Those who believe in magic and unexplainable phenomena are often
damned by official, scientific histories as outsiders, freaks, and lunatics.
However, the study of the occult provides an alternative narrative to human
experience that runs beneath mainstream history and culture, influencing it
and shaping it in ways which are often subtle but nonetheless significant.
This course will study the occult from 1860 to the present.  We will study men
and women who, in embracing that which lies beyond the “natural” and
“normal,” have often challenged cultural norms.  From feminist Theosophists
to Aleister Crowley's “sex magic” to the hordes of disaffected who seek solace
in the belief in extraterrestrials, the occult has always been a space for those
whom mainstream culture rejects; as such, it is also an important breeding
ground for social change.  This course will ask you to read historical, literary,
and cultural texts and complete projects, which emphasize intellectual
exploration, creativity, and open-minded conversation.