Western Esotericism Family Tree
Summary
TLDRMatt Baker explores Western Esotericism, a diverse spiritual category outside mainstream Christianity and secularism. He traces its roots through ancient Pagan religions and newer movements, highlighting key ideologies like Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, and Kabbalah. The video delves into historical organizations like Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, and Theosophy, and modern expressions in Wicca, New Age, and UFO religions. Baker also discusses the influence of esotericism on groups like Mormonism and the Church of Satan, providing a comprehensive map of Western spirituality's hidden currents.
Takeaways
- 🌐 Western Esotericism encompasses spiritual traditions and movements that exist outside of mainstream Christianity and Secularism in Western societies.
- 🔮 The term 'esoteric' refers to knowledge meant for a select few, in contrast to 'exoteric', which is meant for the general public.
- 🏰 Western Esotericism includes older Pagan religions and newer movements that differ significantly from Christianity, but does not include established religions like Judaism or Islam.
- 📚 The modern interest in Esotericism was jumpstarted in the 1600s with the convergence of five main streams: Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and Eastern Religious ideas.
- 🌟 Rosicrucianism, emerging in the early 1600s, introduced the idea of a secret society practicing alchemy and other esoteric arts, influencing later movements.
- 🔨 Freemasonry provided a structure for secret societies and had an impact on the development of Rosicrucianism and other Esoteric groups.
- 👑 Notable figures like King Frederick William II of Prussia were associated with Esoteric orders, indicating their historical significance.
- 🔮 Spiritualism, emerging in the 19th century, was influenced by the ideas of Swedenborg and Mesmer, focusing on communication with spirits.
- 🌱 New Thought and Christian Science movements emphasize the impact of mental state on the physical world, reflecting the broader Esoteric interest in mind and spirit.
- 🌟 Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy aimed to re-establish a universal religion with the help of 'Masters' and had a significant influence on later Esoteric movements.
- 🔮 Aleister Crowley's Thelema introduced new rituals and practices, further diversifying the practices within Western Esotericism.
Q & A
What is Western Esotericism?
-Western Esotericism refers to a broad category of spiritual and religious traditions and movements that fall outside of mainstream Christianity and secularism in the Western world. It includes older Pagan religions of Europe and new religious movements that differ significantly from Christianity.
Why is the term 'esoteric' used to describe certain spiritual practices?
-The term 'esoteric' is used because these practices were historically kept secret and only shared within tight-knit circles due to the dominance of Christianity. It means 'for the inner circle,' suggesting knowledge meant for a select few, as opposed to 'exoteric,' which is for the general public.
What is the relationship between Western Esotericism and the occult?
-The terms 'esoteric' and 'occult' are often used interchangeably, with 'occult' meaning 'hidden.' Both terms reflect the necessity for certain spiritual practices to be kept secret due to the historical dominance of Christianity in the West.
How did the 18th-century Enlightenment impact Western Esotericism?
-The Enlightenment led to a decline in church authority and an increase in secularism, which allowed for the resurgence of older ideas and the development of new spiritual movements that fell under the umbrella of Western Esotericism.
What are the five main streams of Western Esotericism mentioned in the script?
-The five main streams are Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and Eastern Religious ideas. These streams came together during the 1600s to spark modern interest in Esotericism.
What is Rosicrucianism and how did it emerge?
-Rosicrucianism emerged in the early 1600s with the appearance of three mysterious documents that spoke of a man named Christian Rosenkreuz and his secret society, the Fraternity of the Rose Cross. It combined elements of Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and Christian theology.
How did Freemasonry contribute to the development of Western Esotericism?
-Freemasonry, originally a network of stonemason guilds, evolved into a social club for elites with a complex structure and secrets. It served as a model for creating secret societies like the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross, which were part of Western Esotericism.
What is Swedenborgianism and how did it influence Western Esotericism?
-Swedenborgianism is a spiritual movement based on the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, who believed in communication with spirits of the dead. It influenced the development of Spiritualism and other esoteric practices that sought to communicate with the spirit world.
How did the Theosophical Society and its founder Helena Blavatsky impact Western Esotericism?
-Helena Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society, which combined Rosicrucian and Spiritualist ideas with a belief in 'Masters' who held ancient wisdom. Theosophy aimed to re-establish a universal religion and had a significant influence on many later esoteric movements.
