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Hidden in Plain Sight: 2010 will mark the 300th anniversary of the publication of The True and Complete Preparation of the Philosopher's Stone of the Fraternity of the Golden and Rosy Cross by Sincerus Renatus in 1710, the first known reference to the Rosicrucians as an institution. Through scholarly research, the interaction of Western Esotericism with the mystical traditions of organized religion has been recognized to be extensive. Further, and less well known, is the often pivotal role esoteric groups and beliefs have had in shaping the modern world as a whole, while remaining “Hidden in Plain Sight.” We invite you to this conference to join with other scholars and practitioners within the field of western esotericism in exploring the substantial influence this tradition has on modern thought. In addition to the opportunity to share our research and practice within the realm of western esotericism, we envision the weekend as an opportunity to celebrate the many facets of this tradition. We invite participants to exercise not only their scholarship, but cultural creativity as well. We will gather together on the weekend of July 22-25, 2010, coinciding with that month’s Full Moon, at Rosicrucian Park in San Jose, founded in 1927 by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis. Mark your calendars now! Please contact librarian@rosicrucian.org for more information. If you are interesting in submitting a paper, click here. The deadline for submissions of Proposals is October 1, 2009. There is no set conference fee. There is a suggested donation of $75.00 per participant (at the door) to help defray Conference costs. The Keynote Address will be given by Dr. Lee Irwin, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Department at the College of Charleston. He is a scholar of world religions with an emphasis on Native American traditions, Western esotericism, hermeticism, contemporary spirituality, mystical cosmology, and transpersonal religious experience as related to dreams and visions. He is the Vice President of the Association for the Study of Esotericism (ASE) and a board member of the Sophia Institute and the Institute for Dream Studies. He has been a workshop leader and group facilitator for over twenty years, particularly in the areas of visionary cosmology and the development of the sacred human. He is the author of many books and articles, including: The Dream Seekers, Visionary Worlds, Awakening to Spirit: On Life, Illumination, and Being, The Alchemy of Soul, and Coming Down From Above: Prophecy, Resistance, and Renewal in Native American Religions. Keynote Address: Reincarnation and the Psychonoetic Body in Western Esotericism This presentation will explore the topic of reincarnation in a historical review extending from Pythagoras to the present. The emphasis of the talk will focus on a variety of theories of reincarnation and the political context within which those theories were developed. He will also address the topic of participatory knowing and the importance of paranormal perceptions as an adjunct to reincarnational theories in western esotericism. Five explicit examples of theories on reincarnation will be presented: Plato, Origen, the Cathars, Jan Baptist van Helmont, and H. Spencer Lewis. Each example will be contextualized by culture and the religious environment to demonstrate issues of contestation or marginalization. Overall, the author's approach supports reincarnation as a viable theory for post-mortem existence. Some of the other Papers currently in preparation for the Conference include: Lourdes Arguelles, Ph.D.: "Forbidden Knowledge: Western Esotericism and Higher Education in the Social Sciences and Humanities." (Lourdes Arguelles, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita of Education, Claremont Graduate University, a licensed psychotherapist in the State of California, and a long-time student of Alchemy, other Western Esoteric Traditions, and the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.) Debby Barret, M.Div., CCHT and Brigitta F. D’Amato, CCHT: "Tracing the Roots of a 20th Century Recovery Phenomenon to the Royal Tombs of Egypt" (Ms Barret and Ms D'Amato are Certified Clinical and Alchemical Hypnotherapists, and Counsellors in the San Francisco Bay Area, and students of Religious Science and Spirituality) Peter Bindon, M.A.: "Ancient Alchemical Diagrams: are they Mirrors of the Human Soul for the Modern World?" (Peter served as Grand Master of the English Language Jurisdiction for Australia, Asia, and New Zealand 1996-2008. He is a botanist and anthropologist, and designed the 18th Dynasty Rosicrucian Peace Garden in Rosicrucian Park.) Herm Cardona, MSSI, 32°: "Fiat Lux: Freemasonry, the Enlightenment, and the Emergence of a New Socio-Political Order" (Herm Cardona is a Retired Foreign Service Officer and Former Army Counterintelligence Special Agent. He is Senior Warden of Cape Coral Lodge No. 367 Free and Accepted Masons in Cape Coral, Florida, and System Administrator of The Freemason Network.) Kathryn LaFevers Evans, M.A.: "Magic & The Binary Code: Renaissance Christian Kabbalah & Buckminster Fuller’s Tensegrity Structures" (Ms Evans is an Independent Scholar and Practitioner in Esotericism, Interior & Comparative World Religions, and Comparative Literature, member of several associations, including the ASE and the Societas Magica) Helen Heightsman Gordon, M.A., Ed.D.: "Shakespeare’s Riddle for Today’s Rosicrucians: Hidden Messages in the 1609 Dedication to the Sonnets." Dr. Gordon was Professor of English at Bakersfield College. A prolific author and poet, in 2007, she won first prize in the “Best Historical Novel” category at Hollywood Book Festival. Her 20 years of research into the Shakespeare authorship issue led her to discover new evidence that “William Shakespeare” was the pen name of the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward De Vere.). John Michael Greer, B.A.: "Nature’s Alchemy: The Hermetic Roots of Modern Ecology" (Professor Greer is a prolific author and lecturer on occultism, nature spirituality, and environmental issues, and has served since 2003 as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America [AODA]) Dennis William Hauck, Ph.D.: "Materia Prima - The Nature of the First Matter in the Esoteric and Scientific Traditions" (Dr. Hauck is a practicing alchemist, author, consultant, and lecturer working to facilitate personal, institutional, and global transformation through the application of the ancient principles of alchemy) Hugh McCague, Ph.D.: "Florence Nightingale and the Advancement and Spiritualization of the Nursing and Statistics Professions" (Dr. McCague teaches at York University in Toronto, and is a student of mysticism, and esotericism in its historical, architectural, artististic and practical manifestations) Mioara Merié, Ph.D.: "Christian Esotericism and the Inner Eye: Automatic Drawing, Sciences of the Mind, and Religious Innovations in Mid-Nineteenth Century Britain" (Dr. Merié is a Political and Cultural Analyst and an Independent Historian currently serving as a Political and cultural analyst for the US Government) Zaven Paul Panikian: "The Rosicrucian Quest: Then and Now" (Born in Cairo, Egypt, to Armenian parents in 1948, Paul migrated to Australia in 1963 and settled in Sydney. Paul worked in government and legal positions, followed by small businesses. He was elected to the position of Grand Master in 2008. His research interests lie with What impact mysticism has had directly and indirectly on humanity, and on the Rosicrucian quest today, considering what impact it can have on the arts, culture, education, etc.) Dean Radin, Ph.D.: "Common Sense and the Evolution of Reality" (Dr. Radin is the Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University. His early career as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a masters degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. For over two decades he has been engaged in consciousness research. Before joining the research staff at IONS, he held appointments at Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, University of Nevada, and three Silicon Valley think-tanks, including SRI International, where he worked on a classified program investigating psychic phenomena for the US government.) Geoffrey Redmond, M.A., M.D.: "Influence of The Yijing (I Ching, Chinese Book Of Changes) on Western Esotericism." (Dr. Redmond is a biomedical scientist and practicing physician with a long interest in Chinese and Western metaphysics. Much of his work is concerned with understanding the persistence of traditional ways of thought in a world seemingly dominated by science. His most recent book, Science and Asian Spiritual Traditions explores the relationship of metaphysical and scientific thought in pre-modern China. He is the author of five previous books and over one hundred research articles. Doctor Redmond is a graduate of Cornell, the University of Virginia and Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons.) Christopher Webster, Ph.D.: "20th Century Photography and Esotericism" (A prolific Artist, filmaker, author and lecturer, Dr. Weber holds the position of lecturer in fine art at Aberystwyth University School of Art.) George Young, Ph.D.: "Mystery and Magic in the Caucasus: Esoteric Georgia from Prometheus and Medea to Zviad Gamsakhurdia" (Dr. Young has served since 2009 as a Fellow at the Center for Global Humanities, and since 2003, as Adjunct in English and Language Studies, University of New England. He has a profound interest and background in Russian and Eastern European Esotericism of the modern period) Artistic / Interactive Presentations in Preparation: Maria Butina: "Vibrations: a Journey of Light in Visual Art" (Ms Butina is an internationally exhibited visual artist with exhibitions held in Prague, Split, San Jose and Anaheim. Her art flows from her deep spirituality and mysticism) Workshop: Patricia Downes, Ph.D.: "The Great Work and the Workplace: Transforming Work and Workplaces through Stealth Esotericism." (Dr. Downes is an Organization Development Specialist with a doctoral degree George Washington University. Her work has been done in the public and private sectors, in international organizations, including the OAS, and in consulting. She has been a Rosicrucian student for over 25 years.) Kitty Turgeon: "The Influence of the Rosicrucians on the Roycrofters and the Modern Arts and Crafts Movement" (Ms Turgeon is Executive Director of the Foundation for the Study of the Arts and Crafts Movement and Vice President for Education of the Roycrofters-at-Large Association, and recent recipient of the U.S. National Arts & Crafts Conference Lifetime Achievement Award) Karen Wark, M.A.: "The Mysticism of Jamot's La Poème de l'âme (Lyon)" (Ms Wark holds an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and serves as Board Secretary of the English Grand Lodge for the Americas of AMORC, and as Program Director at Rosicrucian Park. She is interested in exploring how organizations use the principles of spiritual alchemy to transform themselves.) Christopher Webster, Ph.D.: "A Selection of Short Films on Esoteric Themes" (See above)
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