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

07 July 2008 (Monday)
The Shrine of the Golden Hawk
Ritualised Playreading of a Golden Dawn Egyptian Play
Caroline Wise and Friends
£10 payable in advance
7.15 for 7.30 start

The Shrine of the Golden Hawk is playlet set in ancient Egypt, and was written by two members of the Order of the Golden Dawn, Florence Farr and Olivia Shakespear. The theme is mystical and magical, and represents some of the themes for which the Order’s teachings are most famed. Tonight the play is read by a cast that includes some of the performers from the legendary London 1993 production, and is coordinated by the same producer. A short ceremony will precede the reading, and a soiree will complete the night. There will be a donation from the proceeds to a breast cancer charity – in honour of the illness that claimed Farr who, unbeknownst to many, was the effective leader of the Order in its heyday in the 1890s. There will also be a memorial programme produced specially for the occasion. Seats very limited due to the small size of the venue, so early booking is advised. *This is a reprise of the sold-out Nov 2007 performance at Treadwell's.*

08 July 2008 (Tuesday)
Katy Evans-Bush - Launch Party
Salt Publishing
Free, but please contact us to be added to the guest list
7.00 - 9.00 pm

Salt Publishing and Treadwell's Bookshop warmly invite you to the launch of Katy Evans-Bush's collection of poetry, "Me and the Dead". Join us for a glass of wine and a copy of this new work.

More on the book: http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844714216.htm

More on Katy: http://www.poetcasting.co.uk/?p=66

15 July 2008 (Tuesday)
A.O. Spare - Book Launch Party
The Valley of Fear
Fulgur Ltd
Free, dependent upon advance notice to be added to guest list
From 7.00 pm

Fulgur Ltd cordially invite you to the launch party of their new Austin Osman Spare book, The Valley of Fear. This event is restricted to those on the guest list. To add your name to the guest list, contact Treadwell's either by phone or email.

17 July 2008 (Thursday)
Yeats' Golden Dawn
Magic, Women, Passion, Celts, Mystics
Mike David
£5.00 at time of booking
7.15 for 7.30 start

Women and magic are two of the most vital themes underpinnig the work of WBYeats, who was arguably the greatest poet of the twentieth century. And the two themes were interlinked: Florence Farr, Olivia Shakespeare, Annie Horniman, Maud Gonne and George Yeats - each of these were also associated with magic, in particular the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Tonight's performance by Mike David is made up of readings from letters, some poems and bits of plays. There will also be illustrated handouts and informational chat. It will bring to life WB Yeats' literature, his magic, the Golden Dawn and the contributions of the extraordinary woman in Yeats' circle. You will hear about automatic writing, ghosts, fairies, Celtic heroes, astrological cycles, revolutionary passions, Irish mysticism, and ceremonial magic.

Mike David is an actor, writer, and lover of things mystical, with over 30 years in the theatre. His performances bring together a variety of threads: the passionate monologue, the inspired lecture, the intense playreading and the one-man drama. His evenings are riveting. Reading with him is Gemma Sealey.

24 July 2008 (Thursday)
Gnostics, Gnosticism & Gnosis
or,
Jonathan Hill
£5.00 in advance
7.15 for 7.30 start

Gnosticism is one of the most intriguing – and fashionable – religious movements of the ancient worlds. Once glimpsed only in the scathing denunciations of their opponents, the gnostics have suddenly become very familiar as discoveries of their writings in Middle Eastern deserts and in ancient monastic libraries have been widely published and translated. Sometimes it seems as though a rash of treatises, apocalypses, and secret gospels threatens to overturn traditional understandings of early Christianity and throw convention out of the window.

But what do we really know about the gnostics? Who were they, and what did they believe? And why did they believe it? What happened to them? In this talk we try to answer some of these questions. By looking at some of their key writings we will see what they really believed, and how much still remains unknown about major figures such as Basilides and Valentinus. And we will find out how the gnostics fit in to the ancient Mediterranean religious scene: what they thought of other movements of the time, and what others thought of them – whether Christian, pagan, or Neoplatonist. Some of the answers – and some of the questions that remain unanswered – may be surprising. But then the gnostics have always been good at overturning expectations.

Tonight's speaker recently completed his doctorate at the University of Singapore in Philosophy, and is the author of several books on religious belief. He returns to Treadwell's by popular request.

31 July 2008 (Thursday)
Flapdoodle!
Madame Blavatsky Introduced and Celebrated
Christina Oakley Harrington & Treadwell's Friends
£5.00 in advance
7.15 for 7.30 start

An evening of short talks, readings, slides in honour of the world's most famous female occultist in history. She was a huge woman, with a huge personality -- her favourite insult was 'Flapdoodle', and her exuberance was equally passionate. All are invited to come and learn more about this extraordinary woman, who pioneered much of the key features of occultism. 31 July was Madame B's Birthday - she lived 1831-1891.

Christina Oakley Harrington has a doctorate in history and a passion for the history of Western esoteric movements, and has a special fondness for the tradition's many remarkable women.

10 September 2008 (Wednesday)
Gerald Gardner before the Witches
Philip Heselton
£5.00
7.15 for 7.30 pm start

Advance notice. Bookings not being taken yet.

24 September 2008 (Wednesday)
The Emerald Tablet Introduced
An Illustrated Lecture by Paul Cowlan
£5.00 Advance Notice - seats not on sale yet
7.15 for a 7.30 start

The Emerald Tablet is the most ancient and influential text in the alchemical canon. It is supposed to have been written by Hermes Trismegistus himself, and its basic precepts go back at least four thousand years, some would say much further. It has been associated with Abraham’s wife Sarah, Alexander the Great and Apollonius of Tyana. One ancient writer describes it precisely, after seeing it in Heliopolis; others claim that it has never had a physical existence. What is beyond doubt is that this short, enigmatic text has been the seminal influence behind alchemical thought and practice for many centuries.

In this illustrated talk Paul will outline its history and guide you through the text itself. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the ‘Tabula Smaragdina’ then this is the introduction you’ve been waiting for.

11 November 2008 (Tuesday)
Robert Graves' White Goddess
The Book and the Goddess
Grevel Lindop
£5
7.15 for 7.30 pm start

Reprise of the sold-out talk in April. Not open for bookings yet.

04 December 2008 (Thursday)
Edward Carpenter
A Celebration of his Paganism
Dr Jenny Alexander
£5.00

Advance Notice: Seats not on sale yet.