Archives: Digital Events

Levitation, Seances, Ouija Boards, and Other Kinds of Dark Play – Professor Elizabeth Tucker

Dark Play

Not everyone is willing to take a close look at dark play, a genre that is meaningful for many adolescents and adults but worrisome for parents and teachers. Levitation, seances, “Bloody Mary,” Ouija boards, and the Charlie Charlie Challenge offer opportunities to explore the supernatural and to challenge oneself to overcome fear. Folklorists who have studied dark play include Iona and Peter Opie, Linda Dégh, Bill Ellis, and myself. Both folklorists and medical researchers have published articles about breath-control games, which can be extremely dangerous. Stories about Ouija board experiences explain amazing results that seem unlikely to have occurred without supernatural intervention. Levitation rituals, first recorded in the diary of Samuel Pepys, have taken various forms. Now that YouTube lets us watch young people’s self-generated performances of dark play, we can see the international transmission of this kind of folklore. YouTube has restrictions on dangerous content, but new kinds of videos are always popping up. For example, dangerous challenges for young people continue to take different forms. The Tide Pod Challenge, Cinnamon Challenge, and other variants are entertaining but may be lethal. Although the childhood underground of dangerous, challenging play tends not to be shared with adults, folklorists’ and physicians’ research and YouTube performances make it possible to gain insight into this significant kind of behavior.

Bio

Libby Tucker, Distinguished Service Professor of English at Binghamton University in New York, specializes in folklore of children and adolescents as well as folklore of the supernatural. She enjoyed levitation, séances, and Ouija boards so much as a teenager that she is still studying dark play now. Her six books include Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses (2007) and Legend Tripping: A Contemporary Legend Casebook (2018, co-edited with Lynne S. McNeill. She studied with Linda Dégh at Indiana University and was happy to receive the Linda Dégh Lifetime Achievement Award for Legend Scholarship from the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research last summer.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

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All Hallow’s Eve and the Scandinavian Witches Tradition – Lena Heide-Brennand – Zoom

All Hallow’s Eve and the Scandinavian Witches Tradition

Join us for a chill-spining and fascinating historic journey into the mystical world of Scandinavian folklore and ancient witchcraft with the Norwegian historian and folklorist Lena. In this spellbinding lecture, we’ll delve into the rich magical traditions surrounding All Hallow’s Eve or the old Norse Àlfablòt. We will be exploring its connections to the dark and fascinating Völvas- the witchcraft legends of the North. From eerie tales of powerful shamans and spirit worlds to the ancient rituals that shaped the Viking culture Lena will talk about all the mysteries of how these Scandinavian traditions have influenced modern Halloween. Discover the hidden lore of witches and enchanted spells and prepare to be surprised about the magical practices that still echo through the forests and fjords of Scandinavia today..

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

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The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World – Jennifer Higgie – Zoom

The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World

It’s not so long ago that a woman’s expressed interest in other realms would have ruined her reputation, or even killed her. And yet spiritualism, in various incarnations, has influenced numerous men – including lauded modernist artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich and Paul Klee – without repercussion. The fact that so many radical women artists of their generation – and earlier – also drank deeply from the same spiritual well has for too long been sorely neglected.

Jennifer Higgie will talk about her book – THE OTHER SIDE, and explore the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women, from the twelfth-century mystic, composer and artist Hildegard of Bingen to the nineteenth-century English spiritualist Georgiana Houghton, whose paintings swirl like a cosmic Jackson Pollock; the early twentieth-century Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint, who painted with the help of her spirit guides and whose recent exhibition at New York’s Guggenheim broke all attendance records; the ‘Desert Transcendentalist’, Agnes Pelton, who painted her visions beneath the vast skies of California; the Swiss healer, Emma Kunz, who used geometric drawings to treat her patients; and the British surrealist and occultist, Ithell Colquhoun, whose estate of more than 5,000 works recently entered the Tate gallery collection. While the individual work of these artists is unique, the women loosely shared the same goal: to communicate with, and learn from, other dimensions.

Weaving in and out of these myriad lives, sharing her own memories of otherworldly experiences, Jennifer Higgie discusses the solace of ritual, the gender exclusions of art history, the contemporary relevance of myth, the boom in alternative ways of understanding the world and the impact of spiritualism on feminism and contemporary art. A radical reappraisal of a marginalised group of artists, THE OTHER SIDE is an intoxicating blend of memoir, biography and art history.

Bio

Jennifer Higgie is an Australian writer who lives in London. Previously the editor of frieze magazine, and the presenter of Bow Down, a podcast about women in art history, she is the author and illustrator of the children’s book ‘There’s Not One’; the editor of ‘The Artist’s Joke’ and author of the novel ‘Bedlam’, about the 19th century fairy painter Richard Dadd. Her book on women’s self-portraits, ‘The Mirror & The Palette: Rebellion, Revolution & Resistance, 500 Years of Women’s Self Portraits’, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in March 2021. ‘The Other Side: Women, Art and the Spirit World’, is published 2 February 2023.

