Aries, 2017

Perusing the rise of occultism and nontraditional religions in the United States

Brief introduction to this issue. Various exhibitions in the past few decades have shown that Western spirituality in general and occultism in particular have played an important role in modern art. Christopher Partridge's concept of "occulture" serves well as an analytical tool for exploring the role of occultism in modern art and the lives of modern artists.

2018

Robert A. Segal, Nickolas P. Roubekas (eds.), Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Second Edition, 2021

Like other terms in the study of religion, "esotericism" is problematic. It has different meanings connected to different approaches. The noun "esotericism" emerged in the late eighteenth century. But the institutionalized study of esotericism as an academic discipline came only in 1965, with the establishment of a chair in the History of Christian Esotericism at Sorbonne University. Since then, the field has developed rapidly. I will first deal with the historical roots of the word "esotericism" and the closely related "occultism." The range of topics and methods that characterize the field will then be considered.

Alchemy "Sorcery has been called Magic: but Magic is Wisdom, and there is no wisdom in Sorcery" PARACELSUS. The Occultist is one who intelligently and continuously applies himself to the understanding of the hidden forces in nature and to the laws of the interior world, to the end that he may consciously cooperate with nature and the spiritual intelligences in the production of effects of service to himself and to his fellow-beings. This entails upon him a close study of the mystery and power of sound, number, colour, form; the psychological laws underlying all expression of faculty; the laws of sympathy and antipathy; the law of vibration; of spiritual and natural affinity; the law of periodicity, of cosmic energy, planetary action; occult correspondences, etc. To these labours he must bring a natural gift of understanding, an unusual degree of patience and devotion, and a keen perception of natural facts. The Medium, or natural sensitive, is one who holds himself in negative relations to the interior worlds, and submits himself to the operation of influences proceeding from things and persons, as well as to that of discarnate intelligences. The medium cultivates an unusual degree of responsiveness to environment and to the emanations (atomic, magnetic or psychic) and suggestions of other persons. The phenomena developed by this process of mediumism include automatism (temporary loss of control over the motor nerves), as in the phenomena of involuntary speech and automatic writing; hypercesthesia, as in the function of clairvoyance, clairaudience, psychometry, etc.; trance, with its attendant phenomena of unconscious cerebration, obsession, and a variety of physical effects of a supernormal character. In its highest manifestation, following upon the "crucifying of the flesh," the subjugation of the passions, and a process of intense religious aspiration, mediumism is frequently followed by spiritual revelation and spontaneous prophecy. "But this sort cometh not but by fasting and prayer."

Fill Your Soul! Paths of Research into the Art of Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Espoo: The Gallen-Kallela Museum, 46–59., 2011

2016

An Art Theory essay which speaks to art’s capacity to evoke/invoke occult phenomenon, alter consciousness, and catalyze mystical experience, detailing a conceptually Postmodern approach to art theory and practice.