The word occult is mysterious, vague and often understood or used in a negative sense. This may be due to the fact it has been wrongly associated with the word cult, but is probably also due to the notoriety of a particular English Magician and occultist, Aleister Crowley, who relished his reputation as “the wickedest man in the world,” and did nothing to improve either his position or the general publics impression of occult studies.

But what is meant by the term occult? And what does an occultist do?

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Below is a list of web definitions for the word occult:

• eclipse: cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention; “The Sun eclipses the moon today”; “Planets and stars often are occulted by other celestial bodies”
• become concealed or hidden from view or have its light extinguished; “The beam of light occults every so often”
• supernatural: supernatural forces and events and beings collectively; “She doesn’t believe in the supernatural”
• hidden and difficult to see; “an occult fracture”; “occult blood in the stool”
• hide from view; “The lids were occulting her eyes”
• supernatural practices and techniques; “he is a student of the occult”
• mysterious: having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding; “mysterious symbols”; “the mystical style of Blake”; “occult lore”; “the secret learning of the ancients”
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to “knowledge of the hidden”. …
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult
• An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. …
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult_(astronomy)
• Supernatural affairs; : To cover; Secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected; Related to the occult
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/occult
• occultism – a belief in supernatural powers and the possibility of bringing them under human control
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• occultly – In an occult manner
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/occultly
• disease or symptoms that are not readily detectable by physical examination or laboratory tests.
  www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P01370
• The word has many uses in the English language, popularly meaning ‘knowledge of the paranormal’. For most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual “reality” that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences.
  www.yourghoststories.com/glossary.php
• hidden or concealed.
  www.sfaf.org/custom/glossary.aspx

Source

So, we see the word occult can be used, in a very practical sense, to describe an object being hidden from view – which isn’t at all mysterious – or, alternatively, when talking about supernatural or paranormal practices, or the deeper mystical reality beyond the physical universe.

Therefore, an occultist will study that which is hidden, taking an interest in spirituality (spiritual growth being the main reason for studying such a subject, at least for most), and being well versed magic, mythology, and possibly paranormal or supernatural activity, numerology, astrology, and much more besides. An occultist doesn’t necessarily practise or believe in the validity of any particular art, such as reading Tarot cards or performing magical rituals – they may simply study the subject out of curiosity, or research the field in order to write about it. On the other hand, many do practice occult arts, and there’s a growing interest in the area, thanks both to the availability of older material on the internet, and a wave of newly published material available online or in many major book stores.

Click HERE for a list of prominent occultists from the past and present – it makes quite interesting reading.

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Eliphas Levi: Famous French Magician & Occultist