INTRODUCTION

There are a vast array of different practices and spiritual pathways which come together under the banner of the 'New Age'. From the Pagan spiritual paths of Druidry, Wicca and Shamanism to the more arcane practices of Tarot and Astrology, the New Age is a dynamic movement that contains virtually any practice or belief that is seen to be outside of the mainstream in the areas of religion, healing and ways of life. So, we may ask, what are the fundamental threads that tie all of these paths together and allow them to be a part of one movement?

The discussion in this paper will center around five linking threads which underlie and provide a common base for the seemingly differing beliefs of these spiritual paths. These are: the quest for a meaningful life; the search for control over one's life; the search for explanations to spiritual experiences; the curing of illness (both physical and mental) and the importance of linking modern beliefs to a real or putative tradition/s. Each one of these threads is not only something which these movements have in common, they are also an important part of why people are drawn to them.

THE QUEST FOR MEANING

As illustrated by the ancient Eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism, the search for the meaning of life is a quest which has existed for millennia. The main purpose of these religions was to attain some sort of 'Enlightened State'; to escape from everyday life and find the deeper meaning. Enlightenment was sought because people felt a deep unrest with their lives, the feeling of "is this all there is?", something that is rampant in our society today. This feeling manifested in the Buddhist belief that we are trapped in the cycle of samsara and reincarnation until we reach this Enlightened state and attain Nirvana.

This search has evolved and taken on many forms throughout history, and its most recent incarnation, the New Age, has sprung from its foundations in Theosophy and grown in the past few decades into a movement which has been the impetus for a major shift in the culture of the Western world. The new spiritual movements that have been evolving provide a fresh and intriguing way to find that meaning, which, due to a profound dissatisfaction with mainstream values and identities (1) and a "hankering for some premodern sense of the natural"(2), people today perceive as missing from their lives. Adding deeper meaning to one's life has always been an important part of religion, but for those who have become disillusioned with Christianity and other mainstream religions, there are now arising new paths towards the journey to fulfillment. The Paganism movement in particular is providing this meaning to peoples lives.

A large part of what makes Paganism so attractive is that it provides a complete and holistic belief system, which some may call a religion, that incorporates the belief that meaning and fulfillment are to be found within the individual, rather than, as Christianity teaches, from an outside source, advocating what Paul Heelas calls "Self-sacralization"(3). Wicca and Goddess Spirituality in particular have become important for women in the quest to reinstate their inner feelings of worth and use within society, which have been buried for thousands of years under the weight of the Patriarchy of Christianity. Many women (and men) are finding the female deity-oriented aspect of these religions deeply satisfying.

Due to the "something for everyone" flavour of the New Age Movement, most people tend to find some aspect of it that appeals to them and adds meaning to their lives, even if they are not fully immersed in a particular spirituality. Things such as horoscopes are a good example of something which "ordinary" people might take notice of on a regular basis and which may influence the depth of meaning that they ascribe to their lives. It may make them feel that somehow their lives have a cosmic purpose which is "written in the stars".

The search for meaning, however, is only one of the underlying threads that link New Age beliefs together and prompt people to seek them out. This search for meaning tends to go hand in hand with the search for control over one's life, which is another major aspect that underlies the different paths of the New Age Movement.

THE SEARCH FOR CONTROL OVER ONE'S LIFE

Due to the fast-paced, stress-filled life most people in the West lead today, a great many people tend to feel that they have lost control of their lives. They feel as though the daily stresses in their lives have taken them over and sapped the joy and meaning out of their lives. So, in the search to reclaim their life, they are often lead to some practice or belief system that is a part of the New Age Movement.

Things such as meditation inspired by Buddhist and Hindu practices, the Human Potential movement (aspects of which are utilized by many a corporate company today to increase employee satisfaction and therefore increase productivity), and Wiccan magic are all able to be used to increase the levels of control a person has over themselves. Practices such as Tarot card reading or Astrology may also be used to help a person believe that even though they don't feel in control over their life, there is a larger force at work guiding them in the right direction.

Meditation in many forms has become a large part of modern society. Because there are so many forms of meditation, from the serious in-depth practice of the yogi to the cassette tapes of guided meditations sold in New Age shops, that there is likely something to appeal to a large portion of our society. Many people who utilize meditative practices today do so in order to reap the calming and stress-reducing benefits of the practice more than the spiritual aspects. Although they may feel somewhat spiritually advanced through use of the meditation, that is not their main purpose in doing so. They are seeking the physiological and psychological benefits which will help them feel more in control of their lives.

The Human Potential movement contains in part the "pop psychology" aspect of the New Age Movement. This is the utilization of your own "inner strength" to take control and realize your goals in life. This is also an aspect of the New Age which has become so mainstream and commercialised as to almost not be considered as part of the New Age anymore.

