Featured Zoom Lectures

Pop Bogomil and the Bulgarian forerunners of Cathar dualism – Andrew Roach

The Bogomils are less well known than the Western European Cathars, but are arguably more influential on European spirituality.

Bedtime Stories: Mexican Folk Tales – a Matter of Life and Death – Mike Payton

Unsurprisingly, the folk tales of Mexico often reflect this embrace of the other world

A Short Course in Old Norse Cursing – Prof Bernt Thorvaldsen

This lecture delves into the more shadowy side of Norse magic.

Chilling ghost stories of the Scandinavian countries- Christmas edition – Lena Heide-Brennand

Tonight, we delve into the mysterious depths of the Scandinavian folklore

The Problem of Folk Horror – Jeff Tolbert

This talk will highlight some of the specific problems of folk horror, while also distinguishing between folk horror as a genre

Fashion in Folk Horror – Sacrificial Maidens and Ritual Robes – Prof Catherine Spooner

This talk traces the uneasy relationship between fashion and folk horror. It shows how the costumes of folk horror films

Upcoming Zoom Lectures

Let’s Go For a Walk!: Stories and Songs of Walking and Wandering – Pete Castle

In this programme Pete will tell a selection of stories in which walking is the key to everything else which happens.

Sunny Landscapes, Dark Visions: Folk Horror and the Weird Imagination of E. F. Benson – Ruth Heholt

What is ‘Folk Horror’? Who bothered to define it and why and how useful is it to see it as a sub-genre?

Romance of the Grail: Joseph Campbell and the Arthurian Romances – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

This presentation explores that shift through imagery and storytelling.

Mutter Museum- America’s Finest Museum of Medical History – Dr. Robert Hicks

The museum ethos today espouses the medical humanities, recognizing the importance of understanding human health in all its manifestations.

Clowns through the Centuries – Lena Heide-Brennand

In this lecture we will travel back in time to the origin of the clown as an entertainment figure and as the icon of the travelling circuses.

Get Thee Behind Me, Satan – Carl Abrahamsson

Carl Abrahamsson ponders the occasional occurrence of Satan in various guises

The Devils of Loudun: A Case of Demonic Possession in 17th century France – Wayne Perkins

A rather more salacious re-telling was filmed by Ken Russell as ‘The Devils’ starring Oliver Reed in 1971

Serpent Stories told by David Heathfield

David Heathfield tells The Serpent Wife, an old Ukrainian wisdom tale, and other strange Serpent Stories from around the globe.

Occult Revival: Alex Sanders, the Enigma Born amidst Chaos by Sharon Day

This lecture ventures back to 1926, the year of Alex Sanders' birth, set against the backdrop of the impending Great Depression

Blodeuedd’s Tale – Steph Bradley

Tells the tale of the fourth branch of the Mabinogion from the perspective of the Flower Queen who became the Owl.

Pin buttons and Protests: Katy Norris on the Art of Sylvia Pankhurst

Sylvia Pankhurst was raised in a socialist household and sought to lead a creative life.

The Origins of the Vampire – Professor Ronald Hutton – Zoom Lecture

This talk is designed to show how it was created, and dispersed, and to reveal the rich literary tradition that it had inspired by the nineteenth century

Balkan Folklore and Gender – Margaret Hiebert Beissinger

This discussion examines how gender has informed traditional life and folklore in the Balkans for generations

Skeletons in the Closet: Bones – Cat Irving

Bones are the framework of the body, the thing that keeps us upright.

The Meaning of Hair in the Ancient Mediterranean – Professor Marguerite Johnson

This talk discusses the various meanings of hair in both Greek and Roman warfare

Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: Faerie and the Fate of England by Dr Mark Williams

This talk aims to examine the themes and structure of the novel, leading to a deeper understanding of Clarke’s enthralling alternative past

Painting British Folk Customs – Ben Edge

Join Ben Edge for this Zoom talk as he takes you into the heart of British Folklore and shares his own journey as an artist and gives insights into his creative practice

Women, Witches and the Wild Hunt – Sarah Lloyd Winder

These are stories of beauty, horror, comedy, and the way people act.

Visual Aesthetics of Folk Horror – Tanya Krzywinska

I will focus therefore on Folk Horror’s concern with the otherness of the landscape, nature, failed/misguided agency, and rural culture

Witches in The Ancient World – Professor Diane Purkiss

I will be looking at love magic in particular, even though very little of it measures up to modern standards of what love means

TV Adaptations of Dracula – a Zoom talk with Jon Dear

This Halloween join Jon Dear and learn about the history of Dracula and vampires on the small screen. Enter freely and of your own free will!

