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THIS IS A NOTICEBOARD OF FORTHCOMING AND PAST EVENTS |
Alchemy, Magic, Mysticism and Nature in Novalis' Writings
Magic and astrology in the Renaissance
From: Jan Backlund - Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001
University of Aarhus, Denmark, December 7-9, 2001.
Since the middle of the 20th century there has been an increasing focus on the possibility that the enigmatic
iconography of sixteenth century painters like Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Lorenzo Lotto and others might be resolved with reference to alchemical imagery. However well founded or problematic those approaches might be, they have only rarely been subject to serious criticism and discussion on the part of art historians or scholars in the field of alchemy.
On the other hand, since the early 1980s attempts have been made by historians of alchemy and hermeticism to map the outlines of what one could call a 'history of the alchemical image', ranging from general outlines and individual studies of manuscript illuminations and drawings, to works on the alchemical woodcuts and engravings from the 16-18th centuries.
Similar studies have been made by art historians on the alchemist and his laboratory as a subject matter in paintings and prints.
Concurrent with these attempts, there have also been attempts to interpret modern art in alchemical terms (e.g. Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Beuys and Anselm Kiefer), an approach which seems to correspond to an interest in alchemy on the part of modern and contemporary artists.
This renewed interest in alchemy from the artists' side is, perhaps symptomatically, parallel to the emergence of the non-figurative trends in modernism. Thus the question of art and alchemy no longer seems to pertain only to iconography, but also to materiality, conceptuality or processuality.
However, in spite of the extensive scholarly work being done in different contexts on the history of alchemy, it is still fair to say that the visual aspect of alchemy has rarely been discussed in art historical terms; and correspondingly, art history has only rarely touched the - methodologically speaking - dangerous imagery of alchemy.
The aim of this conference is therefore to bring together the two disciplines: the history of alchemy and art history, and with the help of both try to at least approach, if not answer, the problems outlined above, which could tentatively be summarised in the following paragraphs:
1) Is there a specific "alchemical iconography" in Medieval and Early Modern times? And if so, how, and with which implications and limitations might it be approached hermeneutically?
2) Why did Medieval and Early Modern artists make use of alchemical iconography and what was their intention (if any?)
3) Is the history of alchemical imagery to be regarded as a part of a general history of art, as a separate visual tradition, or as something else? In any case the question arises of who made the alchemical drawings, miniatures, woodcuts, engravings, or (occasionally) paintings: professional artists, the alchemists themselves, or both?
4) Is there a structural or functional affinity between modern art and alchemy?
For the conference we welcome contributions covering the whole field of alchemical imagery, emphasis on the visual history of alchemy (from the early alchemical illuminations in Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts to the emblematic prints from the 17th and 18th centuries), on the interrelationship between art and alchemy, on methods and problems of alchemical interpretations of art works; as well as on the use of alchemy in modern and contemporary art.
Papers are welcome to both conferences, abstracts of about 1 page should be sent before 1 August 2001 to
Jan Bäcklund, Center for Cultural Research, 8200 Aarhus N., Denmark, with specification of audiovisual requirements. The length of the paper should be a maximum 30 minutes, including 10 minutes of discussion. Please specify home address and (if any) e-mail and/or address of your institution.
The conference fees are DKK 750 (Art & Alchemy), DKK 650 (Dee) or DKK 950 (both), which includes costs of administration, lunch during the conference days, conference dinner (Saturday) and coffee and refreshments during the conference.
A preliminary program will be sent when the proposals for papers have been accepted. Together with the program follows information on payment of fees, hotels and dinner.
It is further the ambition of the organisers that the best papers are to be published.
Further information is available from:
Jan Bäcklund
Center for Cultural Research, University of Aarhus, Finlandsgade 28, 8200 Aarhus N
e-mail : [email protected]
phone: (+45) 89 42 44 84 or: 89 42 44 64
fax: (+45) 86 10 82 28
Jacob Wamberg, Department of Art History, University of Aarhus, Langelandsgade 139
e-mail:[email protected]
CALL FOR PAPERS
The 3rd Interdisciplinary JOHN DEE Colloquium in University
of Aarhus, Denmark, December 6-7, 2001.
Papers are invited on John Dee, his work, his life and acquaintances, and his reception in science- and cultural history as well as in literary works related to occult symbolism.
The event is the continuation of the first meeting organised by Stephen Clucas at Birkbeck College, London, in April 1995, and the second organised by György E. Szõnyi at Jozsef
Attila University, Szeged, Hungary, in July 1998.
