Classes on Witchcraft, Astrology, and Alchemy

“Find your horoscope, tell me what it says, tell me if it’s accurate,” Professor Darin Hayton tells a classroom full of students after handing out “Today’s Horoscope” from The Washington Post. One student raises her hand and begins to read: “Aquarius. Don’t wait for the spirit to move you—move the spirit instead. The stars help you enlarge your sphere of influence. Social gestures may feel forced at first, but with a little practice, you’re soon delivering with finesse.” Another student, a Taurus, discovers that “If you think too much about what’s in store, it’s likely to scare the dickens out of you! Jump right in, and get going without a lot of deliberation. Once you’re in motion, everything works out.”

Hayton, a new assistant professor of history at Haverford, doesn’t expect the horoscopes to be accurate. He intends to contrast them with the detailed horoscopes that learned astrologers created in the 15th century. Hayton and his students are knee-deep in the astrology section of one of Haverford’s newest courses: History of the Occult and Witchcraft. Full Story

Related: religion, wicca, pagan, witchcraft, occult