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Transatlantic Cunning: English Magic in the American Colonies with Dr. Alexander Cummins

August 8, 2019 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

From astrology to necromancy and back again, the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century British colonies seemed awash with sorcery. This is a talk about the ideas of magic which early modern English colonists brought with them to the Americas: from their preconceptions about Native ritual and “heathenry”, to almanacs of star-lore and prognostication, and from common forms of folk magic and divination to high-brow treatises on alchemy and handbooks based on medieval spirit conjuration. This talk is presented by the historian and diviner Dr Alexander Cummins, himself an English magician now living in these United States. Dr Cummins will lead us on an exploration of what early American magicians did and how they went about doing it. Along the way, we will learn about how shadowy colonialist fears were projected onto indigenous peoples and their cultures, as well as much of the necessary background and context of “everyday practical magic” and arch occult philosophy alike. nLearn more at SalemSummerSymposium.com. n Source: https://www.salem.org/event/transatlantic-cunning-english-magic-in-the-american-colonies-with-dr-alexander-cummins/

Details

Date:
August 8, 2019
Time:
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Event Category: