What Is The Occult? - Part 1

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

A few weeks ago I posted a short write-up on Facebook about the Occult.  There was a great deal of interest expressed and several people requested that I write a more in-depth article on this subject.  So now, I bring you Part 1 of a two Part series on the occult. 

I have studied this topic at some length and, although I’m not proud of the fact, I experimented with the occult for a couple of years early in my life. 

Even today, many people dabble in the mystical, occultic arts.  Is there anything wrong with being involved in these practices?  Yes! The Bible takes a clear position on this subject, strongly denouncing these practices.  God created us and therefore owns us. He has a right to set the rules for our lives. God’s Word indicates that these practices are part of Satan’s strategy of evil tricks and deception, designed to lead us astray.

Satan and his demons are real beings set on our destruction. Christians are warned to, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

So, what is the Occult?

The word, “occult,” is derived from the Latin word, occultus, which means things that are “mysterious, hidden, and very secretive.”  Angelic and demonic forces play a large part in the practices which make up a part of the occultic world.  Some of those practices involve the use of astrology, fortune telling, the Ouija Board, spirit channeling, witchcraft, spiritualism, extra-sensory perception and numerology.

There is often a strong religious element to these studies and beliefs, and many occultists profess adherence to religions such as Gnosticism, Satanism, and Neo-paganism because all of them fall into the category of being practiced in secret, and considered very mysterious.  By one’s involvement in these they hope to gain power and/or ability to make decisions and reach any number of goals.  Some occult practices rely on demons or “spirits” to achieve those goals. 

Practitioners of the Occult are rapidly increasing throughout the world.  There are now thousands of publishers of occultic books and magazines, not to mention Web sites.  Interest in the occult has been promoted by the New Age movement, the rise of Neo-paganism, and in movies and music.  There are countless practices around the world that might be labeled as the occult.  

The occult can be divided into the categories of sorcery/magic, divination, and Spiritism.  Adherents of these various occultic practices mix various aspects of these so you will often see an overlap between many of them.  Let’s look at a few of those:

Sorcery/magic: Calling on spirits for power; practicing techniques or doing rituals to gain unseen power(s) and/or to manipulate energy in order to bring about a desired result.  Occultists may consider these powers to be natural forces in the universe, not supernatural.  The concept is that it is one's belief, vision and/or spiritual status which enables one to access and use these forces.

Divination: Using a tool or method to access information beyond the five sense about the past, present & future; and/or reading hidden meanings into symbols or pictures such as the use of tarot cards; crystal balls; astrology: (predictions by the planets or moon; horoscopes; sometimes referred to as “observing times” in the Old Testament); psychic techniques; numbers (numerology); tea leaf reading; geomancy; automatic writing; reading the symbols of Runes or the I Ching and looking for omens.  Fortune-telling, necromancy, familiar spirits, wizardry, channeling, clairvoyance.

Spiritism: Attempting to contact spirit beings such as angels, demons, the dead, ascended masters, or others thought to be in a non-physical form.  Tools and techniques include the Ouija Board, channeling, meditation, visualization, drugs, or automatic writing.  Channeling is when a person allows a spirit to speak through him/her.

A self-induced hypnosis or trance state: Considered necessary for many occult practices.  This trance state, also called an altered state of consciousness, is often achieved through meditation, drugs, chanting, yoga body positions, breathing techniques, repetitive motions or words, or focus on a divination tool. 

Energy Healing: Summoning, manipulating, or channeling a non-physical energy for healing overlaps with both sorcery and Spiritism.  Energy healers have spirit guides (fallen angels whom they believe to be benevolent).  Some forms of energy healing include Reiki, Healing Touch, and Therapeutic Touch.

Drugs: Especially hallucinogens, are used to cause an altered state of consciousness or hypnotic trance in many occult practices as a way to enhance supposed vision and paranormal ability, or as a way to contact spirits or gods.  This state is perceived as a higher spiritual awareness than normal daily awareness.

Witchcraft/Wicca and Neo-paganism: Neo-paganism or paganism is an umbrella term for a variety of contemporary belief systems, including witchcraft & Wicca, which revere nature and which practice goddess worship and/or polytheism.  Nature is viewed as sacred and the earth is a living organism.  All living things and people are linked by one unseen life force, sometimes interpreted to be the goddess. Rituals are performed to harmonize one's self with nature by observing seasonal changes and moon phases, and occult practices such as divination and casting spells are common.  There is no belief in Satan or sin, and the goddess is sometimes considered symbolic.

