 |
| My niece, Katie, told me about this place. |
New Age
Beliefs in New Age differ from place to place. In Sedona, the New Age movement has a mix of Celtic Goddess worship, Native American ceremonies, crystal healings, mysticism, and Eastern philosophies.
Vortex
We have all seen physical vortexes. A tornado is a vortex of wind. Flushing the toilet sets off a vortex of water. In Sedona, it is believed that there are vortexes of energy at certain spots around the town, where prayers ascend more quickly, and energy can be felt.
 |
| I tried to feel energy at the various vortex sites, but I didn't feel anything. |
Some History
The Native Americans have long held the area around Sedona to be sacred ground, and with the beauty of the area, this is not a far-fetched belief system. Long before men worshipped gods in the heavens, they worshipped deities in nature, and in many cultures this still occurs.
The New Age movement of Sedona started in full when Mary Lou Keller, a real estate agent, moved with her husband to Sedona. Mrs. Keller was quite taken with metaphysical mysticism, and started the Sedona Church of Light, to explore her beliefs. She would often have large groups of people in her home to listen to visiting guests who claimed to "channel" spirits, or to listen to tapes by well-known clairvoyants. After 22 years of marriage, Mr and Mrs Keller divorced over her beliefs in the metaphysical. Around town, Mary Lou was often referred to as "the crazy real estate lady" for her beliefs.
Another New Age pioneer in Sedona was Paige Bryant, who discovered the ley lines and vortexes in the area. Ley lines, in mysticism, are lines of power, and when they intersect, an energy vortex will manifest itself. Ley lines are not a New Age belief, but come from very old pagan beliefs. In this sense, Sedona is similar to Glastonbury, England, another center for metaphysical believers - and has been for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. For the ancient Druids, Glastonbury was the home to many ley lines and vortexes. As a person with Welsh heritage, I wouldn't be surprised to find that my ancestors a few thousand years ago would find their way to Glastonbury as it was home to both Druid and Christian mysticism.
The New Age movement reached its peak in Sedona in 1987, when thousands of people came to the town for the Harmonic Convergence. This was a time when all the planets in our solar system were in line with each other. Jose Arguelles, a professor of art history, organized the Harmonic Convergence in Sedona, which was basically the first globally synchronized meditation movement. Similar gatherings happened all over the world.
The New Age movement in Sedona is a complex one with many players, which I won't go into here. This is a blog and not a dissertation. However, the University of Northern Arizona in nearby Flagstaff had done at least two studies on the tourists/visitors coming to Sedona, and I bet there have been a few dissertations written on Sedona's New Age populace.
Sedona Today
One can find any number of New Age practitioners in town. The following photos are from one New Age store - which from a gemology view had some great crystal specimens!
 |
| There are people in Sedona who believe in aliens and alien abduction. |
 |
| Some crystals can conduct electricity (tourmaline), others have magnetic properties (hematite). However no scientific research has proven that crystals have healing powers. |
 |
| New Age practicioners often borrow concepts from Buddhism and Hinduism. |
 |
| Two sides of Sedona - Buddha and a cowboy Many Christians Sedona is home to many Christians, of various denominations. For some Chritianity is just as mystical as New Age and therefore not valid. Everyone deserves to believe what they wish without being picked at by others. My favorite church is The Chapel of the Holy Cross, conceived and funded by Margurite Brunswig Staude. This is a prayer chapel only, no congregation meets here.  |
No comments:
Post a Comment