‘York Conference for the Study of Western Esotericism’

     
That’s York, England, not New York.

The theme this year is “Inside Esotericism,” but there is a curious absence of Freemasonry from the talks to be presented—very strange, in fact, given the location of the conference, which was the home of Athelstan and Edwin, and is the nexus of Masonic authority prior to the events of June 24, 1717.

But don’t let that stop you.

It looks like a dream event for the topics of discussion and the setting. The location is 23 Stonegate, and it will span the weekend of September 14. For registration, click here. Travel and accommodations are up to you.

Four panelists will address attendees. From the publicity:


Paul Bembridge

A regular presenter for the New York Open Center’s conferences on the Western Esoteric Traditions, Paul was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in connection with his work on the Rosicrucian interests of the poet Andrew Marvell. He became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter where he taught alongside Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke at the Centre for the Study of Esotericism.

Bob Bows

A former electronics designer and teacher at Leeds University, Bob has been a follower of Gurdjieff since the 1970s. A co-founder of the Leeds Gurdjieff Society, he actively disseminates Gurdjieff’s teachings. In addition, he has studied the energy fields of humans, animals, and plants, in the tradition of Mesmerand von Reichenbach.

Judith Mawer

A long-standing admirer of the works of Frances Yates, and a former newsletter editor for SHAC (the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry), Judith holds a Master’s degree in Western Esotericism and is currently working on the seventeenth century alchemist Thomas Vaughan for her doctorate.

Malcolm Peet

Is a retired Consultant Psychiatrist and was Honorary Professor in the School of Health at the University of Sheffield until 2017. Internationally recognized for his research on the relationship between nutrition and mental well-being, Malcolm holds a Master’s Degree in Western Esotericism and has recently published a book on Garth Wilkinson, Swedenborg and nineteenth-century esoteric culture, Medicine, Mysticism and Mythology (London: The Swedenborg Society, 2018).


The presentations themselves will be:

Saturday

• Ancient Origins of Esoteric Culture
• Esoteric Christianity
• The English Rosicrucians
• Visit: Magic & Mystery exhibition in Barley Hall
• The Spiritual Alchemy of Thomas Vaughan

Sunday

• Mesmerism, Magic, and the Dawn of Modern Psychology
• The Esoteric Quest in the Twentieth Century
• Gurdjieff and the Work
• Esoteric Christianity, a Postscript of Our Times

Frustrating. I was planning a vacation to Blighty for that very week to visit Quatuor Coronati 2076 and the London Pipe Club, but it isn’t working out.