A more mystical way to attain control over oneself is by the use of magic and ritual. This is mostly prevalent in Wicca, although it is found to some extend, albeit in different forms, in most of the Pagan movements. According to these traditions, through the use of ritual and magic, a person can control vast amounts of energy, directing it towards the realisation of a particular goal, such as the healing of themselves or another. This gives one a feeling of empowerment and control. There can be a negative aspect to this, however, and that is that some morally deficient individuals may decide to use this energy to try and control other people, usually to the gain of the controlling party, and the detriment of the one being controlled. This type of practice is, however, thankfully not too prevalent since the vast majority of people who get involved in New Age spirituality do so because they believe in the positive things it has to offer, and they dislike controlling or negative behaviours.

These practices of meditation and magic often have the benefit of inducing a spiritual experience or feeling, and this is the next topic I shall address.

THE SEARCH FOR EXPLANATIONS TO SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

Another thread that binds New Age beliefs and practices together is that people often turn towards some aspect of the New Age in the search for explanations to spiritual experiences, or the search for the means to attain spiritual experiences. Examples of these are things such as out of body experiences (OOBEs), near death experiences (NDEs) and introvertive and extrovertive mystical experiences. These are all experiences which people may attain spontaneously, or, in the case of OOBEs and the two types of mystical experiences, with enough training and effort.

Frederick Lynch notes that after a spiritual experience, people, in their "desire to know more"(4) often turn to books about occult phenomenon to try and explain what has happened to them. This often leads to an in-depth study of phenomena which fall easily under the banner of New Age, and which can then lead to a person becoming involved in New Age religions or movements.

This is well illustrated by the case of August Reader, who, because of an NDE, wrote an in-depth scientific article in order to explain his experience, but who also undertook much study into many paths "from Kaballism to Buddhism, from shamanism to yoga, and have found the "Tunnel and the Light" at the end of each one"(5). He also states that "there are many common features to the methods I have tried and read about"(6), a statement which illustrates the fact that the different practices utilized in the New Age have many features in common.

The process mentioned above, however, can, and often does, work in reverse. That is, people simply become interested in the New Age Movement and begin to read books and articles on the subject. This can then lead them to seek out the spiritual and mystical experiences which are described by the adherents to certain belief systems.

This is a major reason for people seeking out the Pagan religions such as Druidry, Shamanism and Wicca. The strong spirituality of these movements attract people who want to have a spiritual experience, or, in the case of Shamanism in particular, those who have felt a "calling" and are trying to discover exactly what they were "called" to do or experience. The spiritual experience of trance is central to Shamanism, as ritual is to Wicca and Druidry.

A Shamans main purpose is the same as many of the New Age practices, that is, a Shamans job is often to use his or her trance state to heal someone who is ill, which is the fourth major thread underlying much of the New Age Movement, and another main reason that people seek it out.

THE CURING OF ILLNESS

In her article Health and Healing in New Religious Movements, Meredith McGuire advocates the fact that "a common feature of many new religions and quasi-religious movements is the special attention they devote to health and healing"(7). Indeed, the beliefs and practices they hold about the prevention and healing of illness is central to many groups(8).

In fact, a significant portion of people today who would not normally consider themselves New Agers find themselves utilizing various New Age remedies in their everyday lives. Aromatherapy, Reiki, Naturopathy, Homeopathy and crystal healing are all good examples of the practices people might use as an alternative to traditional Western medicine. Then there are those who are immersed in a particular religious movement, and who utilise the traditional healing practices of their movement as well as the more "mainstream" alternative therapies.

This is especially evident in Shamanism. A major function of the Shaman is to undertake a spiritual journey in order to obtain power or knowledge which will help rid the ill person of whatever spiritual malaise is causing their illness. This curative power is a big part of what makes a true Shaman. The sweat lodge is also something gleaned from Shamanism which is used to promote physical, mental and spiritual purification.

In Druidry, those who are of the class of Ovate are taught and use healing therapies that are often related to tree and plant lore, such as herbalism and homeopathy, along with the entire range of conventional and alternative therapies (9).

Holistic healing is also important in Wicca. Wiccans use spells and rituals to promote health and well-being in both humans and the earth. They typically use their rituals to "raise energy" which they then direct to the person in need of healing. Wiccans also utilize the alternative therapies, and nature based practices such as herbalism are popular.

Even though this phenomenon of turning to alternative New Age healing practices arises from a growing dissatisfaction with the medical system of the industrialized West, most New Agers will utilize modern medical care if needed. They do realise the validity of these practices, but they prefer to heavily supplement traditional medicine with alternative therapies, as they are dissatisfied with the way our medical system treats the body as a separate entity, isolated from the social, psychological and spiritual aspects of the illness(10).

The importance of healing to the New Age Movement is quite obvious when we consider the above examples. It is well known in both alternative and mainstream cultures that the curing of ills is a major part of what the New Age Movement is about, and it is a major thread that binds many diverse practices together. There is one more major thread that binds the New Age Movement together, and that is the importance many New Agers place on linking their beliefs to a real or putative tradition/s.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LINKING MODERN BELIEFS TO A REAL OR PUTATIVE TRADITION/S

Many New Agers place significant importance and emphasis on the fact that their beliefs are not newly invented, but in fact stem from some ancient culture and their spiritual practices.

