The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to "knowledge of the hidden".^[1] In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g. an "occult bleed"^[2] may be one detected indirectly by the presence of otherwise unexplained anemia.

The word has many uses in the English language, popularly meaning "knowledge of the paranormal", as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable",^[3][4] usually referred to as science. The term is sometimes popularly taken to mean "knowledge meant only for certain people" or "knowledge that must be kept hidden", but for most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual reality that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences.^[5] The terms esoteric and arcane can have a very similar meaning, and the three terms are often interchangeable.^[6][7]

The term occult is also used as a label given to a number of magical organizations or orders, the teachings and practices taught by them, and to a large body of current and historical literature and spiritual philosophy related to this subject.

Occultism[link]

Reconstruction of the "Holy Table" as used by John Dee.

Occultism is the term used to describe the study of occult practices including (but not limited to) magic, alchemy, extra-sensory perception, astrology, spiritualism, and divination. Interpretation of occultism and its concepts can be found in the belief structures of religions such as Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Theosophy, Wicca, Thelema, Satanism, and Neopaganism.^[8] A broad definition is offered by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke:

OCCULTISM has its basis in a religious way of thinking, the roots of which stretch back into antiquity and which may be described as the Western esoteric tradition. Its principal ingredients have been identified as Gnosticism, the Hermetic treatises on alchemy and magic, Neo-Platonism, and the Kabbalah, all originating in the eastern Mediterranean area during the first few centuries AD.^[9]

From the 15th to 17th century, these ideas that are alternatively described as Western esotericism, which had a revival from about 1770 onwards, due to a renewed desire for mystery, an interest in the Middle Ages and a romantic "reaction to the rationalist Enlightenment."^[10] Alchemy was common among highly important seventeenth-century scientists, such as Isaac Newton,^[11] and Gottfried Leibniz.^[12] Newton was even accused of introducing occult agencies into natural science when he postulated gravity as a force capable of acting over vast distances.^[13] "By the eighteenth century these unorthodox religious and philosophical concerns were well defined as 'occult', inasmuch as they lay on the outermost fringe of accepted forms of knowledge and discourse,"^[10] They were, however, preserved by antiquarians and mystics.

Based on his research into the modern German occult revival (1890–1910), Goodrick-Clarke puts forward a thesis on the driving force behind occultism. Behind its many varied forms apparently lies a uniform function, "a strong desire to reconcile the findings of modern natural science with a religious view that could restore man to a position of centrality and dignity in the universe.^[14] Since that time many authors have emphasized a syncretic approach by drawing parallels between different disciplines.^[15]

Direct insight into our perception of the occult does not usually consist of access to physically measurable facts, but is arrived at through the mind or the spirit^{[verification needed]}. The term can refer to mental, psychological or spiritual training^{[verification needed]}. Many occultists have studied science (perceiving science as an adjunct to alchemy) to add validity to occult knowledge in a day and age where the mystical can easily be undermined as flights of fancy. An oft-cited means of gaining insight into the occult is the use of a focus; a physical object, a ritualistic action (for example, meditation or chanting), or a medium in which one becomes wholly immersed. These are just a few examples of the vast and numerous avenues that can be explored.

Science and the occult[link]

To the occultist, occultism is conceived of as the study of the inner nature of things, as opposed to the outer characteristics that are studied by science. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer designates this "inner nature" with the term Will, and suggests that science and mathematics are unable to penetrate beyond the relationship between one thing and another in order to explain the "inner nature" of the thing itself, independent of any external causal relationships with other "things".^{[16][original research?]} Schopenhauer also points towards this inherently relativistic nature of mathematics and conventional science in his formulation of the 'World as Will'. By defining a thing solely in terms of its external relationships or effects we only find its external, or explicit nature. Occultism, on the other hand, is concerned with the nature of the "thing-in-itself". This is often accomplished through direct perceptual awareness, known as mysticism.

From the scientific perspective, occultism is regarded as unscientific as it does not make use of the standard scientific method to obtain facts.

