Constellations of the Hidden: Workshop in Esoteric Studies

Constellations of the Hidden: Workshop in Esoteric Studies is an interdisciplinary event dedicated to exploring esotericism as a dynamic field of discourse, practice, symbolism, and cultural production. Bringing together researchers and students working across Religious Studies, Art History, Media Studies, Anthropology, Political Theory, Philosophy, and related fields, the workshop examines how discourses of the hidden - the esoteric - circulate, transform, and acquire meaning across historical and contemporary contexts.

The workshop approaches the esoteric as a constellation of practices, narratives, images, affects, and claims to hidden knowledge that emerge through specific socio-historical conditions. Topics may include occultism, mysticism, theosophy and Anthroposophy, Paganism, contemporary spirituality, digital religion, posthumanism, ritual practices, popular culture, alternative epistemologies, and the intersections between esoteric discourse and politics, media, and the arts.

The workshop aims to create an open and collaborative space for discussion, experimentation, and intellectual exchange. Participants are encouraged to present works-in-progress, methodological reflections, theoretical interventions, artistic research, and exploratory ideas in an environment that values interdisciplinarity, critical inquiry, and curiosity. The workshop invites participants to map the shifting relations, tensions, and imaginative worlds through which hidden knowledge continues to be articulated in academic research.

If you are interested in participating as a speaker please reach out to Roberto Jones at r.jones.romo rug.nl by June 5th. Otherwise please join us in the discussion as an audience member.