{"id":3777,"title":"Occult definition","description":"Occult definition","content":"

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So, you want to know what the occult\u00a0is<\/em><\/strong>? Well, the word \"occult\" comes from the Latin \u201coccultare\u201d meaning\u00a0<\/em>secret and became part of day to day speech through the 20th and 21st century. The roots of Occultism seem to be found in 19th century France, where it was used by various esoteric groups who practised: Spiritualism, Magic and Astrology amongst many, other things.\u00a0<\/p>

So, what is it?!<\/p>

Well, that's a straightforward question to answer. The occult is at its most basic\u00a0any\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>practice or belief which doesn't fall into the realm of science or religion. Typical occult practices can, therefore, range from Satanic worship to keeping fairies in a jar. If you practice the latter, make sure to clean the jar frequently. As Richard Smoley points out in his lecture on the occult and magic (link below), one difference which characterizes the occult is that the goal of the Occultist is not contacting God. The Occultist strives to use his\/her own will to shape the energies of the universe, or perhaps even become a God themselves.<\/p>

The media has done a beautiful job of portraying the occult as a group of deranged people dancing around a maypole trying to summon Lucifer to do their bidding. Although that certainly\u00a0can<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0be your experience of the occult, for most people it takes an entirely different form. For many, the occult is a more inclusive, less dogmatic replacement for mainstream religion.\u00a0<\/p>

So, what form do these anti (mainstream)-religious beliefs\u00a0usually<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0take? As I mentioned above, the occult is a very personal experience; however, the practice which is most in fashion now seems to be Satanism.\u00a0<\/p>

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In defining what Satanists believe, we run into a massive hurdle straight away. There are nearly as many versions of Satanism as there are other religions in the world.\u00a0<\/p>

To begin with, we can divide Satanists into two groups: Theistic and Rationalistic. When deciding which version of Satanism is right for you, you must ask yourself, \u201cdo I believe Satan is a real entity?\u201d If you\u00a0don\u2019t<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0believe in a living, breathing Satan, then the beliefs of the\u00a0Church of Satan<\/strong>\u00a0might be for you.\u00a0<\/p>

It might not sound so inviting, but they really aren\u2019t that dark, and probably won\u2019t try and sacrifice you when you aren\u2019t looking. The Church of Satan, like most other Rational Satanists, have a very humanistic ethos. This ethos is best summed up by La Vey himself: <\/p>

Do unto others as others do unto you<\/p><\/blockquote>

Take a look at the Nine Satanic statements and see what you think.\u00a0<\/p>