The weird thing about Serenity Signalling is that the people who do it are usually so strung out. The higher the incidence of “live, laugh, love” posts, the more likely they are to be enraged at their friend forgetting the name of their cat. Or firing off “never mind, I knew you would not get it” snippy texts.
They may not be Buddhist, but they’ll have the statue because it’s fantastic for Serenity Signalling.
The most prolific Serenity Signallers are Chaos Addicts who moonlight as Energy Vampires when they’re low on resources. They mindfully nurture their resentments until they’re at Grudge Flashpoint and ready to be released in a blame-storming session. And, because they’re brooding in the lotus position or sulking in Savasana, it’s totally fine.
If you call them out for anything, they’ll say it’s just your non-alignment, heart chakra, or low spiritual evolution. Your fault, in other words. Serenity Signallers will steal your time, money, content, or friends and then tell you that you need to chill. Or be more light-filled, like them. Their theft is not problematic – your attachment is the issue here.
They want you to let go and go with the flow, but it has to be their flow. You may even be featured in a Serenity Signalling post, not by name but as “dark energy” that the person is having to breathe through or send healing energy toward.
Thoughts?
The west coast is overrun with these people
South park has a funny episode about these people they call them the hippie liberal douche..the people are so annoying and fucking exhausting and seem not to realize how rude they are or care
So funny and real I have to re read to laugh more.
As from 2020 all these head banging nuros that were in my world have been terminated..
Always felt that those who utter “Namaste” at every turn are the biggest drama lovers and chaos addicts of all. Together with those who announce they hate drama. Usually not.
Sounds specific, LOL. It borders on gaslighting.
Oh hell yeah!!!
These types that resent you working through your shadow stuff, by calling it,
Dwelling in the negative
Or rehashing…
I thank the new AGE every day for Debbie Ford!
Spiritual bypassing on steroids. GAAAHHHHHH!!!
Thanks for articulating something that was really confusing me in a certain relationship ha!
So real, and of course they are self proclaimed and never externally named “empaths” who just ~need~ a lot of space and extra care especially after something like having to see a homeless person drains all their energy so they have to go shopping to restore the vibes.
Lol, I so love this! YES. This LLL business has always grated upon me big time and I thought I was the only one secretly barfing over it. What sort of bizarre astrological placement can lead to this sort of vacuous toxic positivity anyway?? I’m guessing they’re lacking in Scorp sensibilities.
This is so spot-on. I laughed so much I nearly choked on my new Cosmic Coffee (yes its a thing I bought it while up in Port Douglas last week – can never resist a fun name) I get suss when I see someone’s posts all being light & sparkles. And nothing else. Good Vibes and positive affirmations are great but…….is there any actual human (vulnerable, snarky, up & down, pissed off) living there, because if you don’t share actual real gritty grotty musing, well I’m thinking you’re prob a wind-up automata masquerading. Perhaps its my Scorpio Moon but sometimes you gotta get into the dirt and play with your shadow or at the very least have an occasional cry/bout of existentialist angst or sadness. Oversharing of problems is not always the best remedy on social media but it can often start a dialogue with others which can be rich and rewarding. So many of us keep too much pain hidden and much of what happens can be taboo – sharing that you miscarried and aren’t coping can allow others to share that they too have been there. Talking about death and grief can be very cathartic but its not light and sparkles and many turn away and mutter how you are bringing the Vibe down and need to lighten up. I don’t catch up with friends to talk about what Nail polish colour is the Now Thang or how sparkly my aura is when I have coffee(cosmic or otherwise) in the “real world” so why should it be any different in the virtual world.
I once shared a house with a guy who ran Buddhist meditation classes in a big house. The rent was cheap as he used the main part of the house as a large meditation hall. I didn’t mind. The space was nice.
But this guy was annoying. Always going on about Buddhism. I told him constantly I was sick of hearing about it. He was like a born again Buddhist. He would not listen.
But for 2 weeks we had the honour of housing a Buddhist Lama from Cambodia. He was the real deal. I remember meeting him, at the time I was traumatised.
He spoke my name tenderly and I felt it was my passed over mum speaking through him. OMG he opened my heart. I could cry.
