Join us as we explore a world of warding marks, demonic possession, political intrigue and torture. All of this and more in part 1 of our examination of the events which finally led to the notorious witchcraft trial and execution in 1634 at Loudun. Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist with over twenty years of experience. He is currently researching medieval graffiti, ritual protection marks and ritual practices in the medieval buildings of the south-east of England.

The Tabula Smaragdina, also known as the Emerald Tablet. It is an object which has fascinated occultists ever since its discovery. Even Sir Isaac Newton was known to have studied it and produced his own translation. In this video we shall explore the meaning behind the text which has given us the much loved phrase "as above, so below." Paul Cowlan has been a practitioner of spiritual alchemy for over thirty years. He writes, lectures and gives experiential workshops on it. He is a regular Treadwells tutor, who we are always pleased to host when in the UK on visits from his home in Germany.

The Eleusinian Mysteries; an initiated mystery tradition performed yearly in ancient Greece, was of such importance that thousands would gather to experience it. The talk not only examines the appeal of the mysteries and their meaning for the ancients, but also how the practises of modern day paganism may reflect the rites at Eleusis. Tina Anghelatos’ background is in all things Hellenic along with theology and religious studies. She is an active leader in modern practices.

The Thoth tarot is one of the most popular decks in the English speaking world today. The brainchild of Aleister Crowley, it was illustrated by the artist Frieda, Lady Harris, during the years of the Second World War. Harris first met Crowley in 1937 and she soon became his magical pupil and firm friend; their collaboration slowly gave birth to the incredible deck. In this illustrated lecture, Deja Whitehouse relates how they worked together, using evidence from surviving diaries and correspondence. Dr Deja Whitehouse is a freelance writer and researcher who was recently awarded her PhD from Bristol University. Her research topic, In Search of Frieda Harris, – from a Victorian Childhood to the Swinging Sixties, supervised by Professor Ronald Hutton, explores various aspects of Harris’s life in comparison with some of her female esoteric contemporaries. During her studies, Deja completed a short-term engagement as a library assistant at the Warburg Institute, cataloguing the Frieda Harris correspondence held in the Yorke Collection, and producing an edited consolidation of the Harris-Crowley correspondence and associated primary source material.

Dan Harms, a librarian and writer from upstate New York, well known as the editor of The Book of Oberon, co-author of The Necronomicon Files, and Of Angels takes us on a journey through the many Grimoires available for new practitioners. It can be intimidating trying to work out where to start, but Dan does a wonderful job of cutting through the chaff to help us find those that are certainly worth having. You can find out more about Dan Harms at his irregularly maintained blog: http://danharms.wordpress.com.

This talk outlines the current theories and interpretations regarding concealed objects such as mummified cats, concealed shoes, concealed clothing (spiritual middens), horse skulls, curses, bent coins and taper burns made onto house timbers. Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist with over twenty years of experience. He is currently researching medieval graffiti, ritual protection marks and ritual practices in the medieval buildings of the south-east of England.

This lecture explores the concept of 'The Scarlet Woman' in Western occultism, taking it from magical mistress to feminist archetype. Dr Manon Hedenborg White starts with Aleister Crowley's articulation of the idea of the Scarlet Woman, considering what it meant to him and also to his female magical partners. She then moves forward to look at how the idea evolved through the course of the century. Dr. Manon Hedenborg White holds a PhD in the History of Religions from Uppsala University. Her book The Eloquent Blood. The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism explores changing constructions of femininity in interpretations of the goddess Babalon, a central deity in the British occultist Aleister Crowley's (1875–1947) religion Thelema.

Living in cremation grounds, eating from a skull-bowl, possession by wild gods and offerings of blood to ferocious goddesses- these are all features of the Atimarga – the traditions of ascetic Saivism which were the direct precursors to the Tantric Traditions. In this lecture, Phil Hine explores the doctrines and practices of these early ascetic paths, their place in the wider culture, and their appearances in Indian literature. He shows how the wild, cremation-ground practices fed into the Tantric path – the mantramarga, and how these ascetic practitioners established themselves as power-brokers and gurus to kings. Prepare yourselves for flying sorceresses, ash-smeared madmen, ferocious goddesses and drunken skull-bearers! Phil Hine is an independent researcher and author. Whilst he is best-known for his three books on Chaos Magic, he is also a practitioner of a hybridised approach to Tantra with over thirty years experience, and also has a background in Wicca and Ceremonial Magic. His latest work can be found at http://enfolding.org and you can follow him on twitter at: @PhilH86835657

This talk outlines the current theories and interpretations regarding concealed objects such as mummified cats, concealed shoes, concealed clothing (spiritual middens), horse skulls, curses, bent coins and taper burns made onto house timbers. Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist with over twenty years of experience. He is currently researching medieval graffiti, ritual protection marks and ritual practices in the medieval buildings of the south-east of England.

