How New Age Spirituality Took Over The Wellness Industry

But in the rush to chase “good vibes,” many Americans, particularly young women, are unknowingly engaging in practices that mirror ancient occult traditions long warned against in Scripture. What was once niche or taboo has been rebranded as therapeutic, aesthetic, and empowering. New Age spirituality has infiltrated the modern wellness industry, and practices like energy healing, manifestation, and crystal therapy offer not spiritual healing, but a counterfeit to truth.

Mystical Goes Mainstream in Wellness

It’s no exaggeration to say New Age ideas have seeped into our cultural water supply. Roughly six in ten Americans now hold at least one New Age belief​—things like believing in psychics, reincarnation, astrology, or that “spiritual energy” can reside in objects like mountains or crystals. Even self-identified Christians are not immune; in fact, four in ten Americans (including many regular churchgoers) believe in the spiritual power of physical objects such as crystals​. In the wellness world, this surge is impossible to miss. You can book a $150 Instagram tarot reading as easily as a therapy session. Trendy shops sell healing gemstones alongside supplements. Yoga classes include talk of chakras and auras. There’s even evidence that demand for amethyst and rose quartz healing crystals briefly outpaced demand for diamonds in 2020​. In an age of uncertainty, people are looking beyond traditional faith and medicine, hoping that these ancient practices will offer comfort, control, or a sense of connection.

Why now? Sociologists point to several reasons. The internet has made mystical practices more accessible, connecting seekers with every niche spiritual advice forum and TikTok astrologer​. Declining participation in organized religion has left a spiritual vacuum that many try to fill with DIY spirituality​. And after years of global instability—pandemics, political turmoil—who wouldn’t be tempted by something that promises “positive energy” and personal meaning in a chaotic world​? New Age spirituality, with its emphasis on personal transformation and “the universe” having your back, offers itself as an attractive antidote to anxiety. It feels inclusive and customizable: mix a little Eastern mysticism with some folk healing and a dash of psychology, and tailor your own belief system. The wellness industry has eagerly embraced this trend, because it sells. There’s always a new crystal, angel number, essential oil, or spiritual workshop to buy when people are searching for healing of body and soul.

Yet what’s branded as holistic wellness often looks eerily similar to practices the Bible calls out as occult. The packaging may be pretty, but we must be discerning about the contents within. Before we sip another “chakra balancing” tea or download a horoscope app, let’s unpack some popular New Age wellness practices, and discuss why a Christian cannot simply blend them into our pursuit of health.

Tarot, Astrology, and the Temptation of Hidden Knowledge

Once upon a time, consulting a tarot card reader or astrologer was seen as something for fortune-teller tents at the county fair. Now, tarot and astrology have been rebranded as tools for self-discovery and mental health. Influencers tout pulling a daily tarot card as a form of journaling or therapy. What was once confined to metaphysical shops is now offered through subscription apps, Instagram bookings, and branded workshops, often under the guise of “spiritual coaching” or “cosmic wellness.” 

Platforms like Co–Star and Sanctuary rake in millions by delivering personalized horoscopes, while influencers charge premium rates for tarot readings framed as mental health support. These services are often bundled with journals, crystals, and online courses, creating an ecosystem of monetized mysticism. The result is a billion-dollar market that sells spiritual insight as a lifestyle brand—profitable, aesthetically pleasing, and dangerously detached from biblical truth. Astrology birth charts are said to offer personality insights. It’s pitched as “just a fun way to reflect, not predicting the future.” After all, one popular tarot writer insists, “You’re not predicting the future – you’re really just exploring” as a form of introspection​. That might sound harmless, even enlightened. Who doesn’t love a little mystery with their meditation?

But let’s call tarot and astrology what they traditionally are: divination. Tarot cards have been used for centuries to seek knowledge of the future or unknown by spiritual means. Astrology looks to the stars for guidance about human affairs. No matter the modern spin, these practices hinge on accessing hidden knowledge from spiritual sources outside of God. And Scripture is crystal clear on this. “Let no one be found among you who…practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens” or contacts the spiritual realm apart from God’s revelation (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). In fact, the Bible flat-out calls these practices “detestable” or an abomination. Why? Because they attempt to gain guidance or power apart from the Lord, often by consulting counterfeit spirits.

A tarot reading framed as self-care is still inviting guidance from somewhere—and a Christian must ask, where? 1 John 4:1 warns: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” The very need to test implies some spirits deceive. If God’s Word explicitly forbids seeking omens and hidden knowledge, then even a seemingly benign tarot “just for insight” falls outside what He approves. It’s like a poisoned apple coated in organic sugar: the presentation may be new and improved, but the core is the same old temptation – “You will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). The desire for secret knowledge apart from God has always been a quick path to spiritual trouble.

Astrology, too, encourages us to put faith in birth dates and planetary positions rather than in God’s providence. Reading your horoscope or Zodiac might feel empowering or comforting (“Mercury is why I’m in a funk, not my poor decisions!”), but it edges God out of the picture of your life. The stars don’t actually control your destiny, the Creator of those stars does. The Bible recounts times when Israel fell into astrology and divination, and every time it led them away from God and into disaster (see 2 Kings 21:6, for example). As enticing as it is to feel in the know about cosmic secrets, remember that even if tarot or astrology seem to “work” or give insight, that doesn’t mean the source is holy. “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). In other words, not everything that appears insightful, positive, or enlightening is from God. A tarot spread might occasionally hit on something true or make you feel seen—that’s the hook. Once you’re hooked, you start relying on the cards or the stars instead of prayer, Scripture, and wise counsel. It’s a spiritual bait-and-switch, and the cost can be your peace and trust in God.

Crystals, Energy Healing, and the Illusion of Control

Alongside tarot decks, the wellness world is soaked in talk of “energy.” We’re told we can raise our vibration, align our chakras, cleanse our auras, and banish negativity with the right tools and techniques. At upscale spas you can get a Reiki energy healing session or a crystal layout on your back to “rebalance” you. Health food stores stock healing crystals said to relieve anxiety or attract love. Even essential oils, which in themselves are simply concentrated plant extracts, are sometimes marketed with mystical flair, advertised not just to scent your home or soothe a headache, but to “align your energy” or “center your spirit.” It’s as if every natural object or practice must now have a supernatural oomph behind it.

The ultimate question is, do crystals actually heal? Scientific evidence says no: “There is no evidence that crystal healing works over and above a placebo effect,” notes Christopher French, head of a University of London who conducted a study where participants meditated with either real quartz crystals or fake ones indistinguishable from the real thing. The results showed that both groups reported similar sensations, suggesting that the perceived effects were due to the power of suggestion rather than the crystals themselves. In other words, if you feel calmer or happier carrying a rose quartz, it’s likely because you believe in it, not because of any measurable energy emanating from the stone​. Crystals are beautiful pieces of God’s creation, but nowhere do the laws of physics hint that amethyst can cure insomnia or citrine can boost creativity. Any benefit is psychological, which is to say, the power is in your mind’s response, not in the rock. 

If you earnestly believe waving a selenite wand around your head clears your “bad vibes,” you might indeed feel a bit brighter, temporarily. But emotional or perceived results don’t justify spiritual compromise. To a Christian, using crystals or energy rituals for healing isn’t harmless play-acting. It’s effectively putting faith in an object or ritual instead of in God’s power and providence. That veers into idolatry (giving to a created thing the trust we should give the Creator). It also drifts toward animism, the ancient pagan belief that objects and nature contain spirits or powers. The Bible makes a sharp distinction: humans and animals have the “breath of life,” but rocks and inanimate objects do not (Genesis 2:7, 1:30). They are part of creation, not containers of spiritual force. Treating a crystal like a little god that can bless you is the very error pagans fell into throughout history, worshiping the created thing rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25).

Not everything that feels good is good for you, especially when it comes to spiritual health. A momentary mood boost from a crystal or energy healer might actually be luring you to depend on something other than God.

Consider Reiki, energy healing techniques, and even forms of applied kinesiology. Practitioners, often holistic, claim to channel a universal life force to heal or relax clients. Yet this concept of manipulating unseen life energy (chi, qi, prana) is fundamentally religious, rooted in Eastern mysticism. Reiki, for instance, involves symbols and spirit guides according to its founders. No surprise, then, that Christians who have exited the New Age movement often report that energy healing opened them up to disturbing spiritual experiences. Even if you don’t see anything spooky in a Reiki session, you are giving a stranger spiritual access to your body and mind—essentially an invitation for any spirit (good or bad) to show up. The Bible strongly cautions against engaging spiritual forces outside of God’s authority. We are taught to “take up the whole armor of God” against spiritual evil (Ephesians 6:11), not invite unknown energies to flow through us. If a practice requires you to suspend discernment and just “feel the energy,” that’s a red flag. Feelings can deceive. That “warmth and light” someone experiences during energy healing could be nothing more than the power of suggestion, or it could be an angel of light imposter doing the minimum to keep you coming back for more (2 Cor. 11:14). The spiritual realm is unknown—let’s leave it that way.