The Colloquium immediately precedes the international conference:
ALCHEMY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Sonu Shamdasani out in the battlefield
Sonu was one of the scholars who questioned the way the centenial Sigmund Freud exhibition was being set up by the Library of Congress in Washington; it was postponed after huge international polemics. You can browse through that battlefield visiting a special web site : visit:
http://www.shamdasani.u-net.com/freudexhibition.htm
In the meantime, Sonu has taken on another the battlefield, the Jungian one, this time! Here is the announcement for the book:
Cult Fictions - C. G. Jung and the Founding of Analytical Psychology , Routledge, March 1998
"As the inspection of Freud's legacy leads scholars to seriously examine his persona, so has analytical psychology come under scrutiny in a whirl of controversy over the character of its founder, C. G. Jung, including claims that Jung was a charlatan and a self-appointed demi-god. It is claimed that this cult is alive and well in Jungian psychology today, which continues to masquerade as a genuine professional discipline, whilst selling false dreams of spiritual redemption.
In Cult Fictions, leading Jung scholar Sonu Shamdasani presents the history of the movement's founding, from Jung's establishment of the Psychological Club in Zurich in 1916 to the reformulations of his approach by his followers. It assesses the evidence for the cultic allegations, which it demonstrates to be fallacious. Cult Fictions presents a sober, accurate and revealing account of the history of the Jungian movement and an agenda for the evaluation of analytical psychology today."
Alchemy, Magic, Mysticism and Nature in Novalis' Writings
On October 2nd and 3rd, 1998, the International Novalis Society is held a symposium on: Alchemy, Magic, Mysticism and Nature in Novalis' Writings at Oberwiederstedt Manor.Papers were given in German. They have a web page where you can get some details:
http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~angl/novalis/alchemy.htm | If you would like to receive more specific information, please contact the organisers at | [email protected]
Alchemy Web site on CD-Rom
The web site has grown so large (over 40 megabytes) that it can take days to browse through all its thousands of pages. People on a slow server in certain countries or using slow modems can find it frustrating and expensive (in telephone charges or online time) to access all the material available on the web site.
To help solve this problem the complete web site is now available on a CD-Rom.
Of course, as the web site continues to evolve, there is the problem that your CD-Rom will go out of date, but I have decided to address this problem by providing it on a writeable CD-Rom which can be upgraded to a more up-to-date version. So when you purchase your CD-Rom you will have two upgrades included at a minimal charge.
I have now completely reorganised the web site so that the filenames are all in uppercase 8 + 3 characters to make it compatible with both Windows 3.x and Windows 95. It should also be compatible with the MacIntosh file system, but I cannot guaranteed it will work in all the MacIntosh web browsers. (Those MacIntosh browsers that can be set up to access .htm, .jpg, and .gif extensions from disc should have no difficulty in browsing the site.)
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To make the CD-Rom even more attractive, I have included some additional material.
• A Latin translation program, to help people translate phrases from the Latin. (Windows version only)
• A fully working searchable version of my database of alchemical books. (Windows version only)
• A fully working searchable version of my database of alchemical manuscripts. (Windows version only)
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Upgrading
The purchase price entitles registered purchasers to two low cost upgrades to the alchemy web site CD-Rom. A small charge of £5.00 in the U.K. and Europe (£7.00 Air mail to the rest of the world) is made to cover the return postage costs.
To upgrade the CD-Rom to the new version you must send it back and pay the upgrade charges online using your credit card on the Alchemy Web Bookstore. A button for this purpose will appear on this page when the new version is available.
Only two upgrades are allowed. Please handle the CD-Rom carefully. If the CD-Rom has been damaged with scratches, then it may not be possible for me to upgrade your disc. I will then have to apply an additional charge for providing a new CD-Rom disc.
This CD-Rom is provided as a service to users rather than as a profit-making venture.
£26.50 (including air mail postage) - £25.00 (Europe or UK postage)
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Ararita |
From Alchemical magazines page,
http://www.levity.com/alchemy------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ararita is a quarterly journal dedicated to the hermetic tradition, with an emphasis on reprinting some of the more obscure works on alchemy, esoteric Masonry and Rosicrucianism (in its various manifestations).
We hope to be broad enough to interest some of the modern esoteric groups, while simultaneously appealing to traditionalists. A.R.A.R.I.T.A. will also include extracts from our forthcoming publications.
