Sedona, Arizona is ground zero for New Age spiritual retreats and commercialization of all things New Age. For several thousand dollars, you can spend a long weekend in Sedona taking in the mystical charms of its four vortexes, all the while being shepherded in your quest by gurus such as Mark Amaru Pinkham, whose spectacular [...]
Tags:Angel Valley·Archangel Michael·Arizona·aura cleansings·chakras·commercialization·commoditization·crystals·four vortexes·gurus·Janelle Sparkman·Marc Lacey·Mark Amaru Pinkham·metaphysical·Michael Hamilton·New Age·North American Grand Prior of The International Order of Gnostic Templars·Sedona·Sedona Metaphysical Spiritual Association·spiritual consumption·spiritual retreats·Spiritual Warrior·sweat lodges·vortex·vortices
Whether or not you like Christopher Hitchens, one thing is certain: he can turn an incisive phrase. At his best, Hitchens writes with an acerbic aplomb that can be charming; at his worst, he is downright nasty.
With the latter Hitchens in mind, I have not yet been able to bring myself to read his jeremiad, [...]
Tags:atheism·caliphate·Christopher Hitchens·consumerism·crystals·fundamentalists·Galileo·God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything·Islamic empire·jihad·Khalil Gibran·Laurens van der Post·materialism·Muslim·mysticism·mystics·New Age·Prince Charles·radical Islam·religion·science·sharia·soul·universal soul