Occult qualities[link]

Occult qualities are properties that have no rational explanation. In the Middle Ages, magnetism was sometimes called an occult quality.^[17] Newton's contemporaries severely critiqued his theory that gravity was effected through "action at a distance" as occult.^[18]

Religion and the occult[link]

Some religious denominations view the occult as being anything supernatural or paranormal which is not achieved by or through God (as defined by those religious denominations), and is therefore the work of an opposing and malevolent entity. The word has negative connotations for many people, and while certain practices considered by some to be "occult" are also found within mainstream religions, in this context the term "occult" is rarely used and is sometimes substituted with "esoteric".

Religious Jewish views[link]

In Rabbinic Judaism, an entire body of literature, collectively known as Kabbalah has been dedicated to the content eventually defined by some as occult science. The Kabbalah includes the tracts named Sefer Yetzirah, The Zohar, Pardes Rimonim, and Eitz Chaim. For a more exhaustive look at these subjects, see Kabbalah.

Though there is a popular myth that one must be a 40 year old Jewish man, and learned in the Talmud before one is allowed to delve into Kabbalah, Chaim Vital says exactly the opposite in his introduction to Eitz Chaim. There he argues that it is incumbent on everyone to learn Kabbalah - even those who are unable to understand the Talmud. Further, the father of the Lurianic School of Kabbalah, Isaac Luria (known as the Ari HaKadosh, or the Holy Lion) was not yet 40 years old when he passed away.

Christian views[link]

Christian authorities have generally regarded occultism as heretical whenever they met this: from early Christian times, in the form of gnosticism, to late Renaissance times, in the form of various occult philosophies.^[19] Though there is a Christian occult tradition that goes back at least to Renaissance times, when Marsilio Ficino developed a Christian Hermeticism and Pico della Mirandola developed a Christian form of Kabbalism,^[20] mainstream institutional Christianity has always resisted occult influences, which are:^[21]

• monistic in contrast to Christian dualistic beliefs of a separation between body and spirit;
• generally not monotheistic, frequently asserting a gradation of human souls between mortals and God; and
• sometimes not even theistic in character.

Furthermore, there are heterodox branches of Esoteric Christianity that practice divination, blessings, or appealing to angels for certain intervention, which they view as perfectly righteous, often supportable by gospel (for instance, claiming that the old commandment against divination was superseded by Christ's birth, and noting that the Magi used astrology to locate Bethlehem). Rosicrucianism, one of the most celebrated of Christianity's mystical offshoots, has lent aspects of its philosophy to most Christian-based occultism since the 17th century.

Hindu views[link]

Occult concepts have existed in Hinduism from the time of the Vedas and it is ingrained into the Hindu thought.The Atharva Veda contains a number occult practices. They were supposed to be used to protect oneself from evil.

Tantra, originating in India, includes amongst its various branches a variety of ritualistic practices ranging from visualisation exercises and the chanting of mantras to elaborate rituals.

There hundreds of mystic amulets or Yantra in Hinduism for various deities.

See also[link]

Occult portal

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Walker, Benjamin (1980). Encyclopedia of the Occult, the Esoteric and the Supernatural. New York: Stein & Day. ISBN 0-8128-6051-9. 
• Harold W. Percival, Joined the Theosophical Society in 1892. After the death of William Quan Judge in 1896, organized the Theosophical Society Independent and then wrote Thinking and Destiny which covers in plan terms the purpose of the universe and occult meanings.

Further reading[link]

• Bardon, Franz (1971). Initiation into Hermetics. Wuppertal: Ruggeberg.
• Fortune, Dion (2000). The Mystical Qabala. Weiser Books. ISBN 1-57863-150-5
• Gettings, Fred, Vision of the Occult, Century Hutchinson Ltd, 1987. ISBN 0-7126-1438-9
• Martin, W., Rische, J., Rische, K., & VanGordon, K. (2008). The Kingdom of the Occult. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing.
• Regardie, I., Cicero, C., & Cicero, S. T. (2001). The Tree of Life: An Illustrated Study in Magic. St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn Publications.
• Rogers, L. W. (1909). Hints to Young Students of Occultism. Albany, N.Y.: The Theosophical Book Company.
• Shepard, Leslie (editor), Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1978
• Spence, Lewis, Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, 1920.
• Davis, R., True to His Ways: Purity & Safety in Christian Spiritual Practice (ACW Press, Ozark AL, 2006), ISBN 1-932124-61-6.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Occultism

• Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, University of Amsterdam
• University of Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO)
• ESSWE European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, with many links to associated organizations, libraries, scholars etc.
• Joseph H. Peterson, Twilit Grotto: Archives of Western Esoterica (Esoteric Archives: Occult Literature)
• Asiya, Magical Athenaeum (Collection of occult works in PDF Format)
•  "Occult Art, Occultism". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
• eLibrary of ancient books on occultism, spiritism, spiritualism, séances, development of mediumship in the Western and Oriental Traditions. Many technical advice on ITC and EVP, and practical tips concerning the development of different forms of Mediumship provided by medium Maryse Locke.
• the MYSTICA.ORG An on-line encyclopedia of the occult

Professor Griff is an American rapper and spoken word artist. He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy and head of the Security of the First World.

Early years in Public Enemy[link]

After returning from the army, he started a security service to work the local party circuit, calling it Unity Force. At the time, Carlton Ridenhour (a.k.a. Chuck D) was part of the Spectrum City DJ-for-hire service led by Hank Shocklee, and Spectrum and Unity Force frequently worked side-by-side at local events. When Public Enemy was formed and signed to Def Jam, Ridenhour invited Griffin to be a sideman. Unity Force was renamed "The Security of the First World", or S1W for short. The S1W's were brought along, and became a curious combination of bodyguards/dancers for the band. Their stage routines were a loose combination of martial arts, military drill and "step show" dances lifted from black college fraternities.

His role was also that of road manager and "Minister of Information", the intellectual public face of the band for interviews et cetera, as Flavor Flav was the "fun" one. He was rarely MC'ing, except between songs. Professor Griff has started to emerge on the conspiracy theory scene, typically New World Order conspiracy theory. He is known for linking these allegations to past and present celebrities.

Controversy and departure from Public Enemy[link]

Before the release of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Professor Griff, in his role as Minister of Information, gave interviews to UK magazines on behalf of Public Enemy, during which he made homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks.^[1][2] However, there was little controversy until May 22, 1989, when Griffin was interviewed by the Washington Times. At the time, Public Enemy enjoyed unprecedented mainstream attention with the single "Fight the Power" from the soundtrack of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing.

During the interview with David Mills, Griffin made numerous statements such as "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world".^[3][4] When the interview was published, a media firestorm emerged, and the band found themselves under intense scrutiny.^[2][5]

In a series of press conferences, Griffin was either fired, quit, or never left. Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin had already left the label by then; taking his place alongside Russell Simmons was Lyor Cohen, the son of Israeli immigrants who had run Rush Artist Management since 1985. Before the dust settled, Cohen claims to have arranged for a Holocaust Museum to give the band a private tour.^[6]

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Ridenhour first expressed an apology on his behalf,^[7] and fired Griffin soon thereafter. Griffin later rejoined the group, provoking more protests, causing Ridenhour to briefly disband the group. When Public Enemy reformed, due to increasing attention from the press and pressure from Def Jam hierarchy, Griffin was no longer with the band.

Griffin later publicly expressed remorse for his statements after a meeting with the National Holocaust Awareness Student Organization in 1990.^[8]

In his 2009 book, titled Analytixz,^[9] Griff once again admitted the faults in his alleged 1989 statement: "To say the Jews are responsible for the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe, I would have to know about the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe, which is impossible...I'm not the best knower—[God] is. Then, not only knowing that, I would have to know who is at the crux of all of the problems in the world and then blame Jewish people, which is not correct." Griff also pointed out that not only were his words taken out of context, but that the recording was never released to the public for an unbiased listen.

Afrocentrism[link]

Although himself partly Native American,^{[citation needed]} Griffin embraced a radical form of Afrocentrism. "Muslim, Christian, Jew / Here's a little somethin' I thought you knew / There is only one God and God is one / The rich praises none."

After his departure from Public Enemy, Griffin formed his own group, the Last Asiatic Disciples. Griffin's albums were of an Islamic and Afrocentric style, combined with increasingly spoken word lyrics.

He is a member of the Nation of Islam and the Nation of Gods and Earths, which his lyrics and record titles as a solo artist referenced. Another general theme in his lyrics is New World Order conspiracy.

