The Occult Revival – History Seminar

In this exciting lecture/seminar, Dr Sasha Chaitow examines the unprecedented public resurgence of occultism at the end of the 19th century, taking in the fin-de-siècle French Occult Revival, the Order of the Golden Dawn,  Madame Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley and their groups. The occult revival was largely due to the aftermath of the French Revolution and its secularism. It was framed by the crumbling of European empires, during which ominous forces were gathering which would ultimately lead to the outbreak of the First World War. The occult revival occasioned a flowering of the arts not seen since the Renaissance, and its ideas filtered through 20th century culture – seen in modernist art and literature, as well as in elements of science and medicine.

How it works: Before the seminar date (25 February), you will listen to Dr Sasha Chaitow's pre-recorded lecture and read through some source texts, both of which will be emailed to you in the preceding week. During the online 2.5-hour seminar, you will discuss in small groups in Zoom 'breakout rooms', and also share with the whole group. The discussions are based on the lecture and readings, so please allow time to look at these beforehand. Sasha hosts Q&A at the start and end.

Dr Sasha Chaitow earned her PhD in Cultural History/Western Esotericism at the University of Essex. She holds an MA in the History of Western Esotericism (University of Exeter, 2008), and an MA in Literature (University of Indianapolis, 2004). She has published two books based on her research, is working on two more, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and magazines. She frequently presents her research at conferences and has organised numerous academic symposia. In her parallel career as a visual artist, she has produced 13 solo art exhibitions in the UK, Greece, and Sweden and  participates in curated group exhibitions.