The same goes for aura reading and obsession with “vibes.” It’s wonderful to create a peaceful atmosphere at home or to seek friendships that are uplifting. But pop culture has turned the vague concept of “good vibes” into a quasi-spiritual principle: if something feels positive, it must be spiritually fine; if it feels negative, toss it out. This is a dangerously subjective moral compass. After all, temptations often feel good at first. Evil rarely presents itself with a neon warning sign; it comes camouflaged as something desirable. The Bible says Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light precisely because that’s how you bait a trap—make it shiney. By basing everything on feelings and “vibrations,” people end up chasing a form of spirituality that has no agenda to call out sin or discipline the soul, rather the opposite. It all centers around self-gratification in the moment. That’s strikingly contrary to the Christian idea of sanctification, which ultimately is refining with fire through conviction and repentance but leads to true peace and Christ likeness (Hebrews 12:11).

A tool gaining traction in holistic practices is the ZYTO scan, a device that measures galvanic skin response (GSR) and bodily energy to suggest potential health concerns like food sensitivities, mold exposure, or immune dysfunction. Marketed as “biocommunication,” it claims to detect energetic imbalances and generate personalized wellness reports. However, medical experts and regulatory agencies have raised significant concerns about its scientific validity, even in depth research has been conducted concluding that galvanic skin testing cannot “determine a person’s health status or strategies for health improvement.” In June 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to ZYTO Technologies, stating that the company lacked the necessary approval to market the device for diagnosing conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, and melanoma. Beyond clinical unreliability, ZYTO’s system draws on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concepts of meridians, pathways through which life-force energy, or “qi,” is believed to flow. The company itself even houses resources promoting crystal healing and other New Age centric practices.

Applied Kinesiology (AK), or “muscle testing,” is another practice that may seem clinical but often veers into New Age thinking. Originally developed in the 1960s by chiropractor George Goodheart, AK was meant to assess muscle function, especially in sports medicine. But outside that narrow use, it’s frequently adopted by holistic and alternative practitioners to diagnose everything from food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies to emotional trauma and “energetic imbalances.” 

Practitioners lay supplements on the body then press on a patient’s arm or ask them to hold a vial, claiming the body will react based on subtle energy changes and that the body “knows what it needs.” One wellness site puts it plainly: “Your body picks up on energy—be it from food, emotions, people or places. Through muscle testing, we can access this information from your body’s energy field.” This language isn’t rooted in science; it reflects a New Age worldview that treats the body as a kind of spiritual antenna.

Research shows that muscle testing is unreliable and unscientific. A 2024 Psychology Today review stated, “Muscle testing is an unreliable tool… many studies have demonstrated that AK has no diagnostic value.” Results vary widely between practitioners and can even change from moment to moment. The tester’s expectations, or even subtle shifts in pressure, can influence the outcome, making it no better than guesswork. The danger increases when AK is used as a substitute for real diagnostics. Some practitioners use it to justify extreme elimination diets, expensive supplement plans, or unproven treatments without any lab testing or medical oversight. No reputable physician would diagnose based on muscle strength shifts tied to holding a vial or a bottle. If a clinician is basing serious health decisions on muscle testing alone, that’s a red flag—one that often signals not just bad science, but spiritual confusion too.

What about essential oils, then? Oils are a grey area because they’re not inherently spiritual. Using lavender oil to help relax or lemon oil to scent your kitchen is perfectly fine and can be part of God’s provision through nature. But we cross a line if we start believing these oils have mystical powers or if we treat them like a replacement for prayer and even competent medical care. There is even little to no science backing essential oils with health claims. Unfortunately, the New Age movement has heavily infiltrated the essential oil and aromatherapy market. 

Many companies promote oils with claims of balancing your chakras or warding off “negative energy.” Using oils for such purposes dovetails with the same energy-healing worldview we’ve been discussing. If someone says an oil blend will “open your third eye” or manifest abundance, a Christian should hear alarm bells. 

