Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition,[1] is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united in their distinctness both from orthodox Abrahamic religionand Age of Enlightenmentrationalism.[2] It has influenced, or contributed to, various forms of Western philosophy, mysticism, religion, science, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music.
The occult (from Latin occultus 'hidden, secret') is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysticism. It can also refer to paranormal ideas such as extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.