A WORD A DAY.

Southland Times, Issue 21089, 22 May 1930, Page 6

A WORD A DAY.

OCCULTISM. That which is “occult” is hidden to the eye or understanding; it is concealed, secret, mysterious. . “Occultism,” then, indicates occult theory or practice; “the belief,” as Webster puts it,. “in hidden or mysterious powers and the possibility of subjecting them to human control.” The word - is derived from- the Latin occultus, "hidden,” past participle of occulere, “to cover over,” —a combination of ob, “over, upon/’ and celare, “to hide.” It is an interesting observation that the Anglo-Saxon helan, from which we get the English “hell,’ is allied to celare, both being formed from the same base, kel, “to hide.” Occultism, we conclude, depends upon obscurity, and cannot exist in the light. Avoid the tendency to accent this word on the first syllable. Oc-cult’-ism is emphasized on the second syllable, and is pronounced as though spelled o-kul-tizm, o sounding as in connect, u as in up, i as in it. “Occultism in every form was denounced at the meeting.”