I thought he couldn’t speak much English. My housemate spoke and he rarely replied.
One day he gave me a blessing-healing. It was phenomenonal.
One night a group of us took the lama to a trendy cake cafe as the lama loved rich, decadent chocolate cake.
And later that night the lama and I were alone for 5 minutes in the car and he spoke to me in very good, grounded English. He was so down to earth. He didn’t mince his words either.
I was lucky to have had that experience.
He must be met with trials of that nature often in his journey. Whenever ego meets spiritual work in such a way that someone who touts themselves as an expert, gutu or mentor talks about it more than they demonstrate it, and especially if they exhibit jealousy of other’s gifts or talents, I take many steps back and note that this person may have more work to do on themselves yet. And most importantly, I don’t have to be part of their journey.
Dialed in.
This might sound inflammatory but this post can be translated and applied to a lot of Christian folks too. They affix all apprioriate car and home decor crap that signals how special their relationship is to Jesus while simultaneously screaming at their trans teen that Jesus hates fags. When I see all the bible-ology and Xristofanatic I get my robot Aquarius on and flatline that juju.
Omg I’m so embarrassed I think I might be one of these at times, totally not intentionally! Oddly enough, this moon cycle has been illuminating it for me!! It’s true, sometimes the Qi vamp is actually you.. Work in progress.. Cancer/cap rising/Aquarius moon.
Dont be embarrassed. At least you are honest and self aware.
Oh I rode the New Age wave when I was traumatised, lost and searching.
Some concepts helped me st the time. Some prolonged my delusions. I just wasn’t ready to face my stuff.
I did develop spiritually in my own way which was good. I grew up working class and these concepts were laughed at and seemed so self indulgent. So they opened me up and helped me accept my Neptune ruled qualities. I did meet a lot of very interesting people. And I grew through these experiences.
But I really enabled the serenity signallers as I had no boundaries. And I suffered their passive aggressive slurs. Now I just avoid them like the plague.
But if I came across a young person searching, or a traumatised person searching and talking about new age stuff I would smile warmly and engage with them. I was them in a previous life.
These conversations are sometimes so beautiful and I do learn from them.
It’s the blowhards I walk away from.
100%
I once called out someone’s behaviour on twitter in a general way – like people who do that- vibe.
When the person I was mad at confronted me I snapped that “not every is about you you know!”
It was totally about them.
made me larf so hard i nearly hit my head on the desk!
BRILLIANT, mystic.
have been teaching a free meditation class at my local community centre, just as an entry into a career that heads into serenity territory. a student today told me that she loves the class because, “there’s none of that fake buddha sh!t with you.” made me Very Happy to hear.
i know this type all too well…my bullsh!t-o-meter goes off the scale and i slink quietly away 😉
None of that fake Buddha shit. This is Gold.
GOLD
So FUNNY. Some of the most toxic groups I manage (I’m an online community manager) are “new age”. They virtue signal, flounce (threaten to leave the group), and say the cruellest things ie “your karma is so bad you deserve to get cancer”. Not all of them but the nice, spiritual, helpful, evolved ones tend to quietly quit while the drama games are going on. These “i’m more evolved than you are” groups are very passive aggressive and tougher to deal with than most groups I manage including political ones. #justsayin.
Currently assigned to the metaphysics section at work and I see at least a dozen of this type everyday and there’s at least one a week that outdoes the rest. Obviously, they are a*holes as customers.
You have a works ‘metaphysics’ department ?
I’m guessing the workplace is a bookstore!
Or a library
Ah yeah bingo!
I wish my old school, dinosaur, bureaucrat workplace had a metaphysics department. I might unilaterally set one up in my office! But yes, I imagine the serenity signalling type might well frequent such an area
chrysalis: I might argue that a Piscean in the workplace IS the metaphysics department 😉 xxx
<3 xxx
As a Pisces, I totally agree. Yes, the crystal shop is here, cards, check my bag and phone for the latest podcasts, books and fowloads. Always linking Merc Retro to project resched/rescoping! 😆😂
I love Seinfeld. It’s the only thing on TV that makes sense and makes me belly laugh.
“ why are hippies always so angry?”
