Program archive

( Main program / Side program / Special program / Blocks and languages / * short break)

- Friday 24.10. -

12:00 - City tour for those interested (registration via email)
16:30 - Book signing by attending authors
17:00 - The Occult Book in the 21st Century – panel discussion with authors and publishers
Guests: Ivan Šebesta, Josef Szymeczek, Róbert Adamec, Veronika Šulcová, and Jiří Schwarz
*
OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE
18:00 - Official Opening & Introduction of Conference Team  (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
Greetings: Dean of the Faculty of Arts, MUNI, doc. Mgr. Irena Radová, Ph.D., and others...
*
19:00 - Mgr. Jan Ševčík: News From The Research of History of Czechoslovak Occultism (in Czech)
*
20:00 - Opening of the exhibitions - Pavel Langer and the Lesser-Known Tarots (in Czech)
Exhibitions:
- Practical: Contemporary Practical Alchemy and the Alchemical Tarot
- Artistic: Drapa by Veronika Šulcová and artworks by Lenka J. Táborská and Ksenia Alexeeva
*
20:30 - Social gathering with buffet and “guitar night”

- Saturday 25.10. -

MORNING BLOCK (in Czech/Slovak)
8:30 - Tea ceremony
9:00 - Jan Krása, Ph.D.: The History of the Spark
*
9:45 - Lukáš Karas: Guides in Dreams
*
10:30 - Mgr. Veronika Šulcová: The Language of Sacred Symbols – Vévé
*
11:15 - Dr. Ivo Chmelař: The Occult Empire – Arturo Reghini and Roman Traditionalism
Ivo Chmelař – practical demonstration
12:00 - Lunch

AFTERNOON INTERNATIONAL BLOCK (in English)
13:45 - Friday Dancers: Mystical dances
14:00 - B.A. John Meek: The Construction, Maintenance and Projection of Sacred Space
*
14:45 - Mgr. Marion Vrbicky, Ph.D.: The Mystery of the Labyrinth
*
15:30 - David Sater: The Alembic of the Living Book
*
16:15 - Dr. Vanessa A. Portugal: The Universe at Hand – The Uses of the Hand as an Astrological Device in 18th-Century New Spain
*
17:00 - Mgr. Zuzana Hrášková: Magic, Ritual and Symbol from the Perspective of Cognitive Science
17:45 - Break, book fair and special program

Jakub Kroulík: Special performance inspired by Erik J. Hanussen and Wolf Messing.
Hypnotist Kroulík will move among the participants during the evening, performing demonstrations of hypnosis, suggestion, and mental experiments.

EVENING BLOCK (in Czech/Slovak)
18:40 - Performance by Lenka J. Táborská: “Svlečka”
19:00 - Mgr. Jelena Lenka Příplatová, Ph.D.: The Magic of the Modern Materialist – Cognitive Science and Magical Thinking
*
19:45 - Martin Sarkyr Král: Supernatural Horror in Literature
20:30 - Dinner and informal gathering

- Sunday 26.10. -

MORNING BLOCK (in Czech/Slovak)
8:30 - Tea ceremony
9:00 - M. Putnik: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Modern History – What Happened After 1930
*
9:45 - Ivan Šebesta: The New Aeon in Thelemic Teachings
*
10:30 - Igor Kňazovický: Freemasons and the Slovak State
*
11:15 - PhDr. Tomáš Kubisa, Ph.D.: Mysticism and Magic During the Slovak State (1939–1945) and in the 1950s
12:00 - Lunch and Occult Swap

AFTERNOON BLOCK (in Czech/Slovak)
14:15 - Fan Dance by Jitka Senčuch
14:30 - Martin Jiroušek: Occult Aspects in Cinema
*
15:15 - Mgr. Martin Kováč: Magical and Alchemical Interpretations of the Greek Pantheon in the Works of Jevgenij Golovin and His Sources of Inspiration
*
16:00 - Zuzana Antares: Introduction to the Sefirotic Kabbalah
16:30 - Closing Ceremony of the Conference
with songs by Kristýna Pernicová

Program 2024

(Main Program / Other Program /  Blocks and Languages / * short break )

