Occult

The occult goes back to the Egyptian days when the magick of scythe was studied. What the occult means is hidden meaning. Hidden meaning can mean practicing magick, astrology, being a medium for spirits to talk threw you. Even though its paranormal related the occult is not based on science or Christian beliefs its more based on a mix of things. Anything that is out of the ordinary, mysterious, mystical would have to do with the occult. Most occultist have delved away from the bible to find a new meaning to how something might work. by using the combination of things like mixing art and science in magick etc. In a way its about seeking power, transformation, not always looking at religion or science as an answer. Rather furthering your knowledge and practicing it. An example of some occultist would be a cult who believes they are one with aliens visiting our world and that they will take them aboard a spaceship forever things of that sort. Most people in my organization deal with the occult in one way or another playing with a ouija board, using spells, herbs to protect yourself etc. Even though the occult has alot to do with the metaphysical aspect of things basically the occult would be like the combination of metaphysics and witchcraft making a spell happen just by a few words and focus of the brain. In theory I think the occult is a very ancient practice I think many civilizations did rituals to call alien beings, dabbled in magick, the super natural such as the druids and the runes to foretell the future. More or less its about controlling your own fate and destiny. I one time had a magickal experience why it worked I may never know but an ex-gf casted a money spell and weeks afterwards I found money on the ground, was given money, made money alot of it on a job, etc. In theory what makes the occult so real and why does it work? Simple for every action there is a reaction there are hidden energies, balances of good and evil, the weak an the powerful. Its like a ghost if it was a person who was always angry or violent chances are his spirit would be the same way after death. The same thing goes for spells if you believe in it or you use hidden powers such as the moon, your own energy, incantations, etc you can accomplish anything. Rather then having god do something for you rather you play the god. Magick is not the only in the occult there is palm reading trying to find out past lives but not being able to explain how these mystical things occur. I guess we all try and find hidden meanings the Nazis dabbled in the occult to create a UFO, mystical weapons things of that sort even remote viewing is sort of like the occult you are spying on others using a power most do not have. So there you have it.

Copyright By

Rick-AngelOfThyNight

 

  
 
 

The Occult - Fact or fiction?

Article Reference: Nucleus, April 1997, pp18-22; Author: Nicholas Herodotou

1951 saw the repeal of the 1735 Witchcraft Act. This move of Parliament legalised membership of satanic covens and the open practice of witchcraft. European interest in the paranormal is rising to a phenomenal level, the sheer volume of media coverage and literature available on the subject of the Occult bearing witness to this. The Church is not exempt: the number of Christians ignorantly involved in practices and organizations allied to the paranormal is very concerning. Their ignorance has been aided by the gradual deterioration in biblical knowledge across the Western world. Many Christians are oblivious to the reality of the spiritual realm, good as well as evil.

In his book 'The Screwtape Letters', C. S. Lewis has this to say, 'There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased in both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight!'

From death to life

Why have Westerners become so fascinated with the Occult? In some churches, God's Word is not being preached. Therefore increasing numbers of people no longer consider the Church to have access to any real power. Such people are therefore prompted to seek power elsewhere. I was introduced to spiritualism by a sweet, elderly lady. I attended a meeting which commenced with prayer and included hymns where a medium purportedly gave me a message from my grandmother who had died some years before. Although I had never met this person before, she told me personal details that were humanly impossible to know. This sort of power excited and comforted me.

I was taught about an after-life where we will see loved ones again. My great fear of death and uncertainty about the future drove me deeper into occult experiences. I practised yoga and meditation, read about gurus who were 'enlightened', used mind-altering drugs and consulted Tarot cards. I deteriorated morally as I was unable to control my thinking and physical desires. I longed to be pure but failed constantly to keep God's commands.

Eleven years ago I became a born-again Christian after reading the Bible. It was wonderful to have real peace with God and to have his righteousness given to me. It is great to have a real hope of heaven which is based on the historical truth that Christ rose from the dead. It is tremendous to have that same power of new life within me by faith.

What sort of people get involved in the Occult? William Gladstone (previous British prime minister) and Arthur Conan-Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) were both involved. Susceptible individuals may be:

  • spiritually minded
  • vulnerable
  • escapist
  • superstitious
  • curious
  • dissatisfied
  • rebellious
  • psychically inclined
  • credulous

 

What is the Occult?

Occult means 'hidden, secret, that pertaining to the supernatural, mystical or magical'. This definition is a very general umbrella term which covers a plethora of beliefs and practices invoking a power which is neither Christcentric nor biblical. On many occasions it may be seen as a philosophical point as to whether a practice is seen as occult, cultic or a religion. Things that are commonly considered to come under the umbrella of the Occult include: Astrology, ouija board, voodoo, black or white magic, levitation, Halloween, spiritualism (contacting the dead via mediums or channels), crystal gazing, fortune telling (Tarot cards, palm reading, rune stones) and psychic healing (also called faith or spiritual healing). Some other religions, superstitions, New Age and martial arts practices and alternative medicine therapies also contain occultic elements. The problem comes in deciding whether something is part of the Occult and, if so, what should be done about it? What does the Bible say?

  

Scientific Theories Regarding the Nature of Magic
From The Encyclopedia of Occultism

 

General agreement as to the proper definition of magic is wanting, as it depends upon the view taken of religious belief. According to Frazer, magic and religion are one and the same thing, or are so closely allied as to be almost identical. This may be true of peoples in a savage or barbarian condition of society, but can scarcely apply to magic and religion as fully fledged, as for example in mediaeval times, however fundamental may be their original unity.

The objective theory of magic would regard it as entirely distinct from religion, possessed of certain well-marked attributes, and traceable to mental processes differing from those from which the religious idea springs. Here and there the two have become fused by the super-imposition of religious upon magical practice. The objective idea of magic, in short, rests on the belief that it is based on magical laws which are supposed to operate with the regularity of those of natural science. The subjective view, on the other hand, is that many practices seemingly magical are in reality religious, and that no rite can be called magical which is not so designated by its celebrant or agent. It has been said that religion consists of an appeal to the gods, whereas magic is the attempt to force their compliance.
by Erowid

Magickal Theory

"Occult" as a word means "hidden."  It's used by astronomers to mean covering or eclipsing, and we've learned quite a bit from observing what happens when one object in the sky moves in front of another (or more to the point, when it DOESN'T move in front of another object, like when we expected Pluto to move in front of a particular star and hide it, ,and it didn't, meaning that Pluto was much smaller than we thought.)

In the usual sense, though, it means hidden or mysterious knowledge.  Being the curious species that we are, anything hidden is innately fascinating to us.  Children are fascinated by how babies are made and what happens after they go to bed; adults are fascinated by how crimes are committed and secret affairs and conspiracies. vIn one sense, then, once you've learned something about witches, or begun to study Wicca, it won't be hidden to you anymore, and thus won't be occult.

In another sense, you may begin your studies and realize that down the road, somewhere, there may be a revelation or a mystical experience.  Wicca, specifically, encourages these experiences by giving you enough information to make a choice, letting you choose, and then taking you through a series of initiations or ceremonies.  By the time you reach the first one, you'll have some knowledge of how the other members of the faith believe, but you won't know the details of what exactly will happen, which makes it easy for them to lead you through an initiation, a ceremony where hopefully you'll have a mystical experience of your own.  That will encourage you to further learning and give you a common background with the others.  I am not a Wiccan, nor have I studied Wicca with a group, but I would imagine it's as different as going from being single to being married (which I have done) or being an adult to being a parent (which I have not).

There are two explanations which I think are very good for why no one should talk to you about exactly what happens during an initiation.  The first reason is, of course, that if they tell you the mundane steps of it, you may not be surprised when you come to these steps, and you may miss out on the mystical portion of the experience because you're thinking about the physical.  (Imagine trying to tell a small child about what sexual intercourse is.  They don't understand the feelings behind it or have the physical urges, so their likely response is going to be "You put WHAT, WHERE?"  They won't get it.)  I don't mean by this that initiation involves sex.  I'm using sex as an example of something that you can't explain to someone who isn't ready for it.

The second explanation is that you aren't there for the mystical experience, you're there for the changes it produces in you.  Many Christians strive to be "born again" in Christ, which is a mystical experience affirming their faith.  If you ask one of them what exactly their experience was like, they'll describe something that sounds kind of silly (if you're not a born-again Christian).  Or they may even choose not to talk about it, if they've talked about it to others and been laughed at, or misunderstood.  But the point of being born again, or initiated, isn't to have the Gods come down in a big halo of white light and sprinkle fairy dust on your bottom, it's to become a different and better person than you were through a sudden change.  Folks who go in for the fireworks aren't likely to have any incentive toward creating a lasting change in themselves, and worse, they aren't likely to succeed at either.

By Crow


 

  

Magick

Author: Hurn

Hello, Welcome to this, the next installment of my series. Tonight's Topic: MAGICK, some definitions, some theories, and a couple of observations. Now, as most of you may know, Magick is a somewhat controversial issue. Even the spelling of the word is argued about! I have picked up the habit (only the gods know where I picked it up ... possibly from my occasional perusals of Crowley) of using "Magick" for the real thing, and using "Magic" for what a stage magician does. Before I go any further, I guess that I had better define Magick. One definition is: "the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity to Will" - A. Crowley Now, while Crowley himself, was quite controversial, I think we can all agree that this should serve as a generic definition of Magick. But, one of the differences between types of magicks is in the way of raising or calling energy to cause change. Thus, such a change may be accomplished in one of a couple of ways: 1. The magick may be caused by the action of only one person or group of people. 2. The magick may be caused by the intercession of some higher (or lower) being who was evoked or controlled by a person or group of people. 3. The magick may be caused by the action of one person or group of people who is/are "borrowing" energy from some higher being (lower beings may sell energy, but seldom lend or give it). 4. The magick may be caused by the person or persons use of an object or location which was previously charged with energy (ie. a Magickal Tool, Talisman, standing stones, etc). Note: The use of a sacrifice (which can range from symbolic sacrifices of Grain, Wine, etc., all the way to Human Sacrifice [something which I, personally, am against]) is a combination of methods, in that a relatively amount of energy is released at the sacrifice itself, and, a larger amount of energy us usually then given forth by a higher or lower being. In many ways, Magick is quite similar to the harder sciences. In both, one must expend energy in order to effect a change, or, TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch). Another difference between types of Magick is in the Focusing or Concen- trating of the power being raised. This may be accomplished through the use of chanting, singing, dancing, various types of meditation, and through formalized Ritual steps, which may or may not involve Magickal Tools. Which brings us up to another controversial issue... the use and meaning of the Circle in Wiccan and Ceremonial Magicks. Now, as some of you may know, a Magickal Circle serves a couple of uses, and, as far as I can see, the argument is really over which is the most important aspect of such a Circle. Most modern Wicca types will say that a Circle's property of: "Holding and concentrating the Good energy being raised, until it is ready to be released" is the most important. Many Ceremonial types cite the Circle's ability to keep out negative energies and influences as being most important. While, some others say that a Circle relates the tie of spirit to body, and the ability of spirit to act on the body, with the tie of the people on the inside to the world(s) without, and a similar ability to cause change. As for my own position on this argument, while, in most areas, I tend to favour the Wiccan position (albeit, with a decidedly Discordian slant), in this case, I'll say: "Who CARES which is most important!?! A Circle does all of the above, and more, but, it's not worth arguing over!" So, on to the heart of this article: Explaining Magick in terms of Quantum Physics [{chuckle}, I knew a couple of Physicists who used to explain Quantum Physics in terms of Magick {grin}]. This covers the how and why Magick works. PLEASE NOTE: I do not claim to be infallible, this is not a laying down of the LAW. Rather, this is simply a theory. But then, E = MC(squared) is simply a theory. However there exists lots of data which supports both theories. Since I've already covered some basic Magickal Theory, it looks like time to start on the Physics end of things. I'll start with the theories of Probability and Uncertainty. Probability can be likened to Voltaire's Theory that: "Since this is the Only One of All Possible Worlds that we know, it must, therefore, be the Best of All Possible Worlds!". While this may be an interesting concept, Voltaire's logic is slightly flawed. A better statement would be: "This is the most Probable of All Possible Worlds". Thus, the Theory of Probability is quite simple. Everything we see or experience is due to probability. An Apple, when dropped, will fall (as long as it's in a gravity well, like, the surface of a planet, and, no other forces are acting on it), because falling is the most probable course of action open to it. Uncertainty comes into play when there IS no one most probable thing to happen. Good examples of uncertainty in action are small things, like electrons in orbit around an atom. Since there is no one most probable spot for that electron to be, it isn't in one place. There is a locus of higher probability, wherein a lower energy electron is more likely to be closer to the nucleus, and higher energy ones farther away. Thus, scientists may either pin down where an electron is, or, where it is going, but, they CAN'T pin down both at the same time. Also, electrons tend to vibrate in energy level, spontaneously bouncing up and down, seeking their most probable states. So, "Where does Magick come into play?" one may ask (assuming, that is, that one has made it this far). Well, one of the tenants of the Theory of Probability is that: the possibility of an event occurring depends upon the events probability. Thus, if said probability can be changed, one could, theoretically, either make such an event happen, or prevent such an event to happen. And this is what Magick really is... the Art of Changing Probability. And, here's how that happens... Einstein, as some may recall, was NOT happy with the theory of Probability. Since, who decides what is most probable, and, how can such decisions be altered? Einstein said "God does not play dice with the universe!", and tried, for years, to come up with a better theory. But, he failed, and so far, all the data collected tends to support the theory of Probability. Some others have come up with possible answers to the above posed question. One of which is that Chance determines probability (this is the theory that Einstein commented upon). Another theory is that some sort of GOD decides probability. Needless to say, whatever being who could alter probability at will, WOULD be a god! And so, that brings us to the present state of affairs. No doubt, even as I write, somewhere, there is someone trying to come up with some more theories governing the manipulation of probability, and thus, allowing the construction of a machine which does just that. But, there are also some who have found that such a machine exists... PEOPLE! There is already lots of evidence, some documented, most overlooked or kept hidden by the use of vows, that People CAN affect probability.