Banishing the World: New Online Course Uncovers the Occult Secrets of Postmodern Philosophy

In our increasingly skeptical analytical world, it might seem like belief in the occult is all but dead, pushed to the fringes of society and relegated to dusty shelves hidden in the dustiest shelves of the library, but don’t believe it. Occult ideas are alive and well, and like they’ve always been, they’re buried just below the surface, reminding us that the world is not as it seems. Now, a new online course aims to make you keen to the occult, especially its influence on postmodern philosophy.

Banishing the World: Postmodern Philosophy and the Occult is taught by Conner Habib, a writer, lecturer, and activist with an impressive resume spanning all manner of esoteric teachings. Earlier this year he turned us on to Rudolph Steiner, the father of anthroposophy, but this time, he’s helping us understand the complex ideas of the occult in a way that will make even the most uninitiated see the world differently.

The course’s official description gives a few hints:

While the occult has been pushed out of serious academic study, postmodern philosophy remains much-discussed and influential. Of course, philosophy’s roots are in the occult: initiates in classical cultures discussing the meanings and substances of the universe. Then, as religion rose to new heights of power, philosophy rebelled against the magical, supernatural, and mystical. Now, after the distractions of the modern era, philosophers – as much as they may deny it – have once again found themselves at the altar with the occultists, the witches, and the mystics.

The postmodern philosophers are in many ways the mystics and maguses of our time. They speak in strange languages, presenting uncanny riddles, and exiling the old world by revealing the new. They’re renaming the gods, influencing cultures, changing medicine and science, and more.

In the course you’ll learn how the theories of postmodern thinkers overlap with occult ideologies and practices, how to use both occult and postmodern ideas to reenvision the world you live in, how occult ideas have found their way into academia, science, and activism through the conduit of postmodernism, and why it’s all so dang complicated to begin with.

“You’ll leave this class with an enlivening paradox on your hands,” Habib says. “You’ll have a better understanding of postmodern philosophy & the occult; but that will turn the world into a greater mystery; full of clues, riddles, and becomings you’ve never encountered before.”

The class itself lasts an hour, and is followed by a Q&A with Habib, which during which you can ask all the burning questions kicking around in your brain. Tickets start at just fifteen bucks, but if you’re looking for a little one-on-one time with the teacher, you can always jump for the “Plus” ticket at $55 which grants you a twenty minute Skype session with Habib plus a curated reading list for further study. Those seeking an even more exclusive experience can opt for the Gold package, which gives all the previous packages plus an exclusive t-shirt.

If you’ve ever wanted to see how the occult is hidden inside our everyday lives, including how it’s affected philosophy, this is the class for you.

Banishing the World: Postmodern Philosophy and the Occult takes place Sunday, October 30, at noon, and runs until 2:00PM. To purchase tickets, visit the official event page.

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