The first issue includes:
1. A reprint of the Alchemical Treatise on the Grand Elixir, otherwise the Aphorismi Urbigerani of Baro Urbigerus (London,1690)
2. A poem, 'The Secret of the Dying Rose'
3. The Alchemy of Jewels and Metals
4. Studies in Hermetic Philosophy
5. Who was Melchizedec?
6. A Note Regarding Forthcoming Publications.
The first issue is 28 pages, as we are absorbing the cost of mailing out numerous complementary copies, but we anticipate subsequent issues to be around 40-50 pages. Subscription is U.S. $20.00 for the U.S.A. and Canada, U.S. $30.00 (includes airmail), for overseas. Bank cheques and money orders should be made out in U.S. dollars to POEMANDRES PRESS.
Our mailing address is: Poemandres Press, 175 Fifth Ave. Suite 2212, New York. NY 10010, USA. | Ararita is edited by Yosef ben Yehudah.
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Caduceus: The Hermetic Quarterly |
[From Alchemy Site.]
Caduceus is a quarterly journal of the Hermetic tradition, edited by Al Billings and John Michael Greer, and published by Cinnabar, P.O. Box 95674, Seattle, WA 98145, USA. Subscription prices are $18 US per year within North America and $25 US per year overseas; checks should be made payable to Cinnabar.
The focus of Caduceus is the Hermetic tradition in its broadest sense, including esoteric philosophy, Qabalah, ceremonial magic, alchemy, and the systems of thought and practice associated with Hermetic orders such as the Golden Dawn and the Martinist Order. A consistent goal of the journal is the creation of a bridge between the academic world and the world of the practicing Hermeticist, in which scholars and practitioners of the Hermetic arts and traditions can find common ground. For this reason we publish articles from a range of perspectives - scholarly, theoretical, and practical. In all cases, footnotes and a bibliography are encouraged.
Articles in the first three issues have included "Concerning the True System of Astrological Divination", a previously unpublished Golden Dawn knowledge lecture; "Ars Memorativa: An Introduction to the Hermetic Art of Memory" by John Michael Greer; "A Light In Darkness" by Thomas Tymme, a seventeenth-century commentary on John Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica; "The Hebrew of the Mutus Liber" by Rawn Clark; and "Having and Keeping Secrets: Some Words about Silence and the Hermetic Art of Secrecy" by Earl King Jr. Further information, articles from back issues, and an archive of online Hermetic material can be found at our World Wide Web site at
http://www.memoria.com/caduceus/
E-mail should be directed to
[email protected]|
ESOTERICA |
25 Mar 1999 - From: Arthur J Versluis
An announcement for a new electronic journal in which many of you may be interested. It includes several articles concerning alchemical topics, as well as related alchemical texts and images. Those who are interested in submitting a scholarly article: we'd be delighted to hear from you. best wishes
Arthur Versluis, Editor-in-chief
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of its editorial board and Michigan State University, under the sponsorship of the College of Arts and Letters, with the assistance of H-Net and MSU Press, we take great pleasure in announcing the first
issue of
*
ESOTERICA* THE JOURNAL OF ESOTERIC STUDIES*Esoterica* is a state of the art electronic journal devoted to the study of Western esotericism, a relatively new field in the humanities. Areas of study includes such disparate movements and traditions as alchemy, Freemasonry, the Kabbala, magic, mysticism, and secret or semi-secret orders, as well as these movements' or traditions' impact on artistic, literary, political and social figures. By examining esoteric influences in Western society, scholars are not only uncovering hitherto unknown figures and works, but also shedding new light on such questions as how the sciences emerged in the early modern period, or how deeply interwoven are the fields of art, literature, and religious studies.
Esoterica, as an electronic journal and academic resource, has two main goals: providing, on the one hand, illustrated original articles on aspects of esotericism by specialists in the field, and on the other hand, primary research materials of use to scholars and teachers, including links to special collections and archives as well as lists of recent dissertations in the field. The journal also features book reviews and announcements.
To the best of our knowledge, *Esoterica* is the first electronic journal in the humanities to be fully indexable, paginated, and citable exactly like a paper publication, using only html.
We hope you find our journal of value, and look forward to hearing from you. You can reach us at our email address:
, and can always find us athttp://www.esoteric.msu.edu/
.The current issue includes:
"Some Remarks on the Study of Western Esotericism" by Wouter Hanegraaff
"Western Esotericism and the Harmony Society" by Arthur Versluis
"Another Eve: A Case Study in the Earliest Manifestations of Christian Esotericism" by Laura Hobgood-Oster
"Following Lucifer: Miltonic Evil as Gnostic Cabala" by Philip Beitchman
"Stages of Ascension in Hermetic Rebirth"by Dan Merkur
"Things Done Wisely by a Wise Enchanter: Negotiating the Power of Words in the Thirteenth Century" by Claire Fanger
"The Alchemy of the Voice at Ephrata Cloister" by Jan Stryz
The journal also features archival texts including Georg von Welling,
Opus Mago-Cabalisticum et Theosophicum* (1735
Johannes Kelpius, A Short, Easy and Comprehensive Method of Prayer,*
(1761 trs.)
