Hello Beautiful People, the latest TribeSteemUp Question was put forward by @eftnow to coincide with the Launch of the new Esoteric 1Up Community. Providing content creators, who write about all things Esoteric with the opportunity to earn 1UP rewards when they use the #esoteric tag on their posts.

For those of you who don't know what 1Up is

1UP is a new open source upvoting system for communities where all user votes are equal. It upvotes the ten highest ranked posts in each community with a smart system for ideal community support and higher curation rewards. To increase this effect even more, we are creating the UP token based on Steem's upcoming Smart Media Token (SMT) and will distribute that to Steemians and communities via airdrops.

There is a lot more information about the 1UP contest in this post by @eftnow. Big shout out and thank you to @Flauwy & @StoodKev for creating this amazing project that really is going to help promote the different communities here on Steemit and help reward those who are writing really great content.

But back to the question, What Does Esoteric Mean, this was a very interesting question for me to answer , because at first glance and indeed, when we first research the definition, the most common definition, is that Esoteric is knowledge intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. But if we dig deeper, we can find that it means much more and that is exactly what the Tribe members did. They dug deep and wrote from their own perspective.

So take the time to read and enjoy each of the answers and do get involved in this amazing opportunity to earn Up tokens if you write about or have any interest in all the many amazing things that fit within the Esoteric tag. You can also show your support for the Tribe by following the TribesteemUp Curation Trail, this way way you are supporting all the great authors who are creating quality content.

What does esoteric mean to you and how has it influenced your life? TSU BI-WEEKLY QUESTION

@eco-alex

We live in an exoteric world, with a selected few being privy to esoteric knowledge. This is basically what esoteric literally means, knowledge intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialised knowledge or interest. Esoteric knowledge can be of any kind, be it advanced physics, alchemy, history, musical etc. Personally speaking, I have normally used this term with respect to spiritual matters. Some of the most powerful esoteric knowledge is held in secret libraries around the world, and only very selected people are able to ever gleen knowledge from these books. Knowledge is power, and certain things need to be hidden from plain view. The need for secrecy may be because this knowledge is sacred, as is in the case of spiritual esoteric knowledge such as the Kabbalah.

What does esoteric mean to you and how has it influenced your life? TribeSteemUp BI-Weekly Question

@trucklife-family

For those who know me, they know that I do not sit well with any organization that supports the idea of hierarchy. And at first glance this term was certainly hijacked by those who wish to be seen as being part of an elite community, a select few that hold certain knowledge that the rest of us do not have access to. The image of an closed enlightened circle sprung to mind. But nothing is ever so black or white in life and I am not one to accept terms/words that scholars tell us, especially when it it is referring to spiritual matters.
So if we look at the origins of the word we see that it comes from the Greek Word 'esoterikos', which interestingly enough is derived from a number of different words. 'eiso, eso' which means 'within', 'inner'; 'esoteros' meaning 'inner, internal'; and 'eikos' meaning 'is natural'.

What does esoteric mean to me and how it has influenced my life [Dabbing with a Mage episode 169]

@alchemage

Esoterica has had an extremely influential impact on my development towards a whole being. From an early age I studied mythology, but after a powerful awakening experience in my early 20s, I began seeking the deeper meaning of things. This is where I find the distinction between exoteric and esoteric knowledge. Join me in today's episode as I answer another @tribesteemup question: What does esoteric mean to me and how has it influenced my life?

