New Age Cults and Religions

by Texe Marrs

  Obviously it does not take much of a Bible student to see the tremendous damage that is done by believing in such heretical doctrines, none of which has a shred of basis in the Bible. Thus, those who study Edgar Cayce’s works are drawn deeply into a most severe type of occultism and are taught to almost totally reject true Christianity.

  One person who was deeply influenced by Cayce, by her own admission, was actress Shirley MacLaine, author of the bestselling Out On A Limb and many other New Age books. Shirley MacLaine gives Cayce credit for her successful “search for self.” Returning the favor, A.R.E. has been very complimentary of MacLaine’s books, selling them through its catalogs and letting others know “that lots of people” have joined A.R.E. due to the influence of the New Age actress. Notably, Shirley MacLaine says that Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, is responsible for her decision to take up the banner of reincarnation and karma and bring it to widespread public knowledge.

  Hidden Dangers

  There are many hidden dangers in Cayce’s writings. For example, because of his avid belief in reincarnation, Cayce has intimated that incest is merely due to the fact that the child and the parent could have been lovers or possibly were married in previous lives. He has also suggested that homosexuality could be natural in that it is simply a conscious mind pattern from past lives when an individual, say a female, may have been a man.

  The greatest dangers of Edgar Cayce’s teachings are spiritual. Because he wrapped his occultic message in a coat of Christianity, some may mistakenly believe that the A.R.E. doctrines are biblical. Cayce also taught that his psychic gifts were from God. Again, this could draw people away from the truth. The fact is that Cayce was an occultist, plain and simple. His teachings that Jesus was only a reincarnation of Adam, Joshua, and Zend (the father of the Persian deity Zoroaster); that salvation is accomplished through good karma by our own works, not solely by God; and that God is Mother and Father, male and female, solidly place his works in the category of unchristian.

  One can accurately say that Edgar Cayce and the A.R.E. are pioneers of the New Age, not only in America but throughout the world. Edgar Cayce died January 3, 1945 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where A.R.E.’s headquarters is today located. Regrettably, his works live on. Because of Cayce, many people today suffer under the impression that Jesus was simply just another brother mystic or saint who was initiated in temples in Tibet and Egypt; they labor under the mistake that Jesus is not Lord of all; and there can be little doubt that many have to their sorrow failed to seek professional medical attention because they relied on the quackery and the unprofessional advice of Cayce and his readings.

  Chapter 9: ASTARA

  If one is seeking the quintessential New Age religion, that person will find that Astara certainly fills the bill. Astara is named after the Greek goddess Astraea, which means “a place of light.” Astara claims to be a mystery school for today. Its literature promises to teach the seeker “the wisdom teachings which arose among the splendors of ancient Egypt when the Mystery Schools flourished under the guidance of an illumined Priest-King.”

  In the Astara guide Finding Your Place in The Golden Age, the reader is told that the group’s textbook, Astara’s Book of Life, and its lessons which lead the follower through the seven degrees of Astara, will present:

  ...the mysteries of the golden age in Greece...the esoteric teachings of India, Tibet, and other Eastern lands and the inner meanings of Christianity, as well as the arcane thought of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and many another of those great spiritual movements which have touched the inner consciousness of the enlightened men through the ages and enabled them to see that truth is one, though men give it many names.

  Astara has many thousands of members worldwide. They usually initially get in touch with Astara after coming across one of its impressive ads in New Age publications, including astrological guides and magazines. For many seekers, Astara seems to be the ultimate religious system. After all, “It guides the disciple,” so it claims, “toward the inner mysteries of life, death, and the ultimate initiation: immortality.” These supernatural mysteries cannot normally all be found in any one religion, explains Astara literature, but Astara claims to put it all together. Astara’s teachings encompass the philosophies and religious doctrines found in Yoga, Christianity, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, and on and on.

  The Founders of Astara: Robert and Earlyne Chaney

  At age 30, Earlyne met and married Robert Chaney, himself a spiritualist who was in contact with an entity who called himself “Ram.” The Chaneys then moved to California where they formed the Astara Foundation in 1951. By following Astara, insists Earlyne Chaney, one will become a “Light Bearer” in this century. Since Light Bearer is one of the names of Lucifer, the devil, perhaps we should take Mrs. Chaney at her word, although no doubt she would deny that she had the devil in mind.

  Egyptian Religion and Spirit Beings

  The primary text used by Astara is the Chaneys’publication, Astara’s Book of Life The cover of this book enlightens us significantly. What we see pictured is the ankh cross hanging from a chain. On the cross is a seven point star. The ankh cross consists of the ancient Tau cross superimposed by an oval or egg, thus signifying death, fertility, and rebirth. The ankh is an ancient symbol used by the pharaohs of Egypt. Egyptian art often shows the ankh in the possession of the goddess of Egypt and other deities. To the Egyptians the ankh symbolized cyclical life spans, or reincarnation.

  In addition to reincarnation, through the correspondence courses offered by Astara one also supposedly learns how to develop inner psychic faculties, heal illnesses, expand consciousness, and realize one’s own godhood. Also, there is a teaching of the “universal spiritual brotherhood of all men.”

