How millennials replaced religion with astrology and crystals

The Los Angeles Times ^ | July 10, 2019 | Jessica Roy

[fidelis]

Ana Lilia was leading them in affirmations, closing out a 90-minute breathwork session celebrating the summer solstice.

She's one of a growing number of young people — largely millennials, though the trend extends to younger Gen Xers, now cresting 40, and down to Gen Z, the oldest of whom are freshly minted college grads — who have turned away from traditional organized religion and are embracing more spiritual beliefs and practices like tarot, astrology, meditation, energy healing and crystals.

And no, they don’t particularly care if you think it’s “woo-woo” or weird. Most millennials claim to not take any of it too seriously themselves. They dabble, they find what they like, they take what works for them and leave the rest. Evoking consternation from buttoned-up outsiders is far from a drawback — it’s a fringe benefit.

“I know this work is weird,” Lilia said of her breathwork practice. “But it makes me feel better and that's why I keep doing it.”

The cause behind the spiritual shift is a combination of factors. In more than a dozen interviews for this story with people ranging in age from 18 to their early 40s, a common theme emerged: They were raised with one set of religious beliefs — Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist — but as they became adults, they felt that faith didn’t completely represent who they were or what they believed.

Millennials increasingly identify as “nones” when asked about their religious affiliation, according to a 2017 Pew survey: They are atheist or agnostic, or say they are “spiritual but not religious.”

[fidelis]

“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.”

G.K. Chesterton

[Dr. Sivana]

This stuff flared up in the ‘70s. I looked at a lot of that stuff in 4th grade (astrology, numerology, biorhythms, UFOs, pyramid power, etc.) and got it all out of my system early on. It didn’t take long to find there was no “there” there. Nothing now that wasn’t followed then (though crystals atre a bigger deal, and biorhythms are a smaller one)

[genghis]

This is terrible but not as bad as thinking i should pay for their health care and college

[Inyo-Mono]

Great quote from Chesterton.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

What do they always say—"I don't go to church, but I'm 'spiritual'."
 

[Big Red Badger]

When God is Removed
from Society,
Society becomes their God.

“Do What Thou Wilt.”

[Viking2002]

Well, I don’t get to church as much as I should, so far be it from me to throw stones at glass houses. But IMO, when people put the Bible in a drawer and start worshiping chunks of quartz and Ouija boards, they’re on the express commuter train to Hell. Tarot cards and celestial star alignment don’t dictate whether I have the orange or grapefruit juice with breakfast tomorrow morning.

[fidelis]

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

**This stuff flared up in the ‘70s.**

I remember a flood of horoscope and witchcraft books at that time. Sun Signs comes to mind along with the nonsense of Jean Dixon, Taro and many others such as the writings of T. Lobsang Rampa and others. Wish I had all the money I spent on that crap back now.
A few years later the local bookseller changed the listings of the books from “Occult” to “New Age”.

[Dr. Sivana]

Sun Signs comes to mind along with the nonsense of Jean Dixon, Taro and many others such as the writings of T. Lobsang Rampa and others.

"Linda Goodman's Sun Signs". Today, if I had a chance to meet Linda Goodman, I would ask her who figured out the effect of Pluto in Astrology and documented it when the [dwarf-]planet wasn't even discovered until a few years ago. Every checkout had those little pocket Astrology books (Dell was the biggest seller) at the checkout. And there was also the ESP and mind over matter stuff (though Uri Geller was an obvious fraud from the beginning).

[Fedora]

The article mentions, "The campaign for millennial and Democratic congressional representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to a request from an astrologer named Arthur Lipp-Bonewits. He wanted to find out what time she was born so that her astrological birth chart could be established." Bonewits is the son of former Church of Satan member Isaac Bonewits, who was accused of trying to have sex with a 6-year-old.

[Publius]

Linda Goodman passed away a while ago.

I felt vindicated upon reading this article. Right here at FR in 1998, I predicted that the next religious revival would be crystals, astrology and aromatherapy.

[M1903A1]

Aromatherapy?

Ahh...nothing so rejuvenating as the scents of warm grease, steel grinding dust, nitrocellulose, or a wood fire....

[TomMore]

Dr. S

the idea of astrology has always seemed and remains ridiculous to me.

however (cue twilight zone music)

the rough alignment of her descriptions in that book of people’s personalities and the corresponding birthdates of people I know has always struck me as very strange.

(off music)

leaves me wondering if anyone has tried to see whether/how birthdates map against the “big five” personality traits.

[Telepathic Intruder]

There is an alternative set of moralities, included in New Age spirituality but not exclusive to it, which looks good on the surface but just underneath is festering evil.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." -- Proverbs 14:12

It is so easy to be fooled by the devil because he's an expert at appearing good, wise, and innocent. But those fooled don't want to look a little closer, because it would spoil the pleasant illusion.

[Bommer]

A reporter I. California thinks thet they just discovered horoscope and crystals as a religion? Where’s Miss Cleo?

[KC_Lion]

Gee, I wonder why....

[Salman]

Blaming Millennials again?

I remember that sort of thing started catching on real big circa 1970.

[catnipman]

“How millennials replaced religion with astrology and crystals”

good gosh, hippies were doing this in the ‘60s ...

[Dr. Sivana]

the rough alignment of her descriptions in that book of people’s personalities and the corresponding birthdates of people I know has always struck me as very strange.

When you get deeper into it, you find explanations for everything. For instance, the sun sign only tells a small part of the story. The ascendant can be almost as strong, and then there is the moon sign, and then there are the twelve houses. Something will match up if you want it to.

I share a birthday with Leslie Uggams, we are not at all alike. Can one opt for a C-section so you get a nice, quick witted Gemini instead of a moody, thoughtful Cancer?