What is a cult? A cult is just a culture. “Cultus†in Latin meaning “to till, to cultivate (agriculture), or to workshopâ€. From “coloâ€â€” worship, honor.
So the tricky thing — a “cult†can have many connotations.
First, to cultivate. Like to cultivate the land. Or to cultivate an idea, or to cultivate a group of people towards a common good.
Second — a worship group (like the cult of Dionysus, Bacchus) like the Danaeds who would worship Dionysus, get drunk and participate in weird orgies (consider Brave New World and the “orgy porgy†idea).