Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Today, North America hosts a diverse array of beliefs about witchcraft. [1] [2] Indigenous communities such as the Cherokee, [3] Hopi, [4] the Navajo [5] among others, [6] included in their folklore and beliefs malevolent figures who could harm their communities, often resulting in severe punishments, including death. [7]
The occult is a category of supernatural beliefs and practices, encompassing such phenomena as those involving mysticism, spirituality, and magic in terms of any otherworldly agency. It can also refer to other non-religious supernatural ideas like extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.
In 2008, U.S. Today estimated 1 million Wiccans, [12] [15] [16] [17] a fast growth compared to the 100,000 to 200,000 estimated in late 1990s and early 2000s. [15] The United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey found 342,000 Wiccans and 340,000 Pagans in the United States in 2008.
Despite some common similarities, contemporary pagan movements are diverse, sharing no single set of beliefs, practices, or religious texts. [3] Scholars of religion may study the phenomenon as a movement divided into different religions, while others study neopaganism as a decentralized religion with an array of denominations .
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.
[1] [2] Often, it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck , prophecy , and certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently ...
The occult (from Latin: occultus, lit. ' hidden ' or ' secret ') is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysticism.
Lakota religion or Lakota spirituality is the traditional Native American religion of the Lakota people. It is practiced primarily in the North American Great Plains, within Lakota communities on reservations in North Dakota and South Dakota. The tradition has no formal leadership or organizational structure and displays much internal variation.