Hermetica Iii

Bachelor. 2nd year. 12 EC.

1. Title of Module: Hermetica III

2. Course Description: On the basis of primary sources and secondary literature, this module examines the history of Western esotericism during the Renaissance and Early Modern Period. Each class will focus on a founder or chief exponent of important Western esoteric currents such as Christian Cabala, Paracelsianism, Rosicrucianism and Christian theosophy, including such famous names as Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Agrippa, Paracelsus, Bruno and Dee. Our close reading of primary source material will be set in the context of contemporaneous social, religious and intellectual developments. Students will be introduced to some central themes in the study of Western esotericism, including Renaissance typologies of magic, astrology, cabala, alchemy's quest for the elixir, philosophers' stone and transmutation, all with a consideration of their relation to early modern science and religion. During each class students will deliver an oral presentation following an introductory lecture from the teacher. After the presentation is delivered the teacher will focus further on the problems in question and these will be discussed; all students are expected to actively participate in this discussion. Useful introductory reading before the course: Frances A. Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, London & Chicago 1964 (or later edition).

3. Learning Objectives: By the time they complete this module students will have received a good overview of the major figures and central themes of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period. From their critical examination of primary and secondary sources, students will have new knowledge of this subject area, an understanding of the fundamental characteristics of esotericism for this period, and insight into some of the social, religious and philosophical changes that took place in the Renaissance that were conducive to the development of Western esotericism. From their presentations and essays they will have the ability to identify, analyse and synthesise material from original historical texts and to evaluate modern scholarly interpretations, and then frame relevant questions for their presentations and essays in an independent and coherent way.

4. Assessment: 1) Each student must deliver at least one oral presentation related to the course reading for their chosen week, with the encouragement to examine additional literature. This presentation will be graded and constitues 40% of the final grade. 2) On conclusion of the module, every student must write one paper on a topic of their choice related to the theme of the course. The essay mark will count for 60% of the final grade. For all obligations to be fulfilled, a minimum attendance of 80% of the classes is required.

5. Teaching Schedule: 2 x 7 lectures, plus essay preparation.

5 September 1: Introduction

General introduction, discussion of the program's theme, goals and set-up of the course. Students decide who is going to be responsible for presenting each seminar. Instructions about how to get the reading materials. Questions.

12 September 2: Marsilio Ficino and Renaissance Magic

'Chapter II: Ficino's Magic', in: D. P. Walker, Spiritual and Demonic Magic from Ficino to Campanella, London: The Warburg Institute, 1958, pp. 30-59.

Marsilio Ficino, Three Books on Life, edited & translated by Carol Kaske and John Clark, Binghamton, NY: Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 1989, pp. 243-373 (please make sure you read chapters 1-3, 4, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 26. Note: This is a parallel-text translation and you will only be reading every other page).

19 September 3: Pico della Mirandola: Father of Christian Cabala

'Chapter 1: Pico’s Roman Debate', in: S. A. Farmer (ed. & trans.), Syncretism in the West: Pico’s 900 Theses (1486), Tempe, AZ: Medieval and Renaissance Tests and Studies, 1998, pp. 1-58.

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, 900 Theses, pp. 494-503 'Magical Conclusions'; pp. 504-515 'The Magic in the Orphic Hymns'; pp. 516-553 'Cabalistic Conclusions Confirming the Christian Religion', in: Syncretism in the West: Pico’s 900 Theses (1486), Text, Translation and Commentary by Steven A. Farmer, Tempe, Arizona: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1998.

26 September 4: Johann Reuchlin: Christian Cabala & Magic

Joseph Dan, ‘The Kabbalah of Johannes Reuchin and its Historical Significance’, in: Joseph Dan (ed.), The Christian Kabbalah: Jewish Mystical Books and their Christian Interpreters, Cambridge Mass. 1997, 55-84 (& endnotes).

Johann Reuchlin, De Arte Cabalistica: On the Art of the Kabbalah, edited and translated by Martin and Sarah Goodman, Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press/ Bison Books, 1993, Book 1, 37-73.

3 October 5. Heinrich Agrippa and Occult Philosophy

Michaela Valente, 'Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius,' in Wouter J. Hanegraaff et al. (eds.), Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill, 2006, pp. 4-8; Jean-Pierre Brach, 'Magic IV: Renaissance-17th Century,' in Wouter J. Hanegraaff et al. (eds.), Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill, 2006, pp. 731-738.

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn’s Sourcebook Series, 1995, Letters, pp. liii-lvii; Book I, Chapters 1- 2, pp. 3-7; Book II, Chapters 1-4 & 12, pp. 233-243, 287-290; Book III, Chapters 1-6, 36-38, & 49, pp. 441-456, 579-588, 627.

