Comparative World Religions

Compiled by Dr Glen Christie Faith Bible College

Part 8

OccultAstrology

Black Mass

Study of Hidden KnowledgeIn religion, occultism or occult studies is the study of hidden knowledge. This in and of itself can be interpreted several ways

Knowledge kept from the wider population, offered only to initiates after proper preparation. Reasons for this commonly include the belief that such knowledge is dangerous to the unprepared, and that revealing sacred knowledge to the common populace profanes that knowledge

Knowledge disguised by God for only the select few to comprehend, books with clues and messages, left by God, which can be found and deciphered by those both educated and worthy.

Study of Hidden KnowledgeKnowledge of realms, energies, or abilities not recognized by the general populace. The most common use of the term occult in this way is in relation to the practice of magic, but in a wider sense anything supernatural or paranormal might be included.

Occultism is often considered roughly synonymous with esoteric and mystical, two far less threatening terms often used in conjunction with branches of mainstream and alternative religions alike.

What Is Meant By The Occult ?The occult is a set of practices associated with many diverse

beliefs often based on monism (all is one; there is a life force uniting all creation) & pantheism (all is God; the life force is God). The occult normally involves:

Techniques to manipulate reality or to gain secret information.

Divination: a practice designed to gain hidden or secret information about the past, present, or future, such as tarot cards, crystal balls, astrology, psychic techniques, palm reading, numerology, tea leaf reading, automatic writing, reading the symbols of runes or the I Ching, or looking for omens as advice.

What Is Meant By The Occult ? Attempts to contact spirit beings (spiritism) such as angels,

demons, departed souls, or those believed to be in other planes or dimensions. This is done using the Ouija Board, channeling, meditation, visualization, drugs or automatic writing.

Drugs (especially hallucinogens such as LSD and mescaline) are often used to reach an altered state or hypnotic trance, a state desirable by occultists for visions, enhanced abilities, & spirit contact.

A self-induced hypnosis or trance state: Considered desirable or necessary for many occult practices. This trance state, also called an altered state of consciousness, is often achieved through meditation, drugs, chanting, yoga body positions, breathing techniques, repetitive motions or words, or focus on a divination tool.

Common Beliefs InThe Occult ? Monism: Man & the universe are part of the same universal

energy or life force.

Pantheism: God(dess) or a divine energy pervades the universe. We are all part of this divine force; there is no or little differentiation between humans & nature.

Pantheism: Creation is part of God(dess); God(dess) is contained in creation.

Polytheism: There are many gods/many manifestations of the one God/Goddess.

Common Beliefs InThe Occult ? Syncretism: Combination of beliefs. Sometimes Christianity is

mixed with occult, New Age or Eastern beliefs. The occult often (mis)uses Christian phrases or concepts.

Animism: The earth & objects are pervaded by spirits and/or energies/forces.

Everything is energy; magic is the manipulation and/or alteration of energy through ones will, the use of rituals and/or incantations. 8. There is no absolute reality, truth, or morality; truth is in subjective experience.

What Is The Occult ?The occult contains a large spectrum of practices which often seem harmless - but they can be a doorway leading to more serious involvement. Not everyone will go further with their dabbling, but some clearly do. It is the Christian view that Satan is far more intelligent than us and has an agenda which centers on harming God's creation.

Christian know that human beings are ignorant creatures who think they are smarter than they really are - while occultists tend to believe they are in control of the powers that control them!

We live in a day when people are looking for answers to life's basic questions: 'What is the purpose of life?'; 'Is there life after death?'; 'Is there evidence for the existence of a supernatural God?'

Characteristics of People Who Practice The Occult ?

Many are escapists. The world of the occult becomes attractive to people who find it difficult to face up to their moral responsibilities.

Many more are superstitious. Going beyond the bounds of revelation and common sense, they profess to see demonic activity in

many areas and suffer many of the disabilities commonly found in victims of demonization.

All are victims. Each one is a victim, the victim of powers immeasurably more powerful and knowing than they

What Kind of People Practice

The Occult ? The curious, who experiments and plays with demonic forces, only to find eventually that they are playing with him.

The conformist, who looks around at this peer group and says, 'Everyone does it,' and decides to be another who 'does it. The dissatisfied, whose religious experience has left him

unfulfilled and skeptical. The sad, whose bereavement inclines him toward anything

that offers knowledge of the dead.

What Kind of People Practice

The Occult ? The rebellious, who recoils from the status quo in the church and in society, and seeks a viable alternative elsewhere.

