Mar 18, 2025 - News

Leah Sottile's new book explores New Age spirituality

Meira Gebel

A book titled Blazing Eye Sees All by Leah Sottile lies on wet green grass. Its black cover features gold text, a stylized eye illustration, and a rainbow light effect. Raindrops are visible on the book. — The book dives into popular figures throughout the decades like Helena Blavatsky, J. Z. Knight and Amy Carlson. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios

Portland-based author and journalist Leah Sottile's latest book, "Blazing Eye Sees All," comes out next week and explores the rise of New Age spiritualism and its appeal to women and influence on contemporary politics.

The big picture: Sottile, who has written about religious extremism for years, dives into popular figures throughout the decades like Helena Blavatsky, J. Z. Knight and Love Has Won's Amy Carlson.

They all gained dedicated followers who viewed them as enlightened prophets with the keys to spiritual awakening.

What she's saying: "These people, they're very, very financially successful because they have these big schools and these followers who come to them needing and paying for answers," Sottile told Axios.

"So I've kind of tried to understand, at what point did it stop being about spirituality and start being about money?"

What's inside: Sottile's reporting found that women who look for personal fulfillment outside of mainstream religious institutions can fall under "the New Age umbrella," which frequently overlaps with vaccine skepticism, hyper-nationalism and conspiracy theories.

"Things that present as love and light, like the common expression in New Ageism," can pull people in, she said, but it "can be damaging."

If you go: Sottile will discuss the book in conversation with High Country News reporter B. "Toastie" Oaster at Powell's Books on March 27 at 7pm.

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Leah Sottile's new book explores New Age spirituality

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