Opinions: Are you an Occultist

[EarthchildAdornments]

I am curious to hear how many of you consider your craft an occult practice. How does the word occult make you feel? What do you understand by the word occult?

There are no wrong answers, I am just trying to gauge if there is a difference between how the general population views the occult vs how the witch community views it.

Discussion

[DarkLordofDadJokes]

The word occult means “covered over” or concealed. It’s typically used to describe what could be thought of hidden knowledge or wisdom. I do consider myself an occultist, in that I’m very interested in knowledge and wisdom that has been hidden, for whatever reason. I like to know thing, and if I discover that someone has tried to hide something, it makes me want to know ever more about it – it’s a thing, I enjoy having things and knowledge that people say I shouldn’t have. I particularly enjoy esoteric and nature based belief systems and practices, and I’m absolutely fascinated to learn what I can about the religions of early humans in their attempt to explain what t them must have been a truly massive and terrifying world.

Add to that the fact that I’m not exactly open about my own beliefs and practice, probably most of the way in the broom closet, I think the term occult is pretty accurate – the shoe appears to fit in my case anyway.

Yes, I’m a nerd, no I don’t care.

[kai-ote]

Occult means “Hidden”. Occult knowledge is that which was kept hidden from the general population. The study of the Occult is merely delving into wisdom from the past which was hidden for some reason.

A vast field, and magic is only a subset of that. BB.

[chan_jkv]

Occult is a giant umbrella term for people who are involved in hidden knowledge, often magical, but not necessarily so. So, I would say all witches are occultists, but not all occultists are witches.

[crimson_crone]

I’ve always understood the occult to be anything that dealt with hidden, supernatural, or magical spheres of thought or practice. It feels like a very broad umbrella that, while it does cover me, covers a lot of people who don’t share a single belief structure or practice with me. I wouldn’t be upset or offended to be called an occultist, but I’d probably clarify the specific type of occultist I am.

[Squirrels-on-LSD]

I’ve got training in some closed practices and “secret society” type groups, I’ve done a few levels of ceremonial back in my 20s. These sorts of “hidden mysteries” and guarded modalities are what I associate with the term “occult”.

However, I mostly work in more folk magick, chaos magick, and a loose framework of the wicca i was raised on, which vibes better with my spontaneous nature than those more rigid practices.

Am i a lax occultist? The magickal version of a catholic who prays to saints but only goes to mass christmas and easter? Or a jew who doesn’t keep kosher but gets lit at passover?

[Tiny_Ad_833]

I consider myself an occultist, yes. Witch, mage, pagan, demonolator, polytheist, chaotic practitioner. All terms I would use to describe myself.

Previously I might have used only “witch” when I was more into “folk” and “green” magick. I consider myself more of an occultist now because I heavily incorporate demons into my practice and it seems much in the world of witchcraft advises against this or otherwise have negative connotations about demons.

[Sazbadashie]

I mean by definition magical practices are occult so… yea. By technicality I’m an occultist but I don’t call myself that.

[Jefftos-The-Elder]

I used to practice ceremonial magick and studied widely various magical disciplines, grimoirs, and tried very hard to discipline myself to practice all the time. When I think of the occult that’s kinda what I think of. A serious and somewhat cantankerous student of magic diligently pouring over massive and ancient books trying to discover the hidden aspects of existence. That being said, as a witch, that’s not how I practice at all anymore and because my headcanon for the word occult tends to be associated with seriousness and discipline, I don’t consider what I do as occult at all. My practice now is a lot more playful, and willing to see the absurdity of it all. But those are my own highly subjective definitions. I’m well aware that occult simply means hidden. But what what something means and what something feels like can be two very different things.

[NoPensForSheila]

By eclipse, I basically meant overshadow, as occult is such a broad term. Encompass would also have worked.

I was thinking of metaphysical store where one corner is mostly black and witchy, another is full of feathers and earth tones while still another is indigo and full of rocks. Y’know?

[Homo_Rebus]

if you mean occult as in arcane, then yes

[Laurel_Spider]

Im 100% an occultist. I practice things within the “Occult” realm. I study the occult and also put it to practical use. I work hard for some of my sources and connections because I am in the occult and sometimes things hide out.

[Unfey]

Yeah, I do consider myself an occultist.

[Drow_Sucker]

I’m not the best at translating my thoughts coherently to others, but I’ll try. To me, occultism is the study of forces that exist in the realm of magick, as opposed to the realm of science. Although they can and do intertwine (hauntings, entities, rituals) we are bound by the laws of science, only able to influence our surroundings with the use of magick. I do consider my Witchcraft and Demonolatry occult pursuits. As for feelings, every encounter with an entity is an adventure, even if we see each other daily. Always something new to learn about yourself and the multiverse.

[OriginalNinjaCat]

I mean I’m not Wiccan or pagan so I tend to use the word occultist so that people don’t naturally assume I’m Wiccan or pagan. I think any student any occult or magic tradition is technically an occultist

[goddamnitmf]

What do you consider occult?