The university that will offer postgraduate courses in which they teach courses on magic

LONDON — In Exeter, three women were hanged for practicing witchcraft in the late 17th century, the last such execution in England. Now, close to where the hangings occurred, the University of Exeter will offer a postgraduate degree in magic and occult sciences, which it claims is the first of its kind at a British university.

Emily Selove, director of the new program, said the idea for the degree, which will be offered beginning in September 2024, arose from the recent surge in interest in the history of witchcraft and a desire to create a space where magic could be studied. across different academic fields.

The course will include the study of Western dragons in lore, literature, and art; archeology theory; representation of women in the Middle Ages; the practice of deception and illusion; and philosophy of psychedelic substances. Through the lenses of Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, professors will explore how magic has influenced society and science.

Christina Oakley Harrington, a retired scholar of medieval history and founder of Treadwell's, a London bookstore specializing in literature on magic and spiritualism, said many witches she knew were thinking about signing up. “Not because they're idiots and they think he's going to teach them how to wave a wand and do a spell,” she said. “They are people who are simply enormously curious about the world and the way we perceive the visible and invisible worlds.”

There has been renewed interest in witches, with feminism and pop culture embracing them as symbols of female independence. TikTok videos with the hashtag #WitchTok have almost 50 billion views.

“Whether you believe in magic or not, it is still worthy of academic rigor because humans have practiced it for thousands of years,” said Pam Grossman, author and host of “The Witch Wave” podcast.

Some universities offer courses and certifications in magic. The University of Amsterdam offers a specialization in Western esotericism. The religion department at Rice University in Texas offers a certificate in Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Mysticism. Career areas could include museum work, leading spiritual retreats or more academic research, Selove mentioned.

Jeffrey J. Kripal, who helped create Rice's program, believes that humanities courses are necessary to address social issues.

“People have practiced magical rituals and seen the world in magical terms for much longer and in greater depth than the world's religions,” he noted.

By: Jenny Gross