A question I remember being asked way back in 1992…
Social media has made it so much worse
Dismissive positivity, toxic positivity (ONLY positive thinking allowed, to the superstitious level, like the superficial understanding of LOA), spiritual bypassing, all of it….ugh. The only friend I have up here in the new area I’m living in pulled all of this sh*t with me and it left me feeling so alienated at a time when I can really use some friends and support and community. The kicker is that she’s had a lot of serious hardships in her life, too, and still that didn’t foist her into reality about how to deal with difficult stuff in life and trauma. I think she’s able to convince herself into this la-la land easily because she smokes a lot of marijuana. Also, she unloads hours of stories onto me about awful things that have happened in her life but never wants to hear about what’s happened in mine and flicks it all away with telling me to think positively. She doesn’t practice what she preaches, as someone said below, actions and words don’t match. So disappointing…. I’ve known her for 15 years. I’m down to zero friends at this point in a new city. It’s stifling.
😀 Wow, my SIL. She is a spectacular Drama Queen & Chaos Addict, but seems to have finally slowed her descent into complete soap opera theatre.
While lying to her family about sleeping with strippers, marrying her second husband (found out on Fbook), and being trapped in another country due to having a beautiful child with a local (1st husband), her feed was full of enlightening lists decorated with buddhas & dancing Shivas.
In her defense, she may honestly believe this wisdom comes from Facebook, and reposting it will make it so. She is not the deepest puddle.
The hard part is that her brother & I have spent years on meditation, yoga, therapy, the works, and would be completely delighted if she meant a fuqing word of it. We don’t preach. We’re just tired of talking other family members down after her lies & mayhem.
Her third wedding is in 3 months. We’re not going.
This is probably taking the premise of this post WAY too far but the IG account No White Saviours raised my awareness considerably and I wonder if there is a middle of the Venn diagram cross over point between would-be white saviors and serenity signallers. Because nothing signals serenity like being ostentatiously ‘at one’ with the people of and posting a picture of yourself meditating on the beach there. Or, better, attending a temple. Fashion magazines have done this trope for centuries, juxtaposing a unique looking teenage model in a 15K outfit next to a captivating local resident of color.
I should probably clarify that “another country” is Pennsylvania, USA, (we live in Canada), and that she works in fracking. I don’t think she’s trying to save anyone.
“She is not the deepest puddle”. LOLOL.
That gave me a good laugh too!
I avoid the pseudo enlightened at all costs. The holier-than-thou, self-righteousness is offputting. No amount of positive affirmations can cover up the seething with rage vibe.
Live. Laugh. Vomit.
Mystic thank you for capturing these energy vampires so eloquently. xx
You’ve met my mother?
LOL
Horribly funny!
Been there, done that, got the statue!
Mrs Mia Culpa
Thanks Mystic for having the courage to say what most people think.ñ
And you have avoided collateral damage by being precise and clear.
I always thought that their was some unspoken line about this topic that should not be crossed. But you did it well with amazing articulation.
I suppose I felt guilt about this.
I once did volunteer work for 6 months at a Buddhist Retreat. I was so sick of the drama queens, qi vamps and predators.
I was especially sick of one particular blow hard carrying on about karma and dharma. One day I was working in the kitchen and he was blowing very hard about dharma.
So I thought I would be funny and shouted out “Dharma, Dharma,Dharma” like Jan Brady on the Brady bunch. It was cathartic but I did offend one nun who was very genuine and lovely. Boy did I feel bad.
This is HILARIOUS and I approve.
Buddhist nun probably had a giggle later.
I hope she did.
“Nama – fuqing – ste”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha OMG.
I’ve actually said that after a particularly intense yoga class. I totally meant it like friendly mic drop, and to their credit, everyone in class got it and laughed (or at least, enough of them did).
My names not Nama and I won’t to fuqing go. Lol.
I meant: my names not Nama and I don’t want to stay.
Listen to what people say, and watch what they do. If there’s repeated misalignment then there’s an integrity problem.
So succinct and true.
Learnt the hard way!
I just suffered through an “integrity round table” at work, replete with horseshit & faux tears. Barf.
Funny how the word integrity is used the most when there is actual corruption – faux tears are a nice touch. What industry or profession?
