Lectures at Treadwell′s

Treadwell’s bring esoteric subjects to thinking, well-read enquirers. Our invited speakers are scholars, biographers, and, occasionally, particularly renowned practitioners. Each talk is of about fifty minutes’ duration, and is followed by a thirty minute seminar discussion, in which people attending contribute reflections, questions, and comments.

Many of our talks sell out well in advance, so booking ahead is strongly recommended. Reserve seats by email, Skype or by phone, 020 7240 8906. Payment is required at the time of booking.

We have an archive of past lectures, and you can also subscribe to our mailing list. You can also get events updates via an RSS Feed.

Treadwell’s is becoming the place to get an intelligent person’s guide to the cultural history of the esoteric in a way that ought to be covered by the BBC. A great deal of the value comes in the discussion immediately after the lecture where an unusual mix of academics, those practicing in the esoteric traditions and open-minded interested lay people raise questions in an environment where I have not yet heard a word spoken in anger or condemnation – even pedantry is worn lightly.
– Tim Pendry, Livejournal

16 July 2009 (Thursday)
The Occult in Literature Late 19th and Early 20th Century English
Some Reflections on Belief
Elisa Gray (Lincoln)
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 pm start

The occult featured heavily in the fiction of the late 19th century an in the early years of the 20th; moreover, a good number of practising occultists wrote stories, poems and novels. This is well known but this talk takes it deeper: Elisa Gray looks into just how English occult authors reflected upon their own beliefs, and how they expressed these beliefs in their artistic creations. She picks out a few luminaries for particular discussion, namely Yeats and Crowley - where she focusses on their poetry. Algernon Blackwood's beliefs on the supernatural are considered, as well. Most excitingly, a leading womn of the Golden Dawn, namely 'new woman' Florence Farr, is examined: the speaker looks at her writing and occultism - and how reveals her influence upon decadent advocates such as Aubrey Beardsley and Oscar Wilde. The speaker,Elisa Gray, is a doctoral student at Lincoln College, working on decadent literature.

23 July 2009 (Thursday)
Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Celebration
200 Years of Gothic Eery Supernatural
Mike David and Dedwydd Jones
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 start

29 July 2009 (Wednesday)
R'Occult and Roll
Encore of their sold-out Lecture
Edwin Pouncey and Sandy Robertson
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 start

03 August 2009 (Monday)
The Ecstatic Gnosis of the Black Sun
Reversal, Inversion, and Transgression
From the authors of the Liber Nigri Solis
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 start

One of the anonymous contributors and editors of Liber Nigri Solis tonight explores some of the themes found in the recently released book. The Black Sun's imagery, that echo of the solar eclipse, has appeared and reappared in Western history from renaissance alchemy to chaos magic - an archetype of catastrophic change, transformation, and the ending of the World-Age. In the mid 20th-century it of course had a contentious occult interpretation amongst the most disastrous of political movements of that century. Tonight's talk looks at the Black Sun from a post-chaos perspective, charting the historical development of this archetype's psycho-cultural significance, then explore its contemporary relevance, suggesting various magical techniques of personal and wider use. The talk will include basic summaries of concepts central to the Liber Nigri Solis, including "aeonics", and will appeal to specialists, generalists, and novices alike.

09 September 2009 (Wednesday)
Hermes - Mercury, God of Alchemy
An Illustrated Lecture
Paul Cowlan
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 pm start

Places will go on sale in June 2009.

21 October 2009 (Wednesday)
Edward Kelley
Alchemist, Mystic, Angel-Raiser, Hell-Raiser
Robin Cousins
£5.00
7.15 pm arrival for 7.30 pm start

Tickets will go on sale in August.

29 October 2009 (Thursday)
Pazuzu, Lilith and Others
Demons in Ancient Mesopotamian Literature and Art
Dr Daniel Schwemer
£5.00
7.15-7.30

Tickets will go on sale in August