New Age

A combination of theories and philosophical doctrines based around the advent of the so-called Age of Aquarius (or the New Age). What was initially solely a spiritual doctrine evolved into a wide-scale success, as new age themes created or relaunched authentic styles of life and thought, marked by a relaxed vision of existence and its characteristics. New Age music describes in comforting notes the relationship between nature and humankind. During the last few years, many designers have presented collections inspired by soft colors, the most natural materials possible and the unambiguous simplicity inherent in New Age beliefs, in distinct contrast with the noisy and jostling styles of other collections and fashions. Based on a classification of time that takes its origins from the position of the sun amongst the constellations, it was precisely the arrival of the sun in the constellation of Aquarius (in the mid-1970s) that globally launched the complex doctrine that spiritualists had known and practiced for very many years. New Age was diffused throughout the world through music, writings of spiritual philosophers (in particular the world best-seller by James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy) and above all the birth of thousands of groups of thought and philosophy that drew on this life theory in a direct or indirect way. The philosophy seeks to expand as far as possible the individual’s spirituality, it is opposed to the Christian religion (and is in turn bitterly opposed), widening the concept of God to the single individual and all individuals, it professes to believe in reincarnation and pays great attention to the Oriental philosophers. A principal characteristic of New Age is that the search for knowledge is replaced by the search for wisdom, which is obtained through all disciplines of human activity, from the economy (with the massive relaunch of environmental issues and the search for a different relationship between man and the environment), to politics (emphasizing cooperation between individuals), to medicine (privileging the use of natural remedies). Psychology is fundamental, strongly underlining values that transcend the individual and allow room for so-called paranormal phenomena.