Nowadays, the word occult connotes the cultivation of hidden powers, possibly to the detriment of self and others. Yet, when the Theosophical Society was founded, occultism—the study of the occult—was a spiritual practice for developing our highest ideals. To be an occultist required working for the greater good rather than for self alone. This was ethical magic. Occultism, then, was the system of magical ethics that supported such a practice, showing us how to place ourselves in right relationship with our hidden powers and those of the universe. Perhaps it’s time to restore the high calling of being an occultist.
Kurt Leland is an international lecturer for the Theosophical Society. He has been teaching classes in psychic and spiritual development for twenty years. He is the author of several books, including Invisible Worlds: Annie Besant on Psychic and Spiritual DevelopmentInvisible Worlds: Annie Besant on Psychic and Spiritual Development, Rainbow Body: A History of the Western Chakra System from Blavatsky to Brennan, and The Multidimensional Human: Practices for Psychic Development and Astral Projection.