Discography[link]

Official Website[link]

Professor Griff - Official Website http://www.pgriff.info

Footnotes[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2011)

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (May 2012)

Fritz Artz Springmeier is an American conspiracy theorist and religious right wing author, formerly a resident of Corbett, Oregon, who has written a number of books claiming that satanic forces are behind a move toward world domination by various families and organizations. He has described his goal as "exposing the New World Order agenda."^[1]

Conspiracy theories[link]

Springmeier has written and self-published a number of books based on the ideology of what's been described as an "ultra-right-wing group" called the Christian Patriot Association;^[2] this group was shut down in 2002 after convictions for tax fraud and tax evasion.^[3] He has endorsed the plausibility of Project Monarch, a purported Central Intelligence Agency mind control project whose conjectured existence is based only on the testimony of Cathy O'Brien under hypnosis.^[4][5]

Springmeier's early work, The Watchtower & the Masons, focuses on the relationship between Jehovah's Witnesses and Freemasonry. In this book he describes a relationship between Charles Taze Russell and the so-called "Eastern Establishment". Springmeier followed these links into Masonry and did a further examination of the Eastern establishment.^{[citation needed]}

Selected bibliography[link]

• The Illuminati Formula Used to Create an Undetectable Total Mind Controlled Slave, Cisco Wheeler, Fritz Springmeier, On Demand Publishing, ASIN B0006QXVU4, ISBN 1-4404-9022-8
• Deeper Insights into the Illuminati Formula, Wheeler, Fritz Springmeier, CreateSpace, 2010, ISBN 1-4515-0269-9
• Bloodlines of the Illuminati, Fritz Springmeier, Ambassador House (November 1998), ISBN 0-9663533-2-3

Criminal conviction[link]

On January 31, 2002, Springmeier was indicted in the United States District Court in Portland, Oregon^[6] in connection with an armed robbery. On February 12, 2003, he was found guilty of one count of armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and (d) and one count of aiding and abetting in the use of a semi-automatic rifle during the commission of a felony in violation of of 18 U.S.C § 924(c)(1).^[7][8] In November 2003, he was sentenced to 51 months in prison on the armed robbery charge and 60 months on the aiding and abetting charge, fined $7,500, ordered to pay $6,488 in restitution, and assessed an additional $200.^[9] Springmeier's conviction was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.^[10] He was imprisoned, and was released from federal prison on March 25, 2011.^[11][12]

Springmeier's specific crime was placing a bomb in a porn shop on behalf of the group he was a member of, the Christian Patriot Association.^{[13][clarification needed][better source needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.parapolitics.info/KATUrebutt/rebuttal

Jim Marrs
"If it is not an act of God, it is a Conspiracy"
Born	(1943-12-05) December 5, 1943 (age 68) Fort Worth, Texas US
Occupation	Journalist Author

Jim Marrs (born 5 December 1943) is an American former newspaper journalist and New York Times best-selling author of books and articles on a wide range of alleged cover ups and conspiracies.^[1] Marrs is a prominent figure in the JFK conspiracy press and his book Crossfire was a source for Oliver Stone's film JFK. He has written books asserting the existence of government conspiracies regarding aliens, 9/11, telepathy, and secret societies. He was once a news reporter in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and has taught a class on the Kennedy Assassination at University of Texas at Arlington for 30 years. Marrs is a member of the Scholars for 9/11 Truth.^[2]

Biography[link]

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Marrs earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Texas in 1966 and attended graduate school at Texas Tech in Lubbock for two years more. He has worked for several Texas newspapers, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where, beginning in 1968, he served as police reporter and general assignments reporter covering stories locally, in Europe, and in the Middle East. After a leave of absence to serve with a Fourth Army intelligence unit during the Vietnam War, he became military and aerospace writer for the newspaper and an investigative reporter.

Since 1980, Marrs has been a free-lance writer, author, and public relations consultant. He has also published a rural weekly newspaper along with a monthly tourism tabloid, a cable television show, and several videos.

Since 1976, Marrs has taught a course on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy at the University of Texas at Arlington.^[3] In 1989, his book, Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, was published and reached the New York Times Paperback Non-Fiction Best Seller list in mid-February 1992.^[3] It became a basis for the Oliver Stone film JFK. Marrs served as a chief consultant for both the film's screenplay and production,Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy.