George Rapp, *Thoughts on the Destiny of Man* (1824/1825) and other works, as well as book reviews and a complete database of recent Ph.D. dissertations in the field.
We hope that you find *Esoterica* of value for both research and teaching, and look forward to hearing from you. Please pass on this announcement to any list or individual you think may be interested. with best wishes,
The Editor and the Editorial Board of *Esoterica*
THE SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
MARSILIO FICINO: HIS SOURCES, HIS CIRCLE, HIS LEGACY
Conference to be held at the National Gallery, London,
25-26th June, 1999 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On the 500th anniversary of the death of Marsilio Ficino, the head of the Platonic Academy of Florence, a major conference is being held in London to celebrate the influence of his philosophic and moral teaching, which is as relevant today as it was in the Florentine Renaissance.
As leader of the Platonic Academy in Florence, Marsilio Ficino was teacher and guide to a remarkable circle of men. He inspired leading statesmen, scholars and churchmen throughout Europe. To celebrate his influence, the Society for Renaissance Studies will be host to scholars from all over the world. The programme offers a wide range of insights into the life, writings and legacy of Ficino.
The National Gallery Sainsbury Wing Lecture theatre seats 300 delegates in comfort.
FICINO - THE MAN
Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) made a vital contribution to the change in European society that took place in the Renaissance. Men of influence throughout Europe drew intellectual and spiritual inspiration from him
and his Academy. To Ficino, the writings of Plato and his followers provided the key to what he saw as the most important knowledge for mankind: knowledge of oneself, of the divine and immortal principle within each individual. As a young man, he was chosen by Cosimo de' Medici to study Greek in order to revive understanding of Plato, not as a scholastic exercise, but as a philosophy of life. He was also appointed tutor to Lorenzo de' Medici, Cosimo's grandson, whose rule in Florence spanned years of academic and creative brilliance. Gathered round Ficino and Lorenzo were such men as Poliziano, Landino, Pico della Mirandola and Bernardo Bembo. His circle embraced scholars and statesmen all over Europe, who travelled to meet him or conducted an extensive correspondence with him. The ideas they discussed appeared again and again in the works of literature and art that followed: in Spenser, Shakespeare and Donne, in Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Durer and many more. Ficino's Academy renewed the Platonic tradition in Europe with its insistence on the reality of the spiritual world and the possibility of human transformation.
He saw the Greek and Hebrew traditions as drawn from a single teaching, expressed through the works of the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster and the Chaldaeans.
Ficino translated both Hermes and Plato from the Greek, as well as Plotinus and other leading figures in the Platonic tradition. In all his activities ' as teacher, physician, musician and priest, he was guided by a powerful central aim - to return to the divine source.
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Friday 25th June,
National Gallery Theatre, Sainsbury Wing
9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Multiple strands of tradition: Ficino and his sources
Professor Michael J. B. Allen, UCLA
Opening address:
Life as a Dead Platonist
Mr. Clement Salaman, Editor of 'The Letters of Marsilio Ficino'
Hermes and Plotinus: authentic echoes of Egypt in Ficino?
Professor Sebastiano Gentile, Universita, degli Studi dell'Aquila.
Ficino's Library
Professor James Hankins, Harvard University
The Tradition of Pia Philosophia
Professor Arthur Field, Indiana University
The Platonic Academy of Florence
Professor John Monfasani, New York State University
Ficino's Position in the Plato-Aristotle Controversy
Professor Anthony Levi
Ficino, Augustine and the Pagans,
Professor Moshe Idel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Prisca Theologia: Ficino, Pico and their Jewish contemporaries
Saturday 26th June, 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ficino and his influence on his contemporaries and successors
Professor Stephane Toussaint, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Ficino, Mercurius and the Celestial Arts
Dr. Jill Kraye, Warburg Institute, London,
The Impact of Ficino on Renaissance Philosophy
Dr. Dennis Lackner, Pembroke College, Oxford
Ficino and the Camaldolese Order
Mrs. Valery Rees
Translator, 'The Letters of Marsilio Ficino' Ficino's advice to Princes
Dr. Marjorie Reeves, St. Anne's College and Dr. Amanda Collins, Wolfson College, Oxford.
