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Horizons Magazine
MAY 1998
Next month marks our 6th year ~ two years ago, we were Florida's leading
new age magazine and since then we've doubled our pages and tripled our
distribution, all thanks to YOU and your loving support and readership! Thank you!
What is New Age, Anyway?
There are hundreds of books on the market these days, each with their own definition of what "the New Age" is, and each interprets the phrase to the degree of their understanding of it. Which in some cases is most superficial.
When I think of the New Age, I think of the movement away from an impersonal, aloof and insecure society, away from social drunkenness on television, alcohol, drugs, and toward a more spiritual and compassionate lifestyle, where people seek to encourage and assist their fHellowman, where we realize that we are all connected, that as individuals we are powerful, and that as a group we are powerful.
Not all people who call themselves "New Agers" are spiritual, just as not all spiritual people have "New Age interests." The New Age is all about taking responsibility for how you perceive life and how you react to it.
Why Do We Label?
I personally think labels make us tend to see ourselves as limited beings, so when I hear a label being used, or when I use one, to me it means that, "at this moment, this is how I identify how some portion of my personality is expressing itself, and who I am is ever-evolving and ever-changing."
One New Age Outlook
I'm a New Ager; so how does my life differ from anyone else's? I believe it has more to do with my outlook than what activities might be taking place, although my personal practice contains physical disciplines. I wake up before dawn and immediately give a prayer of thanks for another beautiful day, another day to be of service. I drink a glass of water and walk outside to look up at the predawn sky, and I do some stretching and breathing exercises to help revitalize me for the day.
Once my mind's awake, I sit and meditate about 20 minutes, first doing a series of prayers I like, which prepares my mind for meditation. Then I end by visualizing friends and family wrapped in a heavenly, healing glow, and say an extra prayer for any others who might benefit from a blessing.
Then, I reread and edit a list made the night before, and do about 20 minutes of creative visualization on whatever area of my life I'm currently seeking to make more harmonious.
As I go to work each morning, I take note of my surroundings and look for things to appreciate. I say a little prayer that the day will be productive, and I know that Universal law will bring me the same good fortune and attitude that I bestow upon those around me. It's empowering to know that as I sow, so shall I reap - no more surprises! (I admit my life was pretty chaotic and unpredictable until I had that realization and reprogrammed my behavior and thought patterns.)
A New Age Business Approach
As I walk into the office, I smile knowing that everyone who makes contact with me is a gift from God and here in my life for a deeper reason that I might imagine. So I stay alert with every call and every encounter, asking, "what would God have me do in this moment? How would He have me act and react?" It helps to have small notes taped around, reminding me to stay alert - it's so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness and make unconscious comments and decisions when things get frazzling. I have a sign over my meditation altar that says "I come here to find myself because it's so easy to get lost in the world."
Change How You View "Problems"
At work, my friend and creative assistant, Celia and I handle each situation as it comes up, and take delight in figuring out the lesson behind what others might see as obstacles and restrictions.
Your Outlook Makes The Difference
From the outside, my life might not seem much different than anyone else's; I get up, do a little exercise, a little contemplation, then go to work. As I said, it's your outlook rather than your actions that often makes all the difference.
Affirmations Work!
Every hour or so throughout the day, I take a few moments to close my eyes and breathe myself calm, and then I say my affirmation about 50 times or so. My affirmation changes from week to week. My favorite is "I live a joyful life and blessings flow to me in abundance." I say it so often that all day long it usually reverberates as an underlying melody to my thoughts. I like programming my thoughts.
Conscious Relaxation
My evening routine usually consists of some gardening, talking with friends, eating somewhat nutritiously, some reading, usually a spiritual text, and maybe taking a walk around the neighborhood with the cats. I don't watch the news, I seldom watch tv, or go to movies (although I saw The Apostle and loved it!) because it doesn't interest or amuse me to see people being sarcastic and hateful to each other.
Evening Review
Before I go to sleep, I review in my mind the events of the day and ask myself, "Is there anything I'd change or do differently? Was I as kind as I could have been? Was I as generous as I could have been?" For some events, I take note of where my words or behavior might have been inappropriate, and I'd say a prayer for peace about the situation, then I do a few moments of creative visualization, imagining it and re-doing it in my mind with the preferred outcome, so it comes easier next time.
Finally, I make a list of all areas in my life (I keep an ongoing list) that I'd like some changes in, and this list I review in the morning for my morning creative visualization session. I'd then fall to sleep saying my prayers, a mantra, or my affirmations.
New Ager or Wannabe?
As in every area of life, there are those who are exploring or committed to living a holistic lifestyle, and there are those who see the New Age arena as a market for their fad products. If you have problems in your life and think chanting a mantra or placing crystals on your chakras will make everything better, that's not New Age, that's immature thinking.
If you have problems in your life and after doing some soul-searching, forgiveness and deep reflection, you come up with an affirmation or mantra that truly expresses your newfound clarity of consciousness, only then will repeating that mantra work like magic for you. If after doing the soul-searching, forgiveness and deep reflection, you place crystals on your body and do a creative visualization exercise of cleansing your energy centers, you'll experience a cleansing. In both instances, your action is merely a reflection symbolic of your deeper awareness, rather than the mantra or crystal holding some magic power.
A New Age approach includes being aware that change only occurs when a change of consciousness takes place. A New Age approach includes knowing there are a variety of tools and tricks we can employ to inspire us to change our consciousness relative to any particular subject.
A New Age approach includes self-reflection and considering that on some level you have attracted into your life all that you've experienced up to now.
A New Age approach includes considering that no matter what our past hurts or transgressions, we can begin right now to change our world, and our life. We don't have to be perfect before we can begin to help others.
A New Age approach includes considering that there is a Higher Power that hears and answers prayers, and that we participate in creating the reality we experience.
I am pleased to notice that more and more tv shows have a "spiritual" theme. Touched By An Angel, 7th Heaven, and a few others are all about redemption and salvation, and the themes of many other weekly dramas and comedies are beginning to have a more spiritual and compassionate basis. Since so many people receive so much of their societal input from tv as to what's appropriate and what's the norm, that's good news.
Then there are the inane shows like Dharma & Greg, which features the Hollywood version of a conservative, socially prominent family and their reaction to a daughter-in-law not unlike a young Lucy Ricardo spouting new age cliches, and her hippy parents who appear to have never gotten it together. Even though the show mostly makes fun of new age practices when it mentions them, at least it mentions them and makes people more aware and, hence, makes the ideas seem a little more familiar in our living rooms.
Even Madonna now speaks of her spiritual transformation after the birth of he daughter, and she's tattooing sacred Sanskrit symbols on herself. I read her interview in TV Guide and it was very open and impressive. Of course, she's a master showman, so it was designed to be open and impressive, but the point is that many people watch her and mimic her, so whether she's the real thing or a wannabe, who cares? She's a voice to literally millions worldwide and she's sending an important message about spiritual transformation. It doesn't matter if people are encouraged to adopt her ideas "because it's hip," what matters is that she'll have tens of thousands questioning what she's doing and perhaps looking into it. I honor and respect her in this regard as a divine messenger. And, as many divine messengers do, she spent a few years first getting our attention.