Why You’re Better Off Worshipping the Sun Than any Spiritual Teacher
Let me begin gently: if you absolutely must worship something, if you can’t live without worship, make it the sun. Yes, you heard right. The actual sun. The unapologetic, nuclear, life-sustaining fireball that rises every morning and sets every evening without asking you to upgrade your subscription. I promise I’ll explain.
But first, let’s put things in perspective: New Age spiritualists ALWAYS worship something. Even—especially—when they claim they’ve left worship behind.
They say they’ve stepped out of the traditional or religious cage. What they often mean is that they’ve redecorated it. They no longer kneel in churches; they kneel on yoga mats. They don’t confess to priests; they “share vulnerably in healing circles.” They don’t sing hymns beneath stained glass; they chant mantras and affirmations under the full moon with ceremonial cacao. The language evolves, but the posture remains.
Instead of a prophet, there’s a spiritual teacher. Instead of a pastor, there's a life coach with a tiger necklace and a Tesla. Instead of God, “Source.” Instead of sin, “low vibration.” And instead of tithing, there is investing in your "healing journey." Which brings us to money.
Not money, of course. Money sounds low vibe. It’s called abundance or manifestation now. Currency personally endorsed by the Universe. If it’s not flowing toward you, it’s not because of systemic inequality in a white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. No, my spiritual friend. It’s your scarcity wound. Definitely your nervous system. Absolutely your unhealed inner child who clearly hasn’t journaled enough. In other words: you didn’t think rich enough, your vibe’s too low, you need to invest in your healing. Equivalent to buying indulgences… Catholic Church, remember?
The idea sounds modern, but the logic is medieval.
Whenever I think about New Age spirituality, my mind goes straight to the golden calf. (Well, some Sunday school lessons do stick around.) The Israelites had just escaped Egypt (dramatic liberation, parted sea, the works) and were wandering the desert with Moses, their chosen leader, who promptly disappeared up Mount Sinai for a private chat with God. And he took his time.
Meanwhile, they gathered their gold. All of it: earrings, trinkets, sculptures, symbols—whatever glittered. They melted it down and built themselves a god they could see, touch, and organize their anxiety around.
Tell me that doesn’t feel familiar.
Every glittering fragment of every tradition—goddesses, gods, archetypes, rituals—went into one enormous spiritual cooking pot. Stir in astrology. Sprinkle some misunderstood quantum physics. Add a bit of Kundalini and Tantra, breathwork, a ceremonial drum, and a caption about ancestral remembrance. Out comes a handcrafted idol for the spiritually independent.
It looks eclectic, it feels liberated. It even smells ancient. But it functions exactly the same.
Whether in ancient times or today, humans still want something to kneel before. Preferably something charismatic. Preferably something that promises certainty. Preferably someone with a spiritual ego—pardon, spiritual aura—that blinds you from three kilometers away.
And well, who wouldn’t want a leader worth kneeling for? We live in uncertain times. It’s unsettling. What should we do, whom should we believe, and which yoga outfit should we choose for the next "108 Sun Salutations for ending poverty" class? So many questions.
If we are not sleeping under a huge stone or living our best life in willful ignorance, it feels like truth is pushing through the cracks of everything. Institutions wobble. Systems expose themselves. Illusions lose their grip. The stories we’ve collectively told ourselves are collapsing under their own weight and massive bullshit.
Let’s face it: manipulation, power hunger, and abuse in the spiritual and wellness industry are not unfortunate anomalies. They are structural outcomes. When one person claims special access to truth and consciousness, you create the perfect stage for spiritual ego and power abuse.
The scandals around spiritual teachers, gurus, masters, and coaches are not exceptional; they are predictable. And the manipulation and brainwashing of followers defending those abusive teachers? Not shocking — it’s the natural outcome of a system built on hierarchy, dependency, and spiritualized authority. It works. Highly effectively. When a corporate CEO exploits you, at least they rarely frame it as your soul contract. When a spiritual teacher does it, the harm becomes sacred. (I am not defending capitalism or exploitative CEOs here, just in case you wondered.)
Which brings me back to the sun.
The sun does not require your submission. It does not reinterpret your skepticism as misalignment. It does not charge 5,555 euros for proximity. It does not need testimonials about how it changed your life. It just burns. It radiates and sustains. It has been here long before your spiritual coach, guru, or master and will be here long after their final retreat. The sun does not care if you believe in it. It does not grow stronger when you kneel.
And that is precisely the point.
If worship feels dramatic to you, call it reverence. Direct your awe toward something that does not benefit from your obedience. Maybe a stone, maybe a tree. Why not the ocean? None of them need your devotion to exist. None of them manipulate your longing. None of them abuse you or monetize your existential crisis. They simply are.
You might think I am cynical. Maybe I am. Maybe I am just sober. It’s my simple conclusion, after being exposed to the wellness industry and spiritual coaches of every kind and coleur for waaaay too long.
You see, humans are wildly creative. The mind is a master architect of meaning. And an even better defense attorney for its own illusions. We can turn control into guidance, projection into prophecy, and ego into enlightenment. We can melt every golden crumb we find into something that reflects our desire back to us. And then we call it spirituality.
Meanwhile, the sun rises unbothered.
Hello, World!
