Wednesday Journal Entry, Week 13
Karina Lafayette – July 20th 2022
Over the years, our views on spirituality and what it means to be spiritual have shifted. Instead of having to follow of specific religion or ideology, people can pick and choose whatever works for them like when you’re at a buffet. However, the New Age Community definitely has its flaws and whatever it lacks in terms of dogma, it sometimes makes up for in really questionable ways.
There’s this mindset that being spiritual means that somehow you’re not like everyone else, or that other people are wrong for not being interested in the occult. There’s also this belief that every little thing that happens is your fault, even though in reality life can also sometimes be random. On the flip side, we think that if someone hurts others, they’re going to pay for it in the next life. When you think about it, if people really wanted a guy like Hitler to be held accountable, maybe they should create a legal system that actually does its job properly, instead of sitting on their hands and touting their views on karma (which to be fair, is often misinterpreted in the Western World anyway). Being a bystander doesn’t do anyone favors, no matter how spiritual you are. And while playing in the spirit world is a beautiful thing, we’re still normal people.
A lot would also say that it isn’t very spiritual of me to criticize the way things are, that I should just “accept” everything as is, but isn’t the point of spirituality to be able to ask questions and make things better? For me, spirituality is fluid, it’s everchanging and you should be okay with getting corrected sometimes. Nobody really has the answers. Not everything should be accepted at face value, which is why I put together a list of lies the New Age Community has told you.
- Accept things as they are
Translation: accept something even when it’s wrong
This idea mostly encourages a sense of powerlessness and lack of accountability. Yes, there are certain things we need to accept, like being rejected for a date or not getting that specific job, but when something is affecting our life and we have the power to change it, we have every right to do so. There’s a balance that’s needed here, so just because you can accept something, doesn’t mean you have to. If you aren’t happy in a job, relationship or any situation, you’re the only person who gets to decide whether you should stay. Complacency shouldn’t be celebrated.
When it comes to petty things like trolls on the internet and someone forgetting to hold the door for you, those are things that can be looked over. However, when it comes to bigger issues like abuse, struggle, social justice, or mental health, those should never be ignored.
2. Twin Flames
Translation: If you’re a woman, you can only be with one man
I don’t completely disagree with twin flames, because to be honest, like I already mentioned in a previous article, I’ve always felt there is a special person for me. What I definitely disagree with is the amount of dogma and misogyny attached to twin flame talk. In short, there’s an idea that you need to stay alone before meeting this person, and that somehow you should tolerate bad behavior if you feel there is a special connection to someone. For example, if you sense that your person is a twin flame but they aren’t ready for a commitment, you’re expected to wait for reunion to happen. How long can that take? It’s anyone’s guess.
Let’s be clear. Even when you do have a connection to someone, if they’re problematic or hurtful, or simply not ready, you don’t have to be with them, or even wait for them. You don’t have to tolerate cheating or “third-party” situations, because the right person will show up at the right time. It won’t be a perfect relationship, but it won’t encourage a trauma bond either. The right person will know how to treat you. Many confuse twin flames or soulmates with karmic relationships.
Another thing that grinds my gears about twin flames, is that it mostly refers to women and uses a language that focuses on gender roles, when energies like masculine and feminine can be channeled no matter how you identify. It also makes it so other connections get taken for granted when really, every relationship has something to teach you.
3. Everything is law of attraction
Translation: Everything is your fault
There’s no doubt law of attraction works… to an extent. I even use it myself and can vouch for it, but like every other belief or practice, it has shortcomings.
When law of attraction first became popularized, it gave a sense that people could have everything they want right at their fingertips, and this made them feel empowered. However over the years many people have started getting angry at coaches who sell expensive packages and seminars, with promises of wealth and everything you can imagine, only to actually get little in return.
The main problem many critics have with law of attraction is that the concept doesn’t acknowledge privilege. It doesn’t acknowledge the fact that not everyone has access to certain opportunities. Whether you agree with it or not, it’s easy to see that a lot of these LOA coaches came from the white picket fence fantasy, where their basic needs were already met. Even though their lives weren’t perfect before, they already had the opportunity to manifest what they want because their mind isn’t in survival mode like it is for a lot of us. When people are focused on surviving, they don’t have time to just “think positive”. Law of attraction only really succeeds the way we want, when we’re in a place that allows us to focus on it.
The other problem with law of attraction is some people in the New Age Community take it way too far. Esther Hicks, who claims to channel this mystical entity Abraham, is a law of attraction coach, and she gets away with making claims that Jews manifested the Holocaust, or that somehow assault survivors “attracted” their experience. The reality is there are some corrupt people in the world, and we don’t have control over them. We can only control ourselves. Personally, she’s probably the most disturbing coach in this area because some of the things she teaches are in line with white supremacy. I’m sure if it wasn’t for this “Abraham” friend, half her audience would’ve dismised her a long time ago. She refuses to learn how capitalism, racism and injustice actually work, and it’s people like Hicks who have a lack of empathy and understanding that give the New Age Community a bad reputation. A.k.a. spiritual bypassing.
(Warning, this video may be triggering. I don’t condone Hicks and just want people to hear it for themselves.)
Even so, once a person does begin to improve their life, shadow work is also important, since a lot of limiting ideas that we were taught in childhood make up our subconscious belief system. So if your parents were emotionally unavailable, you’d ideally be mindful of this when it comes to love, that way the same cycle doesn’t repeat itself.
4. Past lives are to blame for your current situation
Translation: No one cares that you’re struggling
I definitely believe in past lives, but from my perspective, there’s so much focus on past lives, that it actually holds people back from truly living right now. Similar to law of attraction, there’s the theory that if you’re current life is difficult, it’s inherently your fault. So much for empathy… again.
There’s also the philosophy of karma, which I don’t think many who speak about it realize is associated with Hinduism and Buddhism. The amount of cultural appropriation in the New Age Community makes it so we tend to distort certain philosophies that way they can match what we believe in.
And just because you’re a spiritual person, this doesn’t mean you have to believe in past lives or karma. It’s easy to forget where certain ideas came from, and whether past lives are real, it doesn’t give us the right to force our beliefs onto others.
Even if past lives and karma do exist, the current system still needs to be improved, human rights are still very much under attack, and people shouldn’t have to accept suffering just because of something that happened a long time ago. That mindset is really just a laissez-faire way of seeing the world, and it prevents us from making lasting positive change.
5. Never mix spirituality with politics
Translation: This forces me to accept some of my ideas might be wrong and I don’t want to hear that
I know politics is a sensitive issue, and I can’t tell you how many friendships I walked away from, and social media accounts I’ve had to block, because some people refuse to acknowledge how spirituality and politics intersect. Everything is political to extent. Even just choosing to believe in nature instead of religion is political, because it still goes against the social norm. Remember, there were the Cathars in Europe who were accused of witchcraft just because they didn’t believe in baptism or the pope, and yet they were still believers of God.
So when I see New Age folks claiming that we have to be neutral all the time, even when people’s very safety and well-being are influenced by politics, it makes me wonder how some of them can even call themselves spiritual to begin with. The first thing we learn in spirituality is to have empathy, and ignoring what others are going through is the opposite of spiritual. Desmond Tutu and many spiritual people have been involved in philanthropy and human rights, and there’s no point in spirituality if it’s only used for selfish reasons. There needs to be balance. It’s understandable that these issues are also exhausting, but Rome wasn’t built in a day and nothing changes until we look at the world for what it is- which brings me to my next point.
6. The physical world can be ignored
Translation: I’m not accountable for my actions
Oh, boy. Starseeds, anyone? I’m over folks who refer to themselves as Starseeds, rainbow children, etc. Yes, we really are just spiritual beings, but we’re still human, which is what we’re here to do. We’re here to have relationships, experiences, disappointments, adventures and a whole range of emotions. And we can’t function unless we’re eating, sleeping and drinking properly either. The purpose of spirituality is self-awareness, it’s not about forgetting your humanity.
Like I said in a Tiktok video, even if this is a matrix and none of this is real, people’s feelings are real, so we still have to show up and do the work. This mindset is basically the reason why there are so many issues right now- because we think we can just meditate our problems away.
There’s only so much transcendence that’ll happen while we’re here, so anyone who claims that we can live in the 5D needs a reality check. The 5D is on the spiritual plane, and it can be accessed while meditating, but as long as you’re alive, you’re still here on earth. As long as we keep ignoring that, the environment , the economy and other areas, can only get worse.
7. Negative emotions lower your vibration
Translation: I’m not sorry for whatever I did to make you uncomfortable
Actually, it’s the opposite that’s true. The more we avoid negative emotions, the more they show up in ways that can cause problems. For example, if you have jealousy issues and don’t want to face them, you’ll keep meeting partners who are jealous and possessive. If you don’t face your anger, you’ll keep dealing with people who have anger issues. Even at that, emotions in general aren’t ever really negative. They might be uncomfortable and difficult to face, but there’s nothing wrong with them.
There’s also this idea that if you think negative thoughts, you’re blocking your blessings, but like a lot of people on social media have started to point out, often when we feel upset, it doesn’t cause anything bad to happen. Lots of times I’ve felt sad or angry, I still managed to manifest something good, because I didn’t allow my emotions to control me. I just sat with them. I almost feel like some coaches teach us to ignore feelings as a control tactic more than anything, because they don’t want to be questioned or have any skeptics. After all, if someone ignores their negative emotions, we can get away with screwing them over, right, Esther Hicks?
8. There is only one right way to do things
Translation: There is only my way of doing things
Now, I know most people in the spiritual community already understand that there isn’t only one right way to do things, but these past few years I’ve noticed a trend where if someone doesn’t follow a certain lifestyle, they get criticism for it. Whether it’s because the person isn’t vegan, or doesn’t meditate regularly, or likes money, there’s a lot of judgment when you’re version of spirituality doesn’t involve being totally selfless and having a minimum number of belongings. Like I already pointed out earlier, we’re still human. Wanting shiny toys or money doesn’t make you a bad person. You’re allowed to be more than one thing at a time. You also don’t have to be interested in past lives or identify with any specific religion or philosophy to be spiritual either.
I’d go so far as to add that you don’t even need to use crystals or tarot in order to be spiritual. As long as you’re compassionate, empathetic, and want to improve yourself, then you’re already spiritual. It’s okay if you forget to read your birth chart transits and get angry once in a while. It’s part of the experience to make mistakes, and just be.
Karina
To check out my books, social media and more, scroll to the menu, where you can also get a reading. General readings are pay-what-you-can till August. Be sure to watch my new short documentary series on the Saturn Return! If you support my work, consider buying me a coffee.
Persephone and Co. 
Leave a Reply