What is Wicca and how does it fit into the category of Western Esotericism?
-Wicca is a modern, eclectic form of Neo-Paganism that is strongly associated with the concept of witchcraft. It lacks a central structure and allows for individual practitioners to incorporate Wiccan customs into their lives as they see fit, making it a part of the diverse field of Western Esotericism.
How is the New Age Movement related to Western Esotericism?
-The New Age Movement is an umbrella term that encompasses various esoteric movements, including Neopaganism, Theosophy, Spiritualism, and New Thought. It is characterized by a lack of central leadership and structure, leading to a wide range of beliefs and practices among its adherents.
Outlines
🌟 Introduction to Western Esotericism
Matt Baker introduces the concept of Western Esotericism, explaining that it encompasses spiritual practices and beliefs outside of mainstream Christianity and Secularism. He highlights that Western Esotericism includes older Pagan religions and newer movements distinct from Christianity. The term 'esoteric' is derived from its secretive nature due to historical suppression, contrasting with 'exoteric' which is public-facing. Baker also touches on the term 'occult', meaning 'hidden', and mentions the sponsor 80,000 Hours, an organization providing free career advice with a focus on positive global impact and the consideration of AI's role in the future.
🔮 The Historical Roots of Esotericism
The video delves into the historical roots of Western Esotericism, outlining five main streams: Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and Eastern Religious ideas. These streams were re-energized during the 1500s due to the Renaissance and Reformation, leading to the emergence of Rosicrucianism in the early 1600s. The narrative continues with the development of Freemasonry and its offshoots, including the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which introduced influential magical rituals. The segment also covers the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and the Martinist Order, highlighting their contributions to esoteric thought.
🧙♂️ The Influence of Esotericism on Other Movements
Matt Baker explores the influence of esotericism on other movements, such as Mormonism, where early leaders were Freemasons, and the New Church founded on Swedenborgianism, which posits the existence of angels and demons influencing the living. Franz Mesmer's ideas on an invisible force leading to healing practices and the birth of Spiritualism are discussed, along with its decline and persistence in certain regions. The New Thought movement and its emphasis on the power of positive thinking are also covered, including its offshoots like Christian Science.
🌐 Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and Thelema
The paragraph discusses the rise of Theosophy, founded by Helena Blavatsky, which combined Rosicrucian and Spiritualist ideas, aiming to re-establish a universal religion. It also touches on the controversial aspects of Theosophy, such as Blavatsky's 'root races' and the influence on Ariosophy and the Thule Society. The narrative moves to Anthroposophy by Rudolf Steiner and its integration of spirituality with scientific method. Lastly, it covers Aleister Crowley's Thelema, characterized by its focus on ceremonial magic, and its impact on later esoteric movements like Wicca, the Church of Satan, and Scientology.
🌱 Neo-Paganism and the New Age Movement
The final paragraph covers Neo-Paganism, distinguishing between reconstructionist groups that aim to revive ancient Pagan religions and Eclectic Neo-Paganism, which promotes general Pagan ideas without focusing on a single tradition. Wicca, as a prominent form of Eclectic Neo-Paganism, is highlighted for its lack of central organization and its association with witchcraft. The New Age Movement is described as an umbrella term for various esoteric practices, including elements from UFO religions like Raëlism. The video concludes by suggesting further exploration of these topics and promoting the 80,000 Hours newsletter.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Western Esotericism
💡Gnosticism
💡Neoplatonism
💡Hermeticism
💡Kabbalah
💡Rosicrucianism
💡Freemasonry
💡Spiritualism
💡Theosophy
💡New Age Movement
Highlights
Western Esotericism encompasses non-traditional spiritual practices in the West, excluding mainstream Christianity and secularism.
Esotericism includes older Pagan religions and new religious movements distinct from Christianity.
The term 'esoteric' implies knowledge meant for an inner circle, in contrast to 'exoteric' for the general public.
The 'occult' refers to hidden knowledge or practices, often due to historical suppression by dominant Christian ideologies.
80,000 Hours is a non-profit providing free career advice with a focus on positive global impact, including considerations of AI.
Five main streams of thought during the 1600s contributed to the modern interest in Esotericism: Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and Eastern Religious ideas.
