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Courses with
Sasha Chaitow
Sasha is an engaging and experienced speaker who has worked in secondary and Higher education for over 20 years. A frequent guest lecturer at international universities and schools, she has developed courses and workshops on a variety of topics. These are divided into three main areas:
Cultural history – Western Esoteric History
Sasha’s research and writing focuses on the impact of philosophy, myth, and belief systems on culture, science, and communication through history.
She has taught undergraduate Religion, Philosophy and History courses for the University of Indianapolis-Athens, created her own online academy (2010-2014) delivering foundation courses in this subject area, trained faculty in Critical Thinking for the Classroom and a range of communication skills in education. Since 2020, Sasha has partnered with Treadwell’s Online to teach introductory courses on the history of Western Esotericism and Greek myth and culture. These are some of her most popular topic areas, and can be modified for a scholarly or a general audience.
For Health Professionals
Sasha teaches research literacy and manuscript development courses for the University of Patras, Greece and for various independent allied health schools. Her current research focus is in the Medical Humanities: the integration of Humanities skills into health education to optimise clinical reasoning, the therapeutic alliance, and critical thinking skills. See her articles on some of these topics and visit the course descriptions and links below.
For Artists
Sasha has been a practising artist for over 25 years and has shown her work internationally in 14 solo exhibitions and numerous curated group exhibitions. She embarked on her studies in Western Esotericism to learn the historical symbolic and visual vocabularies of alchemy, Renaissance emblems, and various sacred traditions. She has applied her scholarship to create a range of art collections that reside in private collections worldwide. Sasha designs and teaches courses on the history, meaning, and composition of historically accurate arcane symbolism for beginning and practising artists alike.
Upcoming Courses 2024-5
Click the + sign next to the title to read full descriptions. Links to live event registration will be posted as soon as they become available.
Introduction to the Academic Study of Western Esotericism - Treadwell's (ends March 2024)
- 12-month course running 2nd Wednesday of every month
- Exclusively online
- Catch-up recordings available
- Interactive workshop segment
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Esotericism refers to a cluster of ideas that originated in ancient mysteries and philosophies, often considered secret or occult. In fact, they were absorbed and interacted with most “conventional” social, religious, and cultural currents throughout history. In parallel, new complexes of ideas and “esoteric traditions” developed, leading to the evolution of organisations and orders that carved out their own historical paths.
In recent decades, a clearer understanding and documentation of these traditions has been developed through the diligent academic study of these ideas, documenting their role in European cultural history, together with the history of the figures, currents, and ideas comprising them. Esoteric thought remains a living current that continues to evolve in our time, through which we can trace the evolution of older elements and ideas, as well as their impact on wider culture and society.
Course Description
This workshop series reviews the historical connections of esoteric ideas and traditions with conventional history, and to offer a well-rounded sense of their content.
Beginning in the turbulent Hellenistic period – when we witness an initial separation between “acceptable” and “occult” thought, and reaching into the present day – we will discover the roots of esoteric traditions in Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and Gnosticism. These three very different, but related worldviews, were reconstituted during the Renaissance, when diverse elements borrowed from Kabbalah, Alchemy, and many other sources were merged with older currents of thought. This marked the birth of what are now known as “the Western Esoteric Traditions.” Their common point of reference was the objective of raising human consciousness and self-awareness towards a reintegration with the divine, through human will and individual spiritual development. Their interaction with developments in science, politics, and religiocultural events shaped them as much as their counterparts.
Who is it for?
This course is designed for anyone wishing to understand the “bigger picture” of the role of esoteric traditions in relation to wider Western culture, or to attain a firm grasp of the historical interrelationships of the broad spectrum of esoteric thought. The approach is strictly academic, but accessible and with an understanding of practitioner perspectives. The course is aimed at scholars in any discipline who want a clear grounding in the terms, history, and ideas within Western Esotericism, at practitioners who want a deeper historical understanding of their chosen path and an understanding of what scholars actually do, and at those considering advanced academic study in Western Esotericism.
Course structure
The course consists of twelve hybrid workshops with three components.
- The first component is the pre-recorded lecture on the month’s theme, which you can watch at your own pace at any time before the live workshop. Each lecture comes with a further reading list that is recommended, but not obligatory.
- The second component consists of a 3-hour live workshop consisting of interactive group work on selected texts that will be emailed to you a week before the workshop. The class will be separated (using Zoom’s breakout room function) into small groups, where they will be asked to respond to specific prompts and questions, then feed their conclusions back to the whole group. There will be live Q&A sessions at the start and end of the workshops.
- The third component is the “further study” element, consisting of prompts, questions, and further reading that the participants are asked to work on over the course of the month.
Please note that at minimum, participants must have viewed the recorded lecture before participating in the live workshop, as otherwise they will not be able to follow. The “Further Study” component is optional, but considered essential for a full experience. Participants may of course pursue it at the end of the 12-month course, but they will not have the same support and guidance if they do so.
Time commitment
The minimum time commitment this course requires is 3 hours for the live workshop, plus 3-5 hours additional study per month. Two of those hours consist of viewing the recorded lecture itself, with 3 additional hours estimated for exploring some of the further study questions. Participants may of course spend much more time studying if they wish to, but it is not mandatory, and is entirely up to them.
The Topics
The first session explains and clarifies the academic approach, important definitions, and key issues in the study of esotericism. The second provides a historical “roadmap” to demonstrate the interrelationships between the traditions and the framework in which the topic is approached. The next two provide an in-depth discussion of the philosophies that became central to the “esoteric” worldview as it developed and became crystallized in the Renaissance. Every lecture following on from there provides an in-depth exploration of each of the major traditions that impacted esotericism.
