The Sacred Space Conference

Literary and archaeological evidence suggests that Heathens in the pre-Christian era understood themselves and their world in ways quite different from that of most modern Westerners. Specifically, the boundaries between many categories – male and female, human and nonhuman, body and mind, self and not-self – were perceived as far more fluid and porous than is the case in mainstream Western thought. Drawing on both historical evidence and modern anthropology, this class will explore this approach to understanding personal identity and its implications for ritual and magical practice.