10 October 6. Theophrastus Paracelsus's Sagacious Philosophy

Chapter 1, 'The Ambiguities of Paracelsus', in: Andrew Weeks, Paracelsus: Speculative Theory and the Crisis of the Early Reformation, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1997, 21-47.

Paracelsus, Astronomia Magna or the whole Philosophia Sagax of the Great and Little

2 World (extracts), in: Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (ed.), Paracelsus: Essential Readings, Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1990, 109-120.

17 October 7. Heinrich Khunrath: In Oratory and Laboratory

Peter J. Forshaw, ‘Curious Knowledge and Wonder-working Wisdom in the Occult Works of Heinrich Khunrath’, in: R. J. W. Evans & Alexander Marr (eds), Curiosity and Wonder from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, Ashgate: Aldershot 2006, pp. 107- 129.

'Isagoge or Brief Introduction to the Amphitheatre's Fourth Figure', in: Heinrich Khunrath, Amphitheatrum Sapientiæ Æternæ (trans. Peter Forshaw), pp. 208-214.

24 October 8. = NO CLASS =

31 October 9. Giordano Bruno, Hermetic Philosopher & Magus

Frances A. Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, London: Routledge, 1964, Chapter 1: Hermes Trismegistus, pp. 1-19 & Chapter 12: Giordano Bruno in England: The Hermetic Reform, pp. 205-234.

Giordano Bruno, The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast, edited and translated by Arthur D. Imerti, New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1964, pp. 216-253 (Dialogue 3, Part 2).

7 November 10. John Dee's Conversations with Angels

Deborah E. Harkness, 'Shows in the Showstone: A Theater of Alchemy and Apocalypse in the Angel Conversations of John Dee (1527-1608/9),' Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 4 (1996), pp. 707-737.

John Dee, Five Books of Mystery, Book I, JD’s note, preliminary invocation, prologue, 1-2 action, in: Joseph H. Peterson (ed.), John Dee’s Five Books of Mystery: Original Sourcebook of Enochian Magic, York Beach: Weiser Books, 2003, pp. 56-73.

14 November 11. The Rosicrucians

Roland Edighoffer, ‘Rosicrucianism I: First Half of the 17th Century’, in: Wouter J. Hanegraaff et al (eds), Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill 2006, pp. 1009-1014.

The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of R: C: (trans. Thomas Vaughan, London: Printed by J. M. for Giles Calvert, 1652), in: Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment, London & New York: Routledge, 1972; reprint 1996, pp. 238-260.

21 November 12. Jacob Boehme's Root of Philosophy, Astrology & Theology

Chapter 3 'The Twofold Aurora', in: Andrew Weeks, Boehme: An Intellectual Biography of the Seventeenth-Century Philosopher and Mystic, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1991, 61-91.

Jacob Behme, The Aurora, that is, The Day-Spring or Dawning of the Day in the Orient, London, 1656, Preface, 1-28; Chapter 1, 39-49.

28 November 13. William Lilly: The Christian Astrologer

H. Darrel Rutkin, ‘Astrology’, in The Cambridge History of Science, Vol. 3, Early Modern Science, edited by Katharine Park and Lorraine Daston, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, 541-561.

William Lilly, The Christian Astrologer, London, 1647, Sigs. Br-B4v 'To the Reader', Book 1, Chapter 1, 25-27, 33, 50-61, 119-120.

7 December 14. Robert Boyle & Supernatural Alchemy

Lawrence M. Principe, ‘Boyle, Robert’, in: Wouter J. Hanegraaff et al (eds), Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill 2006, 199- 201.

[Robert Boyle] ‘Robert Boyle’s Dialogue on the Converse with Angels aided by the Philosophers’ Stone’, in: Lawrence M. Principe, The Aspiring Adept: Robert Boyle and his Alchemical Quest, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998, 310- 317.

Matthew D. Rogers, ‘The Angelical Stone of Elias Ashmole’, Aries 5:1 (2005), 61- 90.

14 December 15. Conclusions

General discussion of the course and the possibility for students to discuss their essay topics, giving brief presentations for group feedback.

21 December 16. Essay Work

6. Lecturer: Dr Peter J. Forshaw

7. Calculation of Study Hours: For a 12 EC = 336 hours. Lectures & Seminar discussion (4 hours x 14 weeks) = 56 Curriculum Development (1 hr p/w x 14 weeks) = 14 Weekly literature study (10hr p/w x 16 weeks) = 160 Preparation Class Presentation = 30 Research & Writing of Paper = 42 Other, including personal tutorials = 34