"OCCULT" Sexy Meta Tag or Superstition

                   I had an interesting conversation with a Republican Christian about his Pentecostal upbringing. He had come to challenge Racism in himself and his family and asked me about Nazism and it's supposed connections to banking, Judaism, Satanism, the so called Illuminati, Free Masonry, and "Secret Societies" today. I mentioned how very sensitive I am about the resuscitated Nazism that has crept into general New Age culture. Things like the "Hollow Earth Theory" which in fact was a part of Nazi propaganda, is very upsetting for me as I identify strongly with Holocaust survivors. Of course the new age with it's idealism is not totally good or bad, but neither is it immune to popular disinformation from cults seeking rapid conversions. I don't believe we should ever give up on the question of faith, but this young man and his curiosity faced his own prejudices. I myself resent having the occult thrown in my face. But this man needed to ask me hard questions. Partisan religion and spiritual abuse polarizes already suggestible people.

                    That being said, "Why did I go to school to learn the "Tools of the Trade?" If I don't believe in psychics, why did I study divination? My teacher said, "The greatest evil is claiming to be an authority, when one is in fact ignorant. (Business as usual.)

                    The etiology for the word "Occult" implies that which is hidden, Secret. So, Occult and it's implied pretense of authority appeals to many of those instincts which incline us toward a sense of belonging and identity, and the desire to believe. This is it's blatantly (anti?) "Catholic" Blasphemy. My Grandfather would say, "We should have sided with the Nazis, at least they aren't godless communists." (of course these were the later dark ages.) My friend admitted to doing a certain amount of soul searching for himself and had considered some very unpopular movements. (Bless you my much younger friend.)

                     As a culture, we have made a lot of progress distinguishing "Occult" from what are in fact only foreign cultures. But as always, popular prejudices do reemerge. There still is a need to stop confusing the unknown with with the power of some occult force. Proxy Dependencies are an inevitable necessity but responsibility still falls on us as individuals to make up our own minds, for ourselves. We have more information than ever, but that capacity for ignorance, evil and the abuse of power persists. I believe that the appeal of the "Occult" is contrarian. Hence it's "Sexy Meta Tag." What's your sign? (I don't care and I'm not telling you my birthday.) The popular appeal of taboo in a changing culture is greatest when groups and group identification (Proxy Dependencies) breakdown.

                     Contrarian dogmas are by design antagonistic. Getting yourself identified with the "Psychic Arts" can be an invitation to get punched in the nose. Thank you very much. But I am merely a "Complementarian" and I prefer to suspend judgement. Proofs from my social experiments will continue to be published as they become available. I hope to be able to construct thought experiments that will produce healthy supportive results.