In researching for this essay, I encountered certain difficulties with the strict nature of classifying New Age spirituality and Western esotericism. As is the case with so many things in life, this issue is more complex than simple black and white comparisons. While the main purpose of this paper is to argue in favour of the ways in which these two systems are connected, I will be making certain concessions. One of the main problems presented by the study of these systems is how broadly defined they tend to be. The strict comparison would denote a clear understanding of what precisely defines these movements. However, as diverse of a range of ideas as is covered between the two, it's unclear that a decision had ever been arrived at for an absolute answer of what they are. Many parallels can be drawn between them, while certain other discrepancies are also apparent.
The New Age is often associated with the Zodiacal precession from Pisces to Aquarius, (ie. "Age of Aquarius"), an apparent connection to Astrological beliefs. New age ideas about astrological cycles are generally informed by modern Theosophical speculations, which, in turn, are dependent upon older traditions in Western esotericism. The New Age Movement grew in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s, but has existed in various forms since the 2nd century C.E. Beginning with Gnosticism, New Age principles have been present in a variety of groups including Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and Theosophists. New Age ideas have many different origins from a variety of places, but most of them can be traced to Eastern religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and other ancient religious traditions. There is a range of new age beliefs, some tending towards certain influences...
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...h plays well into their teaching, since the ultimate goal is unity and oneness.
While there is a fair amount of room to argue that New Age spirituality is derivative of western esotercism, the evidence to support the argument seems to be selective and based on a subjective view of both ideologies. However, they are not mutually exclusive. These movements share tendencies towards syncretism and universalism. Although the ideas present in New Age spirituality are, in part, based in the some of the same thinking as those of older, more classic traditions, it is notable as an independent movement in the history of spiritual belief systems, just as esotericism is viewed separate of it's constituent parts.
Works Cited
[1] Wouter J. Hannegraaff (1998). New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought. State University of New York Press.
Peterson, Michael - Hasker, Reichenbach and Basinger. Philosophy of Religion - Selected Readings, Fourth Edition. 2010. Oxford University Press, NY.
One of Magliocco's main arguments is that these Neo-Pagan cults all have roots in both anthropology and folklore in their early development. Magliocco offers a detailed historical analysis and examines influences found all the way back to classical traditions. She concludes this analysis by bringing her reader back to the contemporary and offers us insight into how both the fields of anthropology and folklore have helped shape Neo-Paganism into what it has become today.
Thesis: The allure of the New Age can be attributed in part to an overall lack of understanding its nature; when its history is taken into consideration and its persuasive element is exposed, we see that, contrary to the assumption that the New Age is a freer alternative to mainstream religion, persuasion is a very present part of the New Age.
Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.
The growth of religious ideas is environed with such intrinsic difficulties that it may never receive a perfectly satisfactory exposition. Religion deals so largely with the imaginative and emotional nature, and consequently with such an certain elements of knowledge, the all primitive religions are grotesque to some extent unintelligible. (1877:5)
Macmorgan, K. (2001). All One Wicca: A Study in the Universal Eclectic Tradition of Wicca: iUniverse.
Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 1994. Print.
The New Age movement includes various places in Western Europe and the United States and the study groups were formed by people that wanted to investigate the phenomena. The new age movement was a general sense that was started as a belief in the complex cultic milieu of the 1980’s and beyond. The New Age movement has been widespread in popularity throughout Europe and the United States. The New Age religion is known for its modernized healing practices, spiritual beliefs, and the belief that there is more ways to reach God other than through just Jesus alone.
"The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies." Secret Teachings of All Ages: , Part Three. N.p., 30 June 2007. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Oxtoby, Willard G., and Alan F. Segal. A Concise Introduction to World Religions. Oxford, Canada: Oxford University Press, 2007.
William H. Swatos, Jr., ed. Twentieth-Century World Religious Movements in Neo-Weberian Perspective. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1992.
"Witchcraft." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 14. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 9768. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 May 2014.
Lehmann A. C. & Myers J. E. Magic, Witchcraft and Religion – An anthropological Study of the Supernatural (Fourth Edition) (Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997)
While is a common conception that pre-modern societies are primitive compared to their modern counterpart, this is not often the case, theses societies have complex systems within their society especially within their spirituality and religion. It is this complexity that has allowed aspects of pre-modern societies to evolve and adapt into modern societies. Myths, rituals and sorcery have been terms to describe the activities of pre-modern societies, but these activities have also been found to exist within modern society as well. This essay will further discuss the connections between pre-modern and modern societies that has allowed for myths, rituals and sorcery to exist in the modern societies.