Western esotericism is a term that refers to a wide range of cultural and scholarly traditions in Western society that lie outside of the mainstream. Esotericism refers to the study of hidden meanings and symbols that are contained in philosophical, historical and religious texts. Therefore, Western esotericism largely focusses on European culture and ideas but those which are not usually considered part of orthodox thought. As such, Western esotericism lies outside the traditions of mainstream Christian belief as well as rationalism for the Age of Enlightenment. It is connected with many strands of culture, including art, music, literature, magic, occultism and pseudo-science, among others.
