Occultism

(Revision as of 06:35, 21 Jan 2005)

Occultism is the study of supposed occult or hidden wisdom. It is a 'grey' area, perhaps larger than any other in the realm of religion. It can deal with subjects ranging from talismans, magic (alternatively spelt and defined as magick), sorcery, and voudou, to ESP, astrology, numerology, and lucid dreams. It is all encompassing in that most everything that isn't claimed by any of the major religions is included in the realm of the occult. Even qabalah has been considered an occult study, perhaps because of its popularity amongst magi and Wiccans.

Direct insight into or perception of the occult is said not to consist of access to physically measurable facts, but to be arrived at through the mind or the spirit. The term can refer to mental, psychological or spiritual training. An oft-cited means of gaining insight into the occult is the use of a focus. A focus may be a physical object, a ritualistic action (for example, meditation or chanting), or a medium in which one becomes wholly immersed.

The beliefs and practices of those who consider their activities "occult" or part of "the occult" in the more ususal western interpretation 'hidden knowledge' (ceremonial magicians, Satanists, and so on) are generally far from being secret or hidden, being found very easily in print or on the Internet. This ready availability is historically recent and corresponds to a reduced interest in traditional religion and a growing perception of the occult as a broad term for 'alternate confession'

History

Interest in the occult has seen countless resurgences throughout history, possibly because some people who investigate the occult seek for meaning in their lives, while critics maintain other people interested in occult knowledge are perhaps seeking a means to power over others. The traditional "occult sciences" are astrology, alchemy, and magic (particularly the evocation of spirits).

The term "occultism" as such does not appear until the middle of the 1800's, when it is associated with the magic of Eliphas Levi, esoteric antagonists of Spiritualism, and the early Theosophical Society. In the later 19th century, Gerard Encausse ("Papus") was a French advocate of occultism who was involved in various esoteric groups in addition to his own Martinist Order. In English-speaking countries, parallel developments tended to brand themselves as "Hermetic," such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor.

Historians sometimes use the term occultism in a loose sense to denote social trends that promote the study of the occult sciences. But it is also used more specifically to indicate the modern development of esotericism, in which an effort is made to reconcile traditional occult knowledge and supernatural beliefs with the perspectives of modern science and objective investigation. Notable instances of this latter sort of occultism include the 19th century groups mentioned above, as well as the "Scientific Illuminism" propounded by Aleister Crowley.

One of the more recent branches of occultism originated in the 1970s with the advent of Chaos Magic, which attempts to incorporate relatively new mathematical and scientific ideas regarding catastrophe theory and non-linear dynamics into its magical doctrines. The counter-culture of the 1960's and 70's was also a vehicle for older forms of occultism.

Various aspects of occultism are increasingly evident in popular culture, where magic is involved in a variety of fantasy books, movies and games.

See Also

• Astrology
• Esotericism
• Gnosticism
• Hermeticism
• New Age
• Occult
• Theosophy

References

• Faivre, Antoine. (1987). "What is Occultism?" in Hidden Truths: Magic, Alchemy and the Occult. New York: Macmillan.

Portions of this text were originally taken from: Wikipedia. (2004). Occultism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occultism). Retrieved Sept. 23, 2004.