Do you ever feel you’ve outgrown your past? I’ve had a rocky month, which is no surprise given I’m a Master 11 Lifepath (find your lifepath), and the world is in a Universal 11 Year of Spiritual Partnerships and Growth. It’s about getting back into alignment and life has been intense. Recently, I’ve attracted many ex-church or cult survivors, who have inspired me to question the New Age industry as much as I question religion. No wonder I lost my voice for almost a month – the good news is I’m back and roaring.
2023 Update – 2023 is a 7 Universal Year of Miracles and Mayhem – the perfect time for strengthening your Crown chakra, self-awareness and busting any cultlike thinking!
Here’s an idea of what I’ve been integrating:
You’ve heard of the term whitewashing, where a problem is dealt with superficially (e.g. painting a fence to hide a broken paling)? Well, it’s time to talk about spiritual White (Light) washing, where New Age concepts, are mis-used or compromised, to keep people confused…
They say, ‘if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything’. Just because someone says they are a teacher, doesn’t mean they are the right guide for you – whatever their qualifications or experience, it’s best to check in with your body – do you feel tensed or relaxed around them? This can be a helpful sign of whether they are on your wavelength. Also consider whether they can handle a joke – a sign of awakening is a goofy sense of humour and healthy dose of playfulness.
I created an Angel meditation a while back, to help you keep your Crown (7th) Chakra open. It’s located at the top of your head (your ‘halo’), where your visible self, meets your invisible self (see how 7 looks like a cliff you jump off? It’s about leaps of faith!) A healthy Crown Chakra gives you a sense of trust in the Universe – you are present, see life as a gift, talk to your Guides, feel connected to your body and Spirit, and seek out new learning experiences. You enjoy being stretched.
An imbalanced Crown Chakra manifests as paranoia, analysis paralysis, loneliness, over-scepticism and feeling stuck in/ wanting to escape your body. It’s also linked to conditions, like migraines and fatigue. I’ve listed 7 tips below, as a reminder that spirituality and the Crown Chakra are intimately connected. If you are a lifepath 7 in numerology, are in a 7 Personal Year, see repeating 7’s and/ or have no 7’s or many 7’s in your date of birth, this may be a particularly helpful post.
7 Signs of Spiritual White (Light) Washing – these can apply to organisations or individuals
1) They ignore or downplay your feedback, repeatedly.
Ideally: Your comments (e.g. complaints or refund requests) are dealt with promptly, with personal service, which suggests an effort to understand you. New systems and/ or people are introduced to ensure future clients have a better experience.
Run fast: You never hear back from them, and/ or they are defensive and try to blame you or other people for issues. I especially chuckle at people who write long messages, which finish with ‘I’m sure you’ll appreciate that I’m telling you this for your own good. Love and light!!’
Example: I once attended a workshop, where there were too many students and the material was partly plagiarised. Despite writing to them with my concerns, I never heard from the facilitator until years later, when I followed up. They said they never saw my comments due to a dodgy staff member, which I find hard to believe, as I know other people approached this person directly. While we were able to work something out, due to further issues I ended up ceasing contact with them. As the saying goes, I’ve learned that, ‘the first time people reveal themselves, believe them’.
2) They recycle their content, and/ or it lacks diversity and cultural tolerance.
Ideally: You notice they use real-life examples of clients and students, who come from all walks of life and experience levels. I’m talking different genders, age groups, religions, ethnic backgrounds, levels of education, sexual preferences, and so on. They also make an effort not to preach. As Denise Linn says, when you are judging, you lose the ability to influence.
Run fast: Their materials and social media are full of stock images and/ or the same people over and again (often outdated or fuzzy shots). Or just photos of themselves! Or you notice that they keep pushing their personal beliefs, disguised as ‘guidance’ from Spirit. As Maya Angelou says in this video ‘be careful of a naked man who offers you a shirt. If he had clothes, he’d be wearing them’.
Example: I get worried when I follow someone and they never use photos of themselves or never show the people they help. While I accept there are times privacy is necessary e.g. for legal reasons, the New Age industry is about increasing transparency and faith – I want to know what goes on behind the mask. I also like to see references, website links and credit given where it is due. It’s an immediate red flag for me, when a healer has no qualifications or teachers listed in their bio.
