| Perceptions of Spirituality | | | | relates to the word mystery: "something |
| "To ride on a broomstick and fly: combine | | | | unexplained, unknown, or kept secret" |
| belladonna leaves, stramonium, munkshood, and | | | | (Webster's). This suggests that it is really only a |
| celery seeds to make an ointment. Add one toad | | | | mystery to those who are uninformed about the |
| and boil until the skin falls off the bones. Strain and | | | | subject of metaphysics. Yet, a shroud of |
| apply the ointment to the body." This | | | | mystery is pervasive. When asked how he |
| seventeenth century formula, as told by Jeanne | | | | generally perceives psychics, Tim, a college |
| Rose in her book "Herbs and Things", is indicative | | | | student who has never had a psychic reading, yet |
| of what many people, even today, envision a | | | | is very open-minded and curious about them, |
| 'new age' psychic to be associated with. Although, | | | | stated, "For some reason, in my mind's eye, I've |
| certainly, they may not think the ingredients are | | | | always seen them as gypsy type ladies, women |
| made up of such things as toads and bat wings, | | | | of mystique. Of course, they're attractive, too. |
| many people do believe that those who are | | | | They just have to be attractive for some |
| openly psychic are 'devil worshippers' and | | | | reason." This idea is not surprising, considering the |
| practitioners of 'black magic.' | | | | multitude of movies and television programs that |
| Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, | | | | portray psychics in that very, stereotypical role. |
| words like "new age," "metaphysics," "psychic" | | | | There's quite a difference, however, between |
| "paganism" and "occult" are merely indicative of | | | | those who are curious and those who are staunch |
| spiritual belief systems which fall outside of the | | | | non-believers. Tim, our college student, expresses |
| widely accepted 'organized' religions, such as | | | | a desire to learn more about the roots of |
| Christianity. One aspect which sheds such | | | | metaphysics, specifically the Tarot, and wants to |
| suspicion about such beliefs are the use of certain | | | | form a more reasonable understanding about it. "I |
| tools. Just as organized religions have their 'tools' | | | | know it's not just card reading." He states, |
| that they use for rituals, such as the rosary in | | | | "There's got to be more to it than that." In |
| Catholicism, or the menorah in Judaism, many | | | | contrast, Susan, a church-going Christian, believes |
| who practice metaphysics have tools to practice | | | | that the whole idea is the work of the Devil and |
| their craft and beliefs. One of the tools is "The | | | | that opening oneself up to psychic powers is |
| Tarot." | | | | opening oneself up to the evil forces that he |
| The tarot reader interprets cards of various | | | | brings. |
| symbolic drawings and combines that | | | | Perhaps she is not completely wrong. It is for that |
| interpretation with her or his psychic abilities to | | | | precise reason that psychics have their own |
| gain a greater understanding of the unconscious | | | | personalized rituals that they use for protection |
| mind. Geri, a Catholic raised, non-denominational | | | | against those unknown forces, much like Native |
| minister, uses the Tarot as her main tool. When | | | | Americans did when they burned sage for |
| she was asked how people perceive her, she said, | | | | protection. That ritual is still in use by many who |
| "...there are the ones who raise their eyebrows in | | | | practice metaphysics today. |
| terror. They think you're going to cast a spell on | | | | The Tarot, runes (or stones), palmistry, and the |
| them because they immediately label you a | | | | crystal ball are all just tools that are used by |
| witch." Contrary to that belief, however, many | | | | psychically gifted people to tap into their power. |
| psychics are everyday people in everyday | | | | Many psychics believe, however, that everyone |
| clothes, working everyday jobs, living everyday | | | | has that power, more commonly known as a |
| lives. Furthermore, these people are coming out | | | | "sixth sense," but that they are just not aware of |
| of the closet, so to speak, using the tools of the | | | | it, or have just not developed it. For Geri, "It's |
| trade, making metaphysics a viable part of life in | | | | basically for personal growth through meditation |
| our current world. | | | | with the [tarot] cards," which she feels gives her |
| Today a common name for it is "New Age." | | | | direction and guidance. That, too, is what many |
| Some people call it "self-spirituality," "new | | | | people go to readers for, even though it may be |
| spirituality" or "new age religion," but whereas | | | | a little scary at first. |
| religions are organized, "new age" is more of a | | | | Meg, an R.N., states she had never been read, but |
| 'movement. Furthermore, in many organized | | | | recently went to a seance for the first time |
| religions, there is pressure to make others | | | | where she was told by the medium (a person |
| convert. New Age believers rarely subscribe to | | | | who communicates with spirits who have passed |
| that. Geri sees it as "a complete psychological and | | | | on) things that Meg knew the medium couldn't |
| philosophical system," and as a way of giving | | | | have known any other way but telepathically. She |
| people the freedom to believe in whatever they | | | | thinks that with the 'law of averages' people can't |
| choose. "It gives you the freedom to be you," | | | | just pick things out of the air like that and be |
| she explains. | | | | right, unless there is something more. When asked |
| Ann, a reader who uses runes as her tool, sees | | | | how she might feel getting a personal reading of |