Rosicrucianism emerged in the early 1600s with documents detailing the travels and teachings of Christian Rosenkreuz.
Freemasonry, with its complex organization and secrets, influenced the formation of Rosicrucian societies.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn allowed women and was based on Ancient Paganism, influencing later esoteric groups.
Swedenborgianism introduced the idea of spirits influencing the living, which contributed to the rise of Spiritualism.
New Thought movement emphasizes the impact of mental state on the physical world, with roots in the teachings of Phineas Quimby.
Theosophy, founded by Helena Blavatsky, combines Rosicrucian and Spiritualist ideas, aiming to re-establish a universal religion.
Aleister Crowley developed Thelema, focusing on ceremonial magic, which continues to influence esotericism.
Wicca, a popular form of Neo-Paganism, lacks a central structure and emphasizes individual practice and worship of nature.
The New Age Movement is an umbrella term for various esoteric movements, including UFO religions and a belief in spiritual helpers.
The term 'New Age' is associated with the transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius, suggesting a new phase of spiritual awakening.
Transcripts
Hi. This is Matt Baker. Today I’m going to show you a family tree of religious
organizations and movements associated with Western Esotericism. Now, obviously,
the first thing I need to do is explain what Western Esotericism is. For the
last 1600 years or so, the Western world (meaning Europe and all the places settled
by Europeans) has been dominated by just one religion: Christianity. In addition to this,
ever since the 18th century Enlightenment, there's also been a second major player in the West:
Secularism, which is based primarily on trusting what has been learned from modern science.
Well, Western Esotericism is basically anything that does not fall into either
of these first two categories. So, this would include anything related to the much older
Pagan religions of Europe as well as to any new religious movements that differ significantly
from Christianity. However, I should note that it does NOT include the standard forms
of other well-established religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism,
and Buddhism. So, basically Western Esotericism is a sort of grab bag for
anything in the West that is considered to be a non-traditional form of spirituality.
Now up until recently, such alternatives were either prohibited or at least severely frowned
upon— resulting in followers having to operate in secret. Which is why the word “esoteric” is
used. You see “esoteric” means “for the inner circle” — in other words,
it’s stuff that’s only meant to be understood by a very small, very select group of people. It’s
the opposite of “exoteric” — which means “for the outside world” or “for the general public”.
Another word that’s often used interchangeably with esotericism is the “occult”. The word
“occult” simply means “hidden” so you can see that both terms represent the fact that,
due to Christianity being so dominant in the West for so many centuries,
anything else had to be kept a secret, only to be discussed in tight-knit circles.
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Okay, so back to the family tree of Western Esotericism. At the top, I show 5 main
streams that came together during the 1600s to jumpstart the modern interest in Esotericism. The
first three are all ideologies that competed with Christianity during the first few centuries CE and
then were basically stamped out when Christianity became dominant. The first is Gnosticism, which,
depending on your viewpoint was either a Christian heresy or simply an early form of Christianity
that lost out to Nicene Christianity. Basically, it held that the physical world is altogether bad
and that therefore one should seek to gain knowledge about the hidden, spiritual world
instead, which is altogether good. Neoplatonism was, in a way, a reaction to Gnosticism,
founded by the third century Greek philosopher Plotinus. It held that the physical world was in
fact good but was simply existing in the darkness. The goal therefore was to Move towards the Light!,
which emanates from the “the One”, the source of all being. Hermeticism held similar views about
the One but focused more on practical ways to understand and use the spiritual world through
things like alchemy, astrology, and magic. The name comes from a legendary figure called Hermes
Trismegistus, who is associated with both Hermes from Greek mythology and Thoth from
Egyptian mythology. He supposedly wrote several texts, which passed down certain knowledge that
had been given to humans in the very deep past. In contrast to the first three streams,
Kabbalah developed during the Middle Ages. It’s a form of Jewish mysticism but actually shares much
in common with the first three streams in that it distinguishes between an unknowable one true God
and the knowable emanations that have been revealed by God. Finally, there’s a fifth stream,
which represents all of the various ideas taken from Eastern Religions, which had been known in
the West to some extent during ancient times but were then basically ignored until the Age
of Exploration, which brought Westerners in touch with them again. Now, obviously
I could say much more about each of these five streams but that was just a very quick overview.