What does "Esoteric" mean to you and how has it influenced your life? | #Esoteric 1UP Airdrop Contest

@flauwy

This is a mixed Bi-Weekly Question from the @tribesteemup community and the new #esoteric contest from the 1UP community airdrop. In this video I talk about the airdrop itself as well as give my own perspective of the term esoteric. I have not really answered how it has influenced my life but that is pretty much all on Steemit anyway so I think I am good here. :)
For more information about the #esoteric contest and airdrop read the announcement post: https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@eftnow/1up-community-airdrop-esoteric-community-spotlight-and-contests

What Esoteric Means to Me & How it Has Influenced My Life: Esoteric Content Contest Entry (1UP Fundraiser) & A TribeSteemUp Questionhttps://steemit.com/tribesteemup/@elamental/what-esoteric-means-to-me-and-how-it-has-influenced-my-life-esoteric-content-contest-entry-1up-fundraiser-and-a-tsu-question

@elamental

#Esoteric is world I associate with the occult, and ancient wisdom/practices that are kept in the shadows for protection against powerful, tyrannical forces that control the masses, and also so only the worthy can understand and have access to them.
I have had many profound and enlightening experiences in my lifetime that I would consider esoteric, and probably have over a hundred stories stored away in my memory bank. For this weeks answer to the @TribeSteemUp question, and my official entry into @eftnow's #esoteric Content Contest (1UP Fundraiser), I have created this video where I tell the story of my first experience with LSD, one of the most profound on-the-spot #esoteric rituals I have ever been blessed with. I also explain a little about what the word esoteric translates to in my mind.

What does esoteric mean to you and how has it influenced your life? 1up Contest & TribeSteemUp Bi-Weekly Question

@kennyskitchen

This was a very interesting one, because as always when discussing a term, my first step was to go look at the definition and etymology of the term. What was in my mind going in was basically that esoteric is a synonym for occult (hidden)... but that's not really the case so much.
From EtymOnline:
1650s, from Greek esoterikos "belonging to an inner circle" (Lucian), from esotero "more within," comparative adverb of eso "within," from PIE ens-o-, suffixed form of ens, extended form of root en "in." Classically applied to certain popular and non-technical writings of Aristotle, later to doctrines of Pythagoras. In English, first of Pythagorean doctrines.

The @tribesteemup Question - What Does Esoteric Mean To You and How Has It Impacted Your Life?

@eftnow

In today's vlog, I talk about how I have been fascinated by the world beyond our senses for my entire life and some of the experiences that I have had that have brought me to where I am now.
Basically, a wizard and healing guide living in a magical valley surrounded by other magical beings!
I explain how the dominant world view of reductionist materialism has shut us off from esoteric knowledge that is available to it all, as well as the wisdom to really "live" it.
However, thanks to the speed at which we can all access information now, this is shifting and we are entering into a time where more and more people are becoming aware of and tuned into what was considered "hidden knowledge" in the past.

Esotericism and Other Fancy Ideas

@solarsupermama

So, I know we are supposed to talk about what it means to us personally, as opposed to dictionary definitions, but I have to tell you, I was shocked by the definition. I consider myself reasonably well educated, and I write for a living. I had no clue that esoteric meant
“intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest"
I sat and read through a whole bunch of sentences on the Cambridge dictionary page. For starters, I had no idea it could apply to any subject. I would have sworn it was specifically about spiritual ideas. Then that whole thing of exclusivity and “the special few!” Just ewwww. It made my skin crawl, and it also made me think of Asheville, NC and why I moved away from there. Excluding people without reason makes my blood boil. Anyone seeking to learn should be permitted to learn. That whole bs around worthiness is dangerous territory and based in our untrue ideas of our own lack and limitations.

What Does Esoteric Mean to Me and How has it Influenced Your Life? @tribesteemup bi-weekly question

@makinstuff

Tonight I wanted to present my answer for the @tribesteemup bi-weekly question. Esoteric from my understanding, is something that is known between a small group of people. Like an inside joke between a group of close friends.
On my journey toward seeking truth in my life, I have found so many topics that have remained esoteric throughout the past 50-100 years. This information has been made difficult to find, and the researchers have been ridiculed or dismissed from the general public, and therefore remains esoteric.
Some of the biggest esoteric items in our history that could change the future of humanity are the stories of Free Energy, and Cures for Cancer.

A big thank you to @hungryhustle for creating the amazing infographic of the 8 Pillars Of TribeSteemUp and For @eco-alex for creating the tribesteemup banner and logo.