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The '''New age movement''' is a large collection of differing beliefs and practices, which all share a desire for [[spiritual]] growth and personal development. Practices often include a mixture of [[astrology]], [[reincarnation]], [[tarot card]] reading, [[crystal ball]] gazing, [[acupuncture]], [[meditation]], [[Eastern mysticism]], and many others. An early influence on the growth of the New Age movement was the founding of the [[Theosophical Society]] by [[Madame Blavatsky]] in 1875, but it gained most popularity in the 1960s, when its followers looked forward to the dawning of the [[Age of Aquarius]] and the passing of the Age of [[Pisces]] which they saw as dominated by [[Christianity]].<ref>The Age of Pisces, Greek "fishes", signified by the [[Astrology|astrological]] [[Astrology#Sun signs|Zodiac]] sign of two fish swimming in opposite directions, is seen by New Agers as evident in the early Christian use of the acronym ΙΧΘΥΣ IChThUS, Greek for "fish" '''ιχθύς''' ''ichthys'' (origin  of the word for the scientific study of fish [[Ichthyology]]), as representing Ίησούς Χριστός Θεός Ύίός Σωτέρ – '''Ί'''ησούς ('''I'''esous), '''Χ'''ριστός ('''Ch'''ristos), '''Θ'''εός ('''Th'''eos), '''Ύ'''ίός ('''hU'''ios), '''Σ'''ωτέρ ('''S'''oter) – "'''J'''esus '''Ch'''rist '''G'''od's '''S'''on '''S'''avior".</ref>

The '''New age movement''' is a large collection of differing beliefs and practices, which all share a desire for [[spiritual]] growth and personal development. Practices often include a mixture of [[astrology]], [[reincarnation]], [[tarot card]] reading, [[crystal ball]] gazing, [[acupuncture]], [[meditation]], [[Eastern mysticism]], and many others. An early influence on the growth of the New Age movement was the founding of the [[Theosophical Society]] by [[Madame Blavatsky]] in 1875, but it gained most popularity in the 1960s, when its followers looked forward to the dawning of the [[Age of Aquarius]] and the passing of the Age of [[Pisces]] which they saw as dominated by [[Christianity]].<ref>The Age of Pisces, Greek "fishes", signified by the [[Astrology|astrological]] [[Astrology#Sun signs|Zodiac]] sign of two fish swimming in opposite directions, is seen by New Agers as evident in the early Christian use of the acronym ΙΧΘΥΣ IChThUS, Greek for "fish" '''ιχθύς''' ''ichthys'' (origin  of the word for the scientific study of fish [[Ichthyology]]), as representing Ίησούς Χριστός Θεός Ύίός Σωτέρ – '''Ί'''ησούς ('''I'''esous), '''Χ'''ριστός ('''Ch'''ristos), '''Θ'''εός ('''Th'''eos), '''Ύ'''ίός ('''hU'''ios), '''Σ'''ωτέρ ('''S'''oter) – "'''J'''esus '''Ch'''rist '''G'''od's '''S'''on '''S'''avior".</ref>

The New Age Movement [[fluffy bunny|does not use strict dogmatic teachings]].  Jonathan Adolph says that the New Age Movement "has no religious doctrine or teachings of its own."<ref>Jonathan Adolph, "What is New Age?" ''New Age Journal'' (Winter 1988)</ref> A notable characteristic of New Age is its drawing of [[syncretism|cross-religion and cross-culture elements]]&#8212;a typical New Age believer can sometimes comfortably mix Christian crosses and/or angels with ancient Egyptian, Wiccan, Native American, Greek or Celtic symbols, making no distinction between them. The "Christian" aspects of their belief systems are often based on [[Christian In Name Only|what they only think Christianity teaches]], drawing from pop-cultural osmosis or from what they half-remember from Sunday school.

The New Age Movement [[fluffy bunny|does not use strict dogmatic teachings]].  Jonathan Adolph says that the New Age Movement "has no religious doctrine or teachings of its own."<ref name="adolph">Jonathan Adolph, "What is New Age?" ''New Age Journal'' (Winter 1988)</ref> A notable characteristic of New Age is its drawing of [[syncretism|cross-religion and cross-culture elements]]&#8212;a typical New Age believer can sometimes comfortably mix Christian crosses and/or angels with ancient Egyptian, Wiccan, Native American, Greek or Celtic symbols, making no distinction between them. The "Christian" aspects of their belief systems are often based on [[Christian In Name Only|what they only think Christianity teaches]], drawing from pop-cultural osmosis or from what they half-remember from Sunday school.

The [[Stanford Research Institute]] estimates than as much as 5 or 10% of the population identified themselves as New Agers.<ref>Jonathan Adolph,"What is New Age?" ''New Age Journal'' (Winter 1988)</ref>

The [[Stanford Research Institute]] estimates than as much as 5 or 10% of the population identified themselves as New Agers.<ref name="adolph" />

==See also==

==See also==