Occult Belief or Practice | How New Age Groups Use Occult Power |
Astrology, Horoscopes, and the Zodiac |
Some New Age writers and practitioners incorporate
teachings about astrology, horo- scopes, and the zodiac into their belief
sys- tem. This is offered as a means for the stars and planetary systems to
guide the subject and is often called Elysian Astrology.
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Auras
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In the occult, these are colored light emana- tions
that surround people. Some New Age adherents claim special power to see these
auras and claim to interpret moods and per- sonal characteristics by defining
the colors of light.
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Automatic Writing
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Some New Age authors claim to have con- tact with
spirits that take over their bodies and write through them. This is a form of
mediumship. Writers such as Alice Bailey, Ruth Montgomery, and Jane Roberts
are examples. Also rappers like Jay-Z
make this claim (*truthunedited)
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Clairaudience
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The practice of hearing audible voices that other
people do not naturally hear. Many New Agers use this occult practice.
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Clairvoyance
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This is the practice of seeing things that other people
do not naturally see. Usually this comes through dreams, visions, or pre-
cognition.
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Crystals and Colored Stones
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As with occult practitioners, New Agers often believe
that energy or vibration quali- ties exist in certain stones and crystals.
These are used for a variety of rituals, including physical healing and
meditation.
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Divination
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This is any means of predicting an unknown event with
the aid of physical objects or events that are read or inter- preted, such as
tarot cards, runes, crystal gazing, omens, scrying, palmistry, and dreams.
Curious New Agers and psychics employ these.
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Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
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The occult experimentation with ESP existed prior to
the New Age era. ESP is used by “gifted” New Agers who claim the ability to
know things through premoni- tions that are not common to other people.
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Medium
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A person who acts as a conduit for commu- nication
between the spirits and humanity through a variety of manifestations. This
action is centuries old in the occult and is openly practiced by New Agers.
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Numerology
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New Agers mimic the occult with numerol- ogy by
affixing values and meanings to cer- tain numbers in order to interpret them
as meaningful signs for past or future events.
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Out-of-Body Experiences
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Some New Age groups, Theosophy, and Rosicrucians
practice out-of-body travel and astral projection.
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Parapsychology
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Academic study of occult powers and per- ceived gifted
powers of certain individuals began at Drew University in the 1920s.
Parapsychology is of great interest to New Agers because it appears to deal
with latent powers.
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Psychic
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A person who acts as a medium and who uses auras,
numerology, divination, clair- voyance, clairaudience, oracles, telepathy, or
ESP as a means for communicating unknown information to the participant.
Although psychics have long existed inde- pendent of the New Age movement,
they are also found within it.
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Psychokinesis and Telekinesis
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In the occult, psychokinesis is the belief that gifted
people can move physical objects by use of their mental powers. New Agers
believe that these powers belong to gifted people.
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Pyramidology and pyramid power
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Pyramids are believed to have mystical power in their
hieroglyphics and structure. Pyramid Power in the New Age is based upon the
idea that the pyramid shape draws power and energy from the universe; there-
fore, pyramid-shaped objects, such as hats, tents, and crystals, hold special
significance in the New Age.
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Séance
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A session with a medium before one or more people, in
which the medium attempts contact with deceased humans, angels, or other
spirit-beings, usually directed toward contact with a specific departed
person known by the participant.
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Spirit Guide
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Spirit guides are historically rooted in Mayan
occultism. The New Age teaches that spirits, either independent spirit-beings
or spirits of the deceased, make contact with the living to assist them
through life. These are called spirit-guides.
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Telepathy
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New Age writers and adherents sometimes claim telepathy
as a medium for communi- cation with the living or dead. It is said to be
nonverbal communication directly from one mind to another.
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