The Paganism That is the New Age Movement
The Western World is seeing a mass departure from her Christian roots, leaving a huge spiritual vacuum in its wake. Filling this spiritual void is a newly constructed form of ancient paganism, called the “New Age movement.”
This seductive philosophy is luring millions of one-time Christians, pulling them into a trap from which there is no escape. Experiencing the total freedom this unorganized religion offers gives countless people the freedom to make their own moral and ethical decisions, as well as the freedom to pick and choose beliefs and dogmas that ultimately lead to the creation of personal religions.
This paganism is packed full of seductive ideas that are anti-biblical, and devoid of truth, founded as it is by a myriad of false prophets, and allowing every person sucked into this dark path to pursue his or her version of spirituality. At its base is the belief that every person IS God. This very concept is the same as that which tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The United States is now one of the most unchurched countries in the world, and our commitment to God is shallower now that it has been at any time since its founding more than two centuries ago. In our rejection of God, we have elected ourselves as gods. Satan himself has stepped into our nation’s spiritual vacuum with a bewildering array of “New Age” beliefs and practices, some even masquerading as Christianity.
We Americans are spending billions of dollars every year on channeling, astrology, tarot cards, fortune telling, and hundreds of other dubious and ineffective methods for spiritual fulfillment. Even if all this is a waste of good money, it all seems so harmless like a hobby, perhaps. At least it keeps people busy and content. At least it provides some semblance of spirituality.
Telling ourselves that this is all harmless, we are in reality joining ourselves to an anti-life movement that is, at its base, inspired by Satan himself. Not giving ourselves over to Jesus Christ, we will have surrendered ourselves to pure evil and darkness, and the promise of eternal life will have eluded us.
The “New Age” movement is unquestionably the ‘glue’ that holds the core of the anti-life movement and its many components together. It is perhaps Satan’s most devastatingly effective weapon, because it is the antithesis of Christianity. Some are allowing themselves to be controlled and led by the supernatural that has, as its basis, the dark side.
What these “New Age” practitioners do not realize is that it is Satan who is controlling them. This Satan, also known as Lucifer, or “Light-Bearer,” was at one time the most beautiful and intelligent Angel of all before he was cast out of Heaven for trying to take God’s place. In his attempt to replace God in our lives he is now adopting his most seductive and evil mask in the form of the “New Age” Movement.
Alice A. Bailey of the Theosophical Society described Lucifer as “… the oversoul of the great collective consciousness of mankind.” David Spangler, in his book Reflections on the Christ, says that “Lucifer works with each one of us, to bring us to wholeness, as we move into the New Age,” and that “It is necessary to take a Luciferian Initiation if one is to enter the New Age alive.” Is this not a description of the Antichrist?
Clearly, the Devil is the motivating force behind the “New Age” movement, and his seductive philosophy is luring millions of one-time Christians into a trap from which there seems to be no escape. Once a person has ‘permission’ to construct his own reality, the idea of organized religion and the concept of any type of moral or ethical limitation is repugnant.
With love and blessings,
Abbot Tryphon
Thursday July 22, 2021 / July 9, 2021
5th Week after Pentecost. Tone three.
Hieromartyr Pancratius, bishop of Taormina in Sicily (1st c.).
Venerable Gabriel, abbot of St. Elias Skete, Mt. Athos (1901).
New Hieromartyr Constantine priest (1918).
Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna in Crete (250-252).
Martyrs Patermuthius, Coprius, and Alexander the Soldier, in Egypt (361).
Sts. Patermuthius and Coprius, ascetics of Egypt (4th c.).
St. Theodore, bishop of Edessa (848).
“Cyprus” in the village of Stromyn (Moscow diocese) and “Koloch” (1413) Icons of the Mother of God.
Venerable Anthony Leokhnovsky (1611).
Venerable Euthymius of Karelia (1435).
Blessed Peter, hieromartyr of Cherevkov (Vologda) (16th-17th c.).
St. Everild, nun, of England (700) (Celtic & British).
Martyrs Andrew and Probus (Greek).
Venerables Dionysius the Rhetorician and Metrophanes of Mt. Athos (Greek).
Venerable Theodosius, stylite of Edessa (9th c.).
Venerable John of the Caves in Babylon.
Martyr Michael, disciple and the Kinsman of St. Theodore.
Martyr John (before holy baptism Moavy), king of Baghdad and with him the Three Holy Youths (9th c.).
New Hieromartyr Methodius of Amaria, Crete (1793).
Hieromartyr Killian, bishop in East Franconia and Thuringia, and his companions Hieromonk Colman and Hierodeacon Totman, at Wurzburg (689).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 15:17-29
17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:
“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”
Plan to Visit Rome
22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
Matthew 12:46-13:3
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him
46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower
13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
Satan is running the show for a while but not permanently. The father of lies will use every cunning trick in the book to lead us away from Christ. Knowing this makes us hold on to Christ tighter and stay close to the Cross. Christ will win and his Mother will crush Satan’s head!
Discernment and vigilance keep us on the narrow path…thankyou for bringing us and keeping us in this important awareness! Lord have mercy…
My husband and I were recently talking about this. With all the available things online and floating about that give people a taste of various religions and churches we have many friends that are taking bits and pieces from here and there, thinking they have deep knowledge of something (one even told us last week, “I spent 5 whole days reading about Orthodox saints!” , and then molding their own spiritual “disciplines” of all sorts of things that include things from Buddhism to various Christian beliefs. Most of them are not going to any church, Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox, as they were able “to get along just fine without it during the Pandemic” and now sit at home proudly doing their own thing. I find it very troubling and difficult to understand. It seems a lot of people are creating their own religion and see nothing wrong with it at all. Scary times.
What is an oversoul?
When you point a finger, remember that there are three finger pointing back at yourself. Instead of pointing out these other people’s lack of faith in Jesus and their failings, perhaps we should be looking at ourselves, the Church, and asking why those people are leaving the Church. How have we failed to show Gospel love? How have we not gone the extra mile in helping them? I spent a summer working in a church in a Oregon and even though I was a foreign student, very few people invited me to their homes or included me in their social lives.