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Ascension News: Should We Avoid Certain Spiritual Ideas and Practices?

Many in the New Age community were shocked by Doreen Virtue’s sudden conversion to evangelical Christianity and her subsequent denouncing of the New Age. Do check her website for a blog post entitled: An A-Z List of New Age Practices to Avoid, and Why.

 

 

Now, let me say that I met Doreen a few occasions when I was a director of the not-for-profit organisation Alternatives, based in St. James’s Church, Piccadilly London. I thought she was a good presenter and had some keen mediumship skills. I saw her work with audiences in London and thought she quite accurately read a few people in the audience. I never really liked her books or Oracle cards since the material seemed quite shallow. For instance, I have never seen a blonde busty angel in quite the same way her many Oracle cards depicted!
I listened to a video of her speaking about her conversion and she seemed genuinely convinced that she made the right decision. This is of course her personal choice. However, she published a post on her website denouncing a number of ideas and practices about the New Age which I thought deserved some comment. Especially, since so many have raised this issue and commented on her decision on social media.

Before I get into answering some of what she said on her post I want to say that deception is actually a feature of the outgoing 3D Matrix. Deception can be found amongst much of the conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Some conspiracy theories are actually conspiracy facts. Some are complete nonsense. Deception is a major tool of the ‘dark’ side and so we need to be able to tell when we are being deceived. In other words, we need a sharp intuition. Without this we can become prey to believing much of the disinformation being put out there. This disinformation campaign is very real and has generated much fear amongst those who should really know better.

OK, so let me address more directly what Doreen is speaking about on her website. Now, I am not saying there are not pitfalls with the New Age. It is quite a broad movement and there has been a growing interest over the past few decades. In my time I have met some teachers who I would call grey magicians, meaning what comes out of their mouth sounds good but the energy they put out is something else! As already mentioned, the important thing here is to develop a good intuition. If a teacher feels bad, they should be avoided or approached with caution. If a teacher is aggressive or overly authoritarian again the same applies. I have had a number of clients who have had bad experiences with healers and teachers. The good news is this group is in the minority and the vast number of healers and spiritual teachers are there for service.

Doreen talks about the existence of demons or the devil, saying she has found out the hard way that they’re real. Well, Doreen was pushing a rather utopian image of spirituality before her conversion and never really mentioned the ‘dark’ side. As many of you have read my blog posts or listened to my podcasts you will know that I often mention the ‘dark’ side as being an intrinsic part of the outgoing 3D Matrix. Entities are very real and they come within a spectrum of being a bit of a nuisance to a major problem. The good news is in this time of ascension all entities can be removed and sent to the light or wherever they want to go, so long as it is far away from the client’s energy field!

“The New Age false promises are the same ones that the serpent gave to Eve . . . And the serpent continues to try to feed us the same false promises today.”

Well, the story of Eden represents metaphorically the fall from grace into the 3D Matrix. The story is not literal as many evangelists believe. I am surprised that such an intelligent woman would speak in this way! We must also remember that the church was responsible for blocking scientific investigation and research for many years. The astronomer Galileo was nearly burnt at the stake for suggesting that the earth orbited the sun and was not the centre of the Universe. So this idea that New Age ideas are false and the ideas of the church are somehow beyond reproach is nonsense.
“God loves you, and he wants the best for you, and so do we! He wants you to go directly to him in prayer, worship, and Bible study so that he can guide your path in a safe, fulfilling way for this life and your afterlife. If you’ve been engaged in these practices, please immediately go to God in prayer, get on your knees and ask for his help so that you can stop New Age practices.”
God has long been seen as exclusively male. This idea is of course being challenged by a broad-spectrum spiritual teaching. Actually, we are in a time where our experience of male and female archetypal energies is being rebalanced, the Goddess is returning. Please check my previous posting on this subject.

OK, speaking as someone born into the Christian faith (Church of England) and as one who converted into the Catholic faith in my twenties, I have a few things to say about Christianity. In my experience, most followers of the faith have no idea of the history of the church. In my early thirties, as I came upon spiritual ideas, I began to research the history of the church. I was so appalled by what I discovered that I renounced my membership of the Catholic Church. No-one is their right mind would ever say that the Inquisition were God’s true agents on earth. No-one is their right mind would agree that burning witches was a good thing. We must remember that most confessions were obtained under torture.

