Theos-Talk Archives (June 1997 Message tl00225)

>I know, it could've been just one person and thus no basis for
>hasty generalization.  But every library I've worked in has had
>the same problem: New Age and occult books are among the most
>frequently stolen.  This suggests to me that the paranoid
>fundamentalists may have a point-- there really is something
>evil in the character of people who are attracted to popular
>New Age stuff, e.g. crystals, astrology, fortunetelling?

It's no coincidence that Hermes is god both of thieves and of magic.
Occultism appeals to many people because of its concealment, which is its
literal meaning as well as its practice. The same people are often
attracted to concealed activities such as theft or the use of illegal
drugs. Anti-occultists are wrong in attributing violence to such people
-- sneakiness is an introverted trait, while violence is extroverted --
but from long association with occultists of various stripes I have no
doubt at all that a characteristic sneakiness is just as often correlated
with theft as it is correlated with an interest in peering behind the
veil of reality.

--
Tim Maroney    tim@maroney.org    http://www.maroney.org