Tantra is thousands of years old, and is all about sex, right? Not so! In this lecture Phil Hine debunks the popular misconceptions which have arisen about the origins of Tantra. He explores the meaning of the term “tantra” and how it has been defined by scholars, New Agers and from within the tradition itself. He explains how ideas about Tantra were shaped during the colonial period, and how the subject is approached by contemporary scholars. Finally, he introduces us to the development of the Saiva religion, out of which the Tantric path eventually emerges. Phil Hine is an independent researcher and author. Whilst he is best-known for his three books on Chaos Magic, he is also a practitioner of a hybridised approach to Tantra with over thirty years experience, and also has a background in Wicca and Ceremonial Magic. His latest work can be found at http://enfolding.org and you can follow him on twitter at: @PhilH86835657

Elsa ‘Schiap’ Schiaparelli (1890 - 1973), Surrealist designer, was a collaborator of Salvador Dalí, Leonor Fini and Jean Cocteau, a rival of Coco Chanel, and pioneer of everything ‘Shocking Pink.' In the summer of 1938 Schiaparelli’s unveiled her Zodiac Collection: jackets emblazoned with planets, dresses with stars, and capes with suns. Fascinated by astronomy since childhood, she drew inspiration from Euclid’s Elements, the solar system and the constellation Ursa Major, which was her personal talisman. This illustrated lecture will specifically revolve around Elsa Schiaparelli’s Zodiac Collection, but will also look at her love of astronomy, her scientific approach to couture, and the collection’s effect on contemporary fashion. We look, finally, upon the way in which heavenly bodies informed other women artists associated with the Surrealist movement. Sabina Stent is an independent scholar who researches, writes and lectures on the subject. Her PhD thesis was “Women Surrealists: Sexuality, Fetish, Femininity and Female Surrealism”

Dan Harms, editor of The Book of Oberon (with James Clark and Joseph Peterson), takes us on a journey through the roles of Fairies in the history of English magic. Do away with what you thought Fairies were all about and learn about their complicated politics, abilities and desires. Dan Harms is a librarian and writer from upstate New York. He is known as the co-author of The Necronomicon Files, The Book of Oberon, and Of Angels, Demons, and Spirits, and editor of The Long-Lost Friend. He maintains an irregular blog at http://danharms.wordpress.com.

Paul Cowlan leads us through the dense meanings behind alchemical images through the ages. These fascinating illustrations can be explored to gain insights into the alchemist's understanding of the spiritual and physical world. Paul Cowlan has been a practitioner of spiritual alchemy for over thirty years. He writes, lectures and gives experiential workshops on it. He is a regular Treadwells tutor, who we are always pleased to host when in the UK on visits from his home in Germany.

In this short lecture Mark Smith explores one of the reasons why spellcasting can fail: Lust of Result. He discusses what it is, where it comes from, how to know if you have it and what to do about it. Mark Smith is a professional musician, therapist and Chaos Magician of many years.

London occultist Madeline Montalban (1910-1982) was famed for her monthly articles on tarot and astrology in Prediction magazine. To the occult world, though, she is known as head of the ‘Order of the Morning Star,' a remarkable group whose magical basis lay in original magical texts, which Montalban had syncretised into a workable system. Members met in her London flat in St Giles. Julia Phillips is the acknowledged expert on this remarkable woman occultist, her work and her legacy. Phillips herself is an occult practitioner of forty years' standing; she writes, lectures and teaches.

Rebecca Beattie explains the role of the 7 classical planets in the evolution of western magical systems and how their correspondences are still used by modern practitioners. Rebecca Beattie is a long-standing practitioner of Western magical methods; she is a Wiccan priestess and a friendly, engaged tutor. In her research life, she is a doctoral researcher working on the modernist writer Mary Webb. Also a published author, her book Nature Mystics is available at Treadwell's.

Julian Vayne, a practitioner at the forefront of entheogenic exploration, tonight talks about spirits encountered -- and insights gained -- through ayahuasca and other psychedelic drugs. His talk takes in the perspectives from traditional wisdom to those of recent neurology research as he considers the relationship between chemically induced states and other entity encounters. Join us for a spirited tale of brain science and occult practice on the quest for understanding. Julian Vayne has worked in this area for over thirty years and currently collaborates with researchers in university programmes as well as continuing his personal esoteric approach. He is an occultist and the author of numerous books, essays, journals and articles. While his name is closely associated with chaos magic, Julian has over thirty years experience working in group ceremony with druids, shamans, Wiccans and freemasons, and more recently has been at the forefront of those working with psychedelics and entheogens. He writes at theblogofbaphomet.com

Matt Wingett asks the question; Why did the man who created Sherlock Holmes also believe in ghosts? From early in his medical career Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was fascinated by the paranormal. In 1887 – the year his first Sherlock Holmes novel was published – he became convinced of the existence of spirits. Even as the fame of his ultra-rational creation grew, Doyle investigated poltergeists, spirit photography and much more. Then, as the deaths of the Great War mounted, he announced to a shocked world that Spiritualism was a “New Revelation”. Yet, still he continued writing Sherlock Holmes stories. How could this apparent contradiction exist in one man's mind? This fascinating lecture by Matt Wingett traces Doyle’s Spiritualism from his early experiments in Southsea in the 1880s to his leaving the shores of the UK to dedicate his life to Spiritualist missionary work in 1920. Matt Wingett is a local historian, novelist and publisher, and wrote episodes of the well-loved tv show, The Bill. You can learn more about him and buy his work at www.lifeisamazing.co.uk