By all means, enjoy God’s natural gifts—Scripture itself mentions fragrant oils used for gladness and healing (Psalm 45:7, James 5:14). But don’t attribute to them a spiritual efficacy they do not have. Remember, physical tools can support wellness, but true healing, especially of the heart and soul, comes from God. No frankincense or diffuser combo can substitute for the work of the Holy Spirit or heal your chronic pain. 

Placebo Power, Profits, and Psychological Pitfalls

With so many holes to poke in these health and wellness trends, one might wonder: why do they remain so popular? Part of the answer is the placebo effect: the well-documented phenomenon that if we believe we are doing something to help ourselves, we often feel better, at least temporarily. Human psychology is powerful. For example, a person might swear that a Reiki energy healing session “cured” their back pain or that wearing a certain crystal necklace eases their anxiety. Scientifically, the crystal or the practitioner’s hand motions did nothing directly, but the act of receiving care, relaxing for an hour, and expecting improvement can genuinely reduce stress and pain perception. In these cases, the benefit is coming from within the person (their mind and body’s natural response), not from the object or magic involved. Even proponents admit that these modalities may simply help induce relaxation or a positive mindset​. There’s nothing wrong with feeling better, the danger is attributing all the credit to the crystal or energy field, and then trusting it for more serious matters.

There’s also a strong element of marketing and profit driving the New Age wellness boom. The “spiritual self-care” industry has monetized everything under the sun (and moon!). Want your aura cleansed? That’ll be $200 for a weekend workshop. Need high-vibration skin care? Try a $80 jade roller infused with good energy. From pricy healing crystals (the global crystal market is valued in the billions) to online manifestation courses, there is big money in selling spiritual experiences. In the U.S. alone, psychic services (like readings, astrology, etc.) now rake in over $2 billion a year​, thanks to growing consumer acceptance. The Law of Attraction movement itself has spawned an empire of books, coaching, and seminars, often enriching the “gurus” far more than the followers. As one clinical psychologist noted, these trends “open the door to pseudoscientific health and life advice, earning billions for unscrupulous fraudsters.”​

In other words, many so-called wellness experts have a financial interest in keeping people hooked on their manifesting journals, supplement regimens, or enchanted talismans.

Ironically, some who reject organized religion for being “too focused on money” might not realize how much commercialism pervades the New Age wellness scene. At least with a gym membership or a doctor’s visit, you generally know what you’re paying for. But when you’re buying a $50 bundle of healing crystals or paying for recurring biofeedback scans, it’s hard to quantify what you’re getting, apart from hope. And hope, while emotionally powerful, shouldn’t have a 300% markup. The placebo effect can’t justify emptying wallets for ineffective products. Moreover, chasing one mystical fix after another can become psychologically exhausting. Some folks end up on a hamster wheel of wellness fads. Today it’s a copper pyramid for meditation, tomorrow it’s a past-life regression therapy. Always searching, yet never finding lasting peace or healing. Disillusionment and even anxiety can set in when promised transformations don’t materialize, or when one begins to fear unseen “negative energies” everywhere. Mental health professionals warn that investing too much belief in these methods can create a form of dependency and magical thinking that undermines a person’s ability to cope with reality in healthy ways​. For instance, if someone is convinced their success solely hinges on maintaining high vibrations, a normal bad day or failure can trigger disproportionate stress or self-blame. In the end, the journey to wellness detours into frustration or even harm.

The Spiritual and Psychological Toll

It’s not just theological nitpicking to warn against these practices, there are real spiritual and psychological consequences at stake. Spiritually, engaging in occult or New Age practices opens one up to deception. When people of the Bible days dabbled in sorcery or consulted mediums, it didn’t end well (ex. King Saul in 1 Samuel 28). God doesn’t forbid witchcraft, sorcery, and divination to kill our fun; He does it to protect us from harmful spiritual forces and from our own tendency to chase lies. Remember our flesh can not be trusted. If all truth and wisdom comes from God, then seeking it elsewhere inevitably leads to falsehood. Many ex-New Agers will tell you that what started as “love and light” eventually led them into darkness—night terrors, obsessive thoughts, even paranormal disturbances—until they renounced those practices. Now, not everyone feels those dramatic effects, but even a subtler outcome is destructive: you slowly distance yourself from a humble, trusting relationship with God. You start to think you have all the tools to fix your life (just manifest harder! buy another crystal!). God becomes an afterthought or one option among many. 

