What is Western esotericism ?

Western esotericism is a scholarly term used to categorise a wide array of ideas and movements which have developed within Western society. Remaining largely distinct from both orthodox Judeo-Christian religion and Enlightenment rationalism, esotericism has pervaded various forms of Western philosophy, religion, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music. The precise definition of Western esotericism has been debated by various academics, with a number of different alternatives proposed; one perspective treats it as a category definable by certain intrinsic characteristics, while another views it as a category for all of Western culture's "rejected knowledge".

The earliest traditions to later be labelled as forms of Western esotericism emerged in the Eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity, where Hermetism, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism developed as schools of thought distinct from mainstream Christianity. In Renaissance Europe, interest in many of these older ideas increased, with various intellectuals seeking to combine "pagan" philosophies with the Kabbalah and Christian philosophy, resulting in the emergence of esoteric movements like Christian theosophy. The 17th century saw the development of initiatory societies professing esoteric knowledge such as Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, while the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century led to the development of new forms of esoteric thought. The 19th-century saw the emergence of new trends of esoteric thought that have come to be known as occultism. Prominent groups in this century included the Theosophical Society and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which influenced the development of Thelema. Another development within occultism wasmodern paganism, which included religious movements such as Wicca. Esoteric ideas permeated the counterculture of the 1960s, from which emerged the New Age movement in the 1970s.

Although the idea that these varying movements could be categorised together under the rubric of "Western esotericism" developed in the late 18th century, these esoteric currents were largely ignored as a subject of academic enquiry. The academic study of Western esotericism only emerged in the latter 20th century, pioneered by scholars like Frances Yates and Antoine Faivre. There are now several peer-reviewed journals, university chairs, and academic societies devoted to this field.