Short answer
Not as a whole. Occultism is generally treated as a collection of practices, ideas and movements, not as a single religion. Some occult groups clearly operate as religions, others describe themselves as philosophies, fraternal orders or personal spiritual paths, and many individuals use occult practices alongside another faith.
Why the answer is “it depends”
There is no single definition of religion that scholars all use, but several features are common: beliefs about the sacred or supernatural, rituals, a community, and ethical guidance. Applying those features to occultism shows a mixed picture:
- Some groups have all of them: a shared cosmology, regular ritual, membership and moral teaching.
- Some have only one or two, for example a method of divination without any shared creed.
- Some members reject the label “religion” even when scholars might apply it.
So the useful question is usually not “is occultism a religion?” but “is this particular group or practice religious?”
Occult movements that are religions
Several movements with occult roots are commonly described as religions or new religious movements, although classifications vary and members sometimes prefer other terms:
- Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley in the early twentieth century, which has its own sacred text, rites and organisations.
- Wicca, a modern Pagan religion that drew on earlier ritual magic.
- Theosophy, which presents a cosmology and spiritual teaching, though some Theosophical groups describe themselves as societies for study.
- Satanist groups, which differ widely; some are atheistic and philosophical, others theistic.
Occult practices that are not
Many occult activities do not amount to a religion by themselves. Reading tarot, studying astrology or practising ritual magic can be done as a hobby, as personal psychology, as art, or alongside a practitioner’s own religious tradition. A practice becomes part of a religion when it is connected to worship, belief and community.
How scholars classify it
Academics usually place occultism within the wider field of esotericism, treating it as a historical current of the nineteenth century onward that overlaps with religion, philosophy and science without being identical to any of them. Individual occult groups are often studied as new religious movements. For how the three major terms differ, see esotericism vs occultism vs mysticism.
Religious objections
Some religions explicitly reject occult practices. Many Christian churches, for instance, discourage magic and divination, and some Islamic and Jewish authorities likewise prohibit certain practices. Other believers draw a line between mystical or contemplative tradition, which they accept, and occult practice, which they do not. If this matters to you, consult the teaching of your own tradition.
Related reading
- What esotericism is
- Esoteric terminology for terms such as theurgy, grimoire and initiation
- The occult explained for the practices themselves