Occult?
Occult refers to a category of esoteric preternatural or supernatural beliefs and practices. These beliefs generally lie outside the domain of science and religion. The otherworldly practice of magic is also involved in Occult phenomena.
Occults are also related to the rules of parapsychology and extrasensory perception. Occultism is a broad area of study which includes theories and practices on Occult experiences. There are many historical records of such Occult practices that have occurred in the history of humankind.
Occult is usually seen in pejorative terms as it does not follow the principles of standardized Western sciences. The culture surrounding Occult practices has often been referred to as Occulture.
A Short History Of The Term Occult And Occultism
The word ‘Occult’ originates from the Latin term ‘Occultus,’ which means covert, secret, or hidden. In literal translation, Occult means ‘knowledge of the hidden.’ However, in popular understanding, Occult is usually used to refer to knowledge of paranormal activities.
The term ‘Occult’ was used for the first time in 1842 in French as l’Occultisme un an article by A. De Lestrange published in Dictionnaire des Mots Nouveaux. However, it was not explicitly related to Occult practices as understood today.
In 1856, Eliphas Levi, the famous French esotericist, used the term ‘Occult’ in his book on ritual magic called Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie or the Dogma and Ritual of High Magic. Like Jean-Marie Ragon and Charles Fourier, Levi had used the term in the Renaissance sense of Occult Sciences and Occult philosophy.
The term ‘Occultism’ rose in France in the 19th century. It was associated with various arcane and esoteric groups like those headed by Papus and Eliphas Levi. The Russian author and esotericist Helena Blavatsky introduced Occultism to the English language in 1875.
Various mystical movements developed throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Some popular esoteric schools of thought within Occultism include Theosophy, Anthroposophy, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Spiritualism, and the New Age.
History Of Occult Sciences
In 16th century Europe, Occult Sciences were used as an umbrella term for various disciplines such as astrology, natural magic, and alchemy. Numerology also forms a part of the Occult, though it is usually subsumed within the study of astrology. These disciplines are clubbed in the category of pseudoscience in contemporary times.
The concept of Occult Sciences emerged in the 16th century when it comprised the practices of alchemy, astrology, and natural magic. Divination was also included within Occult Sciences and sometimes within natural magic itself.
The Dutch Hermeticist Wouter Hanegraaff said that the practices of alchemy, astrology, divination, and natural magic helped in the systematic examination of nature and natural processes, particularly in the context of Occult forces and experiences.
An emphasis on scientific and rational thought rose in 17th and 18th century Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. Consequently, Occultism increasingly appeared in opposition to the sciences. New schools of Occultism emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as Spiritualism and Theosophy.
Occult Traditions Around The World
Occult practices refer to an Occultist’s ability to manipulate natural laws for their benefit or their supposed clients. Occult practices, by themselves, are not evil, but when they break the moral code, they are considered evil. A lot of debate surrounds the classification of magic, Occultism, and religion as separate categories, as many of their concepts overlap.
Occult is popularly understood as some ancient and arcane secret philosophy in the Western tradition. It is believed that this mystical philosophy has as its basis Hellenistic magic and alchemy and is influenced by Jewish mysticism.
The Hellenistic influences of the Occult were drawn from Hermetic writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistos, the Corpus Hermeticum. Texts in the Corpus Hermeticum elaborate on the practices of astrology, spiritual regeneration, and other Occult Sciences.
Over time, serious study of the Occult has decreased, and Occult traditions have assimilated into popular culture. In the term’s modern usage, Occult includes everything from spirits and fairies to vampire legends, oriental mysticism, and parapsychological experiments.
Elements of Jewish mysticism are derived from the Kabbalah, the esoteric mystical school of thought within Judaism. Traditional kabbalists consider the Kabbalah an essential part of the study of the Torah.
Since the Middle Ages in Europe, the Kabbalah has been associated with Hermetic texts, particularly during the period of the Renaissance. The resultant tradition which develops out of the confluence of the Hermetic and the Kabbalistic principles is called Hermetism.