Queerness & the Occult, with Occult Scholar and Artist Alex A. Jones, starting on April 6.
Sundays April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4
Time: 2pm ET
Admission: $155 ($145 for Patreon Members. To become a member and enjoy exclusive discounts,click here.
This five-weeks course will be conducted through Zoom, ensuring a convenient and interactive learning experience for everyone. Additionally, to accommodate the diverse schedules of our participants, all classes will be recorded. These recordings will be made available to all participants, providing the flexibility to engage with the course material at your own pace.
This course historicizes queerness through a lineage of western esoteric thought and heresy. Its curriculum expands the domain of queerness by connecting it to themes of transformation, fluidity, the non-binary, and the monstrous in ancient and contemporary occultures including alchemy, herbalism, chaos magick, astrology, tantra, and visual art. The syllabus will sketch a canon of queer occultism, introducing text and media sources from diverse scholars and artists.
“The occult” is the totality of knowledge and practices which lie outside of, or run counter to, modern scientific culture and its fundamental beliefs. “Queerness” is that which lies outside social norms of gender and sexuality, and which challenges fixed categories of identity. Both terms signify what is excluded from powerful ideologies of the true, the real, and the natural. “Queer” and “occult” are non-essentializing terms for overlapping territories on the bad side of western culture’s conceptual binaries of good and evil, the natural and the monstrous, the real and the imagined, the rational and the insane.
This is an introductory course requiring no background in esoteric studies, only an interest in queerness and the occult, but advanced practitioners and scholars of magick will also find valuable new connections through the lens of queer theory.
Week 1: The Nonbinary Cosmos
We begin by queering the binary logic that constrains western culture into divisions of “the one” and “the other,” a challenge which is inherent in many occult philosophies. This module introduces nonbinary cosmic frameworks such as astrology and elemental systems. It explores the occluded history of transgender figures in ancient religions, and the importance of gender-fluid and intersex imagery in the Hermetic tradition, underscoring the sacred dimensions of mutability and ambiguity.
Week 2: Counter-Rational Knowledge
The “Age of Reason” marginalized many forms of intuitive and bodily knowledge. In contrast, contemporary queer culture embraces sensitivity and communication, readily incorporating these ways of knowing. Here we will introduce concepts of the subtle body, metaphysical senses, and receptive creativity, integrating them with a queer theory that emphasises connection and intersectionality.
Week 2 also introduces a workshop on the creation of shadow self-images. Looking at the visual history of occultist self-portraiture, participants will be guided in the creation of artworks exploring hidden dimensions of the inner life.
Week 3: Occult Transformation
The purpose of magick is to create change, and all magickal acts—of healing, expansion, attainment—embrace transformation as a universal force. Queerness is also deeply linked to change, both as a metamorphosis of the self and an outer force that reshapes social norms. This module explores how transformation occurs on spiritual, material, and temporal planes: Saturn, Mercury, and Abraxas will guide us through alchemical and gnostic conceptions of change, while the werewolf and the dragon provide folkloric ciphers for shape-shifting.
Week 4: The Witch, the Devil, & the Monster
Having been called evil, unnatural, and deviant, queers must make allies of the witch, the devil, and the monster; through such inversions, oppression may be transformed into empowerment. This module will explore queer identification with the monster as refusal of restrictive notions of both “Nature” and “God.” Through a brief history of demonology and witch-hunting, we will examine the power dynamics of orthodoxy and heresy, and contemplate “the diabolical” as a liberatory strategy.
Week 5: Erotic Mysteries
Sex is part of the Occult, for it is a territory of human behavior that is heavily policed and prescribed by the dominant puritanical culture. This module will cast a more receptive gaze toward the sacred and liberatory aspects of sensuality, exploring the idea of Eros and its relation to the spiritual mysteries. We will conclude this course by demystifying “sex magick” and emphasizing the ethical dimension of embodied encounters with a universe that is innately alive.
Optional Class: Final Presentations & Discussion
May be an extension on week 5, or a separate sixth session the following week on May 11, TBD based on participant interest & enrollment number. The final meeting will revolve around presentations of participant work created in response to the self-images workshop (introduced in week 2), grounding further discussion about class topics and additional Q&A.
Alex A. Jones is an independent scholar of ecological consciousness and occult theories of knowledge. Her writing for the Brooklyn Rail has explored mythology, eroticism, and regenerative aesthetics in contemporary art. She is a recipient of the 2022 Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant and the 2024 Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation Grant for Writing on Sculpture. Jones is a co-founder of collaborative projects the Queer Ecologies Research Collective and the experimental film collective VIROSA. Her scholarship of esoteric traditions is grounded in practices of plant medicine and dream incubation.
