my go-to definition, that comfortably dismisses much the nonsense that often gets caught up in ‘woo’, is “experiences that cannot be articulated by the part of the mind that can only understand experiences by articulating them”
New Age happens when one controls their mind with their heart so much that they try to make their mind work like their heart does.
New Age cults happen when one gives their mind's power over to their heart, and then also gives that power over to another.
If you’re looking for a good entry point into woo land, I recommend this book as a practical way to investigate the territory for yourself. It makes no big claims about reality. It just gives you some linguistic games to play that highlight the boundaries of the simulation. https://t.co/gRRXdX3E6Y
when we tell stories about magic but coat those stories with a layer of "btw magic is impossible" we are saying that having power and helping people is impossible
I’m pretty sure the best thing any one of us can do is get a good handle on our own archetypal energies and find ways to train and express them. There are some things out there that you’d probably be world-class at, if you just let yourself follow the natural gifts and inclinations and curiosities that are in you. And stop chasing the ones you’re... See more
Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia, Revised and Expanded: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings: Brezsny, Rob: 9781556438189: Amazon.com: Books
right, so i did not talk about this at all, lemme lay out some stories that seem plausible to me. in more detail, the “minimal but respectful take” here seems to me psychological: that tarot and astrology are two different scaffolds on which to hang intuitive psych reads