Okay, so during the 1500s, all of these older ideas started to resurface in Germany due to
the Renaissance (which involved an interest in classical antiquity) combined with the
Reformation (which involved the decline of church authority). Eventually things coalesced in the
early 1600s with a movement called Rosicrucianism, which began when three mysterious documents
suddenly appeared and started to be shared around. They introduce a man named Christian
Rosenkreuz (which means Rose Cross) who travelled the world, learning ancient,
universal truths from many different sources and who then created a secret society called
the Fraternity of the Rose Cross, which practised things like alchemy. Now,
whether these documents were meant to be taken as allegories or were simply created as hoaxes,
we don’t really know. But in a time when Western science was in its infancy and held a lot of
promise, many people grabbed hold of the ideas in them and started to explore them further.
Around the same time, over in England and Scotland, the foundations of modern Freemasonry
were being laid. Originally a network of local guilds for actual stone masons, eventually the
guilds started allowing wealthy individuals to join and over time, things went from being
centered on overseeing the construction trade to being more of a social club for elites that had
a complex organizational structure and held all sorts of secrets. This proved useful for those
interested in Rosicrucianism because it provided a model for creating Rosicrucian secret societies,
the first of which was the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross, founded in Germany in the 1750s.
Take note that, in order to be a member of the Order, one also had to be a Master Mason.
Now, if there’s one thing that I can say with confidence about the Rosicrucians is that they
made some really cool charts. I’m not going to attempt to explain any of them — because
I’m not sure that I could — but basically, they combine ideas taken from stuff like Hermeticism
and Kabbalah in an attempt to explain the world in a way that at least LOOKS orderly and scientific
while at the same time retaining certain elements from Christian theology. Probably the most well
known member of the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross was King Frederick William II
of Prussia, who was the successor to Frederick the Great. However,
following his death, the order eventually fizzled out. A bit later though, in 1865,
a similar organization was established in the UK called the Societas Rosicruciana
in Anglia (or SRIA for short). It actually still exists to this day.
But perhaps more well known is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which copied the
structure of the Societas Rosicruciana but made two very important changes. First, it allowed
women to join and second, it modelled itself on Ancient Paganism instead of maintaining ties
to Christianity. Members of the Order included William Butler Yeats and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as
well as A. E. Waite and Pixie Smith — those last two being the creators of the popular Rider–Waite
Tarot deck. However, the most important thing about of the Order of the Golden Dawn is that
it introduced certain rituals and ceremonies that supposedly involved powerful magic.
These rituals would go on to be used by other esoteric groups that I’ll talk about later on.
Another secret society that modelled itself on Freemasonry and which had
connections to Rosicrucianism was the Élus Coëns,
meaning the Elect Priests — their full name being the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests
of the Universe. This organization later inspired a Frenchman who went by the name Papus and who
founded the Martinist Order (which, despite its logo having a Star of David, was not Jewish).
Now before I move on, away from Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry,
I should mention the influence that Freemasonry had on Mormonism. LDS founder Joseph Smith as
well as the next three LDS Presidents are all known to have been Freemasons and there are
definitely some similarities between certain LDS rituals and symbols and the rituals and
symbols used within Freemasonry. So while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
not generally considered to be a part of Western Esotericism, it does have some esoteric elements.
Okay, I now want to move over to another early movement within modern Western Esotericism:
Swedenborgianism, named after the Swedish polymath Emanuel Swedenborg. Among other things,
Swedenborg promoted the idea that some humans remain on earth after death, either as angels
or demons and that such spirits can influence the living. While not an official Christian doctrine,
the idea that dead loved ones can live on as ghosts or angels is definitely a common folk
belief held by many Christians today. It was certainly a belief held by Joseph Smith, who
claimed to have been visited by the angel Moroni, who had previously lived on earth as a human.
Anyway, Swedenborg did not establish a church during his lifetime but after his death,
some of his followers did, and it became known as the New Church. Overlapping with the lifespan of
Emanuel Swedenborg was that of a German physician named Franz Mesmer, whose name became the basis
for the word “mesmerized”. He taught the idea that there exists an invisible force that
connects all things and that this force can be manipulated in order to promote healing. In fact,
he developed certain techniques to do so. But here’s where things get interesting. Eventually,
Swedenborg’s ideas and Mesmer’s ideas were combined to form the idea that certain techniques
can be used to manipulate and communicate with the invisible spirits of dead relatives.
