I see a lot of pearl clutching and handwringing here any time someone mentions occultism or esotericism in general. I want to help bring some Light to a topic that has been purposely kept in the Dark. Let's explore what occultism is and how it plays a role in society and every day life.

First, we must understand what the word occult means: something that has been hidden. That's it. Not scary, or dark, or harmful. Just hidden. If it has been hidden from society and used by the ultra rich and powerful, one must wonder why it was hidden. It doesn't take too much of a leap of logic to postulate that it's a tool kept secret so that those in power can remain in power over those that don't possess the tool. Think about how if only 1% of the population had access to the use of electricity. How much of an advantage would they have over everyone else? And just like any tool, you can use it for good, or for evil. You can use a hammer to build a house or commit a murder.

In Trump's book "The Way to the Top," he credits much of his success to his Kabbalah teacher. Yes, even President Trump uses Kabbalistic practices. The Kabbalah is just a road map of how to optimize your own mental abilities by focusing on improving your own self.

I used to be one of those folks that considered myself to be an atheist and looked down on mainstream religion as uninformed, but my study of the esoteric has given me a new perspective and understanding of the Bible. It's really not saying anything different.

You will find the principles of Hermticism in every religion throughout the ages. Have you heard the verse "As you hold true on earth, so shall I hold to be true in heaven"? How is that any different than "As above, so below. As within, so without"? That's the hermetic principle of correspondence.

And how about prayer? You are focusing your will and intent on a particular desired outcome. And since "God helps those that help themselves," you are taking the will, the care, and the action to create your reality. That's mentalism and manifestation.

The holy union of the masculine and feminine to create life (the most beautiful creation of all) is the principle of duality and the principle of gender.

The deciding factor of whether or not someone is doing something nefarious with their occult practices is always the INTENT applied to them. So whenever you hear or see the word occult or esoteric, do yourself a favor and look at the bigger picture surrounding what's going on rather than automatically assuming that it's evil.