Upcoming Johns Hopkins University courses in alchemy & magick -

Good as Gold: The Secrets of Alchemy

When: Oct. 22nd. 2009
Where: Baltimore, Maryland

Event Details: Alchemy has long been dismissed as a superstitious folly. However, a contemporary look by scholars is revealing something quite different about this shadowy ancestor of chemistry. Alchemy actually was a serious practical and scientific endeavor, which captivated some of the greatest Renaissance minds. Alchemists imparted a long list of genuine chemical achievements and procedures, presaging the birth of modern lab science. This lecture examines the principles and goals of alchemy, its secretive language, its crucial contributions to modern science, and the beautiful world-view of the alchemist.

Instructor: Lawrence M. Principe, PhD is the Drew Professor of the Humanities at Hopkins in the Departments of History of Science and of Chemistry. He researches alchemy and published The Aspiring Adept: Robert Boyle and His Alchemical Quest.

Magic and the Occult in the Greco-Roman World

When: Nov. 5th. 2009
Where: Baltimore, Maryland

Event Details: The ancient world of Greeks and Romans was the ultimate crucible of mystery and magic. From simple love spells to complex rituals, the people of the Greco-Roman world made use of magic to influence the world around them. Magical rites were used as a direct path to the gods, for divine favors and spiritual satisfaction. In this course, Georg Luck presents a fascinating, and at times startling, alternative vision of magic and the occult in the ancient world. This enchanting survey of magical beliefs offers an unusual look at ancient Greek and Roman thought and a new understanding of their view of the supernatural.

Instructor Georg Luck, PhD is professor emeritus in the Dept. of Classics at the Johns Hopkins University and is the author of several books, including Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds.

ezavan wrote:what i'd really love to see is a class focusing on practical instruction instead of historical speculation, but it's a step towards acknowledging the occult's influence and worth, so that's good...

ezavan wrote:what i'd really love to see is a class focusing on practical instruction instead of historical speculation, but it's a step towards acknowledging the occult's influence and worth, so that's good...