Occult America

Last updated

Occult America
Occult America.png
Author Mitch Horowitz
Publisher Bantam Books
Publication date
15 September 2009
Pages304
Awards2010 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award
ISBN 978-0-553-80675-5
130

Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation is a 2009 book by Mitch Horowitz published by Bantam Books. The book is focused on the role that new religious movements play in the history of the United States; Horowitz argues that these movements, often marginalized or ignored by mainstream culture, played a substantial role in shaping American society. Occult America covers a wide range of individuals, movements, and beliefs from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries, with Horowitz paying particular attention to figures such as Manly P. Hall, Henry A. Wallace, and Edgar Cayce, as well as the Spiritualist movement and its element of greatest mainstream popularity, the Ouija board.

Contents

The book received mixed to positive reviews. Critics praised the writing style and depth of research, but described the scope as exceptionally broad, limiting the work's ability to cover individual subjects. Occult America won the 2010 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and established Horowitz's ongoing writing career.

Synopsis

The central thesis of Occult America is that esoteric religious movements were a founding element of both spiritual and secular American culture. The early chapters focus on an array of figures in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American religious movements, such as Ann Lee, Henry Steel Olcott, Helena Blavatsky, Joseph Smith, and the Public Universal Friend. The first chapter particularly focuses on the Burned-Over District, a region of Upstate New York with an especially dense prevalence of Christian religious movements such as the Shakers and Latter Day Saint movement.

The second chapter focuses on elements of American occultism less associated with Christianity, such as Theosophy and Western Buddhism. Horowitz particularly focuses on Spiritualism's focus on communication with the dead and its popularity during the American Civil War; the popularity of mediums soared during the Civil War, as the families of deceased soldiers sought the possibility of reconnecting with their lost relatives. He describes the example of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, whose interests in Spiritualism were spurred by the death of their son William Wallace Lincoln in 1862 at the age of eleven. Though Mary Todd Lincoln's interest in Spiritualism was well-covered by contemporary and later sources, often to discredit her alongside discussion of her mental health, Horowitz suggests Abraham Lincoln may have been similarly interested in the phenomenon; he analyses contemporary reports of séances in the White House and the 1891 publication Was Abraham Lincoln a Spiritualist? , controversial memoir of the medium Nettie Colburn Maynard  [ Wikidata ]. [1]

Following this general overview, Horowitz focuses on Ouija boards, a Spiritualist invention that became part of mainstream popular culture in the twentieth century. He discusses myths surrounding their origins, such as the idea they trace back to classical figures such as Pythagoras. Horowitz covers the origins of the Ouija board in the mid-nineteenth century; its later commercialization by William Fuld, a Presbyterian businessman who openly disclaimed the object's supernaturalism; and its influence on popular culture, such as its inspiration of the Pulitzer-winning epic poem The Changing Light at Sandover . The book then moves to cover movements, such as Christian Science and New Thought, that focus on the concept of manifestation. Horowitz presents this as a uniquely American-origin form of esotericism, juxtaposed with earlier movements with greater European influence, and chronicles its rise in popularity.

Later sections of Occult America cover African diaspora religions such as Louisiana Voodoo. Horowitz first covers figures such as Black Herman and the pseudonymous Henri Gamache before addressing specifically black nationalist figures and movements, such as Marcus Garvey, the Nation of Islam, and the Moorish Science Temple of America. The seventh chapter—the first to deal exclusively with a specific individual—biographizes Manly P. Hall, founder of the Philosophical Research Society. Occult America's eighth chapter deals with the role of esotericism in twentieth-century politics, particularly through Franklin D. Roosevelt's vice president Henry A. Wallace. Wallace, a high-ranking Freemason and self-described "practical mystic", took credit for the inclusion of the Eye of Providence on the dollar bill. Horowitz depicts Wallace's contemporaries as increasingly suspicious of his philosophy and motives, eventually ousting him from the vice presidential position in 1944.