Beginning in 1992, Marrs spent three years researching and completing a non-fiction book on a top-secret government program called the Stargate Project involving the psychic phenomenon known as remote viewing, only to have the program canceled as it was going to press in the summer of 1995. Within two months, the story of military-developed remote viewing broke nationally in the Washington Post after the CIA revealed the program.

In May 1997, Marrs' investigation of UFOs, Alien Agenda, was published by HarperCollins Publishers. Publishers Weekly described Alien Agenda as "the most entertaining and complete overview of flying saucers and their crew in years." The paperback edition was released in mid-1998. It has been translated into several foreign languages and become the top-selling UFO book in the world.

In early 2000, HarperCollins published Rule by Secrecy, which claimed to trace a hidden history connecting modern secret societies to ancient and medieval times. This book also reached the New York Times Best Seller list. In 2003, his book The War on Freedom probed the alleged conspiracies of the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath. It was released in 2006 under the title The Terror Conspiracy.^[4]

Marrs has been a featured speaker at a number of national conferences including the annual International UFO Congress^[5] and the annual Gulf Breeze UFO Conference,^[6] but he also speaks at local conferences, such as Conspiracy Con^[7] and The Bay Area UFO Expo.^[8] Beginning in 2000, he began teaching a course on UFOs at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Marrs has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, The Discovery Channel, TLC, The History Channel, This Morning America, Geraldo, The Montel Williams Show, Today, TechTV, Larry King (with George Noory), and Art Bell radio programs, as well as numerous national and regional radio and TV shows.

In October 2011, Jim Marrs started his own radio program, "A View from Marrs" on the Jeff Rense Radio network airing three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 p.m. Central time. Marrs has on his show a wide variety of guests and dedicated the entire month of November to the latest information regarding the JFK assassination. He also has subject matter on UFO research, survival tips, and much more.

Media[link]

Books[link]

• ISBN 978-0-06-197068-9 The Trillion-Dollar Conspiracy: How the New World Order, Man-Made Diseases, and Zombie Banks Are Destroying America (Hardcover, June 2010)
• ISBN 978-1-934708-29-3 The Sisterhood of the Rose (Hardcover, November 2009)
• ISBN 978-1-934708-09-5 Above Top Secret (paperback, October 2008)
• ISBN 978-0-06-124558-9 The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America (hardcover, June 2008)
• ISBN 978-1-932857-43-6 The Terror Conspiracy: Deception, 9/11 and the Loss of Liberty (paperback, 2006) (An expanded and updated version of "The War On Freedom")
• ISBN 978-1-57983-013-7 Inside Job: Unmasking the 9/11 Conspiracies (paperback, 2004) (the first section of "The War On Freedom" plus some appendices not included in other books)
• ISBN 978-0-9727131-1-5 The War On Freedom (paperback, 2003)
• ISBN 978-0-9727131-0-8 Psi Spies (paperback, 2002)
• ISBN 978-0-06-093184-1 Rule by Secrecy: The Hidden History That Connects the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons, and the Great Pyramids (paperback, 2001)
• ISBN 978-0-06-095536-6 Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us (paperback, 2000)
• ISBN 978-0-88184-648-5 Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy (paperback, 1993) (#5 New York Times non-fiction paperback bestseller, February 1992)

Videos[link]

• Safespace - Fastwalkers - Winter 2006

Audio[link]

CDs

• 16 Questions^[9] {Original CD is corrupted, no longer available.}

Radio Interviews
Though participating in a number of radio shows, it has become tradition for Jim Marrs to be the guest of the season premier of Binnall of America Audio

• Binnall of America Season 1 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - September 10, 2005
• Binnall of America Season 2 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - September 30, 2006
• Binnall of America Season 3 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - October 20, 2007
• Binnall of America Season 4 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - October 26, 2008
• Binnall of America Season 5 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - November 24, 2009
• Binnall of America Season 6 Premier - Part 1 and Part 2 - November 29, 2010
• Binnall of America Season 7 Premier - [1] May 1, 2012

See also[link]

• Conspiracy theories
• Mark Dice
• James Fetzer
• David Ray Griffin
• Steven E. Jones
• Jeff Rense
• Aaron Russo
• Webster Tarpley
• Loose Change
• David Icke
• Alex Jones

References[link]

External links[link]

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• Jim Marrs - Homepage
• Jim Marrs - Biography

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