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How did Helena Blavatsky help popularize the term occultism in English?

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Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti stand side by side in formal attire, Besant holding papers, in a black and white photograph from 1933. — theosophy Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti, 1926.

Helena Blavatsky played a central role in popularizing the term "occultism" in the English language, primarily through her foundational work with the Theosophical Society.1

She first utilized the term in an 1875 article, where she framed "occultism" as a reference to an ancient, universal wisdom tradition. By asserting that "the East" was the "cradle of Occultism," Blavatsky linked the term to her efforts to integrate Hindu and Buddhist concepts with Western esoteric traditions. She claimed to be promoting this knowledge on behalf of "the Masters," a secretive group of spiritual adepts purportedly based in Tibet.1

As the Theosophical Society gained an international following, it became a major conduit for these ideas, effectively embedding the term into the lexicon of modern esoteric movements. Her influence, alongside that of the French author Éliphas Lévi, helped establish "occultism" as a prominent label within the late 19th- and early 20th-century spiritual landscape.21