Dementia patient caregivers.
Astrology ?
Barftastic. Are you ok? Omg
Hahaha! It sucked royally, but I survived.
WHAT? Is this actually a THING????? Oh….the wheels are already turning. Thank you, TripleL for this revelation….
LOL. Yes, unfortunately where I work, it is most def a thing (with cheesy inspirational videos & exercises, ad nauseam) … mixed with lots of blame storming/cheer leading & of course the most important element – free grub.
It sounds disgusting!
IT IS. UGH.
And you’re forced to eat the hipocracy? 🤢🤮
Ah! There is this funny magazine type series called “the hippie watching guides” and they refer to these people as “Shanti’s” — the books are hilarious and make for a great hippie people watching scavenger hunt!
Hahahahaahh!
Yes I know this. They love to punish and humiliate too and steal other people’s power as though they were born to it. Nasty pasties, often with no real intuitive, spiritual or psychic aptitude either. I had one who stole the whole content for a lovely ritual I do. No acknowledgement, nothing. Quoted it word for word at their wedding in their vows and went made a big song and dance about everyone they were grateful to, except for me because I hadn’t dropped everything after being given two week’s notice to attend said wedding. They have Neptune square Venus too and the whole I’ve met the love of my life thing just seemed off, and the event itself was an affair of sappy New Age bullshit that made me want to throw up in my champagne. Fortunately they have now left the country. Thank you universe for that lesson, won’t be inviting that kind of serenity signaler into my sphere ever again!
Ahahaha oh god, this is my all-Scorpio planets in 12th house nightmare ex-flatmate. There were statues of gods & goddesses everywhere, little altars. They would shame you for not knowing about some infamous ashram in Scotland. Once, they interrupted an astrology reading I was giving in our living room (having told them I’d be doing so) so they could ‘have a cacao ceremony’ with their friend. We had to move to another room whilst they didn’t even do the ceremony – they ended up drinking tea & looking at photos together… when I’d point out how attacked I felt it would be ‘you’re creating the drama here, i’m all about love & light’. WHEW. So glad I hightailed it out of there & haven’t been back since.
I’ve had a lot of qi vamps in my life (as I’m realising from abusive patterns in familial relationships surfacing & being bullied) & the key is to listen to one’s intuition. They’ll feed you BS at first & you’ll KNOW it’s BS because it’s not convincing. It’s as if they are trying to convince themselves!
& I have dealt with a few qi vamp astro clients too! so much money/shame/boundaries enmeshment stuff involved. i like to view these as testing moments now. a chance to remember how far i have come & make my boundaries clear, and refuse to work with the client if necessary.
I can learn from your experiences. Especially the bit about them feeding you bullshit at first. Most people put on a false front, I just accept it. But now I won’t.
Gee I didn’t accept it when I was much younger. I was such a smart ass.
My phycologist is teaching me boundaries at the moment.
One hundred percent agreement.
Have had an epic 5 year experience with one.
Byeeeee.
I’m dying.
Fucking Brilliant Mystic
So true! And such a crisp expose Mystic.
This is my recently departed work mate! Third day in it’s a flood of tears and flimsy story of gf troubles which sounded dire then when you thought about is not a big deal really….. I can understand feeling overwhelmed and needing to tell someone but she told everyone, methodically
So much passive aggression and long weekends spent seeking serenity at retreats and wot not, the post above is her to a T
can only thank you again for the salt trick Mystic, it seems to have a lingering effect of showing the chaos addicts and Qi Vamps the door!
Yep, definitely have seen that dynamic play out. They are aspirational in terms of personal growth, but have no clue that it involves anything but the accessories. Their lack of integrity, maturity and self knowledge means we can’t be friends, and their attractiin to instagram is one of the reasons why i’m not on it.
Boy ain’t this the truth.
Full disclosure: I’m still mostly in it for the accessories. :’D
Funny!
I don’t have these people in my life thankfully, because they talk too slow. But how much signalling is there these days? Instagram has a lot to answer for. On an aside I read that insta influencers were being used to push smoking and looking around there seems to a resurgence in young people taking it up. Urgggh! Wish people could just see through the bullshit.
Because they talk too slow: hilarious.
You are brilliant.
