Arcane Facts About Spiritualism and the Occult in History
Humanity has been plagued by certain questions since the dawn of time: Who created us? What happens to us when we die? How can we protect ourselves from those that would hurt us? Many people have turned, and an increasing number of people are turning, to the occult for answers. Gaze into my crystal ball for these 25 arcane facts about spiritualism and the occult.
Spiritualism and the Occult Facts
24. What is Occultism?
The word “occult” comes from the Latin “occultus,” meaning secret or hidden. Occultism, then, is knowledge of the secret or hidden. The word “occult” has come to take on a particular religious dimension, and can be applied to a variety of often-syncretic religions that deal with magic, spiritualism, divination, and other non-mainstream religious beliefs.
23. Crystal Ball
One of the most common images conjured up when we think of occultism is the crystal ball. The use of the crystal ball for fortune telling goes back to the druids, and Pliny the Elder also described soothsayers' crystal balls in the first century AD.
22. It’s in the Cards
Tarot cards came to Europe from Egypt, but while they are certainly ancient and mysterious, it was only in the 18th century that they gained popularity as a form of divination.
The most familiar version of the Tarot, the Rider-Waite deck, was designed by Pamela Colman-Smith in 1910.
