Occult Studies

Occult studies have fascinated students seeking hidden and higher knowledge starting with the ancient Greeks and continuing through the centuries. We have collected books that present to the student the pertinent information.

The occult (from Latin occultus is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices. These studies generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a ‘hidden’ or ‘secret’ agency. We present subjects on magic and mysticism. It can also refer to paranormal ideas such as extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.

The term occult sciences was used in 16th-century Europe to refer to astrology, alchemy, and natural magic. The term occultism emerged in 19th-century France among figures such as Antoine Court de Gébelin. It came to be associated with various French esoteric groups connected to Éliphas Lévi and Papus, and in 1875 was introduced into the English language by the esotericist Helena Blavatsky.

By the 21st century the term ‘occultism’ was commonly employed –including by academic scholars in the field of Western esotericism studies.  It refers to a range of esoteric currents that developed in the mid-19th century and their descendants. Occultism is thus often used to categorise such esoteric traditions as Qabalah, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, New Age. -From Wikipedia and Blavatsky.net