Kitchen Kundalini – Xanthe Gresham

Plant lore and mythology have a tale for every malaise – including menopause and midlife crisis.

Satan’s Places: In search of Baphomet and the Black Mass – Andy Sharp

This richly illustrated talk traces an itinerary from the ruins of Mendes in Egypt via the tophets of Tunisia to the hills of Dublin

Nina Hamnett: Life or Art? The Challenge of Writing about Women Artists by Alicia Foster

Nina Hamnett (1890–1956) was an artist, illustrator and writer who was associated with the bohemian and avant-garde circles of the London

Mummified, Dried & Smoked Cats In the Archaeological Record – Wayne Perkins

In many 17th century houses, they may have been immured to act as guardians for the home but whose prey may have been ‘spiritual’ vermin.

Fate, Faith And Fortune – Fiona Eadie

Storyteller Fiona Eadie brings you wisdom and humour in a programme full of fools and sages

The World of Flemish Folklore – Zoom talk with Signe Maene

Join Belgian writer Signe Maene for this dark Zoom exploration of the shapeshifters, spirits, gnomes and witches that haunt Flemish folklore.

Unveiling The Digital Occult: Forty Super-Duper Ancient Years of Arcana – Heather Freeman

In this talk, artist, magician, technologist, and podcaster Heather D. Freeman will survey the history of magical experimentation with digital technologies.

Model turned artist: Sara Cooper on Eileen Mayo

Eileen Mayo (1906–94) was a dedicated and multi-talented artist – at once a painter, print-maker, tapestry designer, engraver and illustrator

Fashion in Folk Horror – Sacrificial Maidens and Ritual Robes – Prof Catherine Spooner

This talk traces the uneasy relationship between fashion and folk horror. It shows how the costumes of folk horror films

The Starry Skies – Sarah Rundle

Sarah Rundle will unfold these stories for us, and teach us how to find our way home.

The Birth of a Movement: Alexandrian Witchcraft in the Midst of Counter-Culture Hedonism by Sharon Day

This lecture will chronicle Sanders' departure from London in 1972 to Bexhill and the avenues he pursued in the final chapter of his life

Labour of Love: the Heart – Cat Irving

Our heart occupies a central role in the way we think about feelings and emotions.

Modern Vampires – Professor Ronald Hutton – Zoom Lecture

This talk is designed to show why this is, and what forms it takes. Three patterns are very clear.

Manawydan and the Enchantment on the Land of Dyfed – Guto Dafis

Guto Dafis delivers this ancient Welsh tale of enchantment with a sense of immediacy and awareness of the relevance of its themes for today

Mermaids across the Millennia – a Zoom talk with Professor Sarah Peverley

This illustrated Zoom talk will explore one of the most popular and long-lived of all the mythical creatures that humans have invented.

The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present – Professor Chris Gosden

Professor Gosden will discuss his book 'A History of Magic ' (Viking 2020)

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

‘Fiona Macleod’ (William Sharp) (1855-1905) and the Celtic Revival in Scotland by Dr Mark Williams

This talk weighs up Sharp’s deeply peculiar cultural achievement, probing the role that ‘Fiona’ played in his complex life.

Queer as Folklore – a Zoom talk with Sacha Coward

Sacha Coward takes us on an illustrated Zoom talk through the hidden queer history of myths and monsters.

Sigurd and Fafnir – Katy Cawkwell

Katy will be telling the tale of Sigurd and Fafnir, a bloodthirsty, gripping legend and the original story of the Ring

Chilling ghost stories of the Scandinavian countries – Lena Heide-Brennand

Welcome to an evening where we get to know the different ghost stories from the countries in the north

Tales from The Frozen North – Jonathan Lambert

Traditional tales gathered in Greenland, on Baffin Island and in Labrador by Danish explorers Knud Rasmussen and Peter Freuchen

The Embers of 50 Years: The Iconic Legacy of The Wicker Man – Peg Aloi

This talk will explore the film's ongoing influence and legacy.

Soul to Sole: Old Boots Concealed in Ancient Buildings – Wayne Perkins

The phenomenon of old, worn-out leather shoes having been deliberately concealed within ancient buildings is now an attested practice

Closer to the wisdom – Mark Bedford

Tales that explore the theme of ageing from various traditions.

