Esoteric Scotland

Tonights talk. Log in details in the post.

Boleskine Talks - coming in just 2 days - 22 July at 1930! Free to attend!

Join us with Dr Justin Sledge for a lecture on Dr. John Dee, the enigmatic Elizabethan scholar, mathematician, and occultist whose work at the crossroads of science and mysticism profoundly influenced the intellectual landscape of his time.

All you need to do to join us to click the Zoom link at the right time and your ready to go!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94000163775?pwd=HXKtBoYytaviZvWdTDUcIYGjsPLyXr.1

Meeting ID: 940 0016 3775
Passcode: 681550

Check out Boleskin's new lecture series.

SAVE THE DATE! 8 July at 7:30pm! Boleskine Talks: ‘Hermeticism in Medieval Scotland.’

In our online Zoom session, Kirsty Pattison will explore hermeticism's presence and impact during medieval Scotland, situating it within the broader European context of the Middle Ages. This sets the foundation for understanding Scotland's unique contribution to esoteric traditions.

This is a new lecture series launched 2024, to delve into Boleskine's rich historical and cultural themes, especially those linked to the history of mysticism in medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Scotland, and the impact of Eastern thought on Western culture. We will host visiting academics for scholarly discussions aimed to deepen the understanding of Boleskine House's eclectic history and to present our cultural heritage in a sober and academic manner.

Join us on Zoom. The link will be posted just before the event to our page as well as to our mailing list.

Discussing Christian Esotericism in Early Modern Scotland at the Northern Early Modern Network conference at the University of Edinburgh.

Fully funded PhD opportunity at the University of Glasgow looking at Robert Burns and Freemasonry.

Details in the post.

Interesting census results!

The 2022 Scottish census results on religion have finally been released. Paganism is now the 4th biggest faith in Scotland.

After over a decade of the Scottish PF campaigning for a Pagan Tick Box, to better capture the number of Pagans here in Scotland more accurately, we now have our figures more accurately captured.

According to the census data collected, there are 19,113 Pagans in Scotland. This is an increase from the previous census that was 5,194 in 2011.

Scottish PF Presiding officer Matt Cormack responded:

"The census results are striking. Paganism is now the fourth largest faith group in Scotland and has grown rapidly in the last decade. It is exciting to think about so many people building their own unique connections to the divine or nature. In recent years there have been significant strides forward such as the Scottish Pagan Federation joining the Scottish Government's Faith and Belief Representative Group, a Pagan tick box on the census, and a Pagan delivering the Time for Reflection at the Scottish Parliament. I sincerely hope that this progress and the census results will be a symbol for Pagans to know that our various, diverse paths are being recognised and respected."

The first Scottish Census outputs on religious identity became available on the 21st of May. The number of Pagans has almost quadrupled since 2011 and now stands at 19,113 or 0.35% of population, making it the fourth largest faith group in Scotland.

In part, this is due to the Scottish Pagan faith community growing in number, but is also likely to be a consequence of the new Pagan tick box both encouraging and making it easier for Pagans to identify themselves.

Upcoming Scottish Pagan Conference.

The next Scottish Pagan Conference is taking shape!

The theme this year is the Exoteric, intended for or likely to be understood by the general public. Spirituality can be part of common life and doesn’t always need to reside in occult and hidden meanings. Everyday mundane rituals can be and are as powerful as occult ones. We have invited speakers to remind us of that, so expect a beautiful variety of talks and workshops that will encourage us to find the mystical in the ordinary.

We are still in the process of compiling the line up so, if you are a speaker / run workshops and wanting to reach out, send a quick email introducing yourself at [email protected]. We invite speakers from all backgrounds, disciplines, gender expressions, sexualities, ages and abilities.

The beauty of the theme this year is that you do not necessarily need to call yourself a “Pagan” to participate (as we are aware this term can be exclusionary in some circumstances). We are really interested in how ritual practice can spill in all sorts of disciplines and practices.

Members price tickets will be soon released to SPF members, then tickets will be released to the general public. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for further announcements!

May 15th 2024 at the University of Aberdeen!

Talk: Gods and Monsters: The Gothic and Horror Fictions, 1760s to the present day

Cults… ghosts… hauntings… unquiet minds… monsters - both human, and inhuman. To mark the publication of his study of the celebrated British horror writer Ramsey Campbell (University of Wales Press, 2023), Dr Keith O’Sullivan explores the rich history of the literary Gothic from its origins to present manifestations in contemporary fictions by the likes of Campbell and Stephen King.

Wednesday 15 May, Special Collections Centre Seminar Room, 4-5PM. All welcome.

Check out this event on the 18th of May!

Interested in the culture and history of NE Scotland (15th to 18th century) and making links to the present? Come along to this free event on Saturday 18th May!

http://abdn.io/EK

Fantasic day at this wonderful workshop.

There is some truly wonderful research happening in Scotland on contemporary paganism. 💙

Today is the deadline for registering for this FREE HYBRID event hosted by the University of Glasgow.
Some amazing papers planned. Details on how to register in the link below.

A little reminder about this FREE one day workshop at the University of Glasgow. Its in hybrid format, so join us online if you cant make it to Glasgow.

Details in the post below.

Fancy earning an MA in Magic and Occult Sciene?

Applications are now open for 2024 at the University of Exeter.

Magic and Occult Science MA | Postgraduate Taught | University of Exeter Exeter Innovation is a partner for transformative innovation. We harness the world leading research and education of the University of Exeter to create real and lasting impact, by working with organisations of all types and sizes on their innovation journey.

A reminder about this exciting 1 day workshop with some of the leading experts in the field of contemporary pagan studies.

You can attend in person or online. However, registration is a MUST.

Details on how to register in the post below.

Call from the University of Aberdeen.

Do you know any traditional Scottish supernatural tales?

If so, Aberdeen want to hear from you!

See the poster below for details. Deadline for submissions is 5th of November 2023.

Fascinating collection. Check out the exhibition details below.

These are witch stones. Scottish folklore tells us that these have the power to reveal witches' disguises. Look through the hole and you will see reality rather than the illusion the witch has cast.

Our Witchcraft in Scotland Exhibition: http://abdn.io/5t

We kindly invite you to register for attending the "Sacred Dichotomies" Hybrid Workshop on Contemporary Paganism.
This Event is Free and Open to Public. Registration is mandatory for attending online or onsite, and it is open until November 20th 2023 at: https://forms.gle/zTqExiKCjbkSAj2H7

- Keynote Address by Michael York.
- Paper Presentations by Suzanne Owen, Sakis Barbalexis, Joe Sedgwick, Katie Lawrence, Jenny Butler, Julia Itel, and Kenneth Brophy, among others.
- Discussants: Steven J. Sutcliffe, Andrew Prescott, and Dan McKanan.
- Workshop organized by Yael Dansac and Scott Spurlock.
Programme’s Time Zone: United Kingdom.

Tickets for this years Samhuinn Festival in Edinburgh are now available.

SAMHUINN Samhuinn fire Festival 2023 Tickets go on sale 28/09/2023 at 7pm Buy Tickets PLEASE BE VIGILANT FOR FAKE EVENT INFORMATION AND TICKET SCAMS Please do not trust any website that says you need to giv…

Restoring Boleskine's Freshwater Habitat 💛 We wish to restore an ancient freshwater habitat to support wildlife, plant life and biodiversity, helping Scotland's nature to thrive.

CALL FOR PAPERS

CALL FOR PAPERS

Conference:
Call for Papers: Outsiders, Outcasts and Eccentrics: Experiences of Deviancy and Deviant Experiences -Workshop

When/where:
Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in the History of Experiences
Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Finland
7–8 June 2023

Deadline for submissions: 13 January 2023.

ABOUT:
“The concepts of deviance and deviancy once anchored a great many social scientific and humanistic studies. Beginning in the 1990s, however, scholars began to question their usefulness, with some declaring the study of deviance a dead field. Nevertheless, historians have found the theme of deviance productive, contributing to the study of a number of social processes, including marginalisation, pathologisation, social control, segregation, enhancement and criminalisation. What is clear is that to study those behaviours, thoughts, feelings, and people conventionally deemed deviant is to also study how societies define and enforce normality. The deviant thus has offered a way to defamiliarise the normal and, as result, provided insights into how the mundane itself is made.

Is it possible then to revisit the study of social deviance in a fresh way? Recent interest in the history of human subjectivity offers one possible way to do so. Studies in areas like the history of emotions, the history of persuasion, the history of madness, and the history of sexuality – to name just a few – have increasingly tried to emphasise the experiences and agency of historical actors. This workshop takes its inspiration from this research and focuses on the history of experiencing deviance…”

For all info about the call for papers, click the link: https://historypsychiatry.com/2022/09/21/call-for-papers-outsiders-outcasts-and-eccentrics-experiences-of-deviancy-and-deviant-experiences-workshop/

Art: “the Dream in the Witch House” by Harry O. Morris (1949)
From .malus

Good luck!

CALL FOR PAPERS!

CFP ESSWE9: The 9th Biennial Conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism – Western Esotericism and Practice. Malmö University, Sweden, June 26–28, 2023. Please click here for more information: https://esswe.org/current-conference

Hafed in Glasgow: Oriental Occulture in Late Victorian Scotland – The Media of Mediumship Blog Hafed in Glasgow: Oriental Occulture in Late Victorian Scotland by mediaofmediumship|Published September 2, 2022 Scarlett McQuillan, University of Stirling Hafed in Glasgow: Oriental Occulture in late-Victorian Scotland By Scarlett McQuillan, University of Stirling Glasgow 1869. August heat ha...

Scotland connection to the Irish Gods is well known.
This looks like a super interesting online course by the wonderfully erudite Dr Jenny Butler. Details in the poat below.

My online course "Myth & Magic: An Introduction to the Study of Irish Folklore and Mythology" commences 27 September 2022 at University College Cork UCC Adult Continuing Education - ACE: https://lnkd.in/ekpJ3QzW

All welcome from any location as classes are online Tuesdays 7-9pm [Irish/UK Time/GMT] for 10 weeks. *Places are limited*

Very exciting news coming through tonight. I cant wait to visit.

Book of Deer manuscript returns to Aberdeen after 1,000 years The "precious" 10th Century Book of Deer goes on show in Aberdeen from Saturday, until October.

Happy summer solstice everyone.

Summer solstice: the Scottish history and traditions behind the longest day of the year The summer is finally upon us and in Scotland that means milder weather and longer days, with the longest day of all taking place on 21 June.

The Church of Scotland has openly acknowledged their role in the historic witchcraft trials in Scotland.

The General Assembly has accepted a new motion brought forward by Rev Prof Susan Hardman Moore to "acknowledge and regret the terrible harm caused to all those who suffered from accusations and prosecutions under Scotland's historic witchcraft laws, the majority of whom were women, and apologise for the role of the Church of Scotland and the General Assembly in such historical persecution."

This comes following the publication of the paper 'Apologising for Historic Wrongs' produced by the Kirk's Theological Forum.