On a Friday in May with the sun making a big last minute show of itself in the late afternoon, I met with Sheikha Fariha, the spiritual guide to the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order, at the Dergah al-Farah in lower Manhattan for over an hour of casual spiritual discourse.
Are you: Currently living in NYC? Interested in esoteric spiritual stuff? Able to go out and report on events, happenings, ceremonies, rituals, and book burnings once in a while? Able to write personally about your experiences at events, happenings, ceremonies, rituals, and book burnings once in a while? NOT NEW […]
A Journey Through NYC Religions is a website that covers religion throughout the five boroughs. Perhaps a bit “cleaner” than we ruffians here at Not New York, the site seemingly has no trouble slipping into cracks and alleyways in order to get the haps on religious life in our always […]
Kali is many things. She is Mahakali Jagadhatri, “The Creator of the World.” She is Devi Khadgahasta, “She that Carries a Clever.” She is Chinnajata Jatajutavilasini Sarvarajayutabhima Sarvarajoparisthata Shmashanstha, “She That Dwells in the Cremation Ground.” She is also, apparently, Devi Credit Card-ji, “She That Can Make Purchases With Plastic […]
Took another trek to the Times Square subway stop to see if I could find the barefooted acoustic guitar reveler, Joachim, whose handout on praying in your bathroom I have been trying to reacquire for some time now, but once again came up short. As usual, I started my search […]
Finding places where people gather to worship Kali–the aspect of God that, among other things, severs your head–is not necessarily an easy task. While there’s nothing particularly secretive about Kali worship, diaspora communities who take Kali as their primary deity–the people you want to meet–aren’t necessarily interested in proselytizing to […]
There’s so much a person could talk about when it comes to the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON, and Vaishnavism in general, however, one things stands out: Hare Krishnas love you loving Krishna loving you loving Love. It’s not every day a person comes across a religious or spiritual tradition that […]
Seeing as New York, NY has now apparently become Buffalo, NY, and we urban dwellers are being pummeled with snow on a weekly basis (which I enjoy immensely), I haven’t had an opportunity to venture out and interview all those people I’ve been dying to interview. In the meantime I […]
There is something to be said for using outdated travel guides, particularly when visiting New York. My choice, New York Unexpurgated is a highly inventive, excruciatingly funny field guide credited to “Petronius.” It’s hard to imagine anyone using this as an actual vade mecum, even when it was released in 1966. […]
The Anti-Defamation League is making some interesting moves these days. According to CNN’s Belief Blog the same ADL who opposed the so-called “ground zero mosque” has continued to support the construction of mosques in other parts of the United States. “Not in my backyard,” anyone? According to the ADL, the […]
This past weekend I went to the International Motorcycle Show at the Javits Center in Manhattan where I had the opportunity to not only sit on, ogle over, and touch some of the newest Super Sport bikes available, but also got to meet members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association who […]
I picked up this amazing depiction of Christ’s crucifixion for a $1.50 at the San Lazaro Botanica at 127 Rivington St. the other day. Now, I like to think that I have a good handle on the signs and symbols of religious iconography, and while some of the symbols are […]
I came across this larger-than-life San Lazaro (AKA the biblical Lazarus, AKA the other biblical Lazarus, AKA Babalu Aye) while wandering in and out of botanicas in the Lower East […]
What is it about the Pilgrim Mennonites that makes passers-by feel so soft and cuddly? Is it their humble gaze, the one you feel ashamed to have held for so long? Perhaps it’s their love of super non-aggressive pastel prints dyed light enough to fade into the nearest field of […]
This past Friday night I had a short conversation with a Black Israelite (AKA Black Hebrew) just south of Union Square. Given that his preaching was chock full of damnation, biblical quotes galore, and the calling out of the so-called white man I had reason to believe he was either […]
NOT NEW YORK 