Who's Your Guru?

Why we’re seeking a guiding light in turbulent times

- Lauren Sams

Is your luminary Jess Magic, the musical storyteller who runs invitation-only Soul Salons for the rich and famous? Or Amanda Chantal Bacon, Moon Juice founder. Perhaps it’s her more famous contemporary, Gwyneth Paltrow? Maybe you visit the HairWitch when you’re in Brooklyn and get a side of Sanskrit healing with your blow-dry? Do you follow Instagram affirmation queen Cleo Wade? Progressive pop-stars Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez? How about the self-help author Gabrielle Bernstein, who says “the universe has your back”? Or are you more into memoirist-turned-civil rights spokesperson Glennon Doyle? Is your guru Oprah? The woman you buy crystals from? Or is it someone so cool and niche we haven’t even heard of them yet? Welcome to the golden age of the guru, where it seems as though everyone has someone to turn to in times of trouble — or at least, in those times when we’re scrolling through Instagram, a little bored and in need of a boost to get us through the rest of the day. It feels as if just about everyone I follow (and by that I mean, every woman I follow) on social media has something or someone they rely on for faith and affirmation. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen someone credit their massive promotion/swift recovery from heartbreak/long-awaited pregnancy/[insert chosen major life milestone here] to their birth chart, a self-help book or a citrine crystal.