The Occult Trend: Non-Religious Symbols for the Secular

EDIT: I wrote this article running late for a deadline, and the end result I was unhappy with as it failed to convey the points I was trying to discuss properly; I've since overhauled it completely, though I've left the two first comments below (made below I updated the article) for posterity.

I find the current trend in alternative cultures for occult symbolism interesting; though it originates from loftier concepts of alchemy and witchcraft, it has brought fashion brands and symbols such as the St. Peter's Cross and the Sigil of Baphomet which were once derided as too 'mall goth' and intentionally provocative to wear back into popularity. From Blood Milk's dark romanticism to Killstar's pop culture blend, companies are joining in on this enthusiasm and drawing on paganism, ancient Egypt, western esotericism and witchcraft in their inspirations.

This most recent trend is just the newest in a long history of Goth borrowing from religious and spiritual movements; ankhs and crosses have become something of a cliché within the subculture. As far as I've seen the general consensus seems to be that practitioners are happy with this when done respectfully, but I know several bloggers who have stated that they don't personally feel comfortable doing so when they don't believe in the spiritual beliefs the symbol represents - indeed, many of my non-goth friends feel similar, either because they follow a religion of their own or just don't want to. There's a lot valid reasons for not wanting to adopt symbols representative of beliefs; I wear a lot of religious iconography quite happily (primarily the cross, the ankh and pentagrams, amongst others), but inaccurate usage of symbols (such as all the clothing with pentagrams and 'hail satan' slapped next to them) peeves me, as the designer has clearly not done their research, and considering this is another lens through which we view these cultures I think it's important to get them right.

So for those who have made the decision to avoid religious and spiritual iconography but still like aspects of the occult trend, I've compiled a list of alternative suggestions below -

Source one, two, three, four and five (which I've lost).

Moons

The Mutant Stomp Friends called it when she marked moons as the symbol of 2014; they've become very popular for their simple form and cyclic nature. Wiccan belief invests a lot of meaning into this aspect of the moon, as have cultures and religions worldwide; from the Greek Artemis to the Mayan Moon Goddess, the moon can be seen from everywhere, and is open to everyone.

Tarot

Initially conceived as a playing card deck, Tarot has become the most well known of western divination systems (I've been slowly learning over the past half year); the Rider-Waite deck is the best known of the adaptations, with cards representing dualistic concepts through the rich imagery. Noctex used the Death card in their Tarot Leggings, and I like the idea of a tarot card back patch by Black Craft Clothing (now sold out), which would make a good DIY for the card you feel a connection most with.

Oddities and taxidermy

Though I know some folks aren't comfortable with the use of animal bodies for display or decoration (and plenty find it outright creepy) I'm a big supporter of the revival in taxidermy and oddities; in the same vein as wearing fur, if it's vintage or sourced ethically I'm happy to enjoy it. There's plenty of bone and preserved jewellery out there, but if you're a bit squeamish there's also lots of taxidermy jewellery mould pieces such as this on etsy.

Ouija/Planchette

Current DIY plans; planchette earrings out of guitar picks. Originally a mundane parlour game, Ouija boards became part of the spiritualist mania that swept the 19th and early 20th centuries in the face of scientific advancements, and the movements made across the boards were supposedly the result of ghosts; they were later debunked as the result ideomotor movements along with the exposure of many of the noted spiritualist figures - which is a shame, as Ouija boards are fascinating things.

Lovecraft

Finally, if you really want to adopt the trappings of the esoteric without any ties, H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones may be a solution. Though an awful lot of Lovecraftian merchandise is deliberately cute or humorous to contrast with the subject matter, the unimaginable horror of Cthulhu's awakening and the extensive mythos the author built around his creations is probably as goth as it gets. And, as I constantly remind myself when I read the short stories too late at night, mercifully not real (I hope).


Other suggestions I have are eyes, alchemic symbols and Ancient Egyptian inspiration (just get your hieroglyphs right!), but properly consider what you're comfortable with using before wearing it; no one should wear anything they don't feel is right for them no matter how widespread its use is. In reality, there's plenty of motifs you could incorporate in if you feel that you want to include symbols in your style. Of course, there's also nothing wrong with the simplicity of unadulterated black.


What's your opinions on the occult trend? What motifs, symbols and iconography do you use (or avoid)? Please feel free to voice your opinions if you feel that any information within this post is inaccurate, but also please respect that my decisions and those of others are their own, and treat them respectfully even when disagreeing.




Fee