The occult, mysticism and literature have always shared a certain affinity that stems from a common belief in the magical power of the Word. Language as a literary device may be chosen for its magical effect or symbolism rather than as an aesthetic value or for explaining ideas. Long before Symbolism and Romanticism, warnings had been given that the improper involvement in magic an occult could lead to madness. In Russia, esoteric mysticism, literature and philosophy were always closely connected. The influence of pagan folk beliefs on literature has a long history, and especially since the last decades of the nineteenth century, intellectuals have had a particular interest in these traditions.One example of this special link between orthodox religion and the occult in the early twentieth century can be found, for example, in the concept of imiaslavie (the magic of names), a concept developed by Pavel Florensky and Alexei Losev. The magic of names connects archaic, Byzantine Christian and twentieth-century Russian philosophical ideas about magic language.

Nothing is naturally esoteric. Esotericism is a designation of the historical role of certain ideas and methods within a culture rather than a description of their intrinsic characteristics. As an adjective, esoterical describes a culture's attitude towards ideas rather than the ideas themselves.