The Internet is apparently contributing to the demand for exorcism.

Surge in Satanism sparks rise in demand for exorcists, says Catholic Church

It bothers me whenever occultism is lumped in with Satanism and devil-worship because it demonstrates that the author does not have much understanding of the scope of occultism.  There are many spiritual things out there beyond the purview of Christian doctrine and many of them fall under the heading of "occult."  I realize that this is the knee-jerk characterization when coming from the Christian perspective though.

I think that it's a good thing that the Internet has allowed virtually everyone easy access to occult resources that were once kept secret or were difficult to obtain.  This is not because I'm a follower of Satan and wish for everyone to corrupt their eternal soul but because I think knowledge is power.  The proliferation of information educates people about what occultism actually is and why it is studied and practiced.  It also gives people alternatives in their spiritual development that they might not otherwise know existed.

Occult study comes with risks, but increased access to information cannot be blamed for those that get into trouble.  The Internet can teach one how to do a lot of very dangerous things; things that are much more dangerous than occult practice.  It is my opinion that people should be allowed to freely study their interests and that the individual is responsible for what they do with the information they gather.

In the spirit of sharing information, those of you that are interested in the occult may wish to check out DarkBooks.org for most of your occult book needs.

Exorcism and Possession

Exorcism is typically the fare of Hollywood but there is apparently a growing demand for the service as of late.

What happens at exorcism school?

I can see why people would be more inclined to seek exorcism in the current world climate, whether there is a legitimate possession or not.  The above article reassures me as it tells me that Catholic exorcists are actually very levelheaded and don't jump right to the crucifixes and holy water.  This makes me wonder though:  What about possession and exorcism in other faiths?  I'm certain that Catholicism is not the only faith that believes in possession and exorcism.  This would suggest that unwanted possession is a universal human problem.  Perhaps it is faith and personal power that exorcises, no matter where it comes from?

One thing that I take issue with is the notion that delving into the occult opens one up to possession.  This may be true in a sense, as if you are involved with the occult then you are more likely to perform evocations of entities that are commonly called demons.  I'm sure that inevitably some of these go wrong.  However, it's common for every "one true religion" to demonize all the others so this allegation toward occult practice is really nothing new and really nothing to get too upset over.

I've had a bit of a fascination with evocation as of late so I thought I'd write about this related issue.  As an occultist, I find that if you do your homework and cross your t's and dot your i's then you really have nothing to worry about.  Exorcism, in all its forms, is still a very interesting subject that I hope to learn more about.