- Friday, October 25-

OPENING CEREMONY
17:00 - The venue opens

17:30 - Ceremonial Tour of the Mahen Memorial (in Czech, Slovak, and English)

18:00 - Welcome & Introduction of Organizers (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
18:30 - Delivery of Greetings (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
*
19:00 - Mgr. Jan Ševčík - Opening Lecture:
“Updates from Research on the Relationships between Nationalist, Nazi, and Occult Movements (1892-1945)” (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
*
20:00 - Opening of the Exhibition of Artifacts from Pavel Langer’s Collection
“The World of Tarot" (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
20:15 - Opening of the Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures by Lenka Jirková Táborská &
Opening of the Exhibition of Mystical Paintings by Šárka Kotásková (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
*
20:30 - Welcome Reception with Buffet
Concert by the band “Klastracinski/project”

- Saturday, October 26-

MORNING SESSION (in Czech/Slovak)
9:00 - Tea Ceremony
9:30 - Mgr. Matouš Mokrý: “Prince of Darkness and Son of the Goddess Typhon: Antinomian Interpretations of Set in the Works of the Temple of Set and Kenneth Grant”
*
10:15 - Mgr. David Plass: “Postmodern Hermeticism and its Others: A Case Study in Individual identity formation"
*
11:00 - Martin Sarkyr Král: “O.T.O. and Thelema”
*
11:45 - Mgr. Ivo Chmelař, Ph.D.: “SES, SAD Bhaí, Paragava, Continuity of Initiation”
12:30 - Group Lunch
14:30 - Book bazaar

 AFTERNOON INTERNATIONAL SESSION (in English)
15:00 - Friday Dancers: dance performance
15:15 - Prof. emer. György E. Szönyi: “Mephistophilis and Faustus”
*
16:25 - Mgr. Marion Vrbicky, Ph.D.: “Eleusinian Mysteries, an Initiation Cult in Ancient Greece”
*
17:35 - B.A. John Meek: “A Holistic Approach to Masonry”
*
18:45 - Mgr. Gordan Djurdjevic, Ph.D.: „>I am One of a Concourse!< - Reading Aleister Crowley’s The Heart of the Master as a Thelemic Apocalypse“
20:30 - Group Dinner

- Sunday, October 27-

MORNING SESSION (in Czech/Slovak)
9:00 - Tea Ceremony
9:30 - Mgr. Alexandra Haratíková: “The History of Women in Astrology”
*
10:15 - Mgr. Jan Krása, Ph.D.: “Children’s Play – On Hermetic Evolution”
*
11:00 - PhDr. Mgr. Tomáš Kubisa, PhD.: “Activities of IVSE and the Occult Scene in Slovakia”
*
11:45 - Pavel Langer: “Modern Magic and Occult Magic”
13:00 - Group Lunch
15:00 - Book bazaar

AFTERNOON SESSION (in Czech/Slovak)
15:30 - Klára Šiška: occut performance
16:00 - Mgr. Lenka Příplatová, Ph.D.: “Sleep Paralysis as a Source of Religious Experience”
*
17:00 - Mgr. Veronika Šulcová: “Voodoo and Inner Practice”
*
18:00 - Mgr. Olga Čejková: “Ritual Space in Hunting and its Transformational Function”
*
19:00 - Mgr. Tancredi Marrone: „Allan D Couldt - Psychedelic Esotericist and Anthropologist“
20:30 - Group Dinner

- Monday, October 28 -

THEMATIC CITY TOUR (in Czech, Slovak, and English)
9:00 - Tea Ceremony
9:30 – Virtual (i.e., screened) tour of the Romani Culture Museum in Brno, specifically the section dedicated to Romani magic.
The tour will be accompanied by commentary from educator Dana Kroková.
*
11:00 – Tour of the Church of St. James, including newly accessible attics and the tower.
Entrance fee: approx. 300 CZK
*
12:30 PM – Lunch
*
13:30 – Guided tour of the city center with commentary by historian Mgr. Jan Ševčík.
*
14:30 – Guided tour of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul and visit to the Diocesan Museum.
Entrance fee: 110 CZK + 30 CZK for the tower
*
16:00 PM – End of the official program
*
16:30 – Optional tour of Špilberk Castle, including its casemates and armory. 