Egidio da Viterbo: the Ancient World and Mythology
Dr. Francis Ames-Lewis, Birkbeck College, London
Neoplatonism and the visual arts
Dr. Sarah Hutton, University of Hertfordshire
Ficino and the Cambridge Platonists
Dr. Stephen Clucas, Birkbeck College, London
'To rauish and refine an earthly soule': Ficino and the poetry of George Chapman
Dr. Angela Voss, University of Kent
Orpheus Redivivus: the musical magic of Marsilio Ficino
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OPTIONAL THEATRE VISIT
Friday 25th June, evening: SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE, for a Shakespeare play related to the Conference. Programme details to be announced later.
CONFERENCE & THEATRE TICKETS:
Mrs. Susannah Cogger, 25, Portal Close, Ruislip, HA4 6NL. Tel: +44 (0)181 842 4113. e-mail: [email protected]
Conference: £50 for two days, including sandwich lunch and refreshments. Special Reduction for SRS members œ40. Single day 90 (£25 for members). Reductions for full-time students on application. Theatre Tickets: Seats priced £20, £15, and £10. Groundlings (standing) £5. All Payments to The Ficino Conference Account by personal cheque in sterling drawn on a U.K. bank or by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). Please quote card number and expiry date.
Please book tickets in advance. Applications should be made as early as possible. © Society for Renaissance Studies October 1998. Registered Charity No. 1025890.
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Paideuma |
Paideuma - E-Journal for Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Studies | Center for Complex Studies, Romania.
"A new Internet journal [about to be] launched [...]. A meeting place for specialists interested in different cultural areas, from various domains, that otherwise seldom come together: from sociology, history, cultural anthropology and psychology to philosophy, cognitive and nonlinear sciences. Each issue focuses on a certain topic and encourages contributors to approach it from different directions, stimulating new insights (Vol. E1 No.1 / 1998: 'Change in Meanings and in Values' - social and economic change, culture shock, culture contact, transformation of thinking patterns, mutations through learning)."
[The ancient Greek word 'paideuma' suggests 'a place where something is generated, a place where you learn'. Currently (March 98), the site is under construction - ed.] 10 Mar 1998.
URL http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7867
Link submitted by: Cristian Suteanu ([email protected]
‘Magic and astrology in the Renaissance’
Friday 10 DECEMBER 1999, Institute of Romance Studies, University of London, School of Advanced Study - Organiser: Peter Armour (Department of Italian, Royal Holloway College London)
Speakers: P. G. Maxwell-Stuart, Sachiko Kusukawa, Lauren Kassell, Angela Voss, Sophie Page, Paolo Rossi, Remo Catani, Simon Gilson. Further details: Institute of Romance Studies; tel: 0171 862 8675; fax: 0171 862 8672; e-mail: [email protected]
An international conference on ‘Giordano Bruno: Philosopher of the Renaissance’, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death at the stake.
Wednesday 14-Friday 16 JUNE 2000, University College London in collaboration with the British Society for the History of Philosophy
Venues:
14th June at the Italian Cultural Institute London: Inaugural meeting with a special lecture by Giovanni Aquilecchia: ‘Giordano Bruno as Renaissance Philosopher’
Full details available later from the Department of Italian, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. Tel: 0171 380 7784. Fax: 0171 209 0638.
ou may obtain confirmation of the events listed above and details of further events for the year by contacting the following Institutes, Societies, or Associations:
ASMI (Association for the Study of Modern Italy): Professor John Pollard, Department of History, Anglia Polytechnic University, East Road, Cambridge. Cambridge University runs an Interdisciplinary Renaissance Seminars. For details of events of interest to Italianists, contact the Secretary of the Department of Italian, University of Cambridge. Tel. 01223 335038.
Centre for Italian Studies, University College London: Robert Lumley, Department of Italian, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. E-mail: [email protected]; or Departmental Secretary, Department of Italian. Tel. 0171 3807784; fax 0171 209 0638.
Centre for Italian Women's Studies, University of Reading: Lucy Hudson (Secretary), Department of Italian Studies,
University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 2AA. Tel. 01189 318400
'Gruppo 62': Gillian Ania, Department of Italian, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT. Tel. 0113 233 3630. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
The Institute of Historical Research,
London, runs an Italian history seminar: Lucy Riall, Department of History, Birkbeck College, Gower Street, London WC2E.The Institute of Romance Studies, University of London: Lara Bell, Institute of Romance Studies, School of Advanced Studies, Room 307, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Tel. 0171 862 8676; fax 0171 862 8672.E-mail: [email protected]
The Italian Cultural Institute
, 39 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8NX. Tel. 0171 235 1461; fax 0171 235 4618. E-mail: [email protected]The Society for Renaissance Studies
: Membership Secretary, 12A Manley Street, London NW1 8LT.The Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H OAB. Tel. 0171 580 9663; fax 0171 436 2852.