Psst... Let me Tell You a Secret...

The Fool

So one thing has to be said about the Occult. One thing above all: most of the stuff you see and hear about in the Occult world is utter bullshit. Yes, mostly. Not partly, not somewhat, but mostly. Allowing pop psych, politics, or money into anything is generally a recipe for corruption and decay.

This is one manifesto for a more Practical approach.

1) The truths of the Universe are hidden in plain sight. For the most part, science is the best way to discover them. For the sake of clarity, let's just say that "ties always go to science." On the other side, when there is not enough science to say one way or another, I encourage you to keep your sceptical mind open. For example, some people swear by aromatherapy, some people think it's bunk. Science has recently indicated that the smell of sandalwood, when received by the chemical receptors on our white blood cells, can induce apoptosis in subjects that have certain types of blood cancer. To deny aromatherapy does anything sounds to me more like rigid and dogmatic scientism rather than proper scepticism. A sceptic asks whether the proof supports the conviction. The dogmatic spiritualist and atheist both reject assertions out of hand that do not fit their worldview. 

2) If you can't reproduce something that someone else has done, chances are it's bullshit. Look for corroboration, trusted sources, and not friends of friends. Only then make the decision whether you need more practice, or whether you should give up because what you're trying to do is just illusion. I'm not going to poo-poo stuff like meditation, which has proven positive mental and physical effects, just because it is hard; not in the least. Meditation is infernally hard to master, but has proven benefits with reams of documentation to back it up. I'm saying you should be circumspect if someone tells you they can teach you something amazing that you've never actually seen them do, or that the laws of physics preclude. Chances are, if it's only them who's seen or done it, they're a wanker. 

3) Some Magic works because of the way the human brain is wired, meaning a lot of Magic is scientifically explainable. That doesn't make it any less Magical. I was raised on Theosophical traditions from the turn of the last century. The kind of stuff Theosophists taught has a lot of similarity with the visualisation techniques taught to punters in American football to make them kick straighter. I would classify the techniques in the book Think and Grow Rich as brilliant examples of Magic, and yet they are simply mental tools to increase creativity and focus that few people would consider strange nowadays. Our people were really ahead of the curve, weren't they? Stuff science derided us for in the late parts of the 19th century they employ as routine in the 21st. Hey, I'll take it over being burned at the stake.

4) If someone believes something that doesn't hurt anyone, but you believe is impossible or incorrect, let it be. Maybe that homoeopathic supplement actually DOES work for them. The Placebo Effect is an incredible thing. Dogpiling on someone like a fundamentalist - be they religious or New Atheist fundamentlists - would do is bullying, pure and simple. Resolve not to be an asshole. Draw your own conclusions in silent if you must, but don't go hurting others' feelings just because you think they're wrong. Rest assured, the righter you think you are about anything, the more an honest look in the mirror is in order. If it doesn't hurt anyone, leave it alone. But hey, if it's falsifiable, by all means - give them the opportunity to establish their claims with proof, and if they can't provide said proof, maybe they'll learn something. One can hope. Just don't rub it in.

The name Practical Occultist might sound a little weird, and a little old and stodgy. Well, the reasons above are why I call this blog practical: we will emphasise stuff you can do here, and specifically, stuff you can do right now. Like the meditation example earlier. Seriously, get up, find a quiet corner, sit comfortably and clear your mind for five or ten minutes - no interruptions. You'll feel awesome, if you can actually do it. Totally free, and totally doable. "Occultist" comes from the language I grew up with, being more or less raised in the Theosophical tradition. To me, this is a term for a person who considers themselves a student of the phenomena around them. A true sceptic who doesn't deny their experience, but always questions how those experiences came about. Occult is the word used in medicine for a result that is abnormal or out of the ordinary. An Occultist studies the abnormal, the edge cases, to expand their framework for understanding the universe. Someone who attempts to understand the phenomena that don't fit easily into their preconceived notions of the universe; someone who questions rather than denies.

I invite you to be a Practical Occultist along with me, studying, sharing, and hopefully, learning.