Tudor Folk Tales – Dave Tong

In Tudor times the ‘common sort’ were no different from us, laughing together, mocking each other and sharing bawdy tales in tavern yards

The Krampus & The Old, Dark Christmas with Al Ridenour / Zoom lecture

Explore the authentic folklore, history and contemporary practices associated with the Krampus with Al Ridenour

Magic for Yuletide and New Year’s Eve Divination – Lucya Starza

Join witch Lucya Starza for this talk about the customs, tales and rituals for the Winter Solstice and Christmas

Winter Tales of Ice & Fire – Hannah Brailsford

Hannah will tell a collection of European tales to both chill and warm the heart for a Winter’s night.

Looking East: From Folk Horror to Horror of the Folk in Thai Cinema – Katarzyna Ancuta

This lecture aims to demonstrate how folk horror operates as a mode in Thai cinema with a view to finding alternative definitions.

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Druids in medieval Irish sources by Dr Mark Williams

This talk sets out those sources, explaining why they are just as problematic—if not more so—than the classical accounts.

The Occultural Art and Music of David Bowie – Anthony Ryan

This talk will explore the impact of the Occult on David Bowie's art, moving between conjecture and overt displays of his interest

Chilling ghost stories of the Scandinavian countries- Christmas edition – Lena Heide-Brennand

Tonight, we delve into the mysterious depths of the Scandinavian folklore

Reynard the Fox – Trickster Fairy Tales by Viktor Wynd on Zoom

This evening Mr. Wynd will tell some takes of the Medieval trickster Reynard the Fox and how he does horrible things to his supposed friends

The Problem of Folk Horror – Jeff Tolbert

This talk will highlight some of the specific problems of folk horror, while also distinguishing between folk horror as a genre

Hunting the Unicorn: Dark fantasies from antiquity to the gothic – Dr Juliette Wood

Today the chief source of medieval alicorn, the narwhal, is an endangered species that engages our concern for the environment

Reverend Robert Kirk’s “The Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies” – Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart

In his talk, Dr Stiùbhart will introduce us to Kirk’s life and works, comparing the beliefs presented in the ‘Secret Commonwealth’

Post-Alex Era: The Expansion of a Legacy by Sharon Day

This lecture brings us to the post-Alex era, tracing the expansion and evolution of Alexandrian Witchcraft since Alex’s death in 1988

Bodies Behaving Badly – From Vagina Dentata to Wandering Wombs – Prof. Marguerite Johnson – 6 part Lecture Series

In this special six-part series, Professor Marguerite Johnson takes us on an uncanny journey across time and space into the wilds of human imagination.

Vagina Dentata – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

In this illustrated talk, Professor Marguerite Johnson considers the mindboggling topic of vagina dentata (or toothed vagina).

The Tarot in Art and Fashion – Hazel Florez

This illustrated zoom talk will cover a brief survey of the history of the tarot and its influence in art and fashion.

Across Thirteen Rivers and Seven Oceans – Kerima Mohideen

Created and performed by Kerima Mohideen these stories address issues of global heating, climate justice, land rights, gender and inequality

Alchemy in Art and Culture -12 Part Lecture Series – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

Perhaps the oldest and most enduring of all myths is the Nekyia: the descent to and return from the underworld.

Alchemy in Antiquity: The Codex Marcianus and The Visions of Zosimos – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

This first session introduces the alchemical nekyia—a narrative journey evoking the archetypal iconography of underworld

Bedtime Stories: Mexican Folk Tales – a Matter of Life and Death – Mike Payton

Unsurprisingly, the folk tales of Mexico often reflect this embrace of the other world

Brigit: Ireland’s goddess-saint by Dr Mark Williams

This lecture introduces the original sources describing this beloved divinity, and explores how the image of her in contemporary culture

Pop Bogomil and the Bulgarian forerunners of Cathar dualism – Andrew Roach

The Bogomils are less well known than the Western European Cathars, but are arguably more influential on European spirituality.

The most terrifying creatures of Slavic Mythology- part 1 of 3 – Lena Heide-Brennand

Tonight we will open up that portal to a creepy and chilling world filled with demon-like characters and ghosts and spirits

The Cosmology of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona – Wes Bernardini

In this talk, I clarify some misconceptions about Hopi cosmology and explain how collaborative research

The Valentine’s Love Seance – Online with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Wandering Wombs – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

Believe it or not, some people – including doctors and scientists – believed that a womb possessed a mind of its own

Kryptadia Stories – Part one – Lena Heide-Brennand

In this lecture series Lena will tell the once so controversial stories from the secret journal known as “Kryptadia” published and distributed in Europe in the 1800’s.