I never found God or Source or my Higher Self while on my knees in any church. I never felt inspired by one sermon I heard in a church. Concepts such as sin and hell and eternal punishment never felt right to me. Later I discovered that these terms had no place in the language that Jesus spoke, Aramaic. Meaning, they were later additions. In more recent years I have worked with many clients who have had energetic interference because of current or past life experiences with certain religious groups. Most churches that profess the message of Christ are not free from dark entity interference, quite the opposite. I recently visited the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal and the air there was very heavy. I felt all connection to the light blocked while I was there. I had to get away to the nearby hills where the angel of peace first appeared to the children. Only there did any sense of peace return. And if you read the story of the three children who saw the visitation they were treated very badly for a while by the church officials and the police who thought the children were liars!

“Some people are deeply enmeshed in the New Age, perhaps because their career and income depend upon New Age revenue, or their loved ones are all new agers.”

New Age revenue is an odd term. Revenue is revenue. Money is money. Have you ever heard the term evangelical revenue? Where there is money, fame and power there can be ego issues. I have seen a few teachers topple over the years because of this. There are some who are obviously in this for the money. When someone charges thousands of dollars or pounds for a course or a coaching program you can bet they are in it for the money.
However, this is a very general statement and if you look at many evangelical churches few of them are struggling around money. If you look at the Vatican it seems to be hardly struggling around money issues.

“Please get off the new age path, and ask Jesus to be your Saviour! He will guide you to his straight and narrow path, give you true and lasting peace, and bring you to heaven.”

Well, to answer this. Do we really need the middle-men of any church to feel this connection? Personally, with so much darkness being revealed about priests right now and super wealthy evangelical pastors can we really trust such people to handle our connection to Source energy or whatever terms we want to call God/Goddess All That Is? Do we want anyone else in-between us and our Higher Self?

Doreen makes a number of statements on her post about specific New Age thought and practises. They are so numerous and address aliens, to ascended masters to crystals to divination to dream catchers to drumming circles to Harry Potter to hypnosis to sacred geometry to shamanism. It seems that if anything has a life outside of evangelical Christianity it must be inspired by the Devil. No-one who has had any real healing or transformation within a spiritual setting or group will be taken in by any of this evangelical nonsense. We should remember the difference between religion and spirituality. We should remember that Buddha was not a Buddhist and Jesus was not a Christian.

Religion asks you to believe in a book. Spirituality asks you to experience directly.
Religion has dogmas. Spirituality has wisdom teachings.
Religion wants obedient followers. Spirituality encourages experimentation.
Religion speaks of sin and hell. Spirituality is a journey out of such concepts.
Religion generates shame and guilt. Spirituality promotes awareness + self-inquiry.
Religion is externally focused. Spirituality is mostly internally focused.
Religion wants to comfort you. Spirituality wants to liberate you.
Religion is organisational forms. Spirituality is about the essence of who you are.
Religion demands sacrifice. Spirituality wants you to receive.
Religion wants to convert you. Spirituality wants to inspire you.
Religion promises a better after-life. Spirituality offers a better present life.

31 Responses

    1. Thank you Steve. Well done! I am familiar with Doreen’s ‘former work’, though not a ‘follower’. A friend had posted Doreen’s list on FB and I read it. It triggered feelings within me of witch hunts, inquisitions and betrayal,so I sat and observed what I was feeling. Actually, I’ve been having core beliefs surfacing that I didn’t realize I had. I thought I must be clearing very deeply, though perhaps they just don’t belong to me. It also felt a lot like when D. Trump got elected president of the US. All part of the journey and synchronicity. Anyway, thank you for Being and sharing!

    2. So clear & concise! Thank you Steve, for comparisons between Religion & Spirituality which give clearer perception.

    3. I do not know Doreen, but there could be all sorts of reasons why this sudden transformation in thinking took place. Your thoughts and message are well considered Steve (I’d not expect much less frankly). No-one is really an expert in the universe – as it’s so misunderstood. Science has done more than religion ever did to develop a deeper understanding around our progress and development as a race. There is a space for spirituality and religion IF both provide what’s needed to a human being to help them make sense of their lives in that moment and help their progress to develop further. I would never say to anyone “you cannot be religious”. In return, I don’t expect anyone to tell me I cannot develop spirituality (though plenty have). I almost see religion and spirituality as pharmaceutical drugs and homeopathic remedies. If a person develops an illness – it’s their free choice to use one or the other (or both combined). They are just tools in the box. The danger surfaces when one tool is seen as being of greater merit than another. All sorts of behaviour can drive that. Fear, coercion, insecurity, loss of direction, dulling of instinct. Difficult times – but one must remain objective.

