The Occult Contested

This chapter presents the polarizing reactions to occult thinking—while some considered it a legitimate source of knowledge, others saw it as diabolical and taboo—and shows how prophecy that drew on occult sources suffered anathematization by established authorities. The discussion of occult philosophy in the late seventeenth century was muddled, and the occult was erroneously presented as a defining feature of witchcraft. Witchcraft, although tangential to occult beliefs, became a tool that was frequently used to disparage occult philosophy. It is argued here, however, that one could deny witchcraft and believe in occult philosophy, and vice versa. The final sections of the chapter discuss the attempts of scientific thinkers in testing occult claims and the pursuit of hidden knowledge or secrets.