Mystics and Millennials: Examining Spiritual Practices in Early Adulthood
The nature of human existence has led itself to the questions of the universe. Optimism for the future of society or existential dread exists on a spectrum in considering the meaning of life. Millennials and Generation Z have distinct experiences shaped by the nature of the 21st century in the age of technology with the invention of the internet. I’ve taken interest in the ways in which young adults have come to understand the universe due to their experience with such profound access to information yet still adhering to norms imposed through interpersonal relationships and societal standards. In using the term alternative spiritual systems I am excluding major world religions and including belief in astrology, the healing nature of crystals and witchcraft or belief in the occult.The site of my research was a metaphysical supply shop named Crystals Garden located in downtown Manhattan which was also supplemented with interviews of individuals whose belief systems are informed by their experience as young adults in 2019.
Entering the Cosmos
I entered the outside section of Crystals Garden being enveloped in a sea of green and hearing the faint sound of rainsticks from the speakers inside. The plastic doors invited customers to a small aisle of all the plants for the eyes to meet from the left to the right and hanging above. The small succulents sat towards the bottom of each shelf and increased with size going up.I hesitated while my eyes traced over the many succulents, debating if I should add to my own plant collection in my dorm. A gold standing Buddha stood between the several pots of Aloe Vera, their leaves seeming imposing to the statue. Upon noticing the Aloe plants, I recognized it was all-encompassing of its nature as a metaphysical shop, due to its tough exterior revealing the thick gel inside. The objects sold in Crystal Garden are simply physical manifestations yet, they act as a medium for individuals to connect with their spirituality and seek healing.
I stopped abruptly upon entering the inside of the store, my eyes attempting to note and recognize the abundance of crystals and other objects. I bopped my head to the beat of the music that had changed from the sounds of rain and wooden flutes to a reggae song titled “Rasta Roots” evident from the iPhone logged into Spotify below a set of beads.The shop already had a sense of serenity to it with the feeling of being with nature and in the presence of so many spiritual objects. The metaphysical shops in Long Island I had visited in the past made me uncomfortable considering the auroa that a surrounded many customers with a voyeuristic perception of spiritual practices that differed significantly from their own. In contrast, Crystal Gardens was a whimsical and refreshing shop as a fellow Generation Z-er seeking to understand the world around me through the belief systems I’ve researched myself throughout my adolescence.
Crystals Galore
The extensive crystal collection ranged from small handheld sized to ones, some placed in casual containers others more precious stood in glass cases on display with small paper tags of their more expensive prices. Larger crystal hung over the wooden shelves with unexpected ease of an item as if they were levitating. My eyes scrolled back a few times before I stopped while walking down the narrow aisle to see several crystals shaped as genitals ranging in a small pocket-sized figurines to the more realistic shaped items. I was unsure if these were for literal use as sex toys or simply for the use of other crystals. The sexual nature of these crystals threw me off initially not that I find such topics odd but on first consideration, I made a second look. Upon reflection crystals of that shape would make sense considering that crystals are often used
Who Are These Young People?
The flow of customers in Crystal Gardens was initially slow when I first entered, but as the hour passed, it picked up. When I entered into the full store I heard the sole employee speaking in Spanish to a customer. Although I do not understand Spanish, the nature of the conversation included laughter and they maintained eye contact, relaxed posture and smiled throughout. The customer seemingly a man in his early thirties, had a sense of familiarity with the employee that led to my assumption that he was a regular in the store. As my eyes wander over the many glass cases of crystals, I heard “looking for something I could help with?” met with a warm smile as he continued to sweep the floor. I responded with a “thank you, but I’m just looking” and smiled to which he responded, “okay, let me know if you need anything”. He went from the back room into the aisles rearranging certain crystals and returning to the register periodically. I was struck by the degree to which he was so courteous to greet many customers that entered the small store, being so observant even as the tiny shop became filled with a crowd of early twenty-somethings. The shop filled with the noise of laughter and chatter, many of them also on their phones mid-conversation. Ranging past religious and spiritual practices, in comparison to Baby Boomers, the outlook of Millenials being informed by the fact of technology has drastically expanded their opportunities for socialization (O’Malley 2012).
I rarely saw individuals walk into Crystal Gardens alone, they often were paired with another person or several. The crowd was diverse along assumed racial and class lines. Some of the millennial customers appeared to attract a particular aesthetic of individuals. The clothing worn by a lot of the customers was what I ascribed to be quite characteristic of the East Village location. The loose clothes, different cropped and unconventional choice of patterns and colors combined screamed Brooklynite which was expected given its proximity. The clothes were of interest of me since I questioned, are there particular traits about appearance that would a fellow Millenial or member of Generation Z, to assume a person is into different spiritual systems or practices?
Past Sun Signs: Exploring Astrology of Today
I asked this question when sitting down with Hazza¹ on a Monday afternoon to discuss her own beliefs. I’ve known Hazza since childhood and our conversation concerning her spiritual beliefs and interest in astrology was one that is often a topic of discussion. In her personal definition of astrology, she cites what she considers the “basics” including star alignments, houses, planets. Astrology can provide an insight about oneself that may aid in answering the central question of the meaning of life for some (Ullal 2006). Tumblr has served as her primary introduction to astrology as well as posts about Wicca. Wicca is also referred to as witchcraft or paganism from Europe. Although she hasn’t visited any metaphysical shops in real life, she is interested to, considering her education on the subjects have revolved around the form of social media or blogs.Although some note a stigma among the belief in astrology, the internet has curated a following by many particularly aimed at Millennials and Generation X ( Beck 2018). She emphasizes the role of social media in spreading awareness among young people with a lack of judgment that she suspects would be at play if it were before the age of the internet.
I spoke with another close friend, Jade² about their spiritual practices in the Barnes and Nobles in Long Island that we often hang out at. We met by the books on spirituality and religion section that we typically find ourselves in. They begin showing me a book of tarot that they own. I’ve learned a lot concerning astrology, tarot and oracle cards with Jade over the past few years. Our conversation hinged on the basis of astrology apps such as Co-Star, The Pattern and Daily Horoscope. “Co-star was cute for a while, you know its aesthetic and all but, The Pattern!!!! Is it! they exclaim with wide eyes.Co-star’s tends to use this vague language that isn’t particularly productive as providing self-help advice and guidance- unlike The Pattern, who can’t relate.” The aesthetics for these apps as well as horoscopes on websites are essential for reaching more consumers. In the era of social media, appearance is beyond valued, its monetized and branding is an essential component in drawing the interest of Millennials and Generation X.
Retrograde
Often, we hear people complaining,likely, blaming Mercury in retrograde or other planetary retrogrades as the culprit for conflict and confusion in life. Retrogrades can act as a period of reflection concerning issues of self as well as with relationships with the illusion of a planet moving in reverse. I was challenged to expand my belief system to learn more of the many items I observed in Crystals Garden. I found in myself more of a sense of belonging when visiting this metaphysical shop than I anticipated. The environment of a metaphysical shop is important because you have the space to develop a sense of spirituality and healing practices with the aid of the objects sold such as crystals. The study would have been more expansive if I had the opportunity to interview the staff at Crystals Garden about their customers. I would have loved to explore the Urban Outfitter’s effect on spirituality. I use “Urban Outfitters” to describe the way in which spiritual practices marketed to Millennials and Generation Z that have been used for generations especially by marginalized communities that have become co-opted for capitalist consumption. I maintain interest in the spiritual systems individuals seek in order to make sense of the world around them and the evolution that occurs with each generation. The use of the internet appears central to the accessing of knowledge in developing spiritual practices of young adults and those in early adulthood that would otherwise struggle more to find beliefs outside of their social setting.
Reflection
When were first given the specifics of the final ethnography, I instantly wanted to study a subject of prior interest. As stated in my proposal, I intended to study astrology, tarot and oracle readings throughout New York City. My initial subculture was quite broad and I realized that being able to receive a reading would require access to a certain amount of money. I reviewed the assignment guidelines and realized I did not exactly have a fieldsite. The genre of ethnography is rooted in the sense of place found in the essence of the subculture being studied. I considered my own access to informants and knowledge considering the topic and settled on the subject of Millenials and members of Generation Z forming spirituality practices and the way in which it manifests in the age of the internet. I not only believe in astrology and the healing properties of herbs and crystals but, I was fascinated to learn more about the objects in the store and particularly the kinds of people that would frequent a metaphysical supply shop. Although I spent majority of my fieldwork at Crystals Garden, I visited and took not of two other metaphysical supply shops, one known for occult matters and the other known for the extensive collection of essential oils and herbs. I was disappointed initially when forced to acknowledge that my final ethnography is not best suited to address several shops considering the word count and demand that would put on the audience if it surpassed the guidelines. I am writing understanding that my audience, is educated about tarot which is a spiritual practice acknowledged in my paper.
In interviewing my friends concerning their spiritual practices, I realized just how influential we are to each others speech patterns. While re-listening to my audio recordings of the interviews I began to laugh at the degree to our personal language is adopting by those around us. While writing my first draft, it was incredibly disorganized. In restructuring my paper, I wanted to pay attention to the flow. Although I intended to participate in the extra credit assignment, I was unable to due to poor planning. I decided to start with my body paragraphs and then return to my introduction. I realized that my field notes may lead me in an unexpected direction and to follow them as I write. I decided on a subculture that was close in proximity yet, one that I intended to learn more about. I enjoyed the access I had while finding informants though, if I had more time it would have been great to interview the staff in Crystals Garden. I was pleasantly surprised that conducting fieldwork was not as intimidating as it seemed. I thought it would appear odd, standing in a shop, taking notes for a substantial period of time. I decided to take notes on my phone and just observed the store without any conflicts arising. I found the process of writing the ethnography challenging in the fact that you must consider the narrative, descriptive and analytic writing styles. Overall, I was pleased that I had the opportunity to learn more about young adults and their spiritual practices being shaped by living in the age of technology.
Writing for the Social Sciences Final Portfolio 