Psychics, crystals, candles and cauldrons: alternative spiritualities and the question of their esoteric economies

Abstract

Studies of alternative and ‘New Age’ spiritualities and of the paranormal in popular culture hint at the existence of underlying economic relationships that are, though small in size by some measures, both significant and influential. This paper seeks to foreground the economic relationships underpinning the beliefs, practices and activities associated with alternative spiritualities. For, as we argue, these have either been marginalised in most studies of alternative spirituality or been understood in very limited terms, as a narrow reflection of contemporary capitalist consumer culture. This paper consequently asks how we might bring to view the economic relationships that necessarily accompany alternative spiritualities by exploring their size, shape and reach. Here, we draw on UK-based case studies of Manchester and London. Our exploration of alternative spiritualities and their economic relationships concludes that even while alternative spiritualities are woven into, and out of, ordinary economic relationships, there remains an intriguing sense that there is something distinctively esoteric about their economies. This, we believe, warrants further investigation (in the UK and beyond) into this too often marginalised aspect of contemporary culture and modern economic life.

Des études des spiritualités alternatives et « new age » et du paranormal dans la culture populaire laissent entendre qu'il y existe des rapports économiques sous-jacents qui sont, quand bien même petits par quelques mesures, à la fois significatifs et influentes. Cet article cherche à mettre en relief les rapports économiques étayant les croyances, les pratiques, et les activités associées avec des spiritualités alternatives. Nous avançons l'argument que ceux-ci ont été ou bien marginalisé dans la plupart des études de la spiritualité alternative, ou compris en termes très limités, comme une réflexion étriquée de la culture consommatrice contemporaine capitaliste. Par conséquence cet article pose la question de comment voir les rapports économiques qui accompagnent par nécessité des spiritualités alternatives en examinant leur ampleur, forme, et amplitude. Ici, nous tirons des études de cas basées au RU à Manchester et à Londres. Notre exploration des spiritualités alternatives et leurs rapports économiques finit en concluant que bien que des spiritualités alternatives se trouvent tissée dans, et à partir de, des rapports économiques ordinaires, il reste un sentiment intriguant qu'il y a quelque chose de distinctivement ésotérique dans leurs économies. Nous croyons que cela justifie une investigation plus approfondie dans cet aspect trop souvent marginalisé de la culture contemporaine et de la vie économique moderne.

Los estudios dedicados a las espiritualidades alternativas y al ‘New Age’, así como aquellos referidos a lo paranormal en la cultura popular, insinúan la existencia de relaciones económicas subyacentes, que aún cuando posean una reducida dimensión son al mismo tiempo significativas e influyentes. Este trabajo se propone destacar las relaciones económicas en las que se apoyan las creencias, prácticas y actividades asociadas con las espiritualidades alternativas. Sostenemos que las mismas o bien han sido marginalizadas en la mayoría de los estudios sobre el tema, o bien han sido entendidas de forma limitada, como reflejos reducidos de la cultura capitalista de consumo contemporánea. De esta manera y mediante el análisis de su tamaño, forma y alcance, este artículo se pregunta de qué forma podemos hacer visibles las relaciones económicas que necesariamente acompañan las espiritualidades alternativas. Para ello, nos valemos de estudios de caso llevados a cabo en Manchester y Londres en el Reino Unido. Nuestra exploración sobre las espiritualidades alternativas y sus relaciones económicas concluye que aún cuando las espiritualidades alternativas se encuentran entretejidas en y fuera de relaciones económicas comunes, persiste la fascinante sensación de que en sus economías hay algo particularmente esotérico. Sostenemos que estos aspectos frecuentemente marginalizados de la cultura contemporánea y la vida económica moderna ameritan una mayor investigación (en el RU y fuera de este país).

Keywords:

• alternative spiritualities
• esoteric economies
• spirituality
• occult
• mind–body–spirit
• paranormal

Keywords:

• spiritualités alternatives
• économies ésotériques
• spiritualité
• surnaturel
• esprit-corps-âme
• paranormal

Keywords:

• espiritualidades alternativas
• economías esotéricas
• espiritualidad
• oculto
• mente-cuerpo-espíritu
• paranormal

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all our informants for giving up their time to answer our questions. This research would not have been possible without funding from the Open University's OpenSpace Research Centre. The paper has improved immeasurably as a consequence of the critical comments of the three referees. Most important, however, has been Michael Brown's careful and insightful editorial support.

