I believe therefore I am

“I cannot fail to make fun, just enough, of profiteers and tricksters, of rogues and crooks. The false noses of hypocrites are made to be torn off.» For the past ten years, we have seen a massive craze for esotericism. In a world in turmoil, we would find answers and meaning in our lives by deciphering oracles and other tarot decks; we would reconnect with the power of nature by learning about witchcraft and shamanism; we would practice our own “rituals” using plants, stones or crystals to influence things and events. But what is behind these new beliefs? Thierry Jobard analyzes here the revival of esotericism. Beyond the playful dimension invoked by professionals in the sector, don't we have to believe in it a minimum to adhere to its promises? And what does this mean about our relationship to science, knowledge and truth? Could the great mess of these contemporary beliefs not represent fertile ground for conspiracy theories, sectarianism or other excesses?