  1. Oh my goodness! This is the best written thought(s) regarding this issue. Thank you for the time, effort, clarity and completeness with which you addressed this situation. There is nothing more need be said. Thank you!!!

  2. Steve, Thank you so much for writing this article. I was never a follower of Doreen Virtue. Like you I was not drawn in to the visuals of her cards and material. I always felt there was something very off about her. I know many healers that have spent thousands taking her courses over the years. For her to state that none of her teachings, so no certificates are valid on healers office walls is outrageous. These modalities are not a piece of paper. Tremendous gratitude and respect for all your service. Your guided meditations have taken me to places I could have never dreamed of. Places words can’t even describe, for the longest time I would just crumble when I would get there. I had a hard time in the beginning feeling worthy of such magnificence. Now I am operating in those places in the capacity needed for the all. Please know how much I appreciate all you have done for me, the support and guidance is stellar. In Love and Light May We All Unite Deirdre xoxo

  3. I am a retired social worker and have studied psychology for 4 years. I am also a witch and have been for 60 years. It is my belief that Doreen has mental health issues. She lives in a world of make-believe. The worst of it is that some people are blindly following her

  4. Her behavior is so bizarre and out of character- could she be a walk-in/out? Are they ever dark? I just get the sense that after years of excessive sensitivity and being attacked by the dark establishment, she just gave up and walked out. But it is so odd that whatever seemingly walked in was the epitome of what was attacking her.

    1. Unfortunately, I have wondered the same thing. If I had to guess, I’d say something dark has attached to her and has mucked up her thinking/feeling. As it’s not my business I don’t go searching for what is up in her energetic field, but I’m quite sure something is there that is not Doreen. Alas, this must be her path….

  5. I havr started doing spiritual work in Nigeria, and this article is extremly clear on so many different issues. I am mainly teaching about the return of the Divine Feminine, Nigeria being a country following the Bible to the syllable and only about the Divine Masculine.
    I just got back and I had a profound experience with my husband, who is a Nigerian, listening together with him to the Transmisdion of Golden energy. Our souls truly came togetger as one.
    I am now listening over and over to rhe Virgin Mary transmission. Motger Mary has been my guide for many many years, and miracles are happening
    Stwve I just want to thank you for your beautiful work, which truly has given me so many moments of grace.

  6. I couldn’t agree with you more, Steve. My background up until my early twenties was very much religion. Now in my forties and experiencing true spirituality, there is absolutely no comparison. Spirituality has brought me life and confidence, and has added substance and rid me of so much fear. I absolutely believe I am at last walking in my calling.

  7. Thank you for this post Steve, it is a sad fact that when someone chooses another path,they believe that it is the only one to take,and then they will try to pursuade others to journey with them. Hopefully we are more discerning than to believe that which Doreen Virtue would have us believe.

  8. She looks like she has lost the plot to me. She also refers to ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ which is odd. Anyone who becomes that closed overnight must have had something happen to them. As for her work i personally found it a bit fluffy re the cards and commercial,possibly ungrounded. She was archetypal new age. Maybe this led to problems and this led to a bad experience.As you said the denial of the other aspects is possibly what is dangerous. A sudden conversion to dogma and control is very strange. Jesus wasn’t this. I wonder what happened.

  9. All belief systems are up for screening especially Christianity, as they have all been used to abuse others, any systems that use fear to control, abstance and silencing,division, degrees, secret societies all have hallmarks of dictators we don’t want anymore.

  10. Thank you Steve! I agree with you. Nothing seems more controling and manipulative than evangelical Christianity! We need to be adults, to think for ourselves and stop seeking the simple set of rules that will “save our souls” and mean we never again have to bother with all that tiresome thinking and disquieting uncertainty!