Jennifer has been a judge of the Paul Hamlyn Award, the Turner Prize and the John Moore’s Painting Prize. She also writes screenplays and her paintings are in collections in Australia. She is also the host of ‘Artist’s Artists’ a new podcast for the National Gallery of Australia.

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Mary Magdalene: From the New Testament to the New Age – Prof Philip Almond

Mary Magdalene: From the New Testament to the New Age

Mary Magdalene is a key figure in the history of Christianity. After Mary, the mother of Jesus, she remains the most important female saint in her guise as the first witness of the resurrection of Jesus and ‘the apostle to the apostles’.

This lecture focuses on the many ‘lives’ of Mary as these have been imagined and reimagined within the Christian tradition. It explores the ‘idea’ of the Magdalene in the New Testament, her cult and her relics in the Medieval East and West, and her legacy in the modern West.

In so doing, it illuminates the many different Marys across the centuries: penitent prostitute, demoniac, miracle worker, symbol of the ascetic and the erotic, feminist icon, the wife and lover of Jesus in The Da Vinci Code, and most recently in the ‘Gospel of Jesus’s wife’ hoax. The story of Mary Magdalene leads to some reflections on the relationship between myth and history within the history of religion.

Bio

Philip C. Almond is Emeritus Professor in the History of Western Religious Thought at The University of Queensland. Among his most recent works are The Buddha: Life and Afterlife Between East and West (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024), Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), The Antichrist: A New Biography (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020), God: A New Biography (London: I.B. Tauris, 2018), and Afterlife: A History of Life After Death (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2016).

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

Image from Wiki Commons (public domain)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Mary_Magdalene_01.jpg

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The Almanac of an Australian Cunning Man – Dr David Waldron

The Almanac of an Australian Cunning Man

This talk explores the fragmentary records of Cunning men and Women in colonial Australia with a focus on the surviving records of charms, curses, and magical cures in the 1840s almanac of Tasmanian publican William Allison recording the practices of Tasmanian Cunning man, Benjamin Noakes.

Bio

Dr David Waldron is a Senior Lecturer in History at Federation University Australia with a research focus on folklore and community heritage. He is the author of “Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival” (Carolina Academic Press 2008), “Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay – a Case Study in Local Folklore” (Hidden Press 2010) and “Snarls from the Tea-Tree: Victoria’s Big Cat Folklore” (Australian Scholarly Publishing 2013), editor/contributor of “Goldfields and the Gothic: a Hidden Heritage and Folklore” (Australian Scholarly Publishing 2016) and author of “Aradale: the Making of a Haunted Asylum (Australian Scholarly Publishing 2020). He is regularly involved in public engagements, festivals, and multi-media displays, including the Ballarat Heritage Festival, and is the co-writer and researcher for the 2019 National Trust of Australia People’s Choice award and 2023 Victorian Community History Award-winning podcast series “Tales from Rat City”

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

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The History of Tarot – Lena Heide Brennand

The History of Tarot – Lena Heide Brennand

Have you ever wondered about the origin and the history behind the Tarot cards? Join us for an enlightening talk on the origin and history of Tarot, where we go on a fascinating journey of these mystical cards from their medieval beginnings to their modern-day significance.

Explore the Tarot’s mysterious roots in 15th-century Europe, uncover the rich symbolism embedded within the cards and learn how Tarot has evolved over centuries, influencing and reflecting cultural, spiritual, and psychological landscapes. Whether you’re a reader or just find it historically interesting this online talk will provide an illustrated and entertaining overview of Tarot’s intriguing past and its neverending allure.

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

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Halloween Folklore and Ghost Stories – Brice Stratford – Zoom

Halloween Folklore and Ghost Stories

Halloween. The night when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. When ghosts walk and corpses writhe, and innocent souls had best beware.

Let award winning storyteller Brice Stratford take you on a wild and witchy ride, fascinating and unnerving in equal measure, through the twists and turns of Allhallowstide, and the forgotten history of Halloween and the wider Hallowmas season.  With ghost stories, ancestor worship, bone fires, otherworld pixies, Pagan belief and archaic, Christian mythology along the way, Stratford shares for the first time the deeper tales and stranger lore that lurk beneath the tricks and treats we know so well, and the ancient flame that keeps the Jack O’Lantern lit.  Light the candles, lock the doors, and prepare to be unsettled. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin.

