"New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s."
In New Age religions, women have held significant roles as spiritual leaders, healers, and practitioners of various healing modalities.
Goddess worship: The belief in the feminine divine and the worship of goddesses as representations of this divine energy.
Earth-based spirituality: The belief in the interconnectedness of all things and the honoring of the earth as a sacred, living organism.
Crystal healing: The use of crystals for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Tarot and divination: The use of tarot cards or other divination tools to gain insight or guidance.
Meditation and mindfulness: The practice of quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment, often through breath work or visualization.
Chakras and energy healing: The belief in a system of energetic centers in the body that can be balanced and healed.
Yoga and movement practices: The use of physical movement to connect with the body and spirit.
Shamanism and plant medicine: The use of herbal remedies and spiritual practices for healing and personal growth.
Astrology and horoscopes: The study of the relationships between celestial bodies and human behavior and personality.
Angel and spirit guides: The belief in benevolent spiritual beings who offer guidance and support.
Past lives and reincarnation: The belief that we have lived past lives and that our current life is part of a larger spiritual journey.
Law of Attraction and manifestation: The belief that our thoughts and energy attract corresponding experiences into our lives.
Personal empowerment and self-care: The emphasis on self-love, self-acceptance, and self-care as important aspects of spiritual growth.
Interconnectedness and community: The belief in the importance of community and connection in spiritual practice and growth.
Eclectic spirituality: The embracing of various spiritual beliefs and practices from a variety of traditions and sources.
Wicca: A modern pagan religion with a focus on the natural world, ritual magic, and worship of goddesses and gods. Wiccans often use spells, tarot readings, and other divination methods to connect with the divine.
Shamanism: A spiritual practice often associated with indigenous cultures and involves communicating with spirits and other non-human entities through altered states of consciousness. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of living in harmony with nature.
Crystal Healing: A belief in the power of crystals to balance and heal the body and mind. Practitioners often use crystals in meditation, visualization, or to address specific ailments or issues.
Astrology: A system of belief that suggests celestial bodies have an impact on human affairs and can be used to better understand oneself and the world. It involves interpreting astrological charts and birth charts to reveal personality characteristics and life events.
Reiki: A form of energy healing where practitioners use their hands to transfer energy to patients, intending to balance the body's energy and promote physical and emotional healing.
Mediumship: A practice of communication with spirits of the deceased or other non-human entities that may provide guidance, insight, or comfort.
Yoga: A spiritual practice originating in India that involves physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to attain mental and physical well-being.
Angelology: A belief in angels as divine beings who serve as messengers, helpers, and protectors. It involves communicating with angels through prayer, meditation, and tarot readings.
New Thought: A spiritual movement emphasizing the power of positive thinking and the unity of all beings. It involves cultivating a positive mindset and affirming one's goals and dreams.
Spiritism: A belief system founded in the mid-nineteenth century in which one can communicate with spirits of the deceased or other non-human entities to gain insight into one's life and the world. It emphasizes the role of love and compassion in spiritual growth.
"Its adherents typically see it as spiritual or as unifying Mind-Body-Spirit [...]"
"Scholars often call it the New Age movement [...]"
"Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult."
"It drew heavily upon esoteric traditions such as the occultism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries [...] as well as Spiritualism, New Thought, and Theosophy. [...] it arose from mid-twentieth-century influences such as the UFO religions of the 1950s, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the Human Potential Movement."
"...it was centered largely in the United Kingdom. It expanded widely in the 1980s and 1990s, in particular in the United States."
"Theologically, the New Age typically accepts a holistic form of divinity that pervades the universe, including human beings themselves, leading to a strong emphasis on the spiritual authority of the self."
"A common belief is in a variety of semi-divine non-human entities, such as angels and masters, with whom humans can communicate, particularly by channeling through a human intermediary."
"Typically viewing history as divided into spiritual ages, a common New Age belief is in a forgotten age of great technological advancement and spiritual wisdom, declining into periods of increasing violence and spiritual degeneracy, which will now be remedied by the emergence of an Age of Aquarius [...]"
"There is also a strong focus on healing, particularly using forms of alternative medicine, and an emphasis on unifying science with spirituality."
"The dedication of New Agers varied considerably, from those who adopted a number of New Age ideas and practices to those who fully embraced and dedicated their lives to it."
"The New Age has generated criticism from Christians as well as modern Pagan and Indigenous communities."
"From the 1990s onward, the New Age became the subject of research by academic scholars of religious studies."