From the book
Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry
R. Swinburne Clymer · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordOccult science is the claimed knowledge of hidden relations, forces, and spiritual laws.
- In Ancient Mystic Oriental MasonryThe introduction criticizes Masons who dismiss occult science while depending on its supposed inheritance.
- In this editionScience is broader than occult science in the source: it can refer to mathematics, history, natural inquiry, or a spiritual teaching.
- A place to readI.15: … “out of every hundred would laugh at the Occult Science, and yet, were it not for:the” …
Meaning
Occult science is the claimed knowledge of hidden relations, forces, and spiritual laws. The text couples it with ethical preparation and initiation.
Use in the book
The introduction criticizes Masons who dismiss occult science while depending on its supposed inheritance. It then defines occult training through self-command. The Lost Word is described as a key to magic, and the account of Pernety joins occult interests with scholarship and discretion.
Places to read
- Original Introduction · Block 15… “out of every hundred would laugh at the Occult Science, and yet, were it not for:the Occult Fraternities, Masonry could never have existed. The Secret Doctrine was the universally diffused religion” …
- Original Introduction · Block 26“The problem of genuine Initiation, or training in occultism, consists in placing all the operations of the body under the dominion of the Will. In freeing the Ego from the dominion” …
- Mystic Masonry · Block 53… “the Master is a Key to all the science of Magic. The knowledge of the Master is not empirical. It does not consist of a few isolated formula by which certain” …
- Foundations of Mystic Masonry · Block 45“94. "A remarkable trait in the character of this Academician was, that he believed in the Philosopher 's Stone, the mysteries of the Cabala, apparitions, patagonians, witches, enchantments, the race of” …
In this edition
Science is broader than occult science in the source: it can refer to mathematics, history, natural inquiry, or a spiritual teaching.
Reading the argument
The word science expresses the status the author claims for this knowledge. It does not itself specify a reproducible experiment. Personal formation, metaphysical explanation, and claims about physical effects should each be considered on their own terms.
Occult Science
“Occult Science” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: I.15.
occultism
“occultism” — 3 occurrences in 2 text blocks: I.26; F.76.
science
“science” — 46 occurrences in 35 text blocks: I.11, 15; M.18, 20–22, 25, 31, 34–36, 44, 50–51, 53, 69; F.49–50, 52–54, 59, 67, 115; S.2–3, 16, 20, 28, 47, 85, 88, 153; R.3; N.86.
Magic
“Magic” — 3 occurrences in 3 text blocks: M.53; S.18; N.86.