Conner Habib’s Occult Philosophy Class Eases the Learning Curve of the Esoteric

They say that the easiest way to learn something new is to dive right in and “figure out how to swim,” but they’ve clearly never tried to cannonball into occult philosophy. Some things are just a little easier to take on when you know there’s a lifeguard on duty. Fortunately, a new course on Rudolf Steiner, the father of anthroposophy, will have you wading into the deep end of the Western Esoteric Tradition in no time.

If you were to start reading the wikipedia entry for anthroposophy, you’d find yourself pretty overwhelmed in a hurry. Conner Habib, an author and lecturer on the subject of spirituality, wants to change that with a new online class dedicated to making Steiner’s philosophical ideas a little less daunting for those curious about connecting to the spiritual world.

The description of the class breaks it down:

You’ve probably heard Rudolf Steiner’s name, or about his efforts – including Waldorf schools, biodynamic agriculture, Weleda, Camp Hill communities, and more.

Maybe you know him as a Da Vinci-esque polymath who contributed to philosophy, mathematics, biology, architecture, and more. Or you’ve heard that he’s the inspiration for Marvel comics’ Dr. Strange; Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring; Saul Bellow’s fiction; or the work of the literary group the Inklings, which includes J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis.

But getting into Steiner and his work (called anthroposophy) can be daunting, to say the least. With thousands of lectures and dozens of books filled with esoteric terms and philosophical gestures that would make a postmodernist blush, it’s difficult to find a way into his vast body of work.

This one-session class will give you multiple doorways into Steiner’s work, as well as a glimpse of the Western occult tradition, through one of its most developed branches.

For just $15, Habib will lead you through the key aspects of Steiner’s work in a two-hour session that he promises will be “fun, deep, complex, weird, respectful, and irreverent all at once.” By the time you’re finished with the class, you’ll be well-equipped to dive into the world of anthroposophy on your own.

In case you weren’t already sold on the class, Habib’s impressive background should seal the deal: after attending an intensive course on Goethean science at The Nature Institute in New York, he spent two years running a spiritual science group in San Francisco. His writing on sex, culture, and relationships, has appeared in The Stranger, Vice, Salon, Slate, The Advocate, and more. He gives lectures around the world on sex, spirituality, and pornography, and is the Vice President of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, which works to improve the lives, wages, and safety of adult performers. Oh yeah, and he was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award – the highest honor awarded for teaching at UMASS.

Put simply, you couldn’t ask for a better teacher.

Occult Philosophies: Rudolf Steiner & the Western Esoteric Tradition is scheduled for Sunday, April 3, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (PDT). For details on registration, including those planning to attend the class in a group, visit the registration page here. I’ll be there, and so should you.