Tag: Magic

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Kosmos Institute Colloquium 

The Kosmos Institute is hosting a colloquium this winter solstice in Ascona, Switzerland, near to where the legendary Eranos meetings were hosted by Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn. At the Eranos conferences, C.G. Jung, Erich Neumann, Karl Kerényi, Mircea Eliade, Joseph Campbell, Henri Corbin, James Hillman, and numerous other luminaries shared their work in development. 

Leading up to the colloquium this December, Kosmos Institute is offering six free online presentations from a variety of scholars in the field. The theme for the colloquium, and the online presentations, is the relationship between the transcendent and the immanent. I will be speaking on this theme on Sunday, July 19 through the lens of archetypes and synchronicity, and how they may relate to what we call magic. 

Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic

Sunday, July 19, 2026 — 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET/ 6:00 pm GMT

Presentation Description:
In recent years, astrology and magic have caught the collective imagination and are enjoying an unexpected renaissance through new social platforms. Astrology and magic have ancient roots and persisted across the centuries through multiple evolving world views before the modern, scientific mind disavowed them. Yet, while astrology is being quietly accepted in certain small corners of the academic and depth psychological spheres, magic is still firmly barred at the gates. How can we even begin to understand astrological magic in the contemporary world? Doing so requires reconciling different cosmologies and paradigms, synthesizing ancient and medieval spiritual and religious perspectives with modern philosophy and psychology to bring forward language and concepts that speak to our place in an evolving cosmos. In light of such a synthesis, this presentation will explore archetypal theory and the concept of synchronicity—a term coined by the depth psychologist C.G. Jung—to illuminate a contemporary understanding of astrological correlations and magical praxis. 

Here is the recording of the presentation “Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic”:

This is the second presentation in the series. The opening event was offered on the summer solstice by Richard Tarnas. The recording for his presentation, “The Arc of the Transcendent,” is available here:

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Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic

On Tuesday, March 8 at 11:00–12:30 pm Pacific time, 7:00–8:30 pm UK time, I will be offering an online presentation titled “Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic” for the Centre for Myth, Cosmology, and the Sacred.

Register for the Event!

Lecture Description
In recent years, astrology and magic have caught the collective imagination and are enjoying an unexpected renaissance through new social platforms. Astrology and magic have ancient roots and have persisted across the centuries through multiple evolving world views before being disavowed by the modern, scientific mind. As these disciplines re-emerge, what does it mean to practice astrological magic in the contemporary world? To do so requires reconciling different cosmologies and paradigms, synthesizing ancient and medieval spiritual and religious perspectives with modern philosophy and psychology in order to bring forward language and concepts that can speak to our place in an evolving cosmos. In light of such a synthesis, this presentation will explore archetypal theory and the concept of synchronicity—a term coined by the depth psychologist C. G. Jung—to illuminate a contemporary understanding of astrological correlations and magical praxis.  

For those who cannot attend live, there will be a recording available after the session has taken place. Simply book a ticket via the button above, and the recording link will be sent with the joining instructions. 

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Astro Magia

A Symposium of Art, Academy, Philosophy, & Practice

September 17 – 19, 2021

It is my joy and honor to be offering a keynote presentation at the conference Astro Magia: A Symposium of Art, Academy, Philosophy, & Practice. This online symposium draws together an inspiring pantheon of voices on the subject of astrological magic, exploring the praxis of participatory engagement with a living, symbolic sky.

My keynote will take place on Saturday, September 18 at 4:00–5:30 pm Pacific time. The presentation is titled “The Sacral Hour: Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic,” and offers a contemporary philosophical and psychological perspective on astrological magic.

The Sacral Hour: Archetypes, Synchronicity, and Magic

Synchronicity is the meaningful coincidence of an inner experience with an outer event, in which there is no direct causal connection and yet there is a core archetypal symbolism informing the interconnected events. Astrology is the ancient practice of reading the archetypal story playing out across the heavens night after night. While by definition synchronicities are rare events, astrology can be understood as a continuously ongoing, collectively verifiable synchronicity: the meaningful coincidence of the positions of the planets relative to the archetypal unfolding of human events on Earth.

In the modern world view, synchronicities are seen as mere anomalies, chance events despite their extreme improbability. But synchronicity points towards a deeper meaning, one inherently familiar to ancient, medieval, and traditional paradigms: the cosmos is saturated with purpose, meaning, consciousness, and intelligence, an archetypally patterned web eternally woven by the co-arising divine soul of the world. To align ourselves with these archetypal threads is to participate in a magic that is thrumming every moment from the hidden heart of the cosmos.

While astrological magic has ancient roots, practicing it in the contemporary world requires a synthesis and integration with modern philosophy, psychology, religion, and spirituality in order to bring forward language and concepts that can speak to our place in an evolving cosmos. Archetypal theory, synchronicity, and participatory spirituality are all foundational concepts that can support the praxis of astrological magic in a paradigm reawakening to cosmic enchantment.

Learn More & Register for the Symposium!