Discover the secret world of the occult The occult is an ancient field of supernatural study that was formed to help unravel the mysteries of the universe. The Beginner's Guide to the Occult helps you explore some of these mysteries for yourself, with simple explanations of different occult practices and their fascinating history. This guide is designed for any beginner who seeks to learn more about the occult and answer big questions about human nature as well as natural phenomena like the sky, the stars, and the Earth. A modern approach—Begin with an overview of the key history and beliefs of occult philosophy and how it gave rise to contemporary sciences like chemistry and meteorology. Occult philosophy—Explore different branches of occultism, from numerology to witchcraft, and see how they're all interconnected. Try it for yourself—Find a collection of spells and techniques—like horoscopes and healing rituals—that you can use to get your own occult practice brewing. Step into the supernatural with this beginner's guide to the power of the occult.

"[P.D. Ouspensky's] yearning for a transcendent, timeless reality—one that cancels out physical disintegration and death—figures into science at some fundamental level. Einstein found solace in his theory of relativity, which suggested to him that events are ever-present in the space-time continuum. When his friend Michele Besso passed on shortly before his own death, he wrote: 'For us believing physicists the distinction between past, present, and future is only an illusion, even if a stubborn one.'" —from Magic, Mystery, and Science The triumph of science would appear to have routed all other explanations of reality. No longer does astrology or alchemy or magic have the power to explain the world to us. Yet at one time each of these systems of belief, like religion, helped shed light on what was dark to our understanding. Nor have the occult arts disappeared. We humans have a need for mystery and a sense of the infinite. Magic, Mystery, and Science presents the occult as a "third stream" of belief, as important to the shaping of Western civilization as Greek rationalism or Judeo-Christianity. The occult seeks explanations in a world that is living and intelligent—quite unlike the one supposed by science. By taking these beliefs seriously, while keeping an eye on science, this book aims to capture some of the power of the occult. Readers will discover that the occult has a long history that reaches back to Babylonia and ancient Egypt. It proceeds alongside, and frequently mingles with, religion and science. From the Egyptian Book of the Dead to New Age beliefs, from Plato to Adolf Hitler, occult ways of knowing have been used—and hideously abused—to explain a world that still tempts us with the knowledge of its dark secrets.

Presents an overview of the occult and describes the beliefs of numerous religions, explaining how they oppose Christianity.

Find out how to interpret rituals, develop contacts in the occult community, recognize signs of juveniles dabbling in the occult,conduct an investigation into an occult-related crime and more. See how gangs and hate groups use occult symbolism to empower members and terrify victims and learn to identify ritual tools with the illustrated field guide.

A broadly interdisciplinary study of the pervasive secrecy in America cultural, political, and religious discourse. The occult has traditionally been understood as the study of secrets of the practice of mysticism or magic. This book broadens our understanding of the occult by treating it as a rhetorical phenomenon tied to language and symbols and more central to American culture than is commonly assumed. Joshua Gunn approaches the occult as an idiom, examining the ways in which acts of textual criticism and interpretation are occultic in nature, as evident in practices as diverse as academic scholarship, Freemasonry, and television production. Gunn probes, for instance, the ways in which jargon employed by various social and professional groups creates barriers and fosters secrecy. From the theory wars of cultural studies to the Satanic Panic that swept the national mass media in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gunn shows how the paradox of a hidden, buried, or secret meaning that cannot be expressed in language appears time and time again in Western culture. These recurrent patterns, Gunn argues, arise from a generalized, popular anxiety about language and its limitations. Ultimately, Modern Occult Rhetoric demonstrates the indissoluble relationship between language, secrecy, and publicity, and the centrality of suspicion in our daily lives.