  At the very root of Astara’s teaching is spiritism, or demonic communications. Earlyne Chaney has testified that as a child she began communicating with the spirit entity named Kut-Hu-Mi through a system of clairvoyance. Incidentally, Kut-Hu-Mi (also spelled Kuthumi or Koothoomi) is the name often cited by a number of other New Age leaders as their own spirit guide. For Chaney, Kut-Hu-Mi taught the development of psychic powers, including the secretive yoga system called Lhama Yoga, which Astara promises to teach its devotees.

  Astara instructs its followers in a number of other occult, mystical doctrines and practices as well. Some are even related to Freemasonry. For example, there is the Astarian sign, word, and hand grip. There is also the technique of meditation and the use of psychic phenomena. Each month, followers receive the publication, The Voice of Astara. In it they discover numerous testimonies from people who have benefited from miraculous cures and opened their minds to marvelous new discoveries. They also learn of the Circle of the Secret Seven, a group of spirit guides who will intercede on behalf of Astarians in times of need. Among the techniques taught by Astara are the use of biorhythms, breath techniques (which utilize the Hindu concept of prana, or the breathing in of energy), astral projection or soul travel, and the concept of vibratory forces. They are also taught to bring themselves into a trance state so as to communicate with familiar spirits.

  A significant teaching is of the “Divine Hierarchy of Great Beings” who are said to come from the Universal Brotherhood. These spirit beings are servants who will reveal all the great mysteries of life to the learner. Of course, these mysteries can be fathomed only through Astara, it is suggested.. Throughout your life you will be comforted, Astara confides, by the presence of the “Astarian Masters” who will oversee your life, and lead and guide you onward to victory. Victory is defined as god-realization.

  For Truth-Seekers Only

  People who are fascinated and drawn to Astara by their slick magazine ads and write for more information usually receive an intriguing letter that goes something like this:

  Dear Seeker of Truth: Imagine being invited to become an initiate of the Ancient Mystery School at Heliopolis, the city of the sun in long ago Egypt where many illumined minds were t
aught the hidden secrets of the universe and the arcane spiritual truths of the ages.

  Or being asked to become a disciple after Liang Lhama, in the Kashmir Valley, where adepts studied the mysteries as taught by the Tibetan Lhamas, or to join the famed school of a master teacher where a two years silence is imposed on every neophyte, or to sit at the feet of the great master teacher Plato, who influenced the Christian religion perhaps more than any other man who preceded the Christ.

  In this dawn of a new aquarian age, the Mysteries Schools are being reborn all over the world, but more especially America which is destined to be the protected cradle of the New Age teachings.

  The letter goes on to explain that in the heart of busy Southern California some 35 years ago was reborn a Mystery School that teaches the initiation process and the wisdom teachings. That school, of course, is Astara. As one letter from Astara to inquirers states, “We have placed in your hand the key to the great door. Only you can use it.” Continuing, the letter concludes, “I pray that the blessings of the Illumined One be with you as you make your decision whether or not to become an Astarian and walk the inner way with this worldwide group of enlightened seekers.”

  Obviously, Astara promises much, and is no doubt intellectually entrancing to curious seekers who want to enter its “Greater Hall of Wisdom.”

  On Campus at Astara

  For those who wish to become more deeply involved in Astara than merely through correspondence, there is the Astara campus on a ten-acre site in Upton, California. There, many Astarians from around the world gather twice each year for a special series of seminars and ceremonies. Dr. Robert Chaney, co-founder, conducts special Sunday services in the chapel. Nearby, in the garden there is a small shrine, or statue, of Mother Mary, again showing the masterful eclectic blending accomplished by Astara.

  A God as You Understand Him Religion

  I began this section suggesting that Astara seems to be almost the quintessential, or perfect, New Age religion. In its literature, Astara often includes the following statement explaining the basics of Astara and what Astarians believe in. Since the New Age is basically a “God as you understand him” religion, and is moreover a pro-choice spiritual movement, this statement of Astara, more than any other, characterizes the spiritual nature of the New Age as a whole. It is recreated below from the brochure If You Are A Seeker...:

  An Astarian

  In an Astarian there’s no dogmatic trace—

  He sees the light of God in every face;

  In Mosque, Cathedral and in Synagogue,

  Wherever man may lift his cry to God.

  He joins the Wise Men, following a star,

  And finds a Christ, a Cross, an Avatar.

  In Buddha’s shrine, he feels a stir within,

  He bends the knee when chants the Muezzin.

  He seeks to understand what Moses taught,

  And Honors what the Hindu sages brought.

  The Mysteries of the pyramids inspire,

  He honors Zoroaster and his fire,

  Respects what wise Confucius had to say,

  Will seek the wisdom found the Tao way.

  Wherever hearts and hands are raised in prayer,

  In every shrine, a living God is there.

  And whatsoe’er the Godward path may be

  The Astarian will give it dignity.

  True brotherhood seeks only to ascend,

  All paths that lead to God must

  somewhere blend.

