Please Note: Timetable and Speakers May Be Subject to Change.

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8:30am - Doors open to the general public.

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9am - Conference opening address.
 

9:30am - Josephine Winter - “The Other Underworld: Witchcraft and Occultism in Australia, 1970s-Present".

Like its Northern Hemisphere counterparts, Australia experienced its own occult boom in the 1970s. Many of the groups, events and organisations founded during this boom and later during the Satanic Panic contributed significantly to the country's current occult landscape and culture. This presentation includes research, first-hand accounts and artefacts to follow the threads that led to here and now.

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10:15am - Break.

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10:30am - Setken - “A Monumental Egyptian Tomb In Melbourne".

Hidden within a suburban Melbourne cemetery lies a remarkable piece of Egyptian-inspired architecture: the tomb of David Syme, one of the world’s first media tycoons and the influential proprietor of The Age newspaper. Completed in 1910 and 12 years before the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, this heritage-listed mausoleum is a spectacular example of Arts And Crafts architecture based on Trajan’s Kiosk in Egypt’s south. In this captivating presentation, artist-researcher Setken delves into the fascinating history of the Syme tomb, uncovering its architectural brilliance, cultural significance, and the mysterious stories surrounding its creation. From the influence of Egyptology and Theosophy to the role of the Victorian Spiritualist Union and Syme's connection with Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, Setken reveals how the monument reflects Melbourne's forgotten history. Featuring unpublished research, stunning visuals, and compelling storytelling, this talk is a journey into Melbourne’s extraordinary occult past and the life of a complex man whose tomb stands as a testament to an era of spiritual exploration, freethought and artistic innovation.

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11:15am - Break.

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11:30am - Benjamin Turale - “The Mercury Archetype in Alchemy".

The riddle of the alchemical Mercurius is the greatest & best kept secret of the Hermetic tradition. “That which is below is like unto that which is above, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing" - so speaks the emerald tablet, an enigmatic Hermetic text allegedly authored by the Greco-Egyptian sage, Hermes Trismegistus. The shorthand for which, being “As Above, So Below", itself being a distillation of all occult practice. For those with eyes to see, hidden in plain sight the Emerald Tablet points to a core practice to locate Mercurius, the universal life spirit, in nature. But in practical and physical terms, what is this mