Readers of The Sun may be relieved to learn that the “new age” is dead; Time magazine killed it with a cover story in December of last year, summing up the ill-defined social phenomenon as “an essentially harmless anthology of illusions.” (Faithful Time readers may recall that it also killed God with a cover story a while back.) Personally, I couldn’t be happier about the demise of the new age; I think it may give us a chance to begin experiencing anew some of the esoteric spiritual practices that have been returned to modern consciousness under the new age rubric. Part of the necessary discipline in gaining this direct experience is stripping away the misinterpretations, popularizations, and marketing glitz that the American way immediately showers upon a good thing.