Bio

Brice Stratford is an actor, storyteller, theatre director, folklorist, historian and former stuntman. Born and raised in the New Forest, he’s a regular fixture at folk, fringe and fright events across the country with his award-winning theatre company, the Owle Schreame. He currently sits on the board of the New Forest National Park Authority, and writes regularly on culture, heritage, architecture and the arts for a range of periodicals. In 2024 he launched the Finding Folklore podcast, an expansive storytelling and research project designed to unearth the hidden lore beneath the humdrum veneer of modern England. This talk accompanies the release of Brice’s third book on mythology and folklore, Halloween Folklore and Ghost Stories.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

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Der Doppelgänger, the Artist & Creative Will – A Zoom talk by Dr Vanessa Sinclair

Der Doppelgänger, the Artist & Creative Will

In this presentation, Dr. Vanessa Sinclair will discuss concepts developed by Otto Rank, early psychoanalyst and student of Freud, specifically on Der Doppelgänger, the uncanny figure of the double, the role of art and the artist in society, and the essential nature of creative will. Rank viewed the development of the self, and even life itself, as a creative endeavor or work of art. Nowadays, we could say that our lives may be viewed as ongoing works of performance art. Rank felt neurosis stemmed from a stifling of our inherent creative potential, as we are unable to fully express ourselves creatively within the constraints and structures of modern society – another aspect of the discontents of civilization. Rank felt harnessing our creative will to be of the utmost importance for overall mental health and well-being. In fact later on after his break with Freud, Rank developed his own form of psychoanalytic treatment, which he referred to as “will psychology.”

To exemplify and elaborate upon Rank’s ideas, Dr. Sinclair will discuss the work of a series of artists who lived their lives as works of art, working with Der Doppelgänger, the double, mirroring, and the uncanny, providing an illustrated presentation of the works of Danish outsider artist Ovartaci, French surrealist Pierre Molinier, performance artists Breyer P-Orridge, and British multi-media artist Val Denham.

Speaker Bio

Vanessa Sinclair, Psy.D. is a psychoanalyst and artist based in Sweden, who works with people internationally. Dr. Sinclair hosts the award-winning podcast, Rendering Unconscious, and is the author of several books, including Things Happen (2024), Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art: The Cut in Creation (2021), and Switching Mirrors (2016). She edits the book series Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives, and is co-editor of The Fenris Wolf vol 11 (2022) with Carl Abrahamsson and The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (2025) with Elisabeth Punzi and Myriam Sauer.

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A Guide to Medieval Illustrations – Lena Heide-Brennand

A Guide to Medieval Illustrations

Come and Dive into the vivid world of medieval illustrations in this captivating lecture that will transport you back to the age of chivalry, illuminated manuscripts, and mystical symbolism. Join us as we unravel the secrets behind the vibrant images that adorned religious texts, royal decrees, and poetic sagas. Explore the whimsical depictions of cats and the formidable dragons that breathe life into the pages, alongside rich portrayals of everyday medieval life. Discover the techniques, cultural influences, and hidden meanings embedded within these timeless works of art. Perfect for art enthusiasts, history buffs, and curious minds alike, this journey through medieval imagery promises to enlighten and inspire. Don’t miss this chance to see the Middle Ages through the eyes of its most brilliant illustrators!

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

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Cunning Folk, Life in The Age of Practical Magic – Dr Tabitha Stanmore – Zoom

Cunning Folk, Life in The Age of Practical Magic – Dr Tabitha Stanmore

In this talk, based on her book, Tabitha Stanmore transports us to a time when magic was used to navigate life’s challenges and solve problems of both trivial and deadly importance.

It’s 1600 and you’ve lost your precious silver spoons, or maybe they’ve been stolen. Perhaps your child has a fever. Or you’re facing trial. Maybe you’re looking for love or escaping a husband. What do you do?

In medieval and early modern Europe, your first port of call might have been cunning folk: practitioners of ‘service magic’. Neither feared (like witches), nor venerated (like saints), these people were essential: a ubiquitous presence at a time when the supernatural was surprisingly mundane and a cherished everyday resource.

We meet lovelorn widows, selfless healers and renegade monks; we listen in on Queen Elizabeth I’s astrology readings and track treasure hunters who try to keep peace with fairies. Much like us, premodern people lived in bewildering times, buffeted by forces beyond their control – and their faith in magic has much to teach us about how we accommodate ourselves to the irrational in our allegedly enlightened lives today.

Charming in every sense of the word, Cunning Folk is an immersive reconstruction of a bygone world and a thought-provoking commentary on the beauty and bafflement of being human.

Speaker bio

Dr. Tabitha Stanmore is a postdoctoral researcher on the Leverhulme-funded Seven County Witch Hunt Project, investigating the people affected by the 1640s witch trials in eastern England. The aim of this project is to return the identities and stories of the accused (and their accusers) to their communities.

She is a specialist in English magic and witchcraft between the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, and particularly interested in the role that the supernatural played in everyday life, culture and politics. Her doctoral research explored the use of ‘service’ magic – practical spells sold by professional magicians – in premodern England.

Her first monograph, Love Spells and Lost Treasure: Service magic in England from the later Middle Ages to the early modern period, was published by Cambridge University Press in December 2022 and Cunning Folk: Life in the age of practical magicwas published in spring 2024 with The Bodley Head.

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