Occultism and the Academy
Presented by Jason Winslade.
In this workshop, we will consider the changing position of the occult
within academics, as magick is being taken more and more seriously by
scholars from a wide range of fields. Some of the basics of postmodern
theory and occult philosophy will be presented as a new way for traditional
scholarship to interact with magickal practice. To this end, I will
introduce a manifesto that I have produced with other scholars calling for a
return to the mysterious and the occult specifically within the fields of
theatre and performance and generally within higher learning.
We will determine the differences between an occultism that keeps knowledge
hidden from all but an elite group and an occultism that reveals mysteries
to all, based on my experiences teaching magick and occultism to college
freshman. In general, I also will provide a forum to discuss our experiences
of weaving our personal spiritual practices with our academic life.
