Western esotericism, also called
esotericism and
esoterism, is a scholarly term applied as a label to a wide range of groups and schools of thought which share a general
air de famille. It refers to a wide array of ideas and movements which have developed within
Western society, and which have remained largely distinct from both orthodox
Judeo-Christian religion and
Enlightenment rationalism. A trans-disciplinary field, esotericism has pervaded various forms of Western philosophy, religion, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music, continuing to have an impact on intellectual ideas and popular culture.