If I could give zero stars I would. Too many of you think that the New Age and Wicca are evil. Do you even know anything about it? I was raised a full Christian. But the more and more I looked into different areas I found the truth. You should not put so much thought into what religion other people are in…. All religion is mixed into one power. You say we are Evil, but you probably think the Pentagram is a sign of the devil. Wrong, it is a symbol of Spirit over everything else. It even sybolizes the Five wounds suffered by Christ to some. It is just as Holy as a Cross, and shares close to the smae meaning. You just don’t understand us and don’t want to try.
Rating: 1 / 5

And paranoia. Typical critique of the New Age movement on the unverified experiences of one person.
Rating: 1 / 5

Now, some of you are going to really hate this review here. Some must be thinking it is the evil spirit writing, not knowing what she is talking about. Some of you must feel awfully frustrated after reading this review, or even disoriented. That is ok. But all I ask for is you opening up your mind and heart to ask what makes sense to you.

I admit I have not read this book. Yet, now thinking more, I am not even sure whether I can handle a book that carries blame and fear. But I guess I would never earn full credit of this review until I read this book, is it? Many of us as human beings are so full of ego, the need to demonstrate knowledge. The traditional, close-minded Church goers… I guess I will never be able to help you open your mind/heart to just listen, is it… even though I see your soul battling so hard every day going through frustration because so many others are not following your own reality. Well, I guess it is your own journey to discover. But hey, don’t put force on others, or manipulate others to subscribe to your belief. No one way is the only right way.

I spent quite a bit of my personal time exploring this particular topic (both forth and against New Age Movement). Here is only a review (it is only one of the many views… love comments of the many views… both forth and against…) I am expressing. Something I would like to spark discussions around and something I would like others to think about.

I refuse to be a supporter to neither ends here. In other words, I refuse to be a supporter to the traditional Churches of Christianity and the New Age Movement. Some people who read some of my writings think I am a New Age Thinker. Yet, New Age is such a misleading word. New Age Movement is dangerous because it can possibly lead human beings to a very destructive path if it is not coming from the pure intention wanting harmony and peace with self and others. It is especially dangerous if one subscribes themselves into any self-righteous position against others’ beliefs. But at the same time, it is also dangerous for one to subscribe to the fundamentalist type of Christianity, because these Churches (NOT ALL Churches are this way though) use religion a way to control and manipulate people’s decisions about life, wealth and devotions to that particular community.

Now, here are my interpretations of the intentions behind New Age Movement. I believe the original intent was about bringing human beings consciousness of thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and intentions through modern science and spirituality … opening up the minds to explore lives and nature as a way to empower human beings and enhance our harmony with the Nature. My interpretation of the New Age Movement was about inclusion of all human beings and nature with unconditional love and compassion without anger, judgment and holding onto the self-righteous position. My interpretation of the New Age Movement is about bringing human beings to interact with each other through complete understanding and compassion to self and others … yet providing powerful, inspiring arguments about life philosophies to create a better place for the world… The world does not need another self-righteous group to strengthen human beings’ ego, which always happen when new life philosophies/religions is introduced… including Christianity and New Age. The world needs us as human beings to live up to our integrity at the best level we can without manipulation, judgment, the need to be right, fear and human ego.

Therefore, reading such comments of the book’s criticism (I do not see any of the arguments are grounded. Rather, I see it as emotional reactions from the New Age Supporters towards the traditional religions) made me feel sad about how easy we … as human beings have already slipped back to the position of, “I am right and you are wrong.” I understand why New Age Supporters got frustrated with such writings from the author. I understand many human beings mind and body had been surpressed to think differently as a result of the strengthening power of Christianity. Yet, one can only bring different thoughts to the table. One cannot and should not force the other party to support a particular belief system.

Now, on the other hand, let us examine what the original intent of the New Testament and the birth of Jesus Christ. I felt the New Testament was created for liberation of human beings mind to be closer to God (God is with unconditional love and acceptance of all creature). Jesus Christ threw away the old thoughts and beliefs. He basically threw away the old Church system because of the ego and judgment the priests had hold onto… creating casts and classify, restricted human’s access to their rights in living lives. But not long after he left, the human ego creeped back to the society. This time is even worse because we are using Jesus’ name in satisfying human’s need to control, preserving very little of the original intent of the sacred teaching from Jesus. Some Churches twisted the original intent of this teaching. Imagine what if priests and nuns as the only ones who can say prayers to save you? You will beg for their guidance. Yet, priests and nuns are still in the human bodies. I ask, how many priests and nuns actually had walked past their human ego and fear to help others, saying prayers without any pieces of selfishness, without any needs of putting themselves on the pedestal? Please take a look at what human beings have done 2000 years later. We create churches everywhere … many Church goers (NOT ALL) have the idea of, “You have to accept and bow to Christianity… otherwise you will go to hell when you die.” But oh wait. Through my numerous sittings, thinking and making sense of how this mess had come to, I realize Jesus never asked anyone of us put him up on a pedestal… nor ask any human beings to put any priests and nuns on the pedestals either. Jesus asked us to be open and connected to self and others (why did he do hands-on healing on the outcast? Isn’t this the very lesson to open and to love others who are different?)… be open to possibilities and to help the poor through unconditional love of self and others. If He were alive today, he would have walked into many Churches again and overthrew even his own statues that Christians, Catholics have built for, just like what he did over 2000 years ago. He would be someone who again, asks us to return our intentions and commitments to love self and others without conditions, without ego, judgment and fear too. But yet, today’s traditional Church goers would still carry so much doubt, ego and fear questioning the return of the Christ, which is clearly stated in the Bible. Sad, is it?

