ANGELA'S SYMPOSIUM 📖 Academic Study on Witchcraft, Paganism, esotericism, magick and the Occult

We examine the critical exchange between Ben Whitmore’s Trials of the Moon and Ronald Hutton’s responses to it, using the debate as a lens through which to explore contemporary tensions in the historiography of witchcraft and Pagan origins. Whitmore, writing from within the Pagan community, accuses Hutton of adopting an overly sceptical methodology and of applying uneven evidentiary standards that, in his view, systematically downplay the possibility of ritual continuities in European folk culture. Hutton’s rejoinders foreground the demands of historical method, emphasising the importance of verifiable documentation over conjectural survivalism and defending the historian’s obligation to distinguish cultural revival from demonstrable lineage. We will assess which of Whitmore’s critiques raise legitimate questions about interpretive frameworks and where his reasoning departs from accepted scholarly practice. It also considers how this debate reflects wider issues around authority, tradition, and the negotiation of identity within modern Paganism, and how different communities assign meaning to the fragmentary traces of the past.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Ginzburg, C. (1989). Storia notturna: Una decifrazione del sabba. G. Einaudi.
Hutton, R. (1999). The triumph of the moon: A history of modern Pagan witchcraft. Oxford University Press.
Hutton, R. (2010). Writing the history of witchcraft: A personal view. The Pomegranate, 12(2), 239-262. https://doi.org/10.1558/pome.v12i2.239
Leland, C. G. (1899). Aradia, or the gospel of the witches. David Nutt.
Whitmore, B. (2010). Trials of the moon: Reopening the case for historical witchcraft. Briar Books.

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This episode offers a critical, historically grounded examination of Aphrodite as a trans-cultural religious phenomenon rather than a stable mythological figure. It traces the goddess’s development from Near Eastern traditions associated with Astarte, Ishtar, and Inanna through her incorporation into Greek religion, where tensions between her martial, erotic, civic, and cosmic dimensions produced multiple and often contradictory forms of worship. The discussion then follows her Roman reconfiguration as Venus, focusing on the political and ideological implications of her role as divine ancestress and guarantor of imperial order.

Combining literary sources, archaeological evidence, cult practice, and ritual calendars, the lecture analyses how Aphrodite functioned within ancient economies of desire, gender, power, and civic cohesion, as well as how regional cults negotiated her ambivalent capacity to generate both harmony and destruction. The final section examines modern resurrections of Aphrodite in Neopaganism, feminist spirituality, Hellenic reconstructionism, and Western esotericism, assessing how contemporary movements selectively reinterpret ancient materials.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚
on screen by the end (too long for the description)

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00:00 Aphrodite and Venus: Cult, Myth, and Evolution
05:07 Origins and the Problem of Divine Genealogy
08:05 Mythographic Ambivalence and the Dual Birth Narratives
10:27 Panhellenic Proliferation and Local Variations
13:43 The Roman Transformation: From Foreign Goddess to Divine Ancestress
17:15 Mythological Narratives: Love, War, and the Price of Beauty
22:51 Dangerous Liaisons: Ares, Hephaestus, and the Comedy of Divine Adulter
20:05 Adonis: Mortality, Mourning, and Cyclical Return
22:37 Regional Variations and Lesser-Known Narratives
24:37 Cult Practices and Sacred Economies
26:41 Ritual Calendars and Festival Cycles
29:02 Regional Variations in Worship
31:59 Sacred Spaces and Architectural Statements
33:39 Modern Resurrections: From Antiquarian Fantasy to Living Religion
35:42 Wiccan Appropriations and Transformations
37:31 Hellenic Reconstructionism and the Quest for Authenticity
41:09 Feminist Spirituality and the Reclamation of the Erotic
43:04 Esoteric Traditions and Planetary Magic
44:31 Conclusion: The Immortality of Desire
47:55 Support Angela’s Symposium

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Join Maevius Lynn and me on Sunday, 28 December at 6 pm GMT and 1 pm EST for a fascinating conversation on all things Thelema.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Maevius Lynn is a writer, artist, international lecturer, and ceremonial magician who currently resides in the Southern United States. Her work approaches Thelema as a living tradition from the perspective of both a solitary practitioner and an initiate of Ordo Templi Orientis and Temple of the Silver Star. She is particularly interested in getting people to practice magick and not leaving it as a niche interest relegated to history books. Her efforts inspire others to make Thelema and magick a purposeful part of their lives. Her work includes YouTube educational videos, online study groups, workshops, and lectures at pagan and occult conferences, books, magazine articles, and art. As part of this work, she especially enjoys collaborating with educators and content creators of various traditions, building bridges of understanding and inclusion around the living tradition of Thelema."

Pre-order her upcoming book here: https://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738779355
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/@MaeviusLynn
https://www.patreon.com/c/maeviuslynn
https://www.instagram.com/maeviuslynn/
https://bsky.app/profile/maeviuslynn.bsky.social

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00:00:00 Introduction: Meet Maevius Lynn
00:02:09 How Maevius Lynn chose Thelema as her Path
00:06:51 Why did Lynn stay with Thelema as her chosen path?
00:10:22 True Will and the Book of the Law
00:15:56 Thelema and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life
00:18:32 The Role of Magick in Thelema
00:24:01 What are Lynn’s philosophical views as a Thelemite?
00:28:44 The Role of Ritual in Thelema
00:33:54 Can one be an Atheistic Thelemite?
00:37:26 The Relationships between Thelema and Christianity.
00:51:48 Can a Thelemite Trust Aleister Crowley?
00:56:28 Why are the Thelemite Gods different from the Egyptian Ones?
01:01:34 Maevius Lynn Explains the Role of Women in Thelema
01:07:03 Lynn’s New Book, "The Holy Year of Thelema."
01:20:19 Support Angela’s Symposium

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Join me live on Sunday 21 December at 6 pm GMT, 1 pm EST, for a festive and thought provoking deep dive into the Winter Solstice. In the first half of the livestream we will journey through midwinter traditions from around the world, exploring fire, feasting, ancestors, rebirth, and the many ways humans have ritualised the longest night of the year. Expect myths, surprising historical details, and a clear distinction between what we know from the sources and what modern practitioners have creatively developed.

In the second half, the floor is yours. Bring your questions, curiosities, and favourite solstice themes for a relaxed and lively Q&A. Whether you are interested in history, contemporary practice, or simply want to get into the solstice spirit, this is a perfect way to welcome the returning light together.

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This livestream brings together Manon Hedenborg White and Henrik Bogdan to discuss their newly co-edited volume The Magical Diaries of Leah Hirsig, 1923 to 1925, published by Oxford University Press. The book presents, for the first time, a critical edition of Hirsig’s surviving diaries from the period when she served as Aleister Crowley’s Scarlet Woman and played a formative role within the development of Thelema. These documents reveal a complex portrait of Hirsig as practitioner, partner, and independent thinker while also illuminating the daily workings of Crowley’s magical system during a turbulent chapter of his life.
You can buy the book here ➡️ https://amzn.to/48AL03N

The conversation will explore the challenges of editing primary sources in esotericism, the significance of Hirsig’s voice within a field long dominated by male figures, and the broader implications of her magical, emotional, and intellectual labour for understanding early twentieth-century occultism. We will examine how the diaries complicate established narratives around gender, authority, and the lived experience of Thelemic practice. The discussion will also consider the historiographical value of such material within contemporary scholarship on Western esotericism.

Join us on Sunday, 7 December at 5 pm GMT or 12 pm EST for an in-depth conversation that opens new perspectives on a pivotal yet understudied figure in the history of modern magic.

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00:00:00 Introduction: Crowley’s Scarlet Woman, Leah Hirsig’s Diaries
00:01:05 Meet Manon Hedenborg White and Henrik Bogdan
00:01:47 Manon’s Academic Background
00:02:25 Henrik’s Academic Background
00:06:34 How the Book Came to Be and was Written
00:19:25 Leah Hirsig’s Diaries
00:11:44 Leah Hirsig’s Magick
00:16:31 Purpose in Crowley’s and Hirsig’s Practice / Sex Magick
00:22:35 Leah Hersig as the Scarlet Woman
00:24:52 Decoding Leah’s Diaries
00:31:41 Leah Hirsig and Aleister Crowley Break Up
00:39:00 The Scarlet Woman and the Great Beast 666
00:59:20 The Role of Menstruation in Hirsig’s Magick
00:56:55 Money Magick in Thelema
00:59:18 Why Some Cities are Breeding Grounds for Esoteric Movements
01:03:33 Babalon and Ra-Hoor-Khuit
01:06:56 Henrik and Manon’s Favourite Parts of the Diaries
01:12:54 Contact Details for Dr Manon Hedenborg White and Dr Henrik Bogdan
01:14:34 Support Angela’s Symposium

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