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What is Occultism?

The Occult has been a fascination for mankind as long as history records. Even the word "Occult" is saturated with intrigue as it comes from the Latin word Ocultus referring to something that is hidden or more appropriately Secret Knowledge or Hidden Wisdom. So Occultism is the search for knowledge; the quest for the underlying truth of existence. It is the study of a deeper spiritual "reality" that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences. The Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge is a good analogy of this pursuit; the idea that the truth, like the apple, is seductively within our reach urging us to pluck it from the tree. Mankind is incredibly curious by nature and so Eve's temptation was perfectly understandable. You could even say it was inevitable. Then when you couple that compelling curiosity with an awareness of our own existence it is inevitable that we will want to understand existence as well! This is the foundation of Occultism.

So its the same as philosophy then? Not quite. Philosophy an intellectual practice for describing in words truth and the nature of reality. Occult practices don't necessarily need words. It is often likened to a science. Alchemy would be a good example of this. The classical idea of an Alchemist's goal was the discovery of a means for transmuting base metals into gold. Although this was not the only use for the science, this was the one most documented and well known. In their search they discovered many things including the properties of many atomic elements and how they behave when combined. Up until the 18th century, alchemy was still considered a serious science in Europe. In fact, modern chemistry owes its whole existence to the hundreds of years of the Alchemist's "occult research" that came before it. This is another principle behind occultism. Occultists believe there is always something beyond what we currently know and time often proves them right.

So Occultism is a science? Again, not exactly! It is also a spiritual practice. Nearly all forms of Divination are an Occult practice; everything from Tarot to Horoscopes and Runes to Dowsing. Direct insight into the occult does not necessarily require the use of physical means, but can be arrived at through the mind or the spirit. The term can refer to mental, psychological or spiritual training.

Common means of gaining insight into the occult is the use of focus. A focus may be applied to a physical object, or through ritual (for example, meditation or chanting), or a medium in which one becomes wholly immersed in Totality. These are just a few examples of the vast and numerous avenues that can be explored!

What is Paganism?

Paganism is a very broad term for many of the world's religions and faiths. From the Latin word 'Paganus', it roughly translates into 'something that is rural' or even as 'country dweller' and probably came into common use by Romanic Christians as a derogatory term for people still following the old faiths as Christianity became Europe's major religion. Back then this term would have included anyone from Soothsayers to Druids and even today the word Paganism is still very ambiguous. Looking in the dictionary I see the definition of "Pagan" is "(someone) not following one of the world's main religions," though many may elaborate by saying "(someone) not following a religion originating from the legend of Abraham." This would include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam which, despite being very different religions, all stem from Abraham in the Old Testament. Some would go as far as to exclude the Dharmic religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Many current Pagans base their beliefs and practices on a deep connection to Nature, and a divinity within all living things, but this may not hold true for all forms of Paganism, past or present. Some believe that there are many deities, while some believe that the combined subconscious spirit of all living things forms the universal deity.

Some of today's more common pagan religions would include Wicca, Shamanism, and Neo-Druidism to name but a few. Other lesser known faiths would include Forn Sed, Longobardic Odinism, Lithuanian Romuva, and Slavic Rodoverie, however, it should be noted that these are pagan revivals reconstructed in modern times from original cultural practices and are often referred to as Neo-Pagan religions or Neo-Paganism. Greek and Roman Mythology, as well as the Norse Religions, are also known as Paganism though are much older forms than the ones I previously mentioned.

In conclusion, there really is no such thing as the "Pagan religion," only religions that can be described as pagan, due to the diversity of all the beliefs and practices the term includes.