Astral Ascent in the Occult Revival
Culture and Cosmos October 1, 2015 DOI: 10.46472/cc.01219.0221 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLater 19th-century occultists inherited Neoplatonic and Hermetic ideas about astral ascent and planetary spirits but felt compelled to reconcile them with contemporary astronomy. Andrew Jackson Davis adapted Swedenborgian ideas into a semi-scientific cosmology that became the norm for spiritualists. In the 1870s, occultism separated from spiritualism and made its own pact with science, visible in the works of Emma Hardinge Britten, H. P. Blavatsky, and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. Cyrus Teed, known as Koresh, taught that the earth is a concave sphere with heavenly bodies at the center, reviving themes of astral immortality through ascesis and an alchemical relation of humans to a closed cosmos. His system was the basis for one of America's more successful utopian communities, which outlasted Teed for more than 50 years.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that the 19th-century occult revival reconciled Neoplatonic and Hermetic traditions with contemporary astronomy, as exemplified by figures like Andrew Jackson Davis, H. P. Blavatsky, and Cyrus Teed. |
Abstract
The occult revival of the later 19th century inherited Neoplatonic and Hermetic ideas of astral ascent and commerce with the planetary spirits, but felt obliged to square these with contemporary discoveries in astronomy. In the 1850s, Andrew Jackson Davis adapted Swedenborgian ideas into a semi-scientific cosmology that served as the norm for spiritualists. In the 1870s, occultism separated from spiritualism and made its own pact with science, with results visible in the works of Emma Hardinge Britten, H. P. Blavatsky, and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. Outside these well-known movements, Cyrus Teed, known as Koresh, taught that the earth is a concave sphere with the heavenly bodies at the center. His system revived the themes of astral immortality through ascesis and an alchemical relation of humans to a closed cosmos. It was the basis for one of America's more successful utopian communities, which outlasted Teed for more than 50 years.