Not sure what to make of this. The “old traditions” don’t stand still. They’re grown upon. But they are the foundations of that growing. To make a deliberate break is useless without a good reason (e.g. religions have had their day and we have to move on. That's a good reason). But human nature hasn’t significantly changed through recorded history. Are we more civilised than when the Romans invented the word 2500 years ago, maybe more? Has the concept of spirit and spirituality changed? Have the biological functions of the genders changed?

What I see these days is a dilution of many old traditions manifesting as old wine in new bottles. Prostitution and distortion to make them quick and easy for the instant gratification world. Yes, sure we need new archetypes for the mundane meanderings of humankind but aren’t these emerging regardless of anything happening in the new age spiritual industry? I was amazed to see the attempts to “update” Lilith: put her in Vogue fashions all because someone, presumably a feminist, has taken a single aspect of her – she wanted to be on top – and loves the idea of a bit of sleaze with it. Ok, you can have a New Lilith; break with the old tradition, but why not call her something else to pave an emancipatory way? Or choose those from real life – now that would break with tradition all right: Florence Nightingale, Joan of Arc, the Bronte sisters, Emmeline Pankhurst – all of whom have shifted the archetype by challenging tradition.

I see a load of new jargon creeping in – bound to happen when a new “current” tries to commandeer the market place. Many are laced with factoids that stand up to no critical examination (which doesn’t mean they can’t be turned into a grimoire by someone persistent enough but it could be very hard work and lead to disillusion which approaches having some providence usually don’t. I see self-opinionated gurus in abundance on the web, some sincere, some fraudulent. They’ll have their day and disappear.

I see names come and go here. People with emotional and/or mental problems, people bored with their mundane lives, the lost and lonely… evidently the current they selected didn’t work so…what? Do they give up? Move onto the next latest craze? Perhaps if they’d turned to more traditional currents they may have progressed. Trouble is…those currents often involve work…and discipline (dirty words in our latter Western cultures). Fact is that most traditions have room to grow and with introspection and dialectic, one develops one’s own path.

However, this also depends on how actively one wants to use powers that are available in the spiritual universe. If you want to get things done you need to grow as well as harness powers/energies/whatever you call them. Nothing in the new age seems to help people harness those powers safely.

So I’m not so sure that brusque dismissal of the past will lead to a better future – in spirituality as in everything else. Lilith can be used in her darker aspect (not of interest to me but to access the remoter dark tunnels, if that is one's current, She does "impede" the way through. However, the Pomba Gira or Ezuli Dantor might be better, safer bets.)

(I don't visit Facebook. A bit like half-Life's Ravenholme to me! One doesn't visit it any more!)