I call those people spiritual slags
Ha!
You know I love this!
“Serenity Signalers” What an insightful exposé!- I so love you, Mystic!
Dude!!! I live in Oregon and this is so for real.
As I’m reading this, I’m taking role of alllll the people in my life that could fit this mould. I look up with thoughtful introspection and notice not one but Three Buddha statues (I have that many?) plus a lovely iron statue of some Indian goddess, so and so. Am I that overly enlightened, so helpful person? Lol@
I am wondering if this energy can be transferred to an unsuspecting host. That I absorbed this from that one crazy aunt or friend. Or could it be that it’s just easier to use the fixed socially acceptable idsmissive response to “help”. “Breathe, Trust the process, Live your best life and Let it go? ”
My yoga (yes, the yoga too) lesson yesterday was to learn to listen not use the fixed reactive responses. I think that is the key to thwart Serenity Signaling. To be truly present and consider what the other person is experiencing. I needed that reminder
Not sure if I got off topic but felt the need to purge my brain.
Namaste
Personally I like the breathing thing. It helps me with anxiety. It slows everything down. It’s a good technique.
Listening is always good.
I also love walking barefoot on grass, so grounding.
I suppose the thing is to find what works for you and not bore everyone with it. Like I just did. LOL.
Personally I find spirituality similar to good love making. You can’t explain it to someone else because its your experience not theirs. Also it’s a private thing.
And it loses it’s magic when you convert a right brain thing into words.
I have Neptune in Scorpio in the 9th house.
I learnt this lesson early in life, strayed off the path and am now returning to my early wisdom.
This feels reactive lol.
Yeah, I know that feel.
You will live, laugh, love your way to healthier friendships with sincere people.
yes reactive and triggering more of the same misery it is judging
ahhh serenity signalling on the post about serenity signalling! How meta!
Lmao! 😀
This is hilarious. I can’t think I know anyone like this, simply because I probably unconsciously cross the street prior to even meeting their aura (I’m so evolved). However I used to have to mix with this type and I’m so very pleased that part of my life is done. I reckon the one who knows is the one you bump into and drops you one unassuming line, which impacts or is the quiet one who fascinated you from a distance and eventually you must meet. Mysterious souls who claim nothing either about themselves or from you.
Nicely said.
Lol. I work in an organic grocery store that shares space with a vegan smoothies and snacks bar. The public washroom we share has a chalkboard wall opposite the toilet for people to leave ‘positive thoughts only please’. So as you’re doing your business you are forced to stare at a wall of Serenity Signalling quotes blaring down at you.
Some days I actually miss the crude messages and scrawled penis drawings in the bathrooms of my bar-fly days. Amusingly though, when the astro is titchy, the chalkboard wall will often devolve into a Pass-Ag comment war between the meat eaters and the vegans (paleo and keto people being a major chunk of the customer base at the grocery store).
Lol! Funny observation!
Please please pin up a large picture of an aubergine ! Vegan and phallic win win
That board is screaming for a few crudely drawn dick n balls…
Oh my yes. I know about ten people who had never heard of astrology (other than occasionally reading their sun signs in the newspaper) ten years ago that are now making their living holding moon ceremonies and “healing” others. A 30 day online reiki course and they are off and running. It’s an obnoxious fad.
A past friend timed the conception of her 2 daughters so she would have 2 Katakas. To have 2 Geminis would be a travesty. Her dad and I are Geminis.
Yes she got 2 Katakas. But the first one who I had the pleasure of baby sitting has a Sag Moon. Cap rising. She is fiery, impatient and forceful. She knows what she wants. Her mother tells me she has Aspergers. I don’t swallow that at all. She is thoughtful and clever.
I have seen the little darling frustrated and angry and stress manifesting in her body.
It makes me sad. But I can’t interfere. Mothering is a hard job and it’s her first child. They are a good bunch now with the 2nd daughter.
A little information can be dangerous. I prefer big picture thinking.
My due date ran late with my daughter and I totally admit to panicking that I might have a scorpio (like me). I let it go and ended up with the perfect combo for me – libra sun, cancer moon, Taurus rising. We get along great. I don’t have it in me to plan conception to that level though, lol.