Biography:Doreen Virtue

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Short description: American New Age author
Doreen Virtue
Doreen Virtue 2022.png
Virtue in 2022
Born
Doreen Hannan

April 1958 (age 66)
California, US
EducationChapman University (MA) California Coast University (PhD)
Known forNew Age author, turned born again Christian in 2017

Doreen Virtue (née Hannan, born 1958), is an American former leading New Age author, who rejected those beliefs and embraced born again Christianity in 2017.[1][2]

Early life and education

Doreen Virtue was born Doreen Hannan in Southern California, spending her childhood in North Hollywood until her family moved to Escondido, San Diego in 1968.[3] She grew up as a student of Christian Science.[1]

Virtue earned a master's degree in counseling psychology from Protestant-affiliated Chapman University[1] and a distance learning PhD in psychology from California Coast University, before it was accredited.[4]

New Age career

Prior to 1995, Virtue worked as a psychotherapist. She was the victim of a carjacking that year and attributed "angelic intervention" for preventing her from death or serious injury; following the event, she chose to close her therapy practice and begin performing tarot readings. Over the next two decades, Doreen published over fifty books and divination cards through the New Age publishing company Hay House.[4]

The primary focus of Virtue's spiritual practice was "angel spirituality", a strain of New Age thought that attributes esoteric and occult qualities to traditional Christian angels.[5] Her works drew from symbolism across several religions; as well as Christianity, they incorporated elements from Hinduism, Celtic mythology, and Native American spirituality.[4]

Conversion to Christianity

In February 2017, she was baptized at Kawaihae Beach (Hawaii), by an Anglican (Episcopal) priest, Rev. David Stout from St. James Episcopal Church, where still today the Catholic mass is held. [4] Later that year Virtue publicly announced that she was renouncing her New Age beliefs, and embracing born again Christianity, and encouraged her followers and readers to do the same.[4][2]

Personal life

Virtue has been married five times.[3] She has 2 sons and a daughter. She lives on a 47-acre estate in Hawaii, with her fifth husband Michael and 100 rescue animals.[4]

Bibliography (selected)

  • The Lightworker's Way: Awakening Your Spiritual Power to Know and Heal. Carlsbad: Hay House. 1997. ISBN 978-1-5617-0390-6. 
  • Messages from Your Angels: What Your Angels Want You to Know. Hay House. 2002. ISBN 978-1-4019-0049-6. 
  • Archangels & Ascended Masters: A Guide to Working and Healing With Divinities and Deities. Carlsbad: Hay House. 2003. ISBN 978-1-4019-0063-2. 
  • The Crystal Children: A Guide to the Newest Generation of Psychic and Sensitive Children. Carlsbad: Hay House. 2003. ISBN 978-1-4019-0229-2. 
  • Angel Numbers 101: The Meaning of 111, 123, 444, and Other Number Sequences. Carlsbad: Hay House. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4019-2001-2. 
  • Angels 101: An Introduction to Connecting, Working, and Healing with the Angels. Carlsbad: Hay House. 2014. ISBN 978-1-4019-4603-6. 
  • Divine Prescriptions: Spiritual Solutions for You and Your Loved Ones. Macmillan. 2014. ISBN 978-1-58063-216-4. 
  • Virtue, Doreen (2018). Sweet Dreams Scripture: Bible Verses and Prayers to Calm and Soothe You. ISBN Services. ISBN 978-1-64255-933-0. 
  • Deceived No More: How Jesus Led Me out of the New Age and into His Word. Harper Collins Publishers. 2020. ISBN 978-0-7852-3410-4. 
  • Don't Let Anything Dull Your Sparkle : How to Break Free of Negativity and Drama. Carlsbad: Hay House. 2022. ISBN 978-1-7818-0412-4. 

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Virtue, Doreen (14 February 2022). "I Left the New Age Behind When I Read the Old Testament". Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/march/doreen-virtue-left-new-age-behind-old-testament.html. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 O’Neill, Louise (February 22, 2019). "I turned to new age spirituality to appease my need for something sacred". Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-30906247.html. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 White, Ethan Doyle (July 23, 2022). "Doreen Virtue". https://wrldrels.org/2022/07/22/doreen-virtue/. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Aldrich, Renu (September 5, 2017). "Doreen Virtue's conversion to Christianity sparks debate". The Wild Hunt. https://wildhunt.org/2017/09/doreen-virtues-conversion-to-christianity-sparks-debate.html. 
  5. Utriainen, Terhi (2024). "Doreen Virtue". in Asprem, Egil. Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. 

External links