Thus, the movement known as Spiritualism was born, with the three Fox sisters becoming some
of the very first mediums, although they were later revealed to be frauds. Spiritualism was
all the rage during the late 1800s and early 1900s but eventually it lost its popularity
as science improved. Nevertheless, there are some spiritualist churches in the US that still exist
to this day, and these are now united under the National Spiritualist Association. And,
in Latin America, a certain branch of spiritualism called Spiritism (founded by Allan Kardec)
remains extremely popular. Its largest organization,
the Brazilian Spiritist Federation has almost 4 million members.
Another esoteric movement that can be traced to Franz Mesmer is New Thought, although its
founder was actually a follower of Mesmer named Phineas Quimby. The main idea behind New Thought
is that one’s mental state can have an impact on the physical world. So if you've ever been told to
“think positively” or that you can “manifest” good things into your life, you can thank Phineas
Quimby for that. There are several New Thought organizations that still exist today, including
the Unity Church as well as several groups that use the “Religious Science” label. Also connected
to the New Thought movement, even though they don’t acknowledge it, is “Christian Science”
(officially the Church of Christ, Scientist). Their founder, Mary Baker Eddy happened to be a
student of Phineas Quimby and she incorporated many of his ideas into her own movement.
So, as you can see from the chart, it was during the 1800s that Western Esotericism really took
off and went in a bunch of different directions. Well, of the many esoteric figures who were active
during this period, perhaps the most important was a Russian-born woman known as Helena Blavatsky,
who founded the Theosophical Society. Her system of thought, known as Theosophy (meaning God
wisdom) combined for the first time, all the ideas that the Rosicrucians had been exploring with the
ideas and practices coming out of the Spiritualism movement. So, like other occultists, she believed
that there had once been — in the very deep past — a sort of universal human religion
that had eventually been lost, even though hints of it could be seen in every religion. However,
she also believed that there were certain “Masters” who lived throughout history,
who knew about this original truth, and with whom she communicated. Her goal was thus to
re-establish a universal religion, with the help of these Masters, some of whom were still alive
and living in Tibet. Take note that the logo for the Theosophical Society combines many
ancient religious symbols, including a snake eating its tail (which is associated with
alchemy) but also a Star of David, an Egyptian ankh, a Hindu om and even a swastika (which,
before its association with Nazism, had been used for centuries by Buddhism and other religions).
However, there is in fact a real link between Theosophy and the racist ideas promoted by the
Nazis. One of Blavatsky’s ideas involved what she called “root races” which were connected
to lost continents like Atlantis and Lemuria. She taught that the so-called “Aryan race” was
currently the most advanced one — an idea which led to a movement called Ariosophy (meaning
“wisdom of the Aryans”). This, combined with the Völkisch Movement (which was an early Neo-pagan
movement that sought to connect Germany back to its original roots) led to the formation of
various occult groups such as the Thule Society — from whom the Nazis got the idea to use the
swastika as their main symbol. Now, keep in mind that the overall influence that the occult had on
Nazism is often overstated, in an effort to make the Nazis seem even more evil and sinister than
they were (as if that was necessary). In reality, while there was likely some influence, the Nazis
were far more concerned with their political agenda than they were with spiritual matters.
Theosophy also had a direct influence on Anthroposophy, which was founded by Rudolf
Steiner and which you might know about through its network of Waldorf schools. It attempts
to combine spirituality with the scientific method and places a big emphasis on free will.
Now, if the most important esotericist of the late 1800s was Helena Blavatsky,
then the most important esotericist of the early 1900s was undoubtedly Aleister
Crowley. He was originally a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
but then went on to develop his own system of thought, known as Thelema (which is a Greek
word meaning “divine will”). It all started during his honeymoon in Egypt in 1909 when
a spirit supposedly dictated to him a text called The Book of the Law. By this point,
the Order of the Golden Dawn had fallen apart and Crowley had started his own organization,
called A.A. It was therefore through A.A. and also through another organization he joined
called O.T.O. that he introduced Thelema. Like other esoteric idealogies, Thelema combines ideas
from a bunch of different sources, however, it stands out in that it puts more of a focus on
ceremonial magic, which it calls Magick (with a c.k.) in order to distinguish it from illusionist
magic. These ceremonies included lots of weird stuff, including sexual stuff and this combined
with Crowley’s general libertine lifestyle made him an extremely controversial figure.