The final chapters of Occult America discuss differences between European and American occult practices. Horowitz argues that while European mysticism in the 19th and 20th centuries "could seem to cling to secrecy almost as an end in itself", [2] with a focus on initiation into underground occult orders, American mysticism was far more open. By discussing supernatural or esoteric beliefs openly, practitioners in the United States brought such ideas into the mainstream, inspiring the twentieth-century popularity of phenomena such as astrology and numerology. The book closes with a chapter-long biography of Edgar Cayce, who Horowitz presents as a metonym for the persistent popularity of mysticism in American culture; by spreading a message of "hope and dignity" [3] to people who felt disaffected or abandoned by mainstream society, Cayce encapsulated the practices that, Horowitz argues, made large sectors of the population open to such concepts.

Publication and reception

Mitch Horowitz in 2019 MitchHorowitz.jpg
Mitch Horowitz in 2019

Occult America was published through Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, on 15 September 2009. [4] It is 304 pages long. [5] Horowitz, who was then editor-in-chief of Penguin Group's New Age imprint TarcherPerigee, [6] was in his early-mid forties at the time of the book's publication. He remarked to The Creative Independent that he had come to doubt he would become a published author; the experience of seeing Occult America through publication encouraged him to keep up a high pace and output of writing. [7]

Following its release, the book received mixed to positive reviews. Amongst mainstream reviewers, Publishers Weekly praised its research and "authoritative" tone, [4] but Kirkus Reviews dismissed it as a "hodgepodge" that jumped inconsistently between subject matters without coherently presenting the history of American occultism. [5] Library Journal described it as "less than comprehensive", but nonetheless recommended the work for its tone and bibliography. [8] The Washington Post and The Washington Times both received the book positively in interviews with Horowitz, the former noting its "evenhanded" approach to diverse beliefs and the latter complimenting Horowitz's research. [9] [10]

Religious reviewers focused on Horowitz's coverage of their own beliefs and practices. Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, [11] reviewed Occult America for the Journal of Mormon History . He described the book as "often gleefully fascinating", but "weirdly organized" in its focus on a vast variety of figures across geographical and chronological bounds. Bowman was similarly disappointed by Horowitz's relatively brief description of Mormonism, which he felt was unduly focused on by the book's blurb, but referred to Occult America's ability to cover figures as diverse as Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as "an achievement not to be sneezed at". [12] Eugene Taylor, writing from a Swedenborgian perspective, felt Occult America underrepresented Emanuel Swedenborg's influence on American religious history; nonetheless, he called the book "a fascinating subject and a great read" but inclined to "ignore or downplay the dark side of the movement [Horowitz] is describing". [13]

Several reviewers remarked upon Horowitz's expansive definition of the occult. Taylor argued that Occult America deals not with occultism per se but with what he called "occult-lite", a "sanitized version of spiritualism, magic, New Thought, Christian Science, faith healing, and utopian idealism" that he juxtaposed with more centrally "occultist" Left-Hand Path practices. [13] Bowman identified the book's definition as "anything Horowitz finds novel, interesting, or appropriately weird", criticising it as imprecise and arguably applicable to mainstream religions such as Orthodox Judaism. [12]

Occult America was a winner of the 2010 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, alongside Anna In-Between by Elizabeth Nunez and Master of the Eclipse by Etel Adnan. [14] The book helped establish Horowitz's reputation as a writer on occultism and esotericism, and was described in 2022 as a "still-relevant" publication that established "his work to bring occult and esoteric ideas into the public discourse". [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabbalah</span> Type of Jewish mysticism

Kabbalah or Qabalah is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal. The definition of Kabbalah varies according to the tradition and aims of those following it, from its origin in medieval Judaism to its later adaptations in Western esotericism. Jewish Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between the unchanging, eternal God—the mysterious Ein Sof —and the mortal, finite universe. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism.