The experiential aspect has a very strong appeal.  The "moral code" of witchcraft/Wicca is, "If it harms none, do what you will…" (Scott Cunningham, The Truth About Witchcraft, [Llewellyn, 1994], p. 46; Teresa Moorey, Witchcraft, A Beginner's Guide, [Hodder & Stoughton, 1996], p. 6). Neo-pagan religions are sometimes called earth religions.  There are many variations in practices among the followers of these beliefs, and the structure varies from very loose to a more traditional hierarchy of leaders, teaching, and initiating novices.  Beliefs might incorporate Eastern religions, or Celtic paganism.  Beliefs and practices tend to be fluid.  Some followers are lone practitioners and are not affiliated with any group.  While Neopaganism is a distinct category from the occult, occult practices are popular among Neo-pagans/Witches/Wiccans.

Satanism: Contemporary Satanism is mostly atheistic, having been influenced by Anton La Vey (founder of the Church of Satan in San Francisco, 1966) and his Satanic Bible, although there are Satanists who worship Satan or honor him. Satanists who see Satan as symbolic distinguish themselves from those who worship Satan, whom they may call "devil worshipers."  To atheistic Satanists, Satan represents serving the self and the rejection of rules or morals imposed from without.  Individualism is extolled. Rock star Marilyn Manson said that Lucifer was cast out of heaven because "he chose to be an individual instead of mindlessly following the herd....Be your own leader; think for yourself," (Propaganda, Issue No. 24, p. 40), an attitude that fits the postmodern age of no absolute truth or moral standards.

Some Satanists are involved in ritual magic (sorcery), drugs, and occult divination.  Modern Satanists who practice ritual magic often follow the teachings of occultist/magician Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) whose most significant work, The Book of the Law, contains the Law of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law," (Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, [New York: Facts on File, 1989], p.76). Satanism is a distinct category from the occult but some Satanists use occult practices.

Pantheism: It is the view that God is everything and everyone, and that everyone and everything is God. Pantheism is similar to polytheism (the belief in many gods), but goes beyond polytheism to teach that everything is God.  A tree is God, a rock is God, an animal is God, the sky is God, the sun is God, you are God, etc.  Pantheism is the supposition behind many cults and false religions (e.g., Hinduism and Buddhism to an extent, the various unity and unification cults, and “mother nature” worshipers).

Polytheism: Polytheism is the belief that there are many gods.  Breaking the word down, “poly” comes from the Greek word for “many,” and “theism” from the Greek word for “God.”  The best-known example of polytheism in ancient times is Greek/Roman mythology (Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Poseidon, etc.).  The clearest modern example of polytheism is Hinduism, which has over 330 million gods. Although Hinduism is, in essence, pantheistic, it does hold to beliefs in many gods.  It is interesting to note that even in polytheistic religions, one god usually reigns supreme over the other gods, for example, Zeus in Greek/Roman mythology and Brahman in Hinduism.

Syncretism: Religious syncretism often takes place when foreign beliefs are introduced to an indigenous belief system and the teachings are blended.  The new, mixed religion then takes a shape of its own.  This has been seen most clearly in Roman Catholic missionary history.  Take, for example, the Roman Catholic Church's evangelizing of animistic South America.  Sometimes Christianity is mixed with occult, New Age or Eastern beliefs.  The occult often misuses Christian prayer, phrases, or concepts.  

Syncretism relies on the whim of man, not the standard of Scripture.  The Bible makes it very clear what true religion is.  The scriptures remind us to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37) and in John 14:6, Jesus replied, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Animism: Elements of animism are present in many false religions including Hinduism, Mormonism and all New Age cults.  False religion always teaches in some way that the spirit within human beings is really God and the practices of the religion will help us to realize this and develop the god-spirit so that we, too, may be God. This is the same old lie Satan has been propagating since the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve by telling them, "…and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5)

There are many more beliefs that fit under the “occult” heading, but too many to cover here.  I hope this broad overview gives you enough information to understand the issues we struggle with as believers in the One True God.

Next week we’ll look more into what the Bible has to say about the occult.


Don't miss reading Part-2 on the Occult

What Does the Bible Say About the Occult?  Part-2

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