But regardless of what one thinks of Aleister Crowley, there’s no doubt that his influence
on esotericism continues to this day. For example, near the end of his life,
he became friends with Gerald Gardner, who helped develop what is now known as Wicca.
Crowley’s writings also influenced Anton LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan, and even L. Ron
Hubbard, who invented Scientology (although, as I mentioned in my video about atheist denominations,
it’s important to know that the Church of Satan doesn’t actually believe in a real Satan).
Now, speaking of Wicca, let me now say a few things about Neo-Paganism. The word Pagan
comes from the Latin word for “rural” and was used during the rise of Christianity to describe those
who followed the older, polytheistic religions instead. These religions eventually all went
extinct, being stamped out by Christianity which is why Pagans today are referred to
as “Neo-Pagans”. Now, there are basically two main types of Neo-Paganism. First there are the
reconstructionist groups which try to literally bring back or “re-construct” particular Pagan
religions exactly as they would have been followed in ancient times. So, for example, Hellenism is
an attempt to bring back the worship of Greek gods whereas Heathenry is an attempt to bring
back the worship of German gods. In contrast, Eclectic Neo-Paganism is more of a mish-mash
in which general Pagan ideas and practises are promoted without necessarily focusing on just
one type. So, one example would be Druidry, which promotes harmony and worship of nature gods in
general and is far less exact in its aims, unlike Celtic Reconstructionism, which is.
However, of all the types of Eclectic Neo-Paganism, Wicca is by far the most
popular and most well known. Originating in the UK, it is strongly associated with the concept
of “witches” (after all the word Wicca is simply the Old English word for “sorcerer”). But unlike
other types of esotericism, Wicca has no central structure or organization. Most practitioners
simply practise on their own, incorporating Wiccan customs into their life as they see fit. Now,
I should put out that while Wicca tends to attract slightly more women then men, there are in fact
male Wiccans and the word witch can be used for a male. Some Wiccans do put a stronger emphasis on
the Divine Mother and hence there is some overlap with another group called the Goddess Movement.
Alright, now the last thing I need to do is explain how the New Age Movement fits into
all of this. Nowadays, a lot of the things we’ve been discussing simply end up being
labelled as “New Age”. That’s because New Age did in fact end up incorporating a bunch of different
esoteric movements under one big umbrella. So, for example, it draws from Neopaganism,
Theosophy, Spiritualism and New Thought. However, it also borrows elements from one of the newest
types of esotericism: UFO religions. These started springing up in the 1950s,
following the famous Roswell incident. The best known UFO religion is probably Raëlism,
led by a Frenchman that goes by the name Raël. According to Raëlism, all of humanity’s stories
about God or the gods are actually based on memories of an advanced species of aliens
that visited earth in the distant past, which it calls the Elohim. They also teach that the
Elohim continue to visit earth and that they communicate with the group’s leader, Raël.
Now, when it comes to New Age, things are not as specific as that. After all,
there is no central leadership or any structure at all to the New Age movement so different people
who practice New Age often believe different things or at least focus on different things. So,
while not all New Agers believe in aliens, it’s not uncommon for New Agers to believe in some sort
of “helpers” whether they be divine spirits, dead relatives, or extraterrestrials. The term New Age
itself has a direct connection to outer space. You see, every 2000 years or so, the Spring Equinox
moves from one Zodiac constellation to another. We’ve been in the Age of Pisces since around the
time of Jesus but will soon be entering the Age of Aquarius — although the precise moment when this
will occur is impossible to know for sure. So the idea is that humanity will enter a new phase of
spiritual awakening whenever this happens and that already certain people (those who are particularly
sensitive, spiritually-speaking) are already at the higher level.
Okay, so that was just a very brief look at how all the various movements within Western
Esotericism are related. Like all of the episodes in these denomination-type videos,
a lot more could obviously be said about each group. But the goal here was to simply give
you the lay of the land. If you want to explore any of these topics further, I suggest that you
check out channels such as Esoterica and Angela's Symposium, which I’ll look to in the description.
And while you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter from 80,000 hours.
Thanks for watching.
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