Level: Bachelors, Masters, Post Graduates and working professionals. 

Background: For who have not yet extensively studied this field. A general interest in the humanities, social sciences and esoteric topics and an open mind are necessary.

During online sessions and in guided-self study, classes, students will make use of primary sources, as well as secondary literature that clarify the way in which esoteric ideas have circulated and continue to circulate in both mainstream culture and more marginal contexts. Having completed this online winter programme, students will have acquired a solid overview of the main moments and movements related to the study of Western esotericism, both thematically and historically.

If you're interested in scholarly inquiry into the esoteric and the occult, but don't know where to start, then this programme is ideal for you. Participants from diverse backgrounds from around the world will join us online to study these topics in depth, and introduce each other to varying perspectives, while also locating esotericism within a historical and contemporary scholarly tradition. 

Our investigation into representations of the esoteric and the occult will go beyond the written word to include film, music, and graphic novels, as we explore together the important movements in esotericism in the past and reflect on how it manifests itself today, in the present.

• This course will meet live via Zoom 3 times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The live Zoom sessions will take place in the afternoon 16:00-18:30 CEWT. 
• A preparatory assignment will be due on Friday 17 January 2025, before the programme starts. 
• Students will also complete in-course assignments and a final paper due roughly one month after the course ends.
• Looking for more information? Visit our practical matters page to find out more.

Academic Director

Dr. J. Christian Greer is a scholar of esotericism specializing in the global history of psychedelic spirituality. He received his PhD (cum laude) in Western esotericism from the History of Hermetic Philosophy department at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He also holds Masters’ degrees from UvA and Harvard Divinity School. His latest book, Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots (OSGH Press) analyzes pilgrimage folklore that animates the rainforest landscapes of Japan's Kii peninsula, and his forthcoming book, Angelheaded Hipsters: Psychedelic Militancy in Nineteen Eighties North America (Oxford University Press), explores the expansion of psychedelic culture in the late Cold War era. After holding teaching and research positions at Harvard University and Yale University, he is now a lecturer at Stanford University.

Assistant Academic Director

Brennan Kettelle is a PhD researcher at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP), University of Amsterdam. Brennan holds a B.A. (Saint Michael’s College, 2012) in Psychology and Gender studies, an MA (cum laude) in Gender and Cultural studies (Simmons College, 2016) and a research MA (cum laude) in Western esotericism (University of Amsterdam, 2021). She is currenting writing her doctoral dissertation - Her Dark Breath: Queer Currents within Nineteenth-Century Discourses on Lilith - which focuses on historical associations between the religiomythic demoness and queer sexualities within art, literature, and sociopolitical movements. Brennan also teaches an 8-week online course on Lilith - focusing on Lilith’s origins and cultural receptions within Western esotericism - for the Brooklyn-based organization Morbid Anatomy. Utilizing monster theory and queer theory in her research, Brennan is more broadly interested in investigating themes of the ‘monstrous-queer’ within esoteric literature, orders, and figures, as well as esoteric themes within queer subcultures, politics, and histories

To get a preview of some of the topics covered and get to know the academic directors, listen to Episode 10: Visions of the Occult, of Mokum Podcast. Marco and Christian talk about not only the winter programme, but the study of esotericism broadly, and its importance for understanding the world today. 

Want to get to know more about studying short courses at the University of Amsterdam? Follow us on social media and join our digital community. Get a feel for our programmes, city, and academic and social life, as well as upcoming courses. Learn more about studying with us through the eyes of past students and our community of passionate experts. 

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter