The Occult History of Hollywood: Secret Societies and Symbolism

BY NICOLE LAU

"As above, so below." This Hermetic axiom—carved into the foundation of Western esotericism—could also be Hollywood's secret motto. The film industry, from its earliest days, has been intertwined with occult philosophy, secret societies, and mystical symbolism. Not as conspiracy, but as creative inheritance—filmmakers drawing from the same well of archetypal imagery, initiatory structures, and transformative narratives that mystics have used for millennia.

Hollywood is a modern mystery school, whether it knows it or not. Its stories initiate audiences into archetypal journeys. Its symbols speak to the unconscious. Its greatest films function as secular rituals, transforming viewers through the alchemy of light, sound, and story. And yes—some filmmakers have been explicit practitioners of occult arts, embedding their knowledge into the very fabric of cinema.

Let's pull back the curtain. Let's explore the occult history of Hollywood—not as paranoid conspiracy theory, but as the fascinating truth that cinema and mysticism have always been dancing partners, creating magic together in the dark.

The Hermetic Roots: "As Above, So Below"

Hermeticism—the ancient Egyptian-Greek mystical tradition—provides the philosophical foundation for much of Western occultism. Its core principles appear throughout cinema:

The Seven Hermetic Principles in Film:

1. Mentalism – "The All is Mind" → The Matrix, Inception, reality as mental construct
2. Correspondence – "As above, so below" → Microcosm/macrocosm in 2001, The Fountain
3. Vibration – "Nothing rests, everything moves" → Sound design, color theory, frequency
4. Polarity – "Everything is dual" → Light/dark, good/evil in every story
5. Rhythm – "Everything flows" → The three-act structure, the hero's journey
6. Cause and Effect – "Every cause has its effect" → Plot causality, karma in narratives
7. Gender – "Gender is in everything" → Masculine/feminine energies, anima/animus

The Teaching:

Cinema naturally embodies Hermetic principles because storytelling itself is a Hermetic art—creating worlds through mind, reflecting the macrocosm in the microcosm, using rhythm and polarity to transform consciousness.

The Masonic Influence: Builders of Dreams

Freemasonry—the fraternal organization rooted in esoteric symbolism—has deep connections to Hollywood:

Masonic Filmmakers and Actors:

• Cecil B. DeMille – Director, 33rd degree Mason, made biblical epics
• John Wayne – Actor, Mason, embodied American archetypal hero
• Clark Gable – Actor, Mason
• Walt Disney – Allegedly a Mason (disputed), but used Masonic symbolism extensively

Masonic Symbolism in Film:

• The all-seeing eye – Appears in countless films, from The Great Gatsby to Lord of the Rings
• The pyramid – Hierarchical structure, ascension, enlightenment
• The compass and square – Tools of the builder, creating order from chaos
• Light from darkness – The core Masonic teaching, reflected in every hero's journey
• The temple – Sacred space, initiation chamber, the place of transformation

The Connection:

Masonry is about building—temples, character, consciousness. Hollywood builds dreams, constructs realities, architects experiences. The parallels are not coincidental—they're structural, archetypal, and intentional.

Aleister Crowley: The Beast's Shadow on Cinema

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947)—occultist, ceremonial magician, "the wickedest man in the world"—influenced Hollywood more than most realize:

Direct Influences:

• Kenneth Anger – Avant-garde filmmaker, Crowley devotee, made Lucifer Rising and Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome
• The Beatles – Put Crowley on the Sgt. Pepper's cover, influenced psychedelic cinema
• Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page owned Crowley's Boleskine House, influenced rock documentaries
• David Bowie – Referenced Crowley, influenced glam and art cinema

Crowley's Teachings in Film:

• "Do what thou wilt" – The law of Thelema, reflected in anti-hero narratives
• "Every man and woman is a star" – Individual sovereignty, the hero's unique path
• Magick as will – Manifestation, reality creation (seen in The Secret, New Age films)
• The Abyss – The dark night of the soul, ego death (in Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan)

The Controversy:

Crowley's influence is often overstated by conspiracy theorists. But his ideas—individual will, magical thinking, the integration of shadow, the path of transgression—genuinely permeate modern culture, including cinema.

The Tarot in Hollywood: Archetypal Storytelling

We've covered this in depth (Article 27), but it's worth noting: The Tarot's influence on Hollywood is massive and mostly unconscious.

• The Fool's Journey – Every hero's arc
• The Major Arcana – Character archetypes (Magician, High Priestess, Emperor, etc.)
• The Tower – The climactic destruction in every third act
• Death and Rebirth – The core transformation in every great film

Explicit Tarot Films:

• The Holy Mountain – Jodorowsky's alchemical masterpiece
• Live and Let Die – James Bond meets Tarot reader Solitaire
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Terry Gilliam's Tarot-infused fantasy

The Kabbalah: The Tree of Life on Screen

The Kabbalistic Tree of Life—the map of divine emanation—appears in cinema both explicitly and structurally:

The Ten Sephiroth as Story Structure:

• Keter (Crown) – The divine source, the inciting incident from beyond
• Chokmah (Wisdom) – The mentor, the wise guide
• Binah (Understanding) – The threshold, understanding what's required
• Chesed (Mercy) – Allies, support, grace
• Gevurah (Severity) – Trials, challenges, the antagonist
• Tiferet (Beauty) – The heart, the core truth, the midpoint revelation
• Netzach (Victory) – Perseverance, the will to continue
• Hod (Splendor) – Strategy, planning, the approach
• Yesod (Foundation) – The ordeal, the foundation-shaking crisis
• Malkuth (Kingdom) – The return, the new world, integration

Explicit Kabbalah Films:

• Pi – Darren Aronofsky's film about a mathematician seeking the name of God
• The Fountain – The Tree of Life as literal and symbolic center
• Noah – Aronofsky again, Kabbalistic interpretation of Genesis

The Conspiracy Theories: Separating Signal from Noise

Let's address the elephant in the room: Illuminati symbolism, Satanic panic, and Hollywood conspiracy theories.

What's Real:

• Symbolism is everywhere – Because symbols are the language of the unconscious
• Some filmmakers are occultists – Jodorowsky, Anger, Lynch, others study mysticism
• Esoteric knowledge influences art – Artists draw from mystical traditions for depth
• Power structures exist – Hollywood has gatekeepers, networks, hierarchies

What's Exaggerated:

• A unified "Illuminati" controlling everything – Unlikely; Hollywood is chaotic, not coordinated
• Every symbol is intentional mind control – Most are unconscious, archetypal, or coincidental
• Satanic rituals in the industry – Sensationalized; actual occult practice is rare and personal
• Hidden messages in every frame – Pareidolia and pattern-seeking run wild

The Nuanced Truth:

Hollywood uses occult symbolism because it works. Symbols speak to the unconscious. Archetypal stories transform consciousness. Mystery school structures create compelling narratives. This isn't conspiracy—it's craft, informed by millennia of mystical knowledge about how stories affect the soul.

The Constant Beneath the Screen

Here's the deeper truth: Hollywood's use of occult symbolism, ancient mystery schools' initiatory rituals, and shamanic storytelling traditions are all describing the same practice—using narrative, symbol, and ritual to transform consciousness, to initiate the participant into deeper understanding, and to transmit wisdom through experience rather than instruction.

This is Constant Unification: Cinema as modern mystery school, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and shamanic vision quests are all expressions of the same invariant pattern—transformation through symbolic experience, initiation through narrative journey, and the transmission of gnosis through immersive ritual.

Different eras, same magic. Different screens, same mysteries.

Practicing Occult Film Literacy

You can apply this knowledge:

1. Recognize symbols without paranoia – They're tools, not weapons
2. Understand the filmmaker's intent – Are they occultists, or using archetypal language?
3. Appreciate the craft – Esoteric knowledge makes better stories
4. Don't fear the shadow – Occult doesn't mean evil; it means hidden
5. Use films as initiations – Let great cinema transform you
6. Study the sources – Read Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Tarot to understand the references
7. Create consciously – If you make films, use symbols with intention and respect

Conclusion: The Magic Was Always Real

Hollywood's occult history isn't a conspiracy—it's a creative lineage. Filmmakers have always drawn from mystical traditions because those traditions contain the deepest truths about transformation, consciousness, and the human journey. The symbols, the structures, the archetypal patterns—these aren't hidden messages from shadowy cabals. They're the language of the soul, spoken through light and shadow on a screen.

Cinema is magic. Not metaphorically—literally. It's the projection of light through darkness to create moving images that alter consciousness, trigger emotion, and transform the viewer. It's alchemy. It's ritual. It's the modern mystery school, initiating millions into archetypal journeys every day.

The occult history of Hollywood is simply this: Artists have always known that stories are spells, that symbols are keys, and that the greatest magic is the transformation of consciousness through shared experience.

The lights dim. The projector hums. The screen glows. And for two hours, you enter another world, walk another path, become another self. When you emerge, you're changed—subtly, imperceptibly, but genuinely.

That's the magic. That's the mystery. That's the occult truth hiding in plain sight.

The show is over. The series is complete. But the mysteries—the mysteries are eternal.

🎭🔺✨

"As above, so below. As within, so without. As the universe, so the soul."

Thank you for walking this journey with us. May your films be transformative, your symbols be true, and your stories be magic.

🎬🌟🙏