Alternative spiritualities

[Feelingathomenow]

Anyone else notice an up turn in people seeking out alternative spiritualities, ie not organised “religion” and beyond New Age eclecticism? I’ve been in that space for some time and over the last few years I’ve seen more and more people hitting the various subgroups on Reddit, asking to join Facebook groups, physical groups. Books are ever increasingly in demand, )the price of second hand/out of print books has gone through the roof. From worshipping Sumerian Gods/goddesses, following ancient cults, reviving alternative Christianity, Greek based systems etc etc

Has anyone else noticed this? In a so called “age of disenchantment” interest in spiritual matters seem to be increasing not waning. Why?

Why? Because people know there is more to life than ‘this’. From a Christian perspective all the ‘pick and mix’, ‘lovey covey’, ‘warm and fuzzy feel good’ stuff that leads people away from Christ Jesus, is an understandable part of spiritual warfare. People will naturally go towards the ‘gentle strokes’ that pander to ego, because it is easier.

We're all on a spiritual path of one description or another. Who is to say which is right or wrong.

But the types of paths I’m seeing aren’t easy, a lot are initiatory, require a lot of mental, physical and spiritual investment

When I was steeped in a particular expression of Christian faith, I believed that other ways were "wide" and I knew with absolute certainty that I was on the 'narrow path'.

It's easy to dismiss things we haven't fully engaged with or been curious about as ego-stroking or warm and fuzzy. That hasn't been my experience (as a former evangelical Christian). There is nothing easy about contemplative prayer or "loving kindness" meditation. It's incredibly demanding. But if you believe that everything outside your understanding of Christ and your expression of faith is a tactic of the other side in a spiritual battle, I suspect I'm not going to convince you of anything.

My observation, OP, is that people are hungry for connection, community and purpose, particularly in an age of increasing disconnection and division. Ritual and liturgy brings together the spiritual and the physical and helps connect us with the sacred. Thanks for asking this question, OP. It's really made me think!

Btw the first two paras were responding to @Thegreatestoftheseislove not @Feelingathomenow.

It’s interesting isn’t it how we don’t seem to be valuing ritual. Important rituals like funerals are often now compressed into someone burning a body away from the sight of the community (sometimes with no funeral at all). Weddings are a mish mash of individuality sometimes leaving us wondering if people are legally married at all.

But we know inside we need this kind of familiarity, the external act acting in random with the internal process. We try to create our own but there’s no linking to the society egregore so it ultimately becomes pretty empty.

I think people are finding these paths, these rituals these communities again (often online). Human needs don’t really change. Just their expression

As I've said before I'm a Roman reconstructionist pagan, and am in a Roman culture group, it's incredibly important as instead of feeling like a floating atomic individual, we have a strong and studied culture to belong to. We do lots of research, visit archeological sites, perform rituals. It's very meaningful. People want to belong to have meaning + culture but also intellectual freedom.

🙂As you state you are a former christian, you have made your choice and have chosen to bat for the other side. As a stated former Christian, you will be aware of what that means and that you are free to make your choice. Spiritual warfare is very real but easy to dismiss. I will take your word for it that you find ‘contemplative prayer’ and ‘loving kindness meditation’ to be ‘incredibly demanding’. I would suggest that may be because your ‘prayers’ are not through Christ Jesus … you’ve not said to what you are praying. From a Christian perspective all that ‘incredibly demanding’ meditation/prayer stuff you speak of is ego-centric. I speak from the experience of being a former non-Christian.

From my Christian perspective, this is the great 'falling away' - people are chasing after anything and everything that isn't Jesus Christ, whether it's some kind of spirituality, New Age, New Thought, other religions, materialism, Prosperity gospel..I could go on. Doesn't matter whether it's an 'easy' or 'difficult' spiritual practice, if it's not Jesus, Satan doesn't care, he's achieved his goal.

I am genuinely grateful for this thread for reminding me (i) why I'm no longer an evangelical Christian (ii) why it's fruitless to argue with strangers on t'internet and (iii) that I'm committed to connecting with the source of love and presence.

Peace to all of you.

Because Pluto has just moved into Aquarius, compelling humanity to question its beliefs. Uranus, planet of unexpected cosmic insights is in Taurus, sign of values and traditions.

Contact with aliens is likely from 2025 when Uranus moves into Gemini, sign of communication.

Well you did ask.

So @Feelingathomenow when does the Golden Age start? What can we expect in March 2025?