A few quick updates re: Observatory events. Mark Pilkington's talk will now be taking place tomorrow, offsite in Williamsburg (and please note, I did not produce this one, Joanna at Morbid Anatomy did. I'm just incredibly excited for it!) Also, there are still a few spots left for our Perfume Blending Workshop. And my Nostradamus event has been rescheduled to next month, just in time for the end of the world! Full info below:
NOTE DATE AND LOCATION CHANGE From the Akashic Jukebox: Magic and Music in Britain, 1888-1978: Illustrated Lecture and Rare British Occult Recordings with Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press
Illustrated Lecture and Rare British Occult Recordings with Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press
Date: Tuesday, November 20
Time: 8:00
Admission: $5
*** Now being held at Acme Studio, 63 N. 3rd St. Brooklyn, as the electricity is still out at Observatory
Magic and music are as old as humanity, but organised witchcraft–a British cultural export whose influence has been felt all over the world–is younger than jazz. In tonight’s talk, illustrated with images, music and rare recordings, Strange Attractor’s Mark Pilkington explores British occultism’s origins in the bohemian groves of late 19th century London, and charts its impact on popular music and some of its players, from the rock ‘n’ roll years through to the paradigm shift of punk. The emerging stories glow with transcendence, ripple with mystery, honk with absurdity and are all too often shadowed by tragedy.
Mark Pilkington is the author of two books - Mirage Men: An Adventure into Disinformation, Paranoia and UFOs and Far Out: 101 Strange Tales from Science’s Outer Edge and has written for Fortean Times, the Guardian, Sight & Sound, The Wire, Frieze, The Anomalist and a host of other magazines and journals. Mark also runs Strange Attractor Press, editing and publishing its occasional Journal, and organising events and exhibitions.
Natural Perfume Blending Workshop with Julianne Zaleta
Location: Observatory
Date: Sunday, December 2nd
Time: 1-4pm
Admission: $130
Presented by Phantasmaphile
***Very limited class size. You must RSVP to phantasmaphile [at] gmail.com to attend. You will then receive a payment request via Paypal***
Smell is the most neglected of our senses yet it has an instantaneous power to penetrate our consciousness, invoking memories and emotion. Odors are ethereal and elusive yet can strongly attract or repel.
As a concerned consumer, you are choosing organic food, seeking out sustainable products and opting for eco-friendly packaging. But what about the fragrance you wear? That signature scent is likely composed of synthetic materials (as most commercial fragrances are), mass-produced, packaged and shipped around the world in the millions of units. Natural perfumery is a much different process that uses only essential oils and precious absolutes that are extracted from plants. Like fine wine, subtle differences can be found from the same plant from year to year depending on soil conditions and climate meaning that it is not an exact science but a creative alchemical process.
In this sensory workshop we will examine the artisanal art of natural perfumery. Students will gain a basic understanding of the sense of smell, the history of perfume, the advent of synthetic ingredients and the return to naturals. Perfume ingredients and formulation will be explored, and each participant will leave with two bottles of their own bespoke perfume.
No prior knowledge of perfume making is required. Students should bring a notebook to class, all other materials will be provided.
Julianne Zaleta is a natural perfumer, aromatherapist and herbalist and has trained with Michael Scholes and Jeanne Rose. Owner and sole proprietor of her own company, Herbal Alchemy Apothecary, Julianne creates aromatic and therapeutic remedies and elixirs for a wide variety of ailments. As a perfumer she has trained with Mandy Aftel to create a line of all natural perfumes. Recently she has turned her attention to artisanal cocktails, which makes her work life quite enjoyable, as you can imagine.
Apocalypse Now? The Lure of Nostradamus in Modern Times
An Illustrated Lecture with Stéphane Gerson, Associate Professor of French Studies at NYU
Location: Observatory
Date: Thursday, December 13th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $10
Presented by Phantasmaphile
All of us are familiar with the name Nostradamus, but who was he really? Why did his predictions become so influential in the Renaissance and then persist for nearly five centuries? And what does Nostradamus’ endurance in the West say about us and our own world? Alone among French prophets and astrologers, Nostradamus and his puzzling quatrains have resurfaced in one historical crisis after another. Whenever we seem to enter a new era, whenever the premises of our worldview are questioned or imperiled, they offer certainty and solace.
NYU historian Stéphane Gerson grew interested in Nostradamus in the wake of 9/11 and then undertook extensive research in Europe and the U.S. In this talk, he will situate Michel de Nostredame in his world and then trace the singular posterity of his prophecies until they became our modern Gospel of Doom. He will explain why so many people have gravitated toward his quatrains and suggest that we reconsider Nostradamus as a creature of the modern West rather than some antidilluvian relic. Ultimately, the Nostradamus phenomenon tells us more about our past and our present than it does about the future.
Stéphane Gerson is a cultural historian of modern France and the author of Nostradamus: How an Obscure Renaissance Astrologer Became the Modern Prophet of Doom
Hope to see you at some or all!
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