The world is changing. No one way is the only right way. The Bible’s original intent is to lead us to light. But be careful who are the teachers in today’s Churches. Some are very evolved and enlightened individuals who only carries love and compassion (they had worked with their human ego and fear for ages too) when spreading, interpreting the words of God and the words of Jesus. Others use the words of God and Jesus as a way to manipulate and control, even to make money (I wonder how much the author gets paid by publishing this book?). Same as New Age movement here. Be careful who are the teachers behind. They can deliver lighted messages yet using these messages to manipulate/control many minds. There is always love versus hate; compassion versus anger; freedom versus manipulation; peace with all others versus control. The beauty of human lives is that we get to make choices every day to choose.

But certainly when one subscribe themselves to a self-righteous position and refuse to open and listen (nobody says you have to agree to anything the Churches, or other spiritual leaders says). But we human beings have given so much power away these different religious organization/spiritual entities. At the end of the day, salvation does not come to our body, our mind and our heart. We get into numerous drama/frustration because we claim ourselves right and others as wrong. We call ourselves as victims of Churches/New Age Movement. Yet, we don’t look into ourselves to examine our belief system… which is the sacred, critical space to create peace versus hell-state of minds.

Just because the author was lead to a path of addiction to drugs, does not mean any “New Age Movement” is going to save him or lure him into such dangerous situation. It was not a religion’s fault (I am very frustrated when people just blame God, religion, New Age Movement for their tough life situations). Every human being is brought to this Earth to learn how to master their deepest daemons/fear. That is all it is. Why do we want to subscribe ourselves to any religion, any New Age Movement for the sake of strengthening one side of the polarization?

If we carefully examine the two intents, both stem from the same origin. Both intended to bring human beings to a higher conscious self so we do not slip into the human weakness in hurting self and others. Both intended to bring the mind to a higher consciousness. Yet, both intent got mixed up by human beings who are not centered and grounded enough to examine, see the truth behind (How hard it is… just be aware of your self-righteous position and return yourself to a basic need to understand life philosophies first!) Both intents are now taught be human beings who have not mastered their own human ego, fear and judgment.

REVIEWER’S NOTE: Nobody is going to save you. No religion can save you. Don’t blame God or any philosophers about your own tough life situations, your pain and sufferings. The moment you can be saved spiritually is when one realizes the deep need to learn and to understand life. Sometimes, that means one has to divorce themselves from addiction, drama, whatever the cause it is that made them suffer. We are brought on Earth to be humble and to learn. That is all it is about.

Now, if you are from a traditional, fear-based Church belief (hey, even Churches are changing as far as I see) who subscribe to blind faith to that male-figure who punishes everyone if they do not follow the “golden rules”, calling that entity as God, you are very likely to get offended by my words and even hate reading this. It is your journey to choose how you want to feel. The world is going to be liberated whether you like it or not. When I say liberation, I mean people have the intent to find goodness, love and compassion in life with joy, harmony and peace. No, don’t call my words as the “Beautiful side of evil”. Because until you can unplug yourself from that polarization, you have NO RIGHT to judge, because your judgement is NOT objective and you will receive NO credit. Stop brain washing yourself and anyone else. Do yourself a favor, would you? I hate seeing people living in that “male-authoritative” God reality, seeing them feeling they are battling the world every day thinking everyone is turning against them. Sometimes people become so dramatic thinking their children leave them because they subscribe to a different belief system. Why are you making your own life so difficult by not cultivating the acceptance of differences (is that call unconditional love, I ask?)

I say this because I have around 13 years worth of my life carefully examining what the Bible says. You can call me I used to be the scholar of the Bible. I was deemed as one of those who demonstrate strong understanding of the Bible by the Church school I was in. I say this not even because I want to convert you in any way because it is your choice, your journey at the end of the day. But open up your mind and just see and just explore. That is all life is about. You get to choose. No one is forcing you to live in a different way you do not wish for.

REVIEWER’S NOTE TO THE AUTHOR: I am deeply sorry of your personal journey. When I read the first couple pages of your book, I realize what kind of a pain you have been through. In this life, your learning journey is truly about letting go of your self-righteous position when you are learning, adopting new philosophies. This is why your book earned controversies. One can always get stuck on blaming everyone about their tough life situations. I met too many Christians (at least they label and say they are Christians) who blame their God and Jesus on everything that went wrong. One just needs to become mature enough to admit and be accountable of the mistakes they have made that brought them into suffering. It is tough to take accountability. But until then, one will never be at ease about what they have done. Your journey is inspiring, because this sparks up so many mindful discussions. Thank you for writing this book. Sounds like your journey had been just full of accusation from one philosophy to another, looking for the ultimate truth to solve your problem. Yet, only when you get to straighten your inner, scared space to grow up and learn from the pain what God asks you to learn (yes, your God … The God Jesus refers to), you will always sway back and forth not seeing the truth. I feel sad for you. Because you have been through so much and you are so close to seeing light. Yet, got distracted again because you are looking for a quick fix of your pain through blaming (everyone wants and likes a quick fix… including myself). You failed twice already. Please learn your lesson, ok?

REVIEWER’S NOTE to Readers: Usually … I love to hear whether my review has been helpful or not. I will have nothing forth nor against you whichever way you choose. I love to see whether people agree, or disagree around the topic I wrote. I just thought that we are born in such age that is fascinating, because we are allowed to see different schools of thoughts. If you are a fundamentalist (both Christians and New Age Thinkers side), I did not mean to write such thing to attack your sacred inner space. Please do not take it as an offense. We are all on our roads of learning. It is just a view. One gets to choose whether they want to accept what I say or reject what I say. I just think human beings need to start activating our birth right becoming a critical thinker… rather than letting our own bias dominate, restrain our choices to respond to life situations.

Rating: 3 / 5