
I have an admission to make; for the past twelve or so years of my life, I have studied and been involved with occultism. Let me be clear of what I mean by occultism - I’m not talking about Wicca, the New Age movement, or rampant Harry Potter fandom. When I talk about occultism, I’m referring to Enochian Magick, The Golden Dawn, Thelema, Chaos Magick, as well as the study of personalities, practices, and history that go along with the Western occult tradition. I am talking about the “hard stuff” that paranoid fundamentalists only dare speak of when they are brave enough to condemn it. I know that nothing stirs as much controversy among the religious as the subject of the occult.
I also know that nothing infuriates atheists and rationalists more than the idea that it just might be possible to alter reality with a thought. It seems to be the very pinnacle of human arrogance to believe that manipulating reality in a way that is currently beyond science is within the ability of a man waving his arms around and chanting in some foreign language. It is an insult to any discerning and sane mind. This isn’t to mention the fact that to accept the proposal that the occult may indeed have some effect on reality, you would have agree that there may be more to reality than what can be empirically proven.
Most people are uncomfortable with the subject of occultism. Understandably so, as popular opinion has it that the occult is either a damnable offense, evidence of utter delusion, or incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. I’m not going to try to convince anyone otherwise because, quite honestly, it can be all three of these things - even if not exactly in the way in which you would imagine. In my experience, though, it also can be a tool for a greater good. What I will do is attempt to explain exactly what I understand of occultism.
First of all, it is important for me to point out that, to my knowledge, there is no massive global network of occultists seeking to take over the world.
The simple fact of the matter is that those who study the occult are far too individualistic, egotistical, and/or eccentric to form cohesive organizations strong enough to infiltrate or overthrow governments - yes, even small ones. The largest of occult organizations weigh in at about 1,000 members. Most occult organizations are lucky if they have over 50 members. Don’t get me wrong, it makes for great Hollywood fiction, but that is all it is - fiction.
While we are on the subject of paranoia, I should mention that occultists are not interested in corrupting your children. I am well aware of the use of occult symbols in television, movies, games, and fiction. There is also an abundance of Asian characters and mythology in television, movies, games, and fiction - yet no one seems to think that Buddhists are interested in corrupting children. Our entertainment industry simply has a love affair with anything that is exotic, foreign, or abnormal. The mythology surrounding occultism is also exotic, foreign, and abnormal to the majority of Western society. It stands to reason that television, movie, game, and fiction writers would abuse the stereotype of occultism, or any stereotype for that matter, to sell products. If you want to blame anyone for “corrupting” your children, blame the entertainment industry.
I’ve also learned that the occult is the an amalgamation of religious beliefs and mystical practices driven underground by the persecution of the Catholic Church. The majority of what constitutes occultism is a blend of the remnants of Christian movements deemed heretical by the Catholic Church, the scraps of lore left over from extinguished polytheistic religions, and Jewish traditions. Occultism is a direct outcome of the persecution of Pagans, Jews, and other Christians by Christians. Those groups persecuted includes the Order of the Templar Knights (widely believed to have latter become the basis for Freemasonry), Christian Gnostic sects and Qabalah. In other words, Occultism is a direct result of the persecution and intolerance of the Medieval/Renaissance Catholic Church. I know that is a bold statement, but in reading ancient grimoires, I have frequently been amazed to find the corrupted names of Greek, Roman, Germanic, and Celtic Gods, references to gnostic teachings, angels, and obscured bits of Jewish lore.
Those who practice the occult also often assert that their practice is scientific. Occultists are prone to referring to the chaos theory and quantum mechanics, and often take special interests in scientific developments. In fact, Aleister Crowley defines ritual magic as the “art and science of change.” The irony is that many of the earliest scientists and mathematicians were occultists as well. It is already well known that the science of chemistry evolved from the occult science of alchemy, and that astronomy evolved from astrology. What isn’t well known is that scientists, well into the 18th century, believed in or practiced some form of occultism. I’m not talking about a few isolated individuals dabbling in occult practices; at one time science and occult knowledge went hand in hand. The most notable example is Sir Isaac Newton’s research into astrology.
Finally, it is important to understand that occult practices are deeply psychological. Whether or not you accept the premise that ritual can affect the fabric of reality, there is no question that occult ritual affects the mind in profound ways. Ritual has the potential to reach deeper into the subconscious then prayer or meditation alone. It may even be possible to alter your subconscious with the use of occult ritual.
This aspect of the occult, in my opinion, can be a useful tool for self exploration and improvement, but for those who are unstable, this can be dangerous. The majority of occultists are well adjusted individuals, but within any group of people there are a few who are not so well adjusted. This is, perhaps, the scariest facet of occultism, and is likely the origin of some horror stories concerning the occult.
My hope in explaining what I understand about the occult isn’t to convince you that the occult should be treated as if it were another hobby, or that all objections to occultism are completely unjustified. I think what I want most is for you to understand that there is vastly more to the subject then supposed experts would lead you to believe. The tendency is to dismiss occultism as a whole based upon assumptions, rather then investigating and thinking for yourself. I find that thinking for yourself is perhaps what is hardest to do when faced with something as polarizing as the occult. I also believe it is most necessary when faced with similar polarizing issues.
First Image provided by FrauBucher. Second Image provided by Edgar Zessinthal. Final Photo by Thomas Roche. Originally Published November 3, 2007.