On that note, I was shocked to read an article by a famous spiritual forecaster, which suggested that,
a) vegans and vegetarians are more conscious (and of a higher dimension) than people on different diets,
b) the author sometimes walks past others in ‘lower dimensions’ without seeing them, and
c) they were surprised that seemingly evolved people still had problems with money and relationships etc.
Whoa! Let’s add some balance here folks.
a) Having just appeared on TV for World Eating Disorders Day, I wish we’d stop telling people to be ‘purer’! Everyone belongs. Why reinforce the idea some are not holy or ‘God’ enough? It reminds me of Sunday School, when the teacher told me that, all my Buddhist ancestors were in Hell because they didn’t believe in Jesus.
To be clear, I love vegan food but also meat. See Why Telling Someone How To Eat is a Recipe for Power Struggles and I Eat Meat And I’m Spiritual. A Story About Iron, Eating Issues And Motherhood.
I have qualifications in Environmental Science, Agriculture, have studied Nutrition and worked for Greenpeace and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. I also connect to animal and plant spirits in readings. I’m all for conscious, humble eating – but the carrot ‘cake’ approach is more loving than the carrot ‘stick’ approach.
You love one how you love all. Conditional love for humans is conditional love for animals. They have free will too, and who’s to say that trees and vegetables are not just as aware? Why pick on them? I often talk to plants, so the idea they are ‘less worthy of saving’ feels wrong. Better to follow the ancient tradition of blessing your food, growing as much as you can, and only taking what you need. Some cars need different fuel to complete their journey, yet they all belong on the road.
While it’s true, that many 11:11 See’rs go through a clean eating stage to open their minds, there’s no need to generalise. Making people feel unworthy is taking them backwards, not into Ascension. I almost died from heart failure due to orthorexia (anorexia focused on eating ‘right’). It was only when I began including meat again that I regained my health and fertility, going on to have to Forrest and Charlie. Even the Dalai Lama eats meat for health reasons – is he less evolved?! Puh-lease.
b) In my experience, the more open your Heart and Crown Chakras (see above), the more you connect with others, make eye contact and feel their story. Walking past people you know, sounds more un-grounded than anything else. I used to do things like that when I didn’t eat enough. Knowing the author is a fan of juicing, I wrote to them with my concerns, and asked if they were ok, as they looked tired in their latest video. To date, I’ve received no reply except more sales emails. Sigh. I may cancel my subscription and find a new Source.
c) Many people in the New Age industry have Master Numbers 11/ 22/ 33/ 44 throughout their numerology. This gives them double potential and challenges in certain areas. It’s not a sign of weakness to struggle with being human – honesty, resilience and courage is what distinguishes a leader from a follower, not a lack of problems. In fact, the higher you go, the stronger and faster the winds of change. As the quote goes in my Star Wars article, ‘The master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.’ Find your lifepath
3) They make it all your fault (the divide and conquer approach).
Ideally: You feel energised, clear and loving after reading through their materials or attending their events – like the lights have gone on in your being.
Run fast: You feel drained, insecure or stupid after connecting with them. I’m not talking about temporary perturbation – a healing crisis can be helpful in the long run – I’m referring to an ongoing sense of obligation, inadequacy or co-dependency, due to being treated like a child or a sinner.
Example: I was a Landmark fan years ago, and still use some of their techniques when I want to clarify my goals. However, there came a point where I could no longer sit for three hours a night, listening to the same people drone on about how I needed self-improvement, despite apparently being ‘whole, perfect and complete’. Did I mention, they also ask you continuously for names and numbers so they can enrol your friends and family? Eek.
4) They claim to be your only hope and to be better than everyone else (without any proof).
Ideally: You’re reminded that there are many worldviews, and that every one has the free will and Spirit Guide team to succeed. There is no good or bad decision, just what brings you life and what keeps you scared. The focus is on long-term growth and evolution over many lifetimes, because you are a Soul.
Run fast: You hear phrases like ‘I can save you’, ‘don’t trust anyone else’, ”lucky you found us’, ‘everyone else is lying to you’, ‘keep this a secret’, ‘other people won’t understand’, ‘you are special/ chosen’, it’s very important that you do exactly what I tell you’.
