Opinions On Esoteric Practices Essays - Divination, Playing Cards

Opinions on Esoteric Practices ACCUPUNCTURE: this ancient oriental medical form is one of the few things available to help you on the market today that I have no qualms or arguments about, its simply application of stimuli to nerves to reduce pain or stress on other parts of the body that correspond in the 'wiring' of the human body. My only caution here is to always go to accupuncturists whoi are otherwise medically qualified as well, in case an error is made you still have the usual malpractice suit option (though I'm told errors with this skill are rare). ASTROLOGY: One of the oldest concepts in Esoterica is the design of a personal horoscope based on your birth information and the location of the planets and stars at it. I believe that the basics of astrology work, the determining of personality traits according to birth time and period are fairly accurate, but very general. On the other hand I would not put any scope into truly predicting the future via this becuase the whole theory behind it doesn't work any longer if they are using the present day calendar and symbols. The original basis of astrology was not 12 but 13 Astrological constellations, which were the predominant sign for each Lunar month (13 signs, 13 moon cycles to a year). The missing sign is the Snake or serpent (dependant on where in the world you were born) and it was the 13th house of the system, fitting, if I remember correctly, on one side of Scorpio. If anyone is claiming true accuracey and results using Astrology they must be ignoring the current calendar and co nverting back to the classical one. I don't doubt there are some who do just this, but they are not the majority. Never believe Mass-marketed horoscopes in books, magazines or newspapers...they pay no attention to the time you were born or actual day and thus lack the information on your ascendency sign. Again don't put all your faith into this nor your hard earned dollars that you can't afford to lose. Remember Hitler had an astrologer he followed dilligently, and so did Napoleon, neither got the result they wanted or expected accordingly. BIO-RHYTHMS: this one pretends to be on the verge of science, and has fooled the scientific elites several times. In actuality bio-rhythm's are a diffrent for of Numerology linked with erroneous Astrology theories and anatomical information. Quite frankly I don't know anyone who's managed to have a completely accurate result from this, except a hypocondriac who got sick whenever it said their health was going to be at a low level. Not worth spending money on in any event unless you've come into a winfall inheritance (and if you have I'll take it off your hands and put it to better use willingly!). CHANNELING: this I've looked at in depth and believe it is probably the worst thing to arrise in our New Age Movement. Channeling, for those of you who have no idea what it is, is the trading of your body temporarily so a dead being of some sort (or enlightened being from another plane of existance) can express its opinions to the world thru you. I have problems with this subject because it reminds me far too much of the false mediums and spiritualists of the 1920's who hoaxed so many people out of so much money by promising to contact dead relatives for bereaving widows and widowers. Modern day channelers instead promise contact with people you've never heard of for the most part, who claim to be from Atlantis, or Moo, or various other pre-Christian era locales and times that have advanced in their stage upon the road of enlightment to the point where the want to help others by presenting a theory of Love and sharing...including usually sharing your funds with the person doing the cha nneling in amounts ranging from $100 to $1500 for an hour or so of this conversation. Quite frankly I haven't seen much from any of the channelers in any way of true enlightment being given or even accurate prophecies about anything except their own popularity and growth as a new-wave religion. I truly believe that it is possible that there are honest, for-real people who can channel the spirits of the dead and other-world beings, but like I believe in most things in this field, if their asking more than a simple re-imbursment for their time and possibly travel time (say $25-50 for an hour) I would stay clear of them and keep the cash.