The word "occult" has different modern-day usages, but as it relates to spiritual matters, the word refers to any number of religious practices, which may or may not involve rituals and activities that utilize the blood of an animal or person. The English word “occult” comes from the 16th century Latin word “occulere,” which means “to hide or conceal."
It's important to know that the word "occult" isn't limited to metaphysical beliefs. It is also commonly found in the context of medical testing, referring to something that isn't visible with the naked eye (e.g. an "occult bleed" requires the use of microscope or chemical testing to confirm it).
Reasons people practice various expressions of the occult can be quite different depending on the acitivity and the individual. Generally, practitioners are attempting to discover information that is unknown to them, such as information about the future or what can be done to fascilitate physical healing. Most occult practices aren't directly associated with Satanism, but they can be. Some expresion may involve black magic, but many don't. Some expressions may involve elements of shamanism, but many don't.
The following chart is an attempt to introduce the reader to various occult practices. It's not intended to be an assessment of beliefs or behaviors, but give brief descriptions and serve as a starting point for further study.
Occult Practice |
Brief Description |
Association |
| alchemy | the attempt to convert base metals into gold and silver | ancient cultures such as Egypt and Greece |
| alomancy | divination by means of salt | spilling salt is bad luck, throwing salt over the shoulder |
| amniomancy | divination of the membrane which sometimes envelopes a child at birth | |
| amulet | an object worn as a charm against evil or injury | |
| anthropomancy | divination by the entrails of men or women | Menelaus, Heliogabalus, Julian the Apostate |
| axinomancy | divination by means of a hatchet | |
| belomancy | divination by means of arrows | Chaldeans |
| catoptromancy | divination by use of a mirror | Thessaly |
| ceroscopy | divination by wax | |
| clairaudience | hearing voices; meaning, "clear hearing" | |
| clairvoyance | seeing things; meaning, "clear vision" | |
| crystalomancy | divination by means of a crystal globe, a pool of water, or a mirror | |
| dactylomancy | divination by means of rings | mood rings |
| daphnomancy | divination by means of throwing a branch into a fire to see if it crackles | |
| demonomancy | divination by means of demons | |
| divination | the method of obtaining knowledge of the unknown or the future by means of omens | |
| divining rod, aka "dowsing" | a two-pronged tree branch that signals an underground source such as water by means of spastic movements | ancient Egypt |
| eromanty | one of six kinds of divination utilizing air | Persians |
| extispicy | inspection of entrails | Erturians |
| gastromancy | divination by means of listening to sounds from the stomach | |
| gyromancy | walking in a circle, which was marked with letters, and forming words out of those upon which one stumbled | |
| hydromancy | divination by water | Nereus |
The Illuminati (a few theorists accuse this secret society of occult behavior) |
a secret society that some believe is still operational today | |
| lithomancy | divination by stones | |
| lyeanthropy | the transformation of a human being into an animal | |
| margaritomancy | divination by pearls | |
| myomancy | divination by rats or mice | |
| necromancy | divination by means of spirits of dead people | |
| onomancy | divination by a donkey | The Gothic King, Theodotus |
| onychmancy | divination by the finger-nails | |
| ooscopy | divination by eggs | |
| palmistry | divination by means of the lines on the palm of a hand | |
| phyllorhodomancy | divination by rose-leaves | |
| poltergeist | supernatural causes of noises and other disturbances; "polter geist" means "rattling ghost" | |
| psychics | utilizing people with extrasensory experience (ESP) to acquire information | |
| psychomancy | divination by spirits | |
| pyromancy | divination by fire | Temple of Minerva at Athens |
| rhapsodomancy | divination by means of reading a line of poetry at random | |
| seance | a sitting held for the purpose of communicating with the dead | |
| sorcery | the use of supernatual powers to summon evil spirits | |
| sortilege | divination by lots | |
| spells | spoken or written formulas capable of magical effects | |
| stoicheomancy | divination by means of reading a line of Homer or Virgil at random | |
| stolisomancy | divination by means of how one dresses | |
| tarot cards | playing cards used for the purpose of divination | |
| tephramancy | divination by means of reading ashes from a fire | |
| xylomancy | divination by wood | Slovenia |
| zlazza | a black and white stone, causes horrifying visions |
Sources
Lewis Spence. The Encyclopedia of the Occult. Bracken Books. London, England. 1988