The various forms of Paganism inevitably have some factions that claim that their particular religion is actually a very ancient tradition that has been passed down through the ages through secret writings and oral traditions which have been kept alive for centuries. For example, Wicca and Druidry are both well known to often advocate this belief, along with Shamanism, but Wiccans rests on a much shakier foundation in their belief than do Druids or Shamans.

Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca, claimed that he was initiated into the tradition by his grandmother, and that she taught him the beliefs and practices that formed the basis of Wicca as it is today. It is disputed whether or not he in fact gleaned some of what he taught from the work of Margaret Murray, which has subsequently been "torn to shreds"(11). There are, however, many Wiccans who claim that despite the shaky foundations upon which Gardner based the tradition, and the fact that there is no documented evidence of the ancient nature of the religion, there are some elements of old folk tradition and belief built into their Craft, and what Gardner did build with information of doubtful historical truth was a real and solid religion.

The Druids claim that their heritage stems from the ancient Celts and their tradition of Druidry. There is archeological evidence that the ancient Druids were the priestly cast in ancient Briton, the spiritual and political advisors to the Celts(12). Ancient Druidry disappeared with the Roman invasion, and modern Druids don't reappear until the eighteenth century. Modern Druids have adopted the ancient structure of Bard, Ovate and Druid, endeavouring to have each level undertake the same functions as did their ancient ancestors. That is, the Bards are the poets and entertainers, the Ovates are the prophetic seers and healers, and the Druids are the political advisors and the priests. Linking their modern beliefs to those of their ancient counterparts is an important part of Druidry today.

Shamanism is another movement that claims ties to ancient knowledge. It has many different roots, but the culture most popularly thought of in relation to Pagan Shamanism is that of the Native Americans. Shamans today use much the same methods as did their ancestors to induce a trance state, i.e. drumming, chanting, sleep deprivation, fasting and drugs. They also undergo "spirit quests" in order to heal or resolve problems. The main difference between traditional Shamanism and modern Shamanism is that Pagan Shamans choose to become a Shaman rather than being "called" or "compelled" as the Shamans of most traditional cultures are (13).

These religions are not the only parts of the New Age that are validated by their links to the past. Practices such as Astrology, Tarot etc. are also given more weight because of the belief that they stem from ancient cultures that existed in what was perhaps a more spiritually enlightened time. For many people, practices that supposedly originated in ancient times have a certain allure, because the very fact that something survived so long tends to add an aura of truth and mystery.

CONCLUSION

The five common threads that I have discussed in this paper, namely, the quest for a meaningful life; the search for control over one's life; the search for explanations to spiritual experiences; the curing of illness (both physical and mental) and the importance of linking modern beliefs to a real or putative tradition/s are by no means the only things that different New Age Movements have in common, but they are some of the most important. They all play central roles in why people are drawn to the New Age, and they also help explain the New Agers popularity in today's fast-paced world. They illustrate the growing need in our society to "get back to the basics" and "back to nature".

Although it is impossible to do this topic justice in such a short essay, this paper has endeavored to provide convincing evidence that these five topics are indeed common threads throughout a great majority of today's New Age religions and practices. Indeed it is hoped that this paper has shown that although the New Age is a dynamic and fluid movement, there are some things which allow one to pin it down to some degree and allow others to come to a consensus on what beliefs or practices can be attested to belong under the diverse banner of the New Age Movement.

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1 Heelas, Paul. The New Age Movement.(Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1996.), p. 138.

2 Heelas, Paul. "The New Age in Cultural Context: the Premodern, the Modern and the Postmodern." Religion 23 (1993): 106.

3 Heelas, Paul. The New Age Movement. (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1996.), p. 135.

4Lynch, Frederick R. "Toward a Theory of Conversion and Commitment to the Occult." American Behavioural Scientist 20.6 (1977): 899.

5 Reader, August L. "The Internal Mystery Plays: The Role and Physiology of the Visual System in Contemplative Practices." Alternative Therapies 1.4 (1995): 62.

6 Reader, August L. "The Internal Mystery Plays: The Role and Physiology of the Visual System in Contemplative Practices." Alternative Therapies 1.4 (1995): 62.

7 McGuire, Meredith B. "Health and Healing in New Religious Movements." Religion and the Social Order 3B (1993): 139.

8 McGuire, Meredith B. "Health and Healing in New Religious Movements." Religion and the Social Order 3B (1993): 139.

9 Harvey, Graham. Listening People Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. (Kent Town, SA: Wakefield Press, 1997.) p. 26.

10 McGuire, Meredith B. "Health and Healing in New Religious Movements." Religion and the Social Order 3B (1993): 151.

11 Harvey, Graham. Listening People Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. (Kent Town, SA: Wakefield Press, 1997.), p. 191.

12 Harvey, Graham. Listening People Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. (Kent Town, SA: Wakefield Press, 1997.), p. 17.

13 Harvey, Graham. Listening People Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. (Kent Town, SA: Wakefield Press, 1997.), p. 111.