Sundays April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4
Time: 2pm ET
Admission: $155 ($145 for Patreon Members. To become a member and enjoy exclusive discounts,click here.
This five-weeks course will be conducted through Zoom, ensuring a convenient and interactive learning experience for everyone. Additionally, to accommodate the diverse schedules of our participants, all classes will be recorded. These recordings will be made available to all participants, providing the flexibility to engage with the course material at your own pace.
This course historicizes queerness through a lineage of western esoteric thought and heresy. Its curriculum expands the domain of queerness by connecting it to themes of transformation, fluidity, the non-binary, and the monstrous in ancient and contemporary occultures including alchemy, herbalism, chaos magick, astrology, tantra, and visual art. The syllabus will sketch a canon of queer occultism, introducing text and media sources from diverse scholars and artists.
“The occult” is the totality of knowledge and practices which lie outside of, or run counter to, modern scientific culture and its fundamental beliefs. “Queerness” is that which lies outside social norms of gender and sexuality, and which challenges fixed categories of identity. Both terms signify what is excluded from powerful ideologies of the true, the real, and the natural. “Queer” and “occult” are non-essentializing terms for overlapping territories on the bad side of western culture’s conceptual binaries of good and evil, the natural and the monstrous, the real and the imagined, the rational and the insane.
This is an introductory course requiring no background in esoteric studies, only an interest in queerness and the occult, but advanced practitioners and scholars of magick will also find valuable new connections through the lens of queer theory.
Week 1: The Nonbinary Cosmos
We begin by queering the binary logic that constrains western culture into divisions of “the one” and “the other,” a challenge which is inherent in many occult philosophies. This module introduces nonbinary cosmic frameworks such as astrology and elemental systems. It explores the occluded history of transgender figures in ancient religions, and the importance of gender-fluid and intersex imagery in the Hermetic tradition, underscoring the sacred dimensions of mutability and ambiguity.
Week 2: Counter-Rational Knowledge
The “Age of Reason” marginalized many forms of intuitive and bodily knowledge. In contrast, contemporary queer culture embraces sensitivity and communication, readily incorporating these ways of knowing. Here we will introduce concepts of the subtle body, metaphysical senses, and receptive creativity, integrating them with a queer theory that emphasises connection and intersectionality.
Week 2 also introduces a workshop on the creation of shadow self-images. Looking at the visual history of occultist self-portraiture, participants will be guided in the creation of artworks exploring hidden dimensions of the inner life.
Week 3: Occult Transformation
The purpose of magick is to create change, and all magickal acts—of healing, expansion, attainment—embrace transformation as a universal force. Queerness is also deeply linked to change, both as a metamorphosis of the self and an outer force that reshapes social norms. This module explores how transformation occurs on spiritual, material, and temporal planes: Saturn, Mercury, and Abraxas will guide us through alchemical and gnostic conceptions of change, while the werewolf and the dragon provide folkloric ciphers for shape-shifting.
Week 4: The Witch, the Devil, & the Monster
Having been called evil, unnatural, and deviant, queers must make allies of the witch, the devil, and the monster; through such inversions, oppression may be transformed into empowerment. This module will explore queer identification with the monster as refusal of restrictive notions of both “Nature” and “God.” Through a brief history of demonology and witch-hunting, we will examine the power dynamics of orthodoxy and heresy, and contemplate “the diabolical” as a liberatory strategy.
Week 5: Erotic Mysteries
Sex is part of the Occult, for it is a territory of human behavior that is heavily policed and prescribed by the dominant puritanical culture. This module will cast a more receptive gaze toward the sacred and liberatory aspects of sensuality, exploring the idea of Eros and its relation to the spiritual mysteries. We will conclude this course by demystifying “sex magick” and emphasizing the ethical dimension of embodied encounters with a universe that is innately alive.
Optional Class: Final Presentations & Discussion
May be an extension on week 5, or a separate sixth session the following week on May 11, TBD based on participant interest & enrollment number. The final meeting will revolve around presentations of participant work created in response to the self-images workshop (introduced in week 2), grounding further discussion about class topics and additional Q&A.
Alex A. Jones is an independent scholar of ecological consciousness and occult theories of knowledge. Her writing for the Brooklyn Rail has explored mythology, eroticism, and regenerative aesthetics in contemporary art. She is a recipient of the 2022 Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant and the 2024 Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation Grant for Writing on Sculpture. Jones is a co-founder of collaborative projects the Queer Ecologies Research Collective and the experimental film collective VIROSA. Her scholarship of esoteric traditions is grounded in practices of plant medicine and dream incubation.
Sundays April 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4
Time: 2pm ET
Admission: $155 ($145 for Patreon Members. To become a member and enjoy exclusive discounts,click here.