- The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Terminology, Methods, Issues
- Historical review of Western Esoteric Thought from antiquity to modern times.
- The Hellenistic Period: Hermeticism and Neoplatonism
- Gnosticism in Antiquity and its absorption into later traditions.
- The Renaissance and the birth of the “Western Esoteric Traditions”
- Alchemy: The Art of the Philosophers
- Kabbalah: Healing the World
- Pansophia, Theosophia, and the Philosophia Sacra
- The Scientific Revolution and the Counter-Enlightenment
- Initiation and Esoteric Fraternities
- The Occult Revival and Modernism
- 21st Century Occulture
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Research questions and manuscript development - Dept of Physiotherapy, University of Patras - Spring Semester
- Ongoing (since 2021) guest lecturership on the MSc Physiotherapy and Therapeutic Exercise programme, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Patras, Greece.
Past Courses
Birth of the Greek Gods: Hesiod's Theogony - 16-week Course - Treadwell's 2021-22
Secrets of Greek Sacred Art - 5 week Course - Treadwell's 2021-22
Josephin Peladan's Self-Initiation Curriculum - 7-week Course, Treadwell's 2022
Introduction to the Academic Study of Western Esotericism - 12 week course - Treadwell's 2020-21
Also delivered:
- Private group, Corfu, 2016
- Phoenix Rising Academy, 2010-2013
Integrating Critical Thinking Skills in the Teen / Young Adult Classroom - Faculty Training Intensive 2-week Erasmus Seminar - Andrioti School 2016-2018
Delivered in a 1- and 2-week format to international secondary school and university faculty as part of an ERASMUS training program.
Greek Culture & Civilization - Intensive cultural immersion seminars - Andrioti School - 2015-2018
British Culture through Literature and Film - Intensive cultural immersion seminars - Andrioti School - 2015-2018
Learning to Read Art - 4-week course - Andrioti School 2016
Adult evening course in Art History
Understanding Myth - 5-day intensive EFL Seminar - Andrioti School 2015-2017
Summer intensive for older teens / young adult learners of English as a Foreign Language.
Academic English / Manuscript Composition / Research Comprehension - Tailored industry-specific Adult / Academic courses - Andrioti School 2014-2017
World History / World Religion / Greek Philosophy - Undergraduate elective courses -University of Indianapolis 2008-2010
Language Arts training for teens & adults - various institutes, 1999-2018
Terms and Fees
Sasha frequently travels internationally to fulfil speaking engagements at universities, cultural centres, and special-interest venues. In the COVID-19 era she is happy to deliver lectures and workshops via Zoom or similar. Sessions can also be arranged for schools, as well as individuals or private special-interest groups.
Fee: Sasha’s speaker’s fee depends on the type of organisation, the method of delivery, desired length of session, and what form of customisation is required. Quotes will be offered on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, advance payment of a deposit may be required. Please contact Sasha to discuss your requirements.
Expenses: For international engagements, Sasha’s travel expenses, accommodation, local transportation, and per diem expenses must be covered by the organiser, separately from any agreed speaker’s fee.
For inquiries and bookings please contact Sasha.
Testimonials
I was truly astounded by Sasha’s unique teaching style, her ability to inspire and engage students to want to learn.
Thank you so much for an incredible, inspiring and informative series of lectures: I’ve really enjoyed following a detailed, academic framework for the history of W.E. I really hope you continue to introduce this much-needed subject into the public’s mind and imagination.
Your work speaks for itself and is of the highest caliber. I hope to continue to benefit from your wealth of experience.
I think your presentation was very sensitively done. I can only aspire to do so with as much grace, balance and alacrity when the time comes for me to present my own research. Your work is inspiring to a young academic such as myself and I can’t wait to read more about it.
Lacerating! Her work is spectacular! I love her paintings and what she writes about them. She is certainly tuned into the mythological, alchemical, all those wonderful areas the Jungians explore.
Thank you Sasha for so impeccably, expertly leading us through such rich and embroidered material! You’ve helped to order my thoughts significantly!
We should be considerably thankful for the tireless and scholarly work of Dr Sasha Chaitow. She has shone light on that which would have remained impossibly obscure. Not only is she a respected academic, but also a practicing artist and gallerist, and [..] has offered enlightening study.
Some of you might know already that Sasha is a brilliant teacher, but if not, I strongly recommend listening to her insight. And for the price, the quality is of the kind I can promise you won’t beat outside of admission to a highly specialized university program. So happy to have found a few stones in my path that led to a brush with her work.
Sasha is an extraordinary example of the new breed of academics in the young field of esoteric studies, and of a new generation of artist intellectuals raised by parents whose own breakthroughs in non-traditional beliefs and practices have laid the foundation for a greater understanding of spirituality and healing.
Such a wonderful presentation – I probably could have listened for 3 more hours! Sasha Chaitow, thank you!
You’re a great speaker… It’s so wonderful to see this side of your professional prism. I can tell you love it too. Your lecture series is so good and dovetails into all the reading and writing I have been doing.
Get in touch
Book a talk
A seasoned and inspiring speaker, Sasha delivers expert lectures, workshops, and masterclasses on a variety of topics. Virtual or in person, she will be happy to discuss your needs. Click below for excerpts from past talks and a list of topic areas.
