Magic School: Ritual: Its Relevance & Resonances

Tutor Kenneth Rees is running a two-Saturday course on Ritual: Its Relevance and Resonances in central London this month.

Here is the information about it:

Societies have typically marked their significant historical points, inaugurations and specific occasions, both civic and religious, with the language of ritual. Individuals have also been perennially inducted into groups and traditions via rites of passage, bestowment and installation. In addition, on a personal level, people may ritualise their own habits, sometimes even to a pathological degree.

This two-day course looks at specific ritual practices e.g. – magical, mythic, celebratory, healing and cathartic – both cross-culturally and in terms of sub-cultural and institutional examples e.g. sporting or political. It also considers sociological, anthropological and psychological theories of ritual. Such perspectives point to the value of ritual action both for society as a whole and for the person. It is suggested that modern society suffers from progressively symbolic loss in this area and the case is thus made for its urgent reclamation.

Venue: The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square, London WC1 (nearest tube stations – Holborn, Russell Square)
Dates: Saturdays 19 and 26 January 2019
Time: 10.15am – 5.30pm
Course No: 450
Fees: £56 Cons: £20
Enrolment: 0207 269 6000 (or online)
Enquires: 0208 671 6372
Website: www.marywardcentre.ac.uk

The photo shows the Mary Ward Centre