What “New Age occult” means
“New Age” is a loose label for a set of spiritual ideas and practices that became widely visible in the West from the 1960s and 1970s onward. “Occult” refers to older traditions of hidden or “secret” knowledge, such as astrology, spirit communication and esoteric philosophy. The phrase “New Age occult practices” sits where the two overlap: modern, often commercial spirituality that borrows heavily from older esoteric sources.
There is no single New Age organization, scripture or leader. Scholars usually describe it as a milieu or a network of overlapping groups, books, teachers and products rather than one religion. We look at that question in more detail in Is New Age a Religion?
The 19th-century roots
Most of what feels “new” in the New Age has a longer history. Four earlier movements matter most:
- Spiritualism, which began in the United States in 1848 and made contact with the dead a popular religious practice. See Spiritualism: The Religion of Mediums, Seances and Spirit Contact.
- Theosophy, founded in 1875, which blended Eastern terminology with Western occultism and introduced ideas like hidden spiritual teachers and root races. See Theosophy: Blavatsky’s Religion and Occult Science.
- New Thought, a mind-centered healing and positive-thinking current. See What Is New Thought Spirituality?
- Anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner’s offshoot of Theosophy. See Anthroposophy: Rudolf Steiner’s Spiritual Science Explained.
Together they supplied much of the vocabulary later used by New Age writers: energy, vibration, higher self, spiritual evolution and inner divinity. For the American side of this story, including the role of Black religious innovators, see Esoteric America.
The 1960s to 1980s
Several threads came together in the counterculture era. Interest in Asian religions, astrology, psychedelics and alternative healing grew. Popular music helped spread astrological language; the idea of a coming astrological age is covered in The Age of Aquarius. Channeled books, such as those associated with Jane Roberts’s Seth material and A Course in Miracles, reached large audiences, which is the subject of What Is Channeling?. Earlier figures like Edgar Cayce were retrospectively treated as forerunners.
Common practices
Practices that people often associate with the New Age include:
- Meditation and visualization
- Astrology and tarot as tools for self-reflection
- Crystal and energy healing
- Channeling and mediumship
- Reading the Akashic Records, covered in The Akashic Records: Origins and Religious Views
- Working with “spirit guides” or ascended masters
- Affirmations and “manifesting,” which draw on New Thought
Not everyone who tries one of these considers themselves part of a movement, and many practitioners would reject the “New Age” label.
Recurring ideas
Beliefs vary widely, but several themes recur: the divine is within or present in everything, consciousness can evolve, reincarnation and karma operate in some form, and ancient wisdom has been partly lost or hidden. Lost-civilization stories such as Atlantis in occult and New Age spirituality fit this last theme. A fuller summary is in What Are New Age Spiritual Beliefs?
Occult, esoteric or something else?
Scholars of Western esotericism often treat the New Age as a recent development of older esoteric currents, while also noting that it emphasizes personal experience and consumer choice more than secret initiation. Traditional occult orders, by contrast, tend to stress structured study and initiation. For the people behind these traditions, see Who Are Some Famous Esotericists?
Criticism and caution
Critics come from several directions. Religious critics, including some Christian writers, object to its theology. Scientists and skeptics point out that many claims, such as energy healing or past-life memories, lack reliable evidence. Some Indigenous writers criticize the borrowing of sacred practices (see closed practices), and others note the commercial side of the industry. Anyone considering health-related practices should treat them as complements to, not replacements for, qualified medical care.
Where to go next
If you want a single starting point, begin with the movements above and then read about the specific practices that interest you. The history is often more revealing than the marketing.