Notes

 1. Of course, the link between the spirit of capitalism and religious spirituality is long established. Indeed, one of the foundational texts of sociology is on this very relationship (Weber 1905).

 2. It is worth noting that what constitutes an alternative spirituality in one context would not necessarily be alternative in another. This paper is very much located in the British context. That said, we wish to avoid the assumption that religions and spiritual beliefs are somehow only generated within national contexts. Indeed, Christianity itself is not simply ‘Western’ and supposedly non-Western beliefs have circulated through the West for many centuries.

 3. There are, currently, four more and less contradictory accounts. Accordingly, Western culture is becoming: (1) increasingly secular (see Brown 2001; Bruce 2002); (2) increasingly ‘post-secular’ and/or desecularising (see Berger 1999; Molendijk, Beaumont, and Jedan 2010); (3) increasingly spiritual (albeit in ways that are disassociated from mainstream religions) (see Flanagan and Jupp 2007; Heelas 2008); or/and (4) increasingly pre-occupied by an interest in the paranormal (see del Pilar Blanco and Peeren 2010; Hill 2011). Given our focus on alternative spiritualities and their economies, it is unfortunately impossible to develop a discussion of the conflicts between these arguments.

 4. Formal religion (usually in the guise of Christianity or Islam) remains the basic model through which spirituality has been understood within Geography: see Yorgason and della Dora 2009 or Kong 2010. For example, there has been increasing interest in the idea of a post-secular society, especially drawing upon the experience of Western cities (see Beaumont and Baker 2011; Stevenson et al. 2010; Wilford 2010), yet this explores spirituality almost exclusively through the lens of religion (see also Dewesbury and Cloke 2009). Though there have been periodic calls to look beyond official religions (for example, Holloway and Valins 2002; Coyle 2006; Gökarıksel 2009), broader questions about alternative spiritualities, such as those posed by Heelas and others (Heelas and Woodhead 2005), have only been taken up sporadically: for example, in the work of Lea (2008, 2009), Williams (2010) and MacKian (2011, 2012). There is even less work on magic and the occult and their relationship to modernity and urbanism (though see Pile 2005, 2006). And even less has been said about the overlapping places and spaces of alternative spiritualities and the economy, beyond the small scale surveys by Heelas and Woodhead (2005) and the rather dismissive consumer critiques of Carrette and King (2005).

 5. Here, we are not suggesting that the production of ‘alternative spiritualities’ is in itself a new phenomenon. Indeed, Christianity was itself an alternative spirituality in its inception, and subsequently has spawned innumerably alternative variants, some in an esoteric tradition (see Goodricke-Clarke 2008). So, we hope to open up the possibility that alternatives to mainstream beliefs and practices have always been significant, though variably so. Furthermore, we are also aware that not only does ‘alternative’ depend on what is considered ‘mainstream’, this is also geographically and historically specific.

 6. A similar reading against the grain can be made about the military, which has also (strangely) made use of New Age ideas (see Pile 2012: 50–54).

 7. Indeed, arguably, modernity is forged in relation to the paranormal, the occult, the magical, superstition and so on (Pile 2005, 2006).

 8. We used a variety of methods, including semi-structured and informal interviews, focus groups and surveys. We have substituted the real names of our informants with similar names to provide greater anonymity. However, they and we recognise that it is impossible to completely disguise our informants because of their public profile.

 9. We have presented this paragraph in a more anecdotal style to evoke the kinds of tantalising challenges that are associated with the ‘numbers game’ in debates about the rise and fall of alternative spiritualities, religious participation and of course their economies.

10. The census counts Christian Spiritualists separately.

11. It is very easy to draw upon widely circulating (and often derogatory) stereotypes about who is, or is not, the typical ‘New Ager’ or ‘Mind Body Spirit’ enthusiast. Even so, of those attending the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London recently, 80 per cent were female, 73 per cent aged between 25 and 45, and 93 per cent either middle class or skilled working class (www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk/downloads/infopack.pdf accessed 17 February 2013).

12. Since our survey, Glam Rocks has ceased operating in the emporium. However, two more esoteric shops have since opened in Afflecks: Pagan Planet (http://www.facebook.com/PaganPlanet) and Crystal Henge (www.crystalhenge.com), possibly indicating both an increasing interest, and ability to specialise, in esoteric goods and services.

13. See, for example, www.yogasisters.co.uk and www.yogaholidays.net