This five-weeks course will be conducted through Zoom, ensuring a convenient and interactive learning experience for everyone. Additionally, to accommodate the diverse schedules of our participants, all classes will be recorded. These recordings will be made available to all participants, providing the flexibility to engage with the course material at your own pace.
This course historicizes queerness through a lineage of western esoteric thought and heresy. Its curriculum expands the domain of queerness by connecting it to themes of transformation, fluidity, the non-binary, and the monstrous in ancient and contemporary occultures including alchemy, herbalism, chaos magick, astrology, tantra, and visual art. The syllabus will sketch a canon of queer occultism, introducing text and media sources from diverse scholars and artists.
“The occult” is the totality of knowledge and practices which lie outside of, or run counter to, modern scientific culture and its fundamental beliefs. “Queerness” is that which lies outside social norms of gender and sexuality, and which challenges fixed categories of identity. Both terms signify what is excluded from powerful ideologies of the true, the real, and the natural. “Queer” and “occult” are non-essentializing terms for overlapping territories on the bad side of western culture’s conceptual binaries of good and evil, the natural and the monstrous, the real and the imagined, the rational and the insane.
This is an introductory course requiring no background in esoteric studies, only an interest in queerness and the occult, but advanced practitioners and scholars of magick will also find valuable new connections through the lens of queer theory.
Week 1: The Nonbinary Cosmos
We begin by queering the binary logic that constrains western culture into divisions of “the one” and “the other,” a challenge which is inherent in many occult philosophies. This module introduces nonbinary cosmic frameworks such as astrology and elemental systems. It explores the occluded history of transgender figures in ancient religions, and the importance of gender-fluid and intersex imagery in the Hermetic tradition, underscoring the sacred dimensions of mutability and ambiguity.
Week 2: Counter-Rational Knowledge
The “Age of Reason” marginalized many forms of intuitive and bodily knowledge. In contrast, contemporary queer culture embraces sensitivity and communication, readily incorporating these ways of knowing. Here we will introduce concepts of the subtle body, metaphysical senses, and receptive creativity, integrating them with a queer theory that emphasises connection and intersectionality.
Week 2 also introduces a workshop on the creation of shadow self-images. Looking at the visual history of occultist self-portraiture, participants will be guided in the creation of artworks exploring hidden dimensions of the inner life.
Week 3: Occult Transformation
The purpose of magick is to create change, and all magickal acts—of healing, expansion, attainment—embrace transformation as a universal force. Queerness is also deeply linked to change, both as a metamorphosis of the self and an outer force that reshapes social norms. This module explores how transformation occurs on spiritual, material, and temporal planes: Saturn, Mercury, and Abraxas will guide us through alchemical and gnostic conceptions of change, while the werewolf and the dragon provide folkloric ciphers for shape-shifting.
Week 4: The Witch, the Devil, & the Monster
Having been called evil, unnatural, and deviant, queers must make allies of the witch, the devil, and the monster; through such inversions, oppression may be transformed into empowerment. This module will explore queer identification with the monster as refusal of restrictive notions of both “Nature” and “God.” Through a brief history of demonology and witch-hunting, we will examine the power dynamics of orthodoxy and heresy, and contemplate “the diabolical” as a liberatory strategy.
Week 5: Erotic Mysteries
Sex is part of the Occult, for it is a territory of human behavior that is heavily policed and prescribed by the dominant puritanical culture. This module will cast a more receptive gaze toward the sacred and liberatory aspects of sensuality, exploring the idea of Eros and its relation to the spiritual mysteries. We will conclude this course by demystifying “sex magick” and emphasizing the ethical dimension of embodied encounters with a universe that is innately alive.
Optional Class: Final Presentations & Discussion
May be an extension on week 5, or a separate sixth session the following week on May 11, TBD based on participant interest & enrollment number. The final meeting will revolve around presentations of participant work created in response to the self-images workshop (introduced in week 2), grounding further discussion about class topics and additional Q&A.
Alex A. Jones is an independent scholar of ecological consciousness and occult theories of knowledge. Her writing for the Brooklyn Rail has explored mythology, eroticism, and regenerative aesthetics in contemporary art. She is a recipient of the 2022 Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant and the 2024 Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation Grant for Writing on Sculpture. Jones is a co-founder of collaborative projects the Queer Ecologies Research Collective and the experimental film collective VIROSA. Her scholarship of esoteric traditions is grounded in practices of plant medicine and dream incubation.
![[Jeu_de_tarot_à_enseignes_[...]_btv1b105109641.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/655f371d448c840d9d9242bd/dc0b0573-61a7-4983-bc33-8f52f2631f9d/%5BJeu_de_tarot_a%CC%80_enseignes_%5B...%5D_btv1b105109641.jpg)
