New age....honest talk

I could certainly be termed a "new ager" myself, but the thing is, I was that way even when I was a kid -- I simply had no context to place it in. I do believe there's been an immense opening of energy over past few decades, for the benefit of the world (of humans, anyway), and that people's understanding of what's possible has been greatly enhanced. And I think that's very very good. There are too many limits here, too many things refused, too many minds in denial and fear. For me, the fact that the thing became the equivalent of a fashion trend isn't surprising, or damning. This always happens.

For me, I never followed anyone because I've always gotten insights directly with no intermediary and that's how I'm used to it. It was years before I heard echoes from others of what I myself had come to understand all on my own, and carried on my own, for decades. It's nice to share powerful visions with others, it's better than carrying them alone.

Lots of people mean well but are too credulous. Lots are so unknowingly locked into the authoritarian hierarchical system that they simply cannot pay attention to anyone about any matter (no matter how huge their demonstrated knowledge and skill), unless that person has either a lot of framed degrees on their wall, plus a few initials after their name, or at least a claim to distinguished or royal lineage like the Gudni guy (and soooooo many others, ever since reincarnation became talked about -- jeez, the claims, it embarrassed me simply to hear people make them). This mental weakness reflects in many ways. It's a mental weakness, iMO, to assume that having degrees/letters means you're good at what you do, and no one without those degrees/letters is any good at it. It ain't necessarily so -- my own experiences with very dramatic healings have been at the hands of a person you'd never have suspected could do this. But holy smokes, he can!! Unpublicized, unsung, unpaid, and unerring.

For me, out of the vast pantheon of new age/occult/spirituality topics, much has never appealed, much I find exaggerated or bogus, and I'm sure that for everybody else attracted to any part of it, they too find certain parts they simply don't resonate with at all.

The practitioners and gurus and channels everyone is talking about here -- some are or were genuine but found they had to do certain things to make a living and may have run up against the wall when they found you can't necessarily do this stuff on a prearranged schedule. So they end up faking, a bit or a lot. Some of course are in it for self-aggrandizement, probably as many as are in it for profit. Many are perfectly sweet and nice local people who've bought into the most recent hot trend and need to make money to pay their hefty initiation and training fees - kind of a pyramid scheme (no pun intended). There have always been fakes and showmen, and of course, there still are.

What I'd hope is that people not confuse those who claim to be "leaders" with the reality of the underlying energies and divine connections, which IMO are extremely real and valuable. The actual shift and expansion in group mind and awarenesses, the softening of the heart and a bit of relaxing of the bars of our prison here. All of that exists and is helping us. As Jon said, "It's simply been a lesson for me that even a powerful magician and healer can be corrupt." And something I learned long ago -- even an asshole sometimes can say something profound, without meaning to.

And I think you, Munky, even though you ride a Harley (which some people would immediately hate and denigrate you for--but you already know about that), you sound incredibly and purely and uncorruptedly New Age in your final paragraph, which is so full of acceptance, encouragement, openheartedness and the desire to love and be one. That to me is the real New Age. We're all supposed to realize -- hey, we're fabulous, and so are you, and be swept up in love and union. That's it, for me, and it's great!