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE
18:00 - Welcoming & Introduction of Organizers (in Czech and in English)
18:30 - Opening Words: Ing. Libuše Nivnická, prof. Jiří Hanuš, prof. György E. Szönyi, Mgr. Dell Rose, Mgr. Jiří Varaďa etc. 
(in Czech and in English)
19:30 - Petr Kohout Lasenic - a Brno Countryman. New Information and Discoveries by the Documentation Centre for Czech Hermetism (in Czech)
20:30 - Display of the accompanying exhibition „Contemporary Czech Hermetism in Photography and Artifacts“
(in Czech and in English)
21:00 - Welcome Party at the Jiří Mahen Memorial with Refreshments and Music

- Saturday, October 28th -

MORNING PROGRAM BLOCK (in Czech)
8:00 - Chinese tea ceremony
8:30 - Mgr. Ivo Chmelař, Ph.D.: The Great Mark - Magical Operations, Gruppo di Ur and Implications of Italian Esotericism.
9:10 - Petr Tomek: Libertines Against Delusion: A Critique of Superstition and Religion in a Historical Perspective Since Austria-Hungary Up To Today
9:50 - Mgr. Lenka Příplatová, Ph.D.: Experimental Research of Religion and Ateism in a Secularizing Society
10:30 - Mgr. Veronika Šulcová: Business and Folk Magic in the USA
11:10 - Mgr. Matouš Mokrý: "They Clad Themselves in Poisoned Robes of the Form" - Development of the 'Left-Hand Path' as a Negative Esoteric Category in Anglophone Culture 1875 - 1972
11:50 - Communal lunch

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM BLOCK (in English)
14:00 - Friday Dancers: Weavers of the Flow (dance performance)
14:15 - Prof. emer. György E. Szönyi: The Esoteric Concept of Exaltatio
15:15 - Bc. et Mgr. Dell Rose: An Eruption of Myth - D’Annunzio’s Fiume, Martinism, and the Politics of Esoteric Vision
15:55 - Mgr. Marion Vrbicky, Ph.D.: Hecate
16:35 - Mgr. et Mgr. Miroslav Vrzal, Ph.D: Czech Satanism - history, directions, trends
17:15 - Refreshment break & book bazaar

EVENING PROGRAM BLOCK (in Czech)
18:00 - Friday Dancers: Eclipse of the Triple Goddess (dance performance)
& Reading from Mefistofeles – a drama by Jiří Mahen
18:15 - Mgr. Jan Ševčík: Occultism and Politics
19:15 - Mgr. Olga Čejková: Hunting Magic in Modern Huntsman Culture
19:55 - Leoš Kyša (alias František Kotleta): Conspiracy Theories Before Their Time: Memories of an Old Sceptic
20:35 - Readings from the books of František Kotleta and discussion with the author
21:15 - Jiří Mahen Memorial closes
21:30 - Communal dinner and pub crawl

- Sunday, October 29th -

MORNING PROGRAM BLOCK (in Czech)
8:00 - Contemporary Czech tea ceremony
9:00 - Róbert Adamec: A Man With a Secret - Life and Influence of Professor Ján Okruhlica, a Slovak Hermeticists From Plavecké Podhradie
9:40 - JUDr. Olga Rosenkranzová, Ph.D.: Dignity of Man According to Giovanni Pica della Mirandola
10:40 - Honza Krása: Alchemy Before Alchemy: The Development of Technologies Leading to First Alchemic Texts at The End of The Last Era
11:20 - Jakub Staněk: Contemporary Slavic Natural Faith in Czech Republic and Other Slavic Countries
12:00 - Communal lunch

THEMATIC CITY TOUR (in Czech and in English)
13:30 Visit to St. James's Church and its surroundings
14:00 Tour of the Ossuary at St. James's (with a guide)
14:30 Stroll through the city and St. Peter and Paul Cathedral
16:00 Exploration of the mummies in the Brno Capuchin Crypt (with a guide)
17:00 Tour of the underground labyrinth beneath Zelný Market (with a guide)
18:00 Visit to Špilberk Castle walls