to be open-minded and to contribute my interesting and occasionally entertaining thoughts to forum discussions

Me, I suppose, when it comes to "lashing out at retrograde brutes".

But I'm hurt. If you want to be insulting, call me a fragile femme.

Id like to continue this thread with an on-topic post.

First of all i dont claim to follow new age thought, or any thought other than my own, but i have read some new age publishings. What I get out of what I have read, is that most new age belief is based on an individual's re-interpretation or restructuring of a previous belief system. They tend to draw on many religious and spiritual texts and simply are explaining their worldview based on their spiritual experience. Most simply act as guides towards recognition of spirit, and in that sense are not much different than any other religion. We all hold unique worldviews and belief systems. Some of us create our own. Some take things at a literal levels. Most mold beliefs by recieving and rationalizing information from others. Some then may tend to "babble", or express theyr'e view in hopes that others may see their idea of the truth which to most, is "new". What can we do other than try to reflect their view and perhaps see a hint of hidden truth. Throwing aside another with a term which is condescending, is only a close-minded way to not accept the fact that all are entitled to hold whichever belief or idea that suits them.

new-age to me seems to be a feminization of western religious thought, a fracturing of the superego from a monotheistic framework to a more poly-theistic to animistic framework. Sort of a regression from christianity back to paganism, with a touch of 'easternism'

Yes, there is that element to it - panentheism is really what you are talking about. New Age is a label - a word. It covers many different things but the people in The Course of Miracles or Eastern thought (SRF etc) did in fact bring that knowledge system here and have created much of what you are talking about. IN the case of the people like Deepak Chopra we see them use modern science as well (which I do even more). None of it is truly New - it is very ancient. And thus is the Source [Qabala of the Verbal or Bardic Tradition] of what Jesus (Apollonius, Issa et al) studied.

Dear Amonkst

Excellent post!!!

And the people before TV and Industrial slavery had a lot of time to study and learn in ways we are not oriented to anymore. I ask you to look at a detailed chakra chart superimposed over a neurological chart and accupuncture chart plus a psychic points chart.