefs codified by Aleister Crowley. Both are quite distinct from classical hermeticism, as well as from Feri Witchcraft, Wicca, and Chaos magic. I can be called a Typhonian hermeticist, but my path is in no way shape or form synonymous with these other paths. It is not even synonymous with the rest of hermeticism.

The difference between "New Age" and these other terms, IMO, is that "New Age" does not actually refer to a distinct system or path, but more to an attitude one can have toward such paths, an attitude which is usually eclectic and light side-oriented.


New Age simply means spirituality that doesn't have to be nailed down to some old religion, dogma, creed, or rule. It means drawing from any religion, culture, or idea, and putting it together to create your own spiritual path. It means finding the Sacred wherever and however you find works for you, every day of your life, or maybe just the one day you need to pray to god to get through the day.This is what I mean by "eclectic." (Which is not a criticism; people in my field tend to be eclectic as well.)


I think that the term "New Age" was developed as a marketing concept back in the 1980's as a way of putting a more positive-sounding label on various forms of occultism. For the majority of the public, the term "occult" holds negative connotations, so in order to better sell things like books, tarot cards, etc., companies marketing such items latched onto the term "New Age" to give them a more positive sound and thus make them more marketable.

Although this may not be entirely true across the board, I do agree that it is probably true in many cases. However, another reason "New Age" may be used instead of "Occult" is that many of the "occult" products that are sold do not qualify as "occult." (In order for something to be "occult" it must be kept secret and esoteric, something that only an initiated few may know about; as in the Eleusian mysteries, etc.) Many of the books that are sold, for instance, tend to present occult ideas in a way that is exoterically accessible to the average person. IMO, this means that in many cases, the term "New Age" is probably used more out of intellectual honesty than just out of a desire to make it more marketable.


It sounds a lot like the "Age of Aquarius" and suggests that it is something fresh, new, trendy and represents an advancement in spirituality, as opposed to something old, outdated, and archaic. Of course, there really isn't anything new about Astrology, Palmistry, Dream interpretation, magic, or mediumship, but by calling these things "New Age" suggests that they aren't Medeival or Gothic, when might turn a lot of people in mainstream society off.Personally I would rather be called Gothic than "New Age," but that's just me. There is a market for "Gothic" things as well. I don't really see what I do as being limited to any particular age, new or ancient.

[BearDancing]

It's linked to:

Sorcery:
–noun, plural -cer⋅ies. the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sorcery

Sorceress would be a female practitioner of the above.

I mostly see it in RGP games...sort of like wizard, mage, etc.


darn darn darn...nothing peersonal to anyone but I do not want to be linked with above definition and I am sure most people would think of that first......awk thanks for bringing that up

[No More Apologies]

While I can appreciate the similarities that exist between these different paths, I cannot agree that they are synonyms for "New Age." I regard Theosophy as being a distinct system of mystical beliefs codified by Helena Blavatsky, in much the same way that Thelema is a distinct system of mystical beliefs codified by Aleister Crowley. Both are quite distinct from classical hermeticism, as well as from Feri Witchcraft, Wicca, and Chaos magic. I can be called a Typhonian hermeticist, but my path is in no way shape or form synonymous with these other paths. It is not even synonymous with the rest of hermeticism.

The difference between "New Age" and these other terms, IMO, is that "New Age" does not actually refer to a distinct system or path, but more to an attitude one can have toward such paths, an attitude which is usually eclectic and light side-oriented.

I like how you put this :)


Personally I would rather be called Gothic than "New Age," but that's just me. There is a market for "Gothic" things as well. I don't really see what I do as being limited to any particular age, new or ancient.

Sure, YMMV and all that. I'm not into the gothic subculture anymore, used to be once upon a time, but not my bag these days.

[*oonagh*]

it seems to me that "new age" and "eclectic pagan" are the same thing. that's not a *bad* thing. i'm just making a statement.