Read Occultism, Its Past, Present and Future Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

To many persons the subjects discussed in these lectures may appear preposterous, and therefore those of you who have not studied along metaphysical lines are requested to hold yourselves agnostically until this entire course shall be finished. You do not know whether Occultism is true or not; you are now ready to examine the subject and, after having heard the entire exposition, you will be in a position to judge whether it offers a logical, working hypothesis, and whether it is
worthy to receive more of your time and consideration.

If it is true it can be demonstrated, for truth is always demonstrable. You can prove by demonstration each of the fundamental statements that will be made, as you can prove a proposition in mathematics. When I say truth is demonstrable, do not understand me to mean that it is capable of being demonstrated immediately upon hearing it. Everything must unfold. You cannot raise your body on a horizontal bar the first time you try because your muscles are not strong enough; but after your muscles have become
strengthened by practice you may be capable of raising your body to any position you desire. So it is with a person who has never used his mind in scientific reasoning or in concentration. He should not flatter himself that he can immediately accomplish what a person who has practiced for many years can do. If you use your mind along the lines indicated in these lectures you will find that there will be a continuous growth for you, and that the time will come when you can do anything that you desire. A very large promise, you may say, but if it is true I assure you it is demonstrable.

Our first subject is "Occultism, Its Past, Present and Future." This is an introductory lecture, giving something of the history of Occultism and of the Occultists in order that we may know the source from which our information is derived.

The Century Dictionary gives the definition of Occultism as: "The doctrine, practice or rites of things occult or mysterious; the Occult Sciences or their study; mysticism; esotericism." In the Middle Ages Occult Science or Occultism embraced primarily what is now known as the physical sciences. It was understood to mean those things which were unknown, but which by experimentation might become known. Chemistry, as a branch of Alchemy, was regarded as one of the Occult Sciences because it was largely unknown, but through investigation and experimentation
it constantly became better known. But Occultism also had a secondary meaning which was coupled with the first, namely, mysticism, esotericism.

In ancient days people thought it not unwise to attempt the discovery of the unknown through experimentation with the subjective as well as the objective side of nature, and the two meanings, that which pertained to the objective, which was unknown but could be ascertained, and that which pertained to the subjective, which was unknown but could be ascertained, were both included in the term Occultism.

Materialism as it grew in strength called the unknown (which was becoming known on the objective or visible side of life) "Science," but stamped the belief in or the investigation of the subjective side of life as "superstition." And most people became very much afraid of that word, and became afraid of being known as superstitious even more than to be known as ignorant; and such persons preferred to remain ignorant of the Occult. In time the word Occultism grew to mean that which pertained to the subjective - that which pertained to esotericism, and at present it is defined as esotericism.

As you go back in history you will find that esotericism has everywhere played a large part in moulding the thoughts of men. There were always the esoteric and the exoteric religions and sciences. There always has been and there will be for ages yet to come one religion for the masses and another for the students. There have been for a long time, and for some time yet to come there will be two sciences - one for the materialist, diluted for the masses, and another for the students of Occultism. You will find traces of this duality in any religion at any period in history.

The Nazarene, the inspired leader of the Christians, after having taught the multitude in parables and having withdrawn to one side, was questioned by His disciples: "Why speakest thou to them in parables?" He answered: "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." And afterward He unfolded to His disciples the esoteric side of His teachings, thus giving them truths that were not for the masses. And in all religions, whether it be the Egyptian, Buddhism, or that precursor of the Christian religion - Judaism, there are truths which are revealed only to the student. In Judaism there was the Jehovic teaching for the masses, the Cabalistic for the most secret students, and between these two was a third, the Talmudic, which partook of the nature of both. So the truth reached all grades of society according to the comprehension of each - a plan that was adopted later by the Church of Rome with
very great success.

Of course many religionists, especially those calling themselves Christians, will deny that there is any esotericism in their faith. But those who are acquainted with the history of the early Christian Church and the writings of the Fathers, and those who are familiar with the philosophy of The Logos, and the mysticism of Paul as shown in his Epistles, will never attempt to deny it to the educated.

But however violent the denial of esotericism may be by the religionist, it will not exceed in violence the denial of the term "science" to anything pertaining to the occult by the majority of the modern physicists; yet scorn, laughter or denial will not blot from the pages of either sacred or profane history the fact that Magic was and is practiced among all people. The existence of magic necessitates the knowledge of certain laws and forces which are as yet unknown to the materialist, though modern science, having gone almost to the limit of the visible, is now beginning to
knock at the door of the Occult Sciences and to pry into the invisible. It is already studying the ether, ions, electrical invisibles, atoms and radiant matter. It is only a few weeks since Flammarion, in one of his articles, said that he was a student of Occultism, and that henceforth all progressive men of science would have to study along that line.

According to the teachings of esotericism Occultism is the science of Divine Unfoldment. The student of Occultism regards Deity as the All; and is taught that there is not nor cannot be any manifestation outside of Deity. Whether we look at a blade of grass, or a drop of water, or upon our planet with its teeming myriads of men and animals, or look away into space at system after system of worlds, all is Deity in various states of manifestation. The Occultist is primarily an evolutionist
and says that all evolution is carried on during vast periods of time, which he calls
Cosmic Days; that Deity idealizes a picture of what It will accomplish during a Cosmic Day, and then the whole impulse of evolution - which is Divine Energy or Impulse - is onward and upward, striving ever to reach that idealization.

Everything in the universe is an unfoldment of Deity Itself, and Occultism is the science of that Unfoldment. It teaches the laws under which that Unfoldment takes place, not only upon the objective plane of life but also upon the subjective plane. The Occultist finds that where he merely studies the modern sciences he is only studying the sciences of effects, for there is not one of the modern sciences that teaches the cause of phenomena. Take the subject where modern science has perhaps made as much progress as in any other line - embryology. We find there is a germ; it
has a form of life; a method of accretion; it reaches a certain point of development; then ask a scientific man what it is going to be, a fish, a bird, a reptile or a man, and he cannot answer.

Up to this point the formation of a germ of each kind is identical with the others. But after this point has been reached there is new accretion, a new form is assumed, and the germ may become a bird, a fish, a reptile or a man; but the form that it takes was indelibly stamped upon it from the beginning. How was it stamped? What determines the diverging point, what determines the form of consciousness, the form of expression? In the science of embryology there is no satisfactory answer to be had because here, as you see, is the study of effects. The cause is not looked for, is not found.

Read Occultism, Its Past, Present and Future Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4