by Gemma Wiseman

Created on: April 21, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

For those who need the comfort of facts and figures, some claim that the New Age is the Age of Aquarius (made famous by the stage musical Hair). The Aquarian Age, marked by a heightening of spiritual journey and consciousness, spans the time between January 1, 1981 and May 5, 2012. To the average passerby, New Age means crystals, Tarot cards, essential oils, incense, Celtic symbols, meditation music, runes, Tai Chi, karma, homeopathy, wicca, neo-pagans, holograms, auras, dream catchers, Kirlian photography, Reiki, kinesiology and all things Ancient Egyptian. (To name a few!)

The Egyptian roots of the New Age represent only several foundation stones of many. To tangle the curious observer further, there is no one single New Age faith, doctrine or belief. It is NOT A RELIGION, but it could be regarded as the blend of faiths, healings and cultures. This New Age phenomenon embraces many belief systems - from Native American, to Buddhist to Hindu. It entrances those seeking a personal sense of the Divine. Many New Agers have been criticized for dwelling on the Divine Self, but New Age magazines, such as New Dawn, attest to strong beliefs in a God Being, a Higher Being beyond the Self.

These opening comments prepare for an appreciation of the role of Ancient Egypt in New Age FAITHS (with an s).

The well-documented, complex histories of the Rosicrucians, Freemasons and the Theosophical Society of Helena Blavatsky and Rudolph Steiner bear evidence of strong connections to Egyptian rites, cults and motifs. However, while these groups exist in the New Age as an alternative to traditional religions, they evolved long before.

To find Egyptian roots in the birth and process of the New Age is a far more elusive quest. It is easy to find facsimiles of all things Egyptian in New Age shops. There are scarabs, pyramids for meditation and cleansing, Egyptian pictures and sculptures. Versions of Tutankhamen are quite popular. But what is the attraction? Who buys these objects? It would seem, anyone who has a fascination with old Egypt! Just like the Greeks and Romans, just as in Medieval and Renaissance times, we seem to be in a cycle, a wave of Egyptian flux. Anyone looking for tokens of wonder and mystery in their life seems to be magnetized by Ancient Egyptian replicas.

Only the wiccans seem to actually practice a range of Egyptian rites. Isis is the favored goddess. She is the patron of women, magic and represents the ritual of life. Yet, even this evidence of Egyptian roots is only part of a cycle in time. Non-Egyptians have adopted Egyptian rites before. The beautiful Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, was of Greek origin. Yet, she was a priestess of Isis.

And there is the Fellowship of Isis, a neopagan organization, founded in 1976 by author and painter Olivia Robertson. It aims to revive communion with the feminine principle and to promote knowledge of the world's matriarchal religions.

Notably, there is little evidence of male practice of Egyptian rites.

Perhaps, the answer to Ancient Egypt's roots and role in the New Age lies with the music of Phil Thornton and Hossam Ramszy. (And they are males!)
To visionary and exotic rhythms, we may drift beyond the crush of modern life to
Eternal Egypt, (the first track is Isis Unveiled) or
Enchanted Egypt or
Immortal Egypt.

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