Mysteries and the Unexplained in Credo: The Occult

Black Magic
[sorcery] From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
The use of magic with the intention of harming or destroying others, or for personal gain.
Ceremonial Magic
From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A form of magic which involves highly elaborate rituals guided by a complex set of correspondences.
Chaos Magick
From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A postmodern form of occultism which strives to reduce ritual magic to those techniques common to all magical systems; practitioners are encouraged to adopt any belief or method which allows them to attain the altered state of consciousness necessary to bring about the desired magical effect.
Church of Satan
[Church of Satan (AP/Wide World Images) Copyright © 2010] From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
An organization formed in 1966, which promotes Satanism as defined by its founder, Anton LaVey, in his Satanic Bible.
Gnosticism: Topic
Dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2nd century C.E.; they all promised salvation through an occult knowledge that they claimed was revealed to them alone.
High Magic
From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A highly complex and disciplined form of magic in which power is said to be derived from the divine through the successful control of spirits, principally demons and angels; its ultimate aim is to advance the practitioners’ spiritual enlightenment and to bring them into communication with their ‘higher self’.
The Occult
[Magician pulling roses out of top hat surrounded by supernatural beings. c.1892. Magic Poster Collection, Library of Congress.]
From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
The word ‘occult’ comes from the Latin occultus, meaning hidden, secret or unknown, and occultism may be defined as the doctrine or study of mysterious or hidden things. The term ‘occult’ is commonly used to refer to knowledge meant only for certain people, or knowledge that must be kept hidden, but is often misused as being almost synonymous with ‘evil’ or ‘satanic’.