  Chapter 10: AUROVILLE COMMUNITY

  In the south of India lies a community. Its name: Auroville. Peopled by approximately 600 men, women and children, Auroville has had an extremely important impact on the New Age world. Many thousands have flown in and out of the community since its conception and have gone back to their own localities somewhere in Europe, America, and elsewhere to continue the teachings and “insights” learned at Auroville.

  Rising from the arid, plains-like wasteland of the area around Pondicherry, 160 kilometers south of Madras, India, is a large spherical temple. This is the building residents of the Auroville community officially call their Matrimandir. This temple, which the people of Auroville also refer to as the House of The New Creation, was the vision of “The Mother,” who with her mate, Sri Aurobindo, a Hindu guru, founded this ashram in India known as Auroville.

  The towering dome of Matrimandir stands some 30 meters high. Under construction for some years, the edifice is now in its completion stages. In the Sanskrit language, Matrimandir means “dwelling place of the Mother.” This monument, then, stands as a recognition that these people and thousands of others who know and propagate the New Age message of Auroville worship the mother goddess, whom the Hindus call Kali, the goddess of both creation and destruction. In their literature the “sages” of Auroville state that the Matrimandir monument “is an inspiring symbol of our own transformation and that of the earth.”

  Sri Aurobindo is not as well-known as some other Hindu gurus who have periodically succeeded in fascinating and captivating the New Agers of North America and Europe; yet, his philosophies and those of his female companion, The Mother, made a significant impact for a number of years prior to the founding of Auroville. Finally, in 1968, Auroville—"the City of Dawn"—was inaugurated. Sri Aurobindo told his followers that he envisaged a divine light for Auroville’s followers based on the new principle of the “Supermind"—the next great step in evolution, a step beyond the levels of matter, life, mind and the spirit that human beings have attained so far.

  The Mother, who continues Sri Aurobindo’s work after he passed on some years ago, has commented, “We are for a new creation, entirely new... a true adventure of which the goal is sure victory.” According to The Mother, the Matrimandir monument is the “soul of Auroville.” One can certainly see why this might be so. Here is how the booklet entitled Matrimandir Auroville describes the monument:

  A large golden sphere which seems to be breaking out of the earth symbolizes the birth of a new consciousness that is seeking to manifest. The Matrimandir stands in relation to Auroville as the soul stands to the human being.... The spacious Inner Chamber in the upper hemisphere will be the main focus-completely white, with white marble walls and white carpeting, and in the center a pure white crystal globe, suffused by a steady ray of sunlight falling on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere.

  The symbolic language of the Matrimandir is simple: silence... purity... a ray of light... a transparent globe. And the most important thing is this: the play of the sun on the center. Because that becomes the symbol—the symbol of future realizations.

  Since the pagans worshipped the great Sun God and since all occultists teach illumination by the spiritual “sun,” the emphasis on the sun and its rays in the above description is a dead giveaway that Matrimandir is undoubtedly a profound occultic monument.

  The Work at Auroville

  Sri Aurobindo taught what the Hindus call the Karma Yoga, which in its simplest definition means that a person must work to earn his or her divinity. Thus, Karma Yoga is the yoga of work. It can be understood then why the community of Auroville was built almost entirely with crude implements and tools wielded by the callused hands of hundreds of volunteers from Western countries. These were and are enthused disciples who trekked to this desolate site in South India thinking that they were doing both the Mother and the Divine Intelligence a service. In so doing, it was also their conviction that they were earning for themselves a share of deity.

  Auroville carries on a number of activities. For one thing, its residents run a small computer manufacturing unit. Also, there is the production and publishing of video tapes, books, and newsletters touting the Matrimandir monument and the works of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Auroville also works very closely with New Age environmental organizations, such as Earth Stewards. In its literature and other materials is the message that “a new evolutionary force is pressing upon the earth. A new urgency, pushing human consciousness to exceed its li
mits... forcing it to find a new light of understanding.”

  The Mother of Auroville

  The Mother, as she is called, is today worshipped even more than Sri Aurobindo it seems. Born in Paris on February 21, 1878, she herself wrote of her spiritual development: “Between 11 and 13 a series of psychic and spiritual experiences revealed to me not only the existence of God but the possibility of uniting with Him, of realizing him integrally in a life divine.”

  In her mid-20s The Mother traveled to Algeria where she became an avid student of occultism. Then, at the age of 36 she sailed to Pondicherry, India to meet Sri Aurobindo and become his disciple.

  Eventually she became almost a soul twin to him, and under her guidance the Sri Aurobindo Ashram grew into a community of some 1200 souls. A number of works have been published in the name of The Mother. Auroville residents are quick to credit her as being a wonderful, highly evolved Master almost without peer.

  The Mother and Numerology

  It seems that The Mother has a special fascination for occult numerology. For example, in the 1988 yearbook of Auroville International, The Mother waxed eloquent about the vital date of June 6, 1966. She noted that this was the sixth month, the sixth day, of the sixty-sixth year—or four sixes. “Four sixes—this represents the complete square of the creation... Four sixes this is very rare... this occurs only once in a century 6/6/66 is very important,” she wrote. The Mother also revealed that: