While meaning to move forward in our search for the history of modern occult and magical practices, we actually found ourselves going back to one of the oldest civilizations! Historically speaking, there is a definitely between religion and spirituality and the civilizations that predate the Greco-Roman era. Even bothering practices include mesopotamian deities. However, comment it seems like a lot of the focus ends up being around the Babylonian tradition. Some people do not realise that the Sumerian culture predates Babylon. Sumer was one of the oldest cultures in the area, subsisting in control of Mesopotamia for nearly 6,000 years. These ancient people had a rich and complex culture that included firm laws, a polyistic belief system, and even some curious observations about the world around them. The link between modern magic and occult practices is established in the fact that this ancient culture did not have access to independent scientific study. Interestingly enough, they seemed to understand that the universe, or at least our Solar System, is heliocentric. At the same time, they believed in a flat earth and absolution in their faith. While their beliefs may seem intricate, yet still primitive, to our views in the modern era... consider that their views during, their time, have definitely influenced generations over the millennia. With that being said, let's explore some of the basic concepts of the Sumerian people, and apply them to our collective history.