| her readings as a result of her beliefs. She defines | | | | some kind, she said, "I'm frightened [because] I |
| her beliefs in this way: "We're not a religion; to me | | | | just can't explain it. But, I really can't disbelieve it |
| it's a philosophy." She believes, as many with an | | | | because it's so odd." She doesn't feel so much |
| interest in metaphysics do, that her beliefs are | | | | that something will happen to her; rather, she is |
| hers and that other people's are theirs. She thinks | | | | more afraid of finding out something that she |
| that no one has the right to judge other people | | | | really doesn't want to know. |
| and their views on life. "The only person you have | | | | Meg's perception of psychics is somewhat the |
| to account to is yourself," she says, and stresses | | | | same. When someone tells her about being |
| that because she's learned to communicate with | | | | psychic, she says she feels "...they can look right |
| her 'higher self' there is no need for a middle-man, | | | | through you and know your inner feelings and |
| such as a Pope or a Rabbi. Additionally, even | | | | inner thoughts." She agrees that maybe she gives |
| though she agrees that many religions teach good | | | | them credit for more power than they really |
| things, she expresses her beliefs this way: "I don't | | | | have. This is not surprising though; the seed was |
| think his way is any wiser than what I believe; I | | | | planted early. |
| have the same contact with the good Lord as he | | | | Although Meg stated that she had never been |
| has...I don't feel like I'm anybody's disciple." | | | | read, actually she had been and just hadn't |
| This is not to say, however, that Ann doesn't | | | | recognized it. She relayed a story about what |
| keep an open mind. She takes the ideas and | | | | sounded like some sort of vagabond at the Five |
| philosophies that work for her, leaves the rest, | | | | and Dime in Chicago, where she grew up. For a |
| and doesn't feel threatened when others have the | | | | dollar, he would correctly tell the serial numbers on |
| same view of her beliefs. What are her beliefs? | | | | it. For a dollar more, he would let the people write |
| She believes in peaceful coexistence. | | | | three questions on a slip of paper, which he would |
| "Each one [religion] has to be the one because | | | | then answer. Meg was at an impressionable age |
| they are afraid of the other guy; whereas, if we | | | | at the time, about 16 years old, and she wanted |
| could all live next to each other...everybody just | | | | a car, but she did not include it in her three |
| does their thing, believes in their own thing, as | | | | questions. He answered her three written |
| long as they don't try to make the other one | | | | questions and then, as she was leaving, he said, |
| believe in the same...but, that doesn't make for | | | | "Oh yeah, don't worry. You're going to get that |
| bigger populations in your religion unless you try to | | | | car you want." It made such an impression on her |
| convert--or wipe everyone else out." | | | | that she tried to get her mother to go back with |
| The latter has been the cause of wars for | | | | her, to no avail. She, herself, went back to look |
| centuries. | | | | for the man, but he was gone, never again to be |
| The philosophies that New Age is loosely | | | | found. |
| structured around stem from ancient far eastern | | | | "New Age" is not new. As Geri says, "It is just |
| religions. The idea is that all people need only to | | | | the current name. With each generation it's |
| look within themselves to find the higher spiritual | | | | becoming more acceptable." In fact, she |
| source that they search for. Kahlil Gibran, author | | | | ascertains that she has read of it being called |
| of The Prophet, explains it in this way: | | | | "New Age" as far back as the early 1800's; |
| "It is enough that you enter the temple invisible. | | | | before that, people were hanged because of it. |
| I can not teach you how to pray in words. | | | | That shows that even though tactics may have |
| God listens to your words save when He Himself | | | | changed, human nature surely hasn't. |
| utters them through your lips." | | | | Throughout history, most of the major wars |
| These lines seem to embody a very basic | | | | have been rooted in and fought over religious |
| metaphysical belief--the belief that God, as each | | | | beliefs. Even today, we are in a war with |
| person perceives Her or Him to be, lives within | | | | fundamentalist underpinnings. The Middle East has |
| that person, and that one must listen to oneself | | | | not seen peace for many people's lifetimes and it |
| to truly find her or his own Higher Spirit. | | | | continues to either spread or move around. Why? |
| One of the problems that psychics and believers | | | | Because those ethnocentric people are threatened |
| of this type of ideology have are the | | | | by, and demonize, anyone who doesn't have |
| pre-conceived notions that uninformed people | | | | identical beliefs, organized religion or not. |
| have about those with alternative philosophies. In | | | | But those who eschew organized religion and are |
| his book, "The Kabbalah", Ponce states, "The | | | | involved in spiritual and psychic beliefs are not the |
| commonly accepted picture of a mystic--or | | | | "devil worshippers" portrayed in the movies and in |
| anyone for that matter who consciously seeks to | | | | modern propaganda. To the contrary. Most are |
| find meaning on life--as a self-indulgent escapist | | | | just everyday people want to live their lives in |
| has also contributed much to the | | | | the best way that they know how, and they are |
| misunderstanding of mysticism in general". | | | | willing to let others do the same. It seems like a |
| The word "mysticism" is key here. The word | | | | fair enough proposition. |