  11. OMGoddess, i had not heard of the ‘conversion’. But making a personal decision to change path is one thing. Using one’s ‘New Age fame’ and – substantial!!! – ‘New Age revenue’!!! trying to influence a ‘followership’ gained exclusively thtough ‘New Age practices’ is quite another calibre!
    Thank you, Steve, for the heads up and for even taking your time to analyze this BS. In fact, it might well be that Doreen herself has fallen prey to what we may call the dark side. It just smells fishy!

  12. Thank you Steve. I totally agree with you. I could’nt have said better myself. Religion to me is simply another type of political party. I stay away from it as far as I can. My inner compass is my own master. Spiritually is my journey toward my very own thruth. And it can’t be shared because words aren’t precise enough to express what thruth really is.

  13. Well done, Steve. Very objective here. All I can say is that I was never attracted to Doreen Virtue as a new age teacher, and would have no reason to be attracted to her now. Somehow, it seems like a good move to shake things up for us, however, as the new age movement does need to crumble. This is a time for us to be honest and practical, and give up just about everything else. It will be interesting to see the ripple effect of her announcement.

    1. Good points! All of the old will fall away….including any New Age ideas we have engaged with along the way. Like you suggested….this may be the way man will let her ideas go.

  14. You’re just as dogmatic as she is. Except it is on the other end of the spiritual spectrum. Perhaps we can get away from this either/or mentality that both of you share and move further into a both/and mindset. I subscribe to many beliefs of the “New Age Movement,” but I see it also slipping into a religion of “do’s” and don’ts.”

    1. Dear Evan, It was not my intention to come across as dogmatic. I am not in the habit of responding to blog posts such as the one Doreen put out. The reason I responded was that she was a highly visible author in the field and her sudden conversion to evangelical Christianity and her denouncing of all New Age practices I felt deserved a response. She still has 200K subscribers on YouTube and I am not sure if these are made up of new or old followers. I’m sure many felt confused, angry and betrayed by this act. She is, of course, free to choose evangelical Christianity. When she decided to rubbish every spiritual path or practice outside of evangelical Christianity then I believe it was fair enough to respond. I have pointed out some historical facts about the church. There are many more that could be highlighted. I also mentioned that there are those in the New Age who may not be there for the highest reasons. Please point out exactly where you think I am being dogmatic! Sx

  15. I like what you have to say here except for when you talk about not finding God through a sermon. Like you I was bought up C of E. When I was a teenager I began to have doubts about the Christian religion. The last time I went to church I heard a sermon by a young man who had just become a Curate. He said “You find Jesus in your heart”. They were the words I needed. I left the Church and began the long spiritual journey of looking within. For me, the words of the sermon actually did point the way to God (though that’s not a word I use much anymore – I prefer Source).

  16. Thank you! I came into New Age just as Doreen Virtue was going out so she has no influence on me at all. All of her statements sounds just like the rest of what church folks parrot. I was in a Christian Church for 50 years and I’m so happy to be out of the control and spiritual abuse. People need to educate themselves about what’s going on behind the scenes.

  17. Amen! Raised Catholic, practiced ecumenical/ fundamentalist Christianity as a young adult. I was bound as a sinner, never acknowledging who I AM, ensnared in guilt, I AM a spiritual being having a physical experience here on Earth; never succumbed to “new-agieness”. Seeker of truth set free in true love, joy, wisdom. Thank you for your timely, true response to Doreen virtues’ religious conversion. May she find true Christ consciousness.

  18. Thank you, well stated. I found your youtube videos to be inspiring, well thought out and genuine. Your journey has helped so many, including myself. Thank you for the work you do each day.

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About the author...

Steve Nobel

Steve Nobel

I am the author of 6 non-fiction books, the most recent being a free Ebook entitled ‘Starseeds’ and my latest published book is 'The Spiritual Entrepreneur'. I was a director of a not for profit spiritual organisation called Alternatives (based in St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, London W1) for 13 years, leaving on the Winter Solstice of 2012. Subsequently, I began my own healing and awakening work. I created a healing system called Soul Matrix Healing for Starseeds. I have created a library of free resources including meditations and transmission to help Starseeds. These are are freely available on this website and on my YouTube channel. These meditations and transmissions are played all over the world and so far, the platform has over 172K subscribers. I regularly runs events in the UK.

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