“The core difference between Goddard's end of the New Thought movement and the occult traditions I've studied is the difference between these sentences: "You create your own reality." "You co-create your own reality." The first of these is the New Thought saying; the second is an accurate statement of occult tradition. Central to occult teachings is the recognition that the individual human ego isn't the only factor that matters in the cosmos. Each of us contributes to our own experience of the cosmos, but to claim that ours is the only contribution that matters is simply wrong. The rest of the universe also gets a say! That's why traditional occultists time their workings by astrology, and if they're smart, use some form of divination to determine whether a working's a good idea in the first place. The crucial point that fans of Goddard consistently miss is that the Law of Assumption doesn't always work. Occultism accounts for this, and provides good advice for what to do when a working isn't successful; too many New Thought teachings fail to deal with this at all. and -- as you'll find if you read other discussions on this sub -- lead to very counterproductive attitudes and actions on the part of their believers.” - John Michael Greer