I also wanted to point out that, while I certainly do have my moments of wisdom and clarity, I’ve learned that a lot of the frustration I expressed previously about the coven and its Elders stemmed from my own insecurity. Doh! Not that the group has no issues–they certainly do have things to work on. My awareness of my own usual calm “knowing,” however, blocked me from seeing when I was actually having a reaction instead of a true perception. Ah well, happens to us all, I guess.

You raise several interesting and exciting points, and I find myself unsure where to begin my responses.

First, let me say how strongly I feel that your level of wisdom and clarity transcends what it sounds like the others in your coven, especially the so-called “Elders,” are currently expressing. For either Neo-Pagan or “New Ager” alike to deny the mysteries taught by the other is to deny the duality that courses through All That Is in this Universe of polarities. This should be of special concern to Neo-Pagans, as we claim to hold the archetypal expressions of this duality – the God and the Goddess – above all else. If we avoid examining other ways of thinking because they don’t fit into our (often limited?) picture of the Universe, how are we different from Fundamentalist Christians?

No, wisdom does not belong to a select few, and no one has a monopoly on truth. It’s disappointing that more Neo-Pagans and “New Agers” alike don’t seem to realize this.

That is a good point, too, about the typical Pagan orientation toward more earthly things. Nothing wrong with this, of course, but to me, each has something to learn from the other.

It’s like the World Tree; there are three worlds, after all (if you jive with this path)–the Upper or Star/Celestial Realm, the Earthly or Human Realm, and the UnderWorld of Ancestors and Fae and other Beings. Integration of the three as much as possible isn’t a bad aspiration.

In my view, Neo-Pagans could benefit from learning about higher vibrational stuff, and “New Agers” (I really don’t like this term, but here it is) could benefit from integrating natural magick, a more sex-positive attitude, herbalism, and other earth-oriented pursuits into their practice/belief system. But I can understand more now (from your comment) that maybe the interests are just different.

I agreee that the New Agey Christian books are a bore and a little too, well, Christian for most Neo-Pagans’ tastes. There are plenty of non-Christiany, good ones out there, though. Definitely A New Earth is one of the best (although I would call it a more Buddhist-influenced metaphysical/self-help book).

Also, I’m only speaking for myself here, but I tend to avoid most New Age books because I get scared off by references to Atlantis, Indigo children, ‘vibrating on the level of Jesus,’ and the Pleiades (in a non-astronomical context). I’ve also found that many of the New Age books are have a fairly (if not overtly) Christian basis, which I find difficult to relate to.

More generally, it may be because a lot of NewAge books are transcendental in nature, and many Neo-Pagans consider themselves to be firmly ‘rooted’ in more earthly aspirations?

I dunno, maybe I’ve just always gotten stuck with the worst of the NewAge books….

Cheers

Semjaza