Ever heard of 'Esoteric Practices' but no idea what they actually are?
Here you'll find a beginner friendly introduction to what are classed as 'Esoteric Practices' and how you can start to integrate them into your normal well-being routines and habits.
Ever heard the word esoteric or the phrase esoteric practices and thought… what the hell are esoteric practices?
It’s basically a fancy word for having a niche interest or a specific understanding of something.
The term esoteric has been adopted in the spiritual community in a more philosophical sense, it is used to describe a practice or a person who seemingly has a deep knowledge of the universe and the lessons within it and actively works to connect with those things.
When it comes to modern spiritual practices, such as working with crystals, witchcraft, manifestation and other things of the like, we can often run across the term esoteric being used, as those things are often only practised by those that have a unique interest or connection with them.
Esoteric is an adjective and can be used in the following ways:
1) understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest.
2) belonging to the select few.
3) private; secret; confidential.
Somewhere over the years it has been swayed to lean more towards the spiritual, meanings someone that is on a journey towards spiritual enlightenment. Hence why things like energy healing, manifestation, meditation and the likes are deemed as Esoteric Practices.
Western Esotericism
Now, western esotericism refers to what we’re looking at, it’s the term we use to group specific beliefs, philosophies and traditions. Many of these will have been prevalent throughout various western religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Catholicism and Paganism.
If you do a bit of research around this subject, you’re bound to get to a point where you just feel completely confused, so here’s my own personal definition of esotericism as I see it.
Esotericism refers to a number of traditions, philosophies and practices, that focus inwards on the human beliefs, spirituality and wellbeing. It’s a very philosophical idea that gets us to ask the bigger questions around our own purpose and effect on this planet, from a spiritual perspective.
This is why I firmly place Tarot reading in the realm of Esoteric practice, because it is the perfect tool for diving deep into what it really means to be human. It allows us to approach our own personal spirituality in a way that removes barriers and defensive mechanisms.
What Are the Esoteric Practices?
I see a lot of what I do and what I preach to be grounded in esotericism. Everything I do from a spiritual perspective aims to help me grow as a person and develop a deeper knowledge of the universe and my place within it. This gives me more clarity, confidence and understanding of what I’m put on this planet to achieve.
Some of the most popular modern-day esoteric practices are:
Tarot reading – There are a lot of esoteric theologies and doctrines that go into Tarot, from Kabbalah to Astrology. If you continue to dig into the many areas of tarot, you’ll be able to uncover a whole new world within the cards. This is something I touch on in my Tarot Directory meanings. It’s also something I teach in the Energetic Tarot Advanced Tarot Course, helping you deepen your meanings and expanding the wisdom of your Tarot readings.
Meditation – Used by Buddhist monks to find enlightenment, this is a practice that helps you to delve inwards and explore the inner psyche and subconscious. It has its roots in religion and spirituality, but it has since been adapted into a Westernised form of mental health management.
Reiki healing – This is growing in popularity in the Western world, however, it originated in Japan. It involves laying hands on key energy centres within the body, basically along the same lines as chakra balancing and healing.
Akashic Records – The Akashic Records are said to be a collection of universal thoughts, words, emotions and intent to have ever happened, happening or will happen. People who access the Akashic Records have the ability to look into the life of a soul and see its history, present and future.
Astrology – You probably know your star sign already, but you are made up of more than one. We have a moon sign, a sun sign and more. Astrology is a pseudoscience that divines information around who we are as humans, based on the positions and movements of celestial objects, such as the stars and planets.
Witchcraft – Growing in popularity (just take a look at WitchTok on TikTok) Witchcraft contains multiple esoteric practices all rolled into one neat package. From alchemy to astrology, divination to astral projection, it’s a great way to add more esotericism to your life.
How Can You Use Esoteric Practices in Your Daily Life?
Now that we’ve established a few practices, let’s have a look at how we can actually use them. The best way that I’ve found is to simply make time for them in your normal schedule.
For example, I make time in my day for 10-minutes of meditation a day, plus I subscribe to the Witchcraft subscription box Witch Casket, which helps me carve out time to get my witchness on.
You can start small with things like consulting an oracle card every day, or picking out a tarot card to explore your thoughts, feelings and mood on that particular day.
Even making time to just learn more about esotericism and its many practices and theologies can help expand your mind and explore your soul. The key thing to remember here is to make time to question the universe you live in and your place in it. Look beneath the surface to find hidden knowledge and meaning.
