Chapter 20 - New Age and Neopagan Magic

Summary

Both New Age and Neopagan are umbrella terms for spiritual movements comprising a wide diversity of practices and beliefs. They generally reject the idea of a supernatural world separate from the natural one, and they perceive what mainstream religions might label as supernaturalism. One of the primary differences between Neopagans and New Agers is that the former actively embrace magic. They define it as a set of spiritual techniques to change consciousness at will, and they use it to re-enchant the universe, expand human potential, achieve self-realization and planetary healing, and ultimately bring humans into contact with the sacred. Neopagans see Christianity and monotheistic religions more generally as the source of many contemporary problems, including a moralism that stigmatizes and curtails natural expressions of sexuality. Neopaganism, called modern Paganism to distinguish it from its classical antecedents, is an etic term for a variety of religions that revive, reclaim, and experiment with pre-Christian polytheistic worship.