The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism and their varied spells. It can also refer to supernatural ideas like extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Séance</span> Attempt to communicate with spirits

A séance or seance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word séance comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French seoir, "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma". In English, however, the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people who are gathered to receive messages from ghosts or to listen to a spirit medium discourse with or relay messages from spirits. In modern English usage, participants need not be seated while engaged in a séance.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to spirituality:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western esotericism</span> Range of related ideas and movements that have developed in the Western world

Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthodox Judeo-Christian religion and Age of Enlightenment rationalism. It has influenced various forms of Western philosophy, mysticism, religion, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planchette</span> Wood paddle used in spiritualist activities

A planchette, from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood equipped with two wheeled casters and a pencil-holding aperture pointing downwards, used to facilitate automatic writing. The use of planchettes to produce mysterious written messages gave rise to the belief that the devices foster communication with spirits as a form of mediumship. The devices were popular in séances during the Victorian era, before their eventual evolution into the simpler, non-writing pointing devices for ouija boards that eclipsed the popularity of their original form. Scientists explain the motion is due to the ideomotor effect, but paranormal advocates believe the planchette is moved by the presence of spirits or some form of subtle energy.

<i>Isis Unveiled</i> Key text in the Theosophical movement

Isis Unveiled: A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, published in 1877, is a book of esoteric philosophy and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky's first major work and a key text in her Theosophical movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly P. Hall</span> Canadian-born American philosopher and writer

Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer, mystic and Freemason. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928). In 1934 he founded the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles.

Psychiana was a New Thought denomination created in 1928 by Frank Bruce Robinson (1886–1948), with headquarters in Turnstone Flats, Moscow, Idaho. It began and largely remained a mail-order enterprise, recruiting people through advertising in popular magazines and through direct mail solicitations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esoteric Christianity</span> Christian theology

Esoteric Christianity is an approach to Christianity which features "secret traditions" that require an initiation to learn or understand. The term esoteric was coined in the 17th century and derives from the Greek ἐσωτερικός.

<i>Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses</i> 18th- or 19th-century magical text allegedly written by Moses

The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses is an 18th- or 19th-century magical text allegedly written by Moses, and passed down as hidden books of the Hebrew Bible. Self-described as "the wonderful arts of the old Hebrews, taken from the Mosaic books of the Kabbalah and the Talmud", it is actually a grimoire, or text of magical incantations and seals, that purports to instruct the reader in the spells used to create some of the miracles portrayed in the Bible as well as to grant other forms of good fortune and good health. The work contains reputed Talmudic magic names, words, and ideograms, some written in Hebrew and some with letters from the Latin alphabet. It contains "Seals" or magical drawings accompanied by instructions intended to help the user perform various tasks, from controlling weather or people to contacting the dead or Biblical religious figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Herman</span> American stage magician

Benjamin Rucker was an American stage magician, better known by his stage name Black Herman. He was the most prominent African-American magician of his time.

Inner Traditions – Bear & Company, also known as Inner Traditions, is a book publisher founded by Ehud Sperling in 1975 and based in Rochester, Vermont in the United States.

Spiritualism is a metaphysical belief that the world is made up of at least two fundamental substances, matter and spirit. This very broad metaphysical distinction is further developed into many and various forms by the inclusion of details about what spiritual entities exist such as a soul, the afterlife, spirits of the dead, deities and mediums; as well as details about the nature of the relationship between spirit and matter. It may also refer to the philosophy, doctrine, or religion pertaining to a spiritual aspect of existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Horowitz</span> American writer

Mitch Horowitz is an American writer in occult and esoteric themes. A frequent writer and speaker on religion and metaphysics in print and on television, radio, and online, Horowitz’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN.com, and he has appeared on NPR, CBS News, NBC News, and Vice News. He is the former editor-in-chief of TarcherPerigee. His best-known works are Occult America (2009), The Miracle Club (2018), and Modern Occultism (2023). In 2022, Ferdinando Buscema noted that "Horowitz is among the most articulate and respected voices in the contemporary occulture scene."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Light</span> American new religious movement

The Church of Light was incorporated November 2, 1932 in Los Angeles, California. Its mission is “to teach, practice, and disseminate The Religion of The Stars, a way of life for the Aquarian Age, as set forth in writings of C.C. Zain.” The Church is the continuation of an earlier initiatic organization, the Brotherhood of Light, established in the same city in 1915. The 1932 reorganization as The Church of Light was a response to ordinances passed that year by Los Angeles County “prohibiting both the teaching and practice of astrology.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theosophy</span> Religion established in the United States

Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism, it draws upon both older European philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Indian originated religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

<i>The Myth of Disenchantment</i> 2017 book by Jason Josephson Storm

The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of the Human Sciences is a 2017 book by Jason Josephson Storm, professor of religion at Williams College. The book challenges mainstream sociological conceptions of disenchantment on both empirical and theoretical grounds. In making this argument, The Myth of Disenchantment uses intellectual historical methods to reinterpret several theorists of disenchantment, including James George Frazer, Max Weber, and the Frankfurt School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy of Satan Ministries</span> Theistic Satanist organization and website

Joy of Satan Ministries, also referred to as Joy of Satan (JoS), is a website and western esoteric occult organization founded in 2002 by Andrea M. Dietrich (a.k.a. Maxine Dietrich). Joy of Satan Ministries advocates "Spiritual Satanism", an ideology that presents a synthesis of Theistic Satanism, Nazism, Gnostic Paganism, Western esotericism, UFO conspiracy theories and extraterrestrial beliefs similar to those popularized by Zecharia Sitchin and David Icke.

References

  1. ↑ Horowitz, Mitch (15 September 2009). "Mystic Americans". Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. New York, New York: Bantam Books. pp. 57–62. ISBN   978-0-553-80675-5.
  2. ↑ Horowitz, Mitch (15 September 2009). "Secrets for Sale". Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. New York, New York: Bantam Books. p. 208. ISBN   978-0-553-80675-5.
  3. ↑ Horowitz, Mitch (15 September 2009). ""The Greatest Mystic who Ever Lived in America". Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. New York, New York: Bantam Books. p. 245. ISBN   978-0-553-80675-5.
  4. 1 2 Staff writer (2009). "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  5. 1 2 Staff writer (19 May 2010). "Occult America". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Staff writer (22 September 2006). "People". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Reichenberger, Brent; Horowitz, Mitch (31 October 2022). "Mitch Horowitz: On making time for what you do best". The Creative Independent. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Harms, Daniel (2010). "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation". Library Journal. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Porter, Christopher (16 September 2009). "The Found Symbols: Mitch Horowitz, 'Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation'". The Washington Times. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Duin, Julia (25 October 2009). "Duin: Halloween spurs tales of the occult". The Washington Times. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Matthew Bowman". Claremont Graduate University. 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 Bowman, Matthew (2010). "Mitch Horowitz. Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. New York: Bantam Books, 2009. 290 pp. Bibliographic essay, index. Hardcover, $27.00. ISBN 978–0–553–80675–5". Journal of Mormon History. 36 (3): 232–234. doi:10.2307/23291170. JSTOR   23291170. S2CID   254486947 . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  13. 1 2 Taylor, Eugene (December 2009). "Swedenborg: Scientist, Christian Religious Seer—and Occultist?" (PDF). The Messenger. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Swedenborgian Church of North America. 231 (10): 162–163. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  14. ↑ Drummond, Tammerlind (7 December 2010). "Drummond: PEN Oakland honors outstanding writing overlooked by literary mainstream". East Bay Times. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  15. ↑ Buscema, Fernando (15 December 2022). ""Uncertain Places: Essays on Occult & Outsider Experiences" is a trip". Boing Boing. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.