The word “occult,” according to Merriam-Webster, is defined in verb-form, as an adjective, and as a noun.
· “Occult” in verb-form is defined: “to shut off from view.”[1]
· “Occult” in adjective-form is defined: (1) “beyond understanding . . . mysterious; and (2) of or related to supernatural forces.” [2]
· “Occult” in noun-form is defined: “matters thought to involve the influence of supernatural forces.” [3]
Plato and Pythagoras both studied philosophy and occultism; as well as Nostradamus, Sir Isaac Newton, and many more brilliant minds.
- Note: this discussion is focused on the topic occultism – this piece does not discuss Rosicrucian philosophy.
Thoth (or known as Hermes Trismegistus) was the bringer of wisdom, known as the master of all masters in occultism and areas encompassed in occultism, like alchemy, chemistry, astrology, etc. Thoth is probably most known for the 7 Hermetic Principles that have been passed down for I don't know how long…and said to be the teachings of Thoth.
Okay, so let’s get some more context to what occultism is.
According to Britannica: occultism is defined as:
“theories, practices, and rituals based on esoteric knowledge of the world of spirits and unknown forces. The wide range of occult beliefs and practices includes astrology, alchemy, divination, magic, and witchcraft and sorcery.”[4]
So, I infer, based on the above definitions (and paraphrasing)…that:
Occultism refers to the secret or hidden practices, study, beliefs relating to matters involving the influence of supernatural forces in our day-to-day lives.
But why are these teachings not well-known to the general public? Why would these teachings have to occur in secret?
Well, one argument made is things are kept secret when, if brought to light (to public), those who practice these hidden mysteries would be persecuted or punished. Another argument could be to preserve the wisdom or teachings so that, if found and persecuted, the teachings could still live on in some manner.
It is very easy to dismiss things we hear when we cannot imagine experiencing those things ourselves. Personally, I don’t dismiss anything without doing my own research. Unfortunately, today, we accept information we receive from family, friends, the education system, authority figures as concrete – unchangeable facts, without question.
Meanwhile, much of the information we are taught, theories, ideas we have based our "identities" on, have little to any solid or evidence backing their validity. So, in other words, much of the information we have been taught and forced to regurgitate throughout our entire lives…is a lot of fluffery (is that a word)?
Anyway, I've come to see that when this information is questioned…it rarely stands up to any scrutiny.
So, how is it that so many of us fall trapped believing data and nonsense information that doesn’t have a leg to stand on?
- Where does the blind faith come from?
- Where is the desire to seek knowledge independently?
- Why do we blindly follow false truths without question?
- Why do we think we are so powerless as to effectuate a reality and life beyond what we could ever explain in words?
The illusion is so grand - you get lost in it... (so I hear).
I got more to say, but I am working on organizing my thoughts and so, this seemed like a good place to pause this discussion.
Thanks for reading!
- FG
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get to my next post where I elaborate on this a little more.
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