Early Arabic Alchemy: Ibn Umail to The Aurora Consurgens – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

The presentation focuses on the vision of Ibn Umail, illustrated by the spectacular text

Marvelous Births in Old Norse Myth and Saga – Bernt Ø. Thorvaldsen

In Old Norse culture, there is a number of stories about peculiar conceptions and births

Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed by Dr Mark Williams

This talk introduces and contextualises the Four Branches of the Mabinogi as a whole, explaining how they are a rich blend of native lore

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi: Lecture Series by Dr Mark Williams

The Four Branches of The Mabinogi a branch-by-branch (i.e. tale by tale) introduction to the quartet of stories that form the luminous highpoint of medieval Welsh storytelling

Stolen Penises – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

Imagine losing your penis. Imagine someone – a woman, naturally – stealing your penis.

Two Renaissance Alchemical Manuscripts: The Rosarium Philosophorum and the Ripley Scrolls – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

We move to the 16th century Hermetic Renaissance exemplified by the Rosarium philosophorum

A Short Course in Old Norse Cursing – Prof Bernt Thorvaldsen

This lecture delves into the more shadowy side of Norse magic.

Branwen, Daughter of Llyr by Dr Mark Williams

This lecture traverses the same territory in a different way, focusing on the themes of concealment, national identity, and violence.

Witch Marks – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

Detecting the so-called ‘witch’s mark’ or ‘devil’s mark’ was a means of proving someone was a witch.

Alchemical Illuminations: The Splendor Solis and Nicholas Flamel – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

The presentation continues with a focus on one of the most famous and splendidly illuminated texts of the Hermetic Renaissance

Manawydan, son of Llyr by Dr Mark Williams

The third branch is the most folktale-like of the the four, taking as its subject the travails of the shrewd nobleman Manawydan

Birthing Bunnies (and other such things) – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

This lecture unpacks stories around women giving birth to animals, from rabbits to pigs.

17th Century Alchemy and the Rosicrucian Manifestos: Atalanta Fugiens and the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

This session delves into the mysteries of perhaps the most extraordinary of all alchemical texts, the Atalanta Fugiens of Michael Maier.

Math, son of Mathonwy by Dr Mark Williams

The final branch of the four is the most bewilderingly magical of all, featuring incest, punitive shapechanging

Hirsute Women – Prof. Marguerite Johnson

This lecture considers hair as a marker of monstrosity, beginning with ancient accounts of the hirsute women

Alchemy and Hermeticism in Elizabethan Poetry: Marlowe, Spenser, Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

This session focuses on alchemical and hermetic themes in brief selections from poetry of the Elizabethan era and early decades

The Bacchae, by Euripides by Dr Mark Williams

This talk looks at one of the most frightening and unsettling tragedies to survive from classical Athens.

The Aeneid, by Virgil by Dr Mark Williams

This lecture serves to introduce this gorgeous, complex poem and to demonstrate its relevance to us today.

Alchemy shifting into the Enlightenment: Alexander Pope to Goethe – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

The cultural transformations of the Enlightenment, or Early-Modern Era, involved the psychologicizing of alchemical mythologies

19th Century Alchemy in Literature: Nathaniel Hawthorne to W.B. Yeats – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

One of the secret undercurrents of the literature of the American Renaissance in the mid 19th century

Alchemy in the works of Thomas Mann and James Joyce – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

At the same time that renewed interest in alchemy and hermeticism was being explored in both Freudian and Jungian circles

Alchemy and Hermeticism in the works of Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, and Hilma af Klint – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

The reduction to the fundamental elements of aesthetic composition—geometrical figures like the rectangle, square, circle

Alchemy in the works of C.G. Jung and Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

Jung’s engagement with alchemy began in the late 1920s and dominated his late work

Alchemy and Hermeticism in the work of Leonora Carrington – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

Leonora Carrington’s traumatic breakdown and incarceration in the Spanish asylum at Santander,

Past Lectures

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

The Spiritualism Symposium: The Moment of Revelation – Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D

The Spiritualism Symposium by Shannon Taggart : The Moment of Revelation: Cases from New York's ‘Burned-Over District’ - Joscelyn Godwin

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit

Summoning the Spirits – Online Seance with Medium Patti Negri

Join psychic medium Patti Negri for an intimate online seance where each participant will have the chance to summon a specific spirit