Example: I went to a seminar and even though I liked the presenter, they criticised their competitors, until they ran out of time to explain the benefits of their products. That made me wonder about their inner state, as you’d think someone in the environmental health industry would be, well, healthy? I’m not expecting everyone to look like gym instructor – we’re all works in progress – but someone connected to their purpose, rarely needs to justify so much. They radiate a quiet knowing, which is infinitely more attractive than a lecture…
5) They spam you.
Ideally: You receive a marketing message about some whiz-bang spiritual book, course, online event etc.. You unsubscribe. Life goes on. Run fast: You receive a marketing message. You try to unsubscribe – but the link is missing, or doesn’t work, or is in another language (!) You write to customer service and no one replies. You keep receiving sales funnel messages, with increasingly urgent asks, until you don’t even want to open your inbox.
Example: I have this issue every now and then with big personal growth companies. Pretty annoying. On the up-side, these experiences have left me conscious to not over-contact my clients or blog fans…I want people to enjoy their free time, not spend all of it online. Force-feeding is not my thing.
6) They misuse your information.
Ideally: You sign up for a free e-book, report etc. then have the choice what emails to continue receiving in future. You feel your privacy is respected.
Run fast: I signed up for a free numerology report (one of the major sites online) and was horrified when they sent messages using my numerology to try to up-sell me, day after day. Sure, it’s nice to be educated, but the breathless, automated, drip-feeding approach made me feel violated and like a credit card to them. I couldn’t escape their mailing list fast enough after that. The 11:11 movement is about peers helping each other, instead of gurus collecting followers.
Example: Regarding the site above, I’ve now had many encounters with their marketers. On a regular basis, someone will like my Instagram (sarahyip1111) or comment on my facebook page (The Numbers Queen) with a fake account that links back to this company’s website. More than that, I’ve discovered websites that copy-pasted my videos and text (violating my copyright) and linked back to their landing page – these disappeared once I started investigating further. Well, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
7) They have no apparent regard for the environment, future generations or local communities.
Ideally: New age companies would have an environmental, sustainability or buy-local policy, especially at the corporate level. They would work with other entrepreneurs to encourage a fairer landscape and more collaboration. This is something I aim to incorporate in the near future.
Run fast: You see no environmental awareness in their approach. They monopolise their marketplace. They rarely adapt their marketing or programs to reflect changing attitudes.
Example: Hay House’s focus on Angel Numbers instead of numerology is frustrating. It’s like giving someone a donut instead of teaching them how to bake for a lifetime.
While I like their Oracle decks, and their Writer’s Workshop helped me to start my facebook page The Numbers Queen, there are times I wonder about their ecological impact. Where many companies are moving towards being carbon-neutral, this doesn’t seem to be a theme in Hay House. This is surprising as intuitive people tend to love the natural world. I’ll suggest it to them. Keep an eye on this space. 2024: Hay House seems to have improved in this regard. Their efforts appear to be more focused on sustainability.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve had some ‘pops’ reading this post, and that it will prepare you for your next encounter with a New Age/ spiritual company or expert. Coming from a government, science and fundraising background, I have found it weird that the psychic industry is so unregulated. However, I also see it as an exciting field, in which you can make a big difference without many entry barriers.
There’s a quote ‘raise your vibration and you will be tested.’ Some people think you can avoid the test, but this isn’t possible in my experience. Our human bodies need physical feedback in order to evolve. If someone is too good to be true, they probably are!
I’m not claiming to be perfect in my psychic readings business, but at least I’m upfront and am willing to show you what makes me tick. The more you ask of your healers, the more they’ll deliver, so don’t be intimidated, speak your truth and rock some boats! Remember, a master is not afraid to lose it all and start again. They know that what’s inside is a million times more important than their number of facebook likes *chuckle*.
I want to thank Sharyn Holmes (a tenacious Lifepath 7 Spiritual Teacher) from Gutsy Girl, your Instagram posts on the ‘whitewashing’, racial misappropriation and facebook censorship by Danielle LaPorte really helped me to write this post.
Recommended Links
Class – Develop Your Intuition and Banish Self-Doubt Webinar ($33, was $99)
The Five Craziest Things Psychics Have Told Me – Why This Industry is Buyer Beware
I Eat Meat And I’m Spiritual. A Story About Iron, Eating Issues And Motherhood
11:11 Post and Video on Intuition vs Superstition
Karmic Numbers Post on Psychic Ability vs Spiritual Maturity
Why I’m a Psychic Activist – Winning Starts With Choosing The Right Battle