Psychologically, studies have found some troubling correlations. One large study in Australia surveyed young adults and noted that those involved in New Age spirituality (versus traditional faith) had higher rates of anxiety, depression, and even antisocial behavior​. In fact, young people with New Age beliefs were twice as likely to be anxious or depressed than those with more traditional religious beliefs​. Why might that be? The researcher, Dr. Rosemary Aird, suggested it’s partly because New Age practices are so self-focused—all about self-transformation, self-fulfillment, self-healing​. That can breed isolation. Traditional faith often comes with community, accountability, and an external source of truth, whereas New Age spirituality tends to be a solo journey of piecing together whatever beliefs suit you​. The downside is you’re essentially on your own, constructing meaning as you go. When life gets tough, that house of cards can collapse, leaving confusion and loneliness. Chasing one esoteric healing trend after another can also create a constant sense of instability—today you’re aligning chakras, tomorrow you’re consulting a shaman, next week it’s a past-life regression. It’s ever-changing, so there’s no solid ground. Your worldview is in flux, and that’s not a recipe for true peace.

True Healing Requires Discernment and Truth

The wellness industry promises a form of salvation: health, happiness, wholeness—essentially, “your best life now.” It’s no surprise that it has latched onto New Age spirituality, because these practices promise healing and enlightenment while conveniently avoiding concepts like sin, repentance, or surrender to a higher authority. It’s feel-good self-help for the soul, with you in the driver’s seat. But the truth is, trading biblical discernment for trendy spiritual fixes is a false path to healing. As a Christian woman, I believe our generation is hungry for real wellness, something that cares for body and soul without selling our souls. We want peace, we want to feel safe and whole. The irony is that the farther we stray into New Age territory, the more elusive genuine peace becomes.

The Bible offers a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7), but it comes through Christ, through reconciliation with God and living in line with His design. By contrast, New Age wellness offers peace that depends on keeping candles lit, crystals cleansed, and tarot cards handy—a peace that is fragile, always one ritual away from collapse. Ultimately, New Age practices can become spiritual bondage dressed up in wellness attire. They promise control: do this ritual, get that result—but end up controlling you. You start fearing that without your crystals or energy cleanse, you’ll fall apart. That’s not freedom or health; that’s spiritual slavery.

In Deuteronomy 18:10–12, God strongly warned Israel not to imitate the occult practices of the surrounding nations, calling them detestable. That ancient warning is strikingly relevant today. The trappings have changed (we have apps and influencers instead of altars and idols), but the core issue is the same. Will we seek truth and healing on God’s terms, or on our own terms? The wellness trends of today basically say, “Do it on your own terms. Mix, match, and consume whatever spiritual product makes you feel good.” But a believer’s call is to do it on God’s terms, trusting that He is good. Sometimes that means rejecting a cultural trend outright; other times it means using discernment to extract what is beneficial (e.g. healthy eating, exercise, rest are all good!) and throw out the occult or idolatrous aspects.

In practice, that could look like this: Enjoy yoga stretches for fitness if you like, but skip the Hindu mantras. Use essential oils for a nice-smelling home, but don’t rely on them to ward off evil or cure serious illness (pray for wisdom and seek medical care instead). Savor God’s creation in nature, but don’t charge your crystals under the full moon expecting magic. In short, keep the Creator-creature distinction clear. Steward creation well; worship the Creator only. Seek medical and psychological help for wellness; pray for God’s guidance and healing; and let go of the notion that you can manipulate the universe into giving you what you want or cheat your way out of your numbered days.

New Age spirituality may have taken over much of the wellness industry, but it mustn’t take over our hearts and minds. We can be bold and discerning, benefiting from what’s good in wellness trends while firmly rejecting what is not of God. The next time you encounter a crystal or a friend raves about her tarot reading, remember that looking within or to the stars for healing will only get you so far. Ground your spirituality in Scripture, not in the shifting sands of New Age ideas. In doing so, you’re not being uptight or closed-minded—you’re choosing substance over show, truth over trend. And ultimately, you’re choosing the kind of deep, lasting wellness that no amount of sage-burning or positive vibes can ever deliver. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” that’s a promise (John 8:32). Hold onto that, and you won’t be swayed by the glitter of the latest spiritual craze. True healing and peace are found not in crystals or cards, but in Christ. That’s one wellness truth that will never change.