Where Do You Draw the Line in Modern Spirituality?
When it comes to New Age spirituality—or mysticism, if you prefer—it can be tricky to know where to draw the line between what you genuinely believe and what you've unconsciously absorbed. Before you know it, you're nodding along to ideas about lizard people running the world or taking guidance from the Arcturian Council.
This question of boundaries came up for me after listening to a podcast episode by Ezra Klein, a centre-left political commentator in the US, where he was interviewing Ross Douthat, a Catholic thinker from the Christian right.
Ezra describes himself as an "agnostic mysterian"—someone open to the possibility that there's more to existence than just the material world. Ross, on the other hand, argued that religion—particularly Catholicism—provides clear boundaries about what to believe. It also, interestingly, includes some of the more mystical elements of the cosmos: demons, angels, fairies, and the like. I don’t think he’s entirely wrong.
In the wider spiritual space, there are far too many voices peddling conspiracy theories and grand cosmic dramas that have little to do with the day-to-day reality of people who just want to feel a bit better, a bit more connected, and a bit more whole. It can be seductive—there’s a certain escapism to it—but ultimately, I don’t think it helps. Not really.
I’ve been lucky. My teacher, Ines, has always encouraged a practical, grounded approach. That down-to-earth guidance helped me attune to my own soul and shape a belief system that works for me.
Personally, I ask myself a few simple questions when I come across a new idea:
Is this helpful or harmful?
Does it make me more fearful or more open?
Is it useful in my daily life?
Can it be proven—at least in part?
That’s one of the reasons I love intuitive tarot. When it’s done well, the reader brings through information that is not only insightful, but also actionable. If it’s not, it’s just storytelling. And while that can be beautiful and moving, I’m more interested in what’s real—something I can feel, test, or act on. If there’s no truth in it, I quietly walk away.
💛 I love sharing my thoughts, feelings and ideas with you, and I hope you find them useful. I would greatly appreciate your support with a paid subscription.
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