The psychically inclined, who wants to develop suspected latent powers.

The offspring of practicing occultists, who are conditioned from childhood.

The credulous, and every generation seems to produce its quota of them!

Let’s Look At Some Practices In The Occult ?

History of Astrology Astrology dates back as far as 20,000 years

Carvings on bones that are indicative of an interest in the motion of the moon

Astrology Today Esoteric Dates back 4,000 years to around 1792 bc. in Mesopotamia—

modern day Iraq Alexander the Great conquers Mesopotamia (331 bc.) and takes Astrology back to Greeks & Babylonians Astrology spreads through Europe when the Romans march

through Europe

Methodology of AstrologyTerms

ChartSigns (12)

Planets (10+)Houses (12)

Ascendent / Descendent Midheaven / Lower

HeavenAspectsTransits

Progressions

PlanetsSun (Wisdom)

Moon (Emotion)Mercury (Intelligence)

Venus (Love)Mars (Aggression)Jupiter (Luck / Phi) Saturn (Discipline)Uranus (Change)

Neptune (Idealism)Pluto (Regeneration)

various asteroids

SignsBy Element

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn Gemini, Libra, Aquarius Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Methodology of Astrology

Methodology of AstrologyHouses

1st (Self)2nd (Possessions)3rd (Knowledge)

4th (Home)5th (Creativity)

67th (Primary Rel)8th (Joint Resources)

9th (Social)10th (Reputation)

11th (Goals / Groups)12th (Subconscious)th (Personal Resp.)

Berkley Study of 1,000 Adults (1971)

Tested personality traits of Leos and found no correlation for leadership

The tendencies did not differ between signs.

Recipients responded to the accuracy.

94% said was accurate and so did 90% of friends and family.

All of them had the same horoscope--of a mass murderer.

Why People Believe Astrology Works Self-fulfilling prophecy Remember coincidences

not misses power of suggestion scientists who do believe

in astrology doesn’t prove it. because users believe it works doesn’t mean it does.

Electromagnetic effect of a clock would be greater than the nearest planet at birth.

Correlation does not imply causality.

How can we be sure that planets were given the correct attributes?

Why were there not inaccuracies noted from not using yet undiscovered planets such as Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto?

Most full moon studies causing strange behavior have been attributed to suggestion not causality. Therefore, the moon does not effect behavior.

Black Mass

History of The Black MassThe origins of the current known versions of the Black Mass date back to the 14th century in France. This was the time when the Church was persecuting heretics.

The Knights Templar, in particular, were accused of conducting these Masses and also other blasphemous rites in which they denounced Christ,

worshipped idols composed of stuffed human heads, spit on and trampled the cross, and worshipped the Devil in the form of a black cat.

Through accusations and trails the order was tumbled, but whether all the accusations were true still remains a mystery to many.

The Black Mass is erroneously associated with witches and witchcraft. It is doubtful if any, but only a few witches, ever participated in the cerebrations. ‘

The Black Mass was more of a ceremony that attracted the more wealthy and educated dissenters of the Catholic Church. The Black Mass has no association with modern Witchcraft because most Neo-Pagan Witches do not believe in the Devil or worshipping him.

There is no set Black Mass ritual, rather the ceremony is a parody on the holy Catholic Mass.

History of The Black Mass

The Black Mass is a ritual is that it is performed in entirety, or in parts, backwards. The Mass may include,inverting the cross, spitting and stepping on the cross, stabbing the host and other obscenities.

Urine, supposedly, was at various times substituted for holy water, or for the wine. Sliced pieces of rotted turnips, black leather, or black triangles were substituted for communion bread.

Black candles were used instead of white ones. A defrocked generally performed the Black Mass wearing vestments of black or a color of dried blood, and embroidered with inverted crosses, a goat's head (referring to Baphomet), or magical symbols.

Methodology of The Black Mass

The Black Mass Today?The peak for the Black Mass was reached in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV

During the 19th and 20th century the Black Mass went into a steep decline. Speculation is that the ritual has become little more than sexual escapades with large quantities of alcohol.

In 1947, a Black Mass was performed at the graveside of Aleister Crowley, who in life thought himself the Antichrist. When the Church of Satan was founded in 1966, the Black Mass was not included among its rituals because the founder, Anton Szandor LeVey, thought the Black Mass was outmoded.

However, other satanic groups do conduct their versions of the Black Mass that include deviant sexual acts and orgies, necrophilia, cannibalisms of sacrificial victims (including human beings), and drinking the blood of the victims.