An Exploratorium On Magic 2
July and August 2025
Thursdays July 31, August 7, 14, 21
7:00PM EST – 9:00 PM EST
NOTE: Classes are limited to 30 and will be recorded and available to registrants only.
An Exploratorium on Magic 2 is a four-part course centered on Cornelius Agrippa’s The Three Books of Occult Philosophy. By examining Agrippa’s sources we will follow the development of key ideas in Renaissance magic – of the occult philosophy that is the foundation of Western esoteric thought and practice.
The focus of this course will be on the ascent of the soul, and will follow this thread from the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus, through Marsilio Ficino and Agrippa to contemporary theory and practice of the conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel.
Part 1 July 31. 7-9 pm EST
– Overall introduction to the course and its aim.
– The Macro and Microcosm of Renaissance magic
– Memory and Mind, Renaissance and contemporary ideas
– Ascent of the Soul
– An overview of the thread and Agrippa’s references. Plotinus, Proclus, Iamblichus, Nag Hammadi, Book of Jeu. Trithemius, Ficino, Reuchlin.
– Grimoires such as Ars Notoria, The Sworn Book Honorious.
This will be given as an initial overview. As the course goes on we will dive into some of the texts more directly.
Part 2 August 7. 7-9 pm EST
– Cornelius Agrippa’s The Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Introduction to Agrippa and his context followed by a review of Book 1 on Natural Magic, highlighting the key ideas and giving a sense of the overall structure of the book.
Part 3 August 14. 7-9 pm EST
– Will continue with Book 1 and finish with Book 2 On Celestial Magic and Book 3 On Ceremonial Magic. Again highlighting the key ideas and practices.
Part 4 August 21. 7-9 pm EST
– A quick look at some grimoires, especially the Arbatel of Magic and Giordano Bruno’s ideas on magic and bindings. And then a discussion on some contemporary practices such as the conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel rooted in the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage.
As I said previously, I am not sure where it will all end up, but in any event, interesting material will be presented.
Note that although this is a four-part course it is not a finished presentation but an exploration.
I look forward to everyone’s thoughts and participation.
Four Part Course $130.00
Past Courses
An Exploratorium on Giordano Bruno – March 2025
Thursdays March 6, 13, 20, 27
7:00PM EST – 9:00 PM EST
Live online via Zoom
NOTE: Classes are limited to 30 and will be recorded and available to registrants only.
An Exploratorium on Giordano Bruno: Mathesis, Memory, and Magic is a four-part course investigating the philosophy and work of Giordano Bruno, renaissance philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, Neoplatonist.
Although this is a four-part course it is not a finished presentation but an exploration.
For a year and a half I was a visiting scholar at New York University and used the library resources to read, study and go deep with Bruno. The depth and breadth of what he is talking about is slowly coming into focus and I want to use these presentations to explore and help organize the range of his work.
The series will over the course of four evenings present an overview of his life and the main areas of his work and writing.
Discussion will include but not limited to:
– His cosmological writings in support of Copernicus and his subsequent theory of an infinite universe. The Ash Wednesday Supper.
– philosophy of the minimum in De Triplici Minimo, and Articuli Adversus Mathematicos.
– work on the Art of Memory. De Umbris Idearum, Cantus Circaeus, Lampas triginta statuarum.
– writings on magic – De Magia, Magia mathematica, Theses de magia, and most importantly De vinculis in genera.
– ideas of ascent of the soul and union with the one. De gli eroici furori
Where possible his texts will be provided along with recent journal articles on these various areas.
So, you’ll be getting lots of Bruniana to work with.
The bulk of the readings will be sent a few days before the first class.
If you are interested in Giordano Bruno, whether or not you are familiar with his life and work, two books are essential reading and would ask all those taking the course to read them.
– Giordano Bruno: Philosopher, Heretic. Ingrid Rowlands. 2008. The best overview of his life and work.
– Eros and Magic in the Renaissance. Ioan Couliano.1987. A remarkable discussion of Bruno’s neoplatonism and magic. It is also an excellent overview of renaissance neoplatonism and magic.
I look forward to everyone’s thoughts and participation.
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An Exploratorium on Magic – December 2024
Sundays December 1, 8, 15, 22 2:00PM ET – 4:00 PM ET
NOTE: Classes are limited to 30 and will be recorded and available to registrants only.
An Exploratorium on Magic is a four-part course investigating the use of image and text to make change. And, through an examination of various Medieval and Renaissance grimoires, Renaissance Neoplatonic philosophies, contemporary linguistic and semiotic theories, and a look at propaganda and advertising, to come to a better understanding of the processes involved in making change and perhaps develop a definition of magic.
The series will begin with a close look at the rather ordinary practice of zine-making as a concrete alchemical talismanic process intended to cause a change.
From there Agrippa’s The Three Books of Occult Philosophy will be taken up and its cosmology and structure of being outlined providing the world view common throughout the magical alchemical writings. Agrippa’s sources identified for those wishing to go a layer or two deeper.
The course will also look at the Ars notoria, The Sworn Book of Honorius, the Arbatel and some of the ideas of philosopher Giordano Bruno concerning image and binding in De vinculis in genere etc. The ideas, concepts, and practices coming from these works will be looked at through the lens of neurophysiology and cognitive science, storytelling, advertisement, semiotics, and a little Finnegans Wake to hopefully open up some unexamined traits and connections in this thing called magic.
I am not sure where it will all end up, but in any event, interesting material will be presented.
Note that although this is a four-part course it is not a finished presentation but an exploration.
I look forward to everyone’s thoughts and participation.