Celebrating 25 Years of Exploring the Western Mystery Tradition: October 23-27
For the first time in its 25-year history, The Esoteric Quest — one of the leading global conferences on Western Esotericism — will be held as a digital summit. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the anniversary conference will take place online for The Open Center’s first-ever Virtual Esoteric Quest and you’re welcome to immerse yourself in the journey.
This five-day event will bring together the world’s foremost experts, writers, artists and scholars for an interactive online experience exploring the lost or half-forgotten spiritual history of the West through lectures, musical performances from Iceland to Occitania, breakout sessions and much more. Join us for an immersive, virtual journey through history and across the world, as we go deeply into the wisdom traditions of the West, including:
- Explorations in the esoteric Art of Memory and the work of the great historian Frances Yates
- Seeing into the Mysteries of the North: Iceland and Scotland
- Presentations on the Italian Renaissance and the influence of the Esoteric Traditions in Florence, Italy, and how they spread to Elizabethan England
- Honoring the first Esoteric Quest in 1995 in Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic, the Southern Bohemian Mecca of Alchemists (described as an “Esoteric Woodstock” by Gnosis magazine)
Who is the Quest for?
Anyone and everyone. If you are fascinated by history or esoteric studies, or looking to deepen your knowledge of the profound mysteries and wisdom traditions of the Western world, and the myriad streams that have fed into it, this is for you. The Quest is for all who are curious and seeking. It offers an opportunity to tap into ancestral roots, go beyond pop culture’s often simplistic portrayal of esotericism, and get to the authentic heart of beautiful if often neglected or forgotten paths. These invaluable sources of wisdom are now returning to their rightful place in the panoply of world spiritual traditions.
The Invitation
We invite you to join us for a celebration of a quarter century of exploring the Western Mystery Traditions with our first Virtual Esoteric Quest. Accessible to participants from all over the world, we are excited to offer a rich spectrum of programs from our 25 years of bringing alive the lost spiritual history of the West, and the myriad cultures that have fed into this stream.
Celebrating 25 years
What began in 1995 in Český Krumlov, the Southern Bohemian ‘mecca of alchemists,’ and has proceeded all the way to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the oldest living city in Europe in 2019, our Esoteric Quests have plumbed the esoteric riches to be found in Ancient Greece, Turkey, Alexandria, and Sicily; in Medieval Andalusia, Languedoc and Iceland; in Renaissance Florence and Bohemia; and more recent eras in Weimar and the Balkans, some of the most spiritually, philosophically and artistically rich places and epochs in the history of Europe and North Africa.
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