Fellow Wiccans and Pagans, does it bother you to be associated with the New Age?

Question

Hello, all:

I'm curious... does it bother you when Wiccan/Pagan religions are lumped in with the "New Age" (either in bookstores or in Real Life)? Or do you consider your religious practices to be on the New Age spectrum?

(Personally I think that the "New Age" is a collection of techniques, rather than a coherent religious system.)

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to respond.

Answer 1

Not long ago, the Pew Research Centre seems to have lumped both Pagan and Wicca into a general category of "New Age". I was unable to find an explanation on their web site to explain why. The PRC is purported to be a well-respected institute of public opinion research.



Bookstores' decisions about how to arrange their stock does not matter much to me. My local 'witch shop' has or can order any book I may wish to buy.



But when organizations like Pew make false assumptions about anyone's faith, it may have detrimental impact in terms of public policy.





Wicca belongs in the New Age section like The History of Norway belongs in the Cooking section.

Answer 2

I thought your question was interesting, but I'm not sure if I can answer since I'm not a full blown pagan-only. I have some pagan/Wiccan beliefs, mostly LDS Christian, some Buddhist, some Hindu, some Muslim, and many (otherwise uncategorised) new age. It doesn't cause any feelings of angst to find Wiccan books in the New Age section, but I can understand why it might be annoying for someone who loved Wicca but gave no credence to the New Age.



Gotta start looking somewhere in the bookstore for what I want, and since there are other books I like in New Age section, I'm happy when I find a good book about any topic, Wiccan or otherwise, and don't really care where they categorise it. I've seen bookstores that have a religion section and a new age section and also those that categorise them together under "Spirituality".

Answer 3

Yes and no.



What might bother me a little is when people don't realize that many new age concepts and practices are just older concepts and practices in modern-day packaging.



For instance, I saw a question asked on here once about The Law of Attraction, to which there was a response "It's just a bunch of New Age kookiness."



A lot of people have similar responses to anything that is now referred to as "New Age". However, with this particular example - this is by far not a new concept. This goes back even to the days of Jesus who taught that we reap what we sow.



So, I really have no problem with some of my interests and studies being called "New Age", but I guess I get a little irked if someone assumes anything that is considered "New Age" is a bunch of flaky nonsense, without having done any research on the subject(s) they are referring to.



I was rather surprised the other day, when my boyfriend and I were killing time waiting to go to the next showing of a movie we wanted to see, we wandered down the plaza to Barnes & Noble, and I found that the section that once contained books on Witchcraft and Wicca and the like which was labeled "Magical Studies" for quite some time had been moved across the store, combined with a bunch of other non-related subjects, and labeled "New Age". But whatever, as long as I can find the stuff I'm looking for, I'm not going to argue about it.

Answer 4

I'm not bothered by it because it is just a label, just a way of describing a way of thinking. If someone calls me a New Age thinker I am flattered because if I go into the New Age section at the bookstore, I'm like a kid in a candy store. I am fascinated by most everything there. When I think of the label "New Age", I think, a new way of thinking for our society or the concept of what the new ages will bring. If someone says that these ideas are new, I am always quick to correct them, but otherwise I am not bothered by the label.



Although, sometimes when talking to someone who is not into the "New Age Movement", I will spare myself and refer to something as New Age (rather then saying Wiccan, Pagan, Witchcraft, fortune telling, and so on)-- for their sake mostly--, but when they reply with, "It's not New Age, It's been around forever!". That drives me insane. It shows me how little they understand of the entire concept, but mostly it bugs me because they didn’t hear a word I just said. They just heard the "New Age" part and jumped on the chance to sound smart. However, this is something that seems to happen mostly with my family. Heck, at Christmas my brother saw my pentagram ring, pointed it out, called me a Satanist, sinner, Devil worshipper, and a few other things. He was mostly just harassing me; not realizing exactly how insulting he was being. It's just proof of their lack of knowledge with such subjects. So I called him a Dumbazz and walked away lol Family love.

Answer 5

Kinda sorta. I don't see New Age as necessarily a bad thing but it is, as you say, a collection of techniques that isn't considered conventional (energy healing, channeling, etc) much like magic is. At the same time I do kinda feel that by putting books on Wicca, Asatru, and other forms of Paganism in the New Age section rather than the religions one society is trying to downplay their existences as legitimate faiths in their own rights. It's easier to dismiss them if they are just lumped together as part of a movement that is, no offense, generally seen as flaky and shallow.

Answer 6

I see a major difference between my religion and New Age philosophies. However, I do believe in some of the concepts and don't have any issues with being lumped in together with it.



Since I'm a Recon, I'd prefer to see it with the religious section or at least the history section (since history/culture is a large part of our practice). But I wouldn't get upset about where ever it is.



At least the general public knows where to look to find information when they are interested in the subject.

Answer 7

Actually I never thought about it. I think in my town if anyone created a Pagan section in the book store, it would cause a problem. I can see people purposely hanging out there to witness. Some already leave tracts in the New Age section as it is. For me, as long as I can find the book I am looking for I don't really care. I get most of mine from Amazon anyway.

Answer 8

Yes, it does.

I think that Paganism and Wicca should have its own section in the bookstore, and thankfully, a few bookstores I've seen are following suit.

It's better than being lumped under "occult" or "alternative" (to what? that term always made me think that other religions were the "standard"), I suppose.

Answer 9

We don't take "sides" because there are no "sides"... "Religists" is not a word. Do you mean theists or do you mean people who practice a religion? Atheists can have religion. Witches can be atheist. Pagans/Wiccans are religious and most are theistic, so if you MUST put us in a category we would probably not be atheists, but that doesn't mean we don't like atheists or "side" against them... the idea that there are "sides" to take in some imaginary binary system is probably reflective of a Christian thought-process. -Scarlet

Answer 10

Alittle, not to the point where I go out and protest. . . it bothers me that a book store will provide 3-4 shelves of bibles and other religious texts, but have one half a shelf for "new age", that includes: dreams, vampires, tarot, and maybe one or two books on the evils of pagans.

The "new age" stuff makes it sound either too far out there or evil/not real.

Answer 11

I am just happy that the book stores and what not even carry books on Wicca and Paganism. It was not long ago that you were hard pressed to lay your hands on a copy of any such book. I practic a Celtic Pagan path, so I know my path is not new. Where as Wicca is considered a new religion as it was created by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. Even though they drew upon Eastern philosophies, Egyptian ideologies and Judaic ceremonialism, in addition to Celtic lore to create a new religion. So, no, it does not bother me.

Answer 12

A little. Nothing I do is particularly new age, and I certainly don't look like the stereotypical Stevie Nicks-type pagan.



I don't charge crystals or try to read auras or even hug trees. I certainly don't worship nature as it is, but that's often what people think of when you say "Pagan."



I don't think it's really correctable, just stuff you have to take a day at a time.

Answer 13

Actually no. What DOES upset me is that the sections titled "Religion" ONLY contain Christian Books. You never find anything on Islam, or Judaism or Buddhism in that section at all, let alone Wicca. They need to just label that section "Christian" and have done with it and set aside a section for every Religion. It's a slap in the face to every non-Christian who shops in those stores. Businesses need to be more considerate of their customers and their feelings and STOP pandering to just ONE Religion.



Brightest Blessings,

Raji the Green Witch

Answer 14

I think to some extent the revival of the ancient

pagan religions is an outgrowth of the spiritual

exploration of the 60's, which later evolved into

the "new age" movement...



There are a lot of positive aspects to it, but when

some narrow-minded people portray it as a bunch

of fluffy crap, then it does not do us justice.



Jean

Answer 15

In the bookstore, it doesn't bother me. The books have to go somewhere, and there may not be enough to warrant a section of their own.

In real life, my path either boggles people's minds ("He's not Christian!?!?") or they have no clue so they just smile and say "Oh, that's different." The ones who know probably expect me to wear all sorts of ceremonial garb and have crystals hanging from various body parts. (They don't know about the piece of lepidolite in my pocket!)

Answer 16

"Lumping in" (or categorizing) just is for convenience' sake. Libraries often categorize works of varying fictional genres together. I found a copy of Seventh Son (a work of folklore) in the science fiction section in my local library.



At half-price books, Wicca/pagan is in the section on religion. It all depends upon the bookstore, library, whatever.

Answer 17

I do not appreciate anything that may link me to Doreen Virtue (with her mermaids and aliens theories).



Personally I think it is insulting that the books pertaining to our faiths are hidden away under "new age" rather than over in the religion section where they belong.

Answer 18

I do not like being associated with "new age." I agree with you that it is not a religious belief. Seems to me it attracts people who want to be Shirley MacLaine and channel 13th century Aztec priests and deliver messages to the world. A lot of it is nothing more than made-up horseshlt.

Answer 19

I am only New Age if BCE is new. *shrug*



Anyone who lumps paganism, neopaganism and ESPECIALLY reconstructionalism with New Age is obviously an idiot so I simply consider the source.

Answer 20

Yes. It's mostly an unhelpful term, IMHO, encompassing anything that the mainstream considers to be flaky. the things that I first connect with th term (crystals, angels, aura readings, etc.) have nothing to do with Wicca and thus I don't like being associated with them. it leads to a lot of confusion.

Answer 21

i really don't think of wicca or pagan as new age i think of them as new religions with old roots you know. i mean to many the believes are new all thought they have been around for longer then any of us really know. we Just renewed them.

Answer 22

I know I'm not so I really don't care what someone else thinks. I can't control how they see things so I just ignore it.

Answer 23

No. The New Age is not a bad thing so long as it isn't taken to extremes.

Answer 24

No. It's just a label, and labels don't mean that much to me.

Answer 25

Your not serious right