Western esotericism

thumb|15th century depiction of an Ouroboros from the alchemical treatise '' (Zurich, Rheinau 172'').

thumb|alt=Standard image of masonic square and compasses|The Square and Compasses, the main [[emblem of the Freemasons]]

Neoplatonism, also called late platonism, is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of distinct ideas based on a form of Platonism as much as a series of Platonic thinkers coming primarily from a certain ancient historical period. Among the common ideas it maintains is monism, the doctrine that all of reality can be derived from a single principle, "the One".

thumb|right|The logo for the Theosophical Society brought together various ancient symbols.

spiritual or religious beliefs and practices that developed in Western nations during the 1970s

thumb|upright=1.3|In Raphael's fresco [[The School of Athens, Pythagoras is shown writing in a book as a young man presents him with a tablet showing a diagrammatic representation of music theory on a lyre above a drawing of the sacred tetractys.]]

Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical and religious tradition rooted in the teachings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic figure combining elements of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. This system encompasses a wide range of esoteric knowledge, including aspects of alchemy, astrology and theurgy, significantly influencing various mystical and occult traditions throughout history. The writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, often referred to as the Hermetica, were produced over a period spanning many centuries () and may be very different in content and sco

religious/ritual practice of the Greco-Roman world

thumb|right|alt=Crowley wearing the ceremonial garb of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, 1910|Aleister Crowley in 1910

Theurgy (; , ), also known as divine magic, is one of two major branches of the magical arts, the other being practical magic or thaumaturgy. Theurgy describes the ritual practices associated with the invocation or evocation of the presence of one or more deities, especially with the goal of achieving henosis (uniting with the divine) and perfecting oneself.

perennial philosophy

religious movement emphasizing accessible divine power, positive thinking, and faith healing

range of related ideas and movements that have developed in the Western world

Christian theology

worship of stars and other heavenly bodies as deities

concept of an underlying unified reality from which everything emerges and to which everything returns, popularized by Carl Jung

metaphor for the inaccessibility of nature's secrets

Illuminism was a European religious and philosophical movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was influenced by Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Swedenborgianism and Eastern religions and was often syncretic in its approach to them. It belongs to the tradition of Western esotericism and was a forerunner of Romanticism. It is sometimes contrasted with the Enlightenment, being seen as the "spiritual" reaction or corrective to the Enlightenment's dependence on reason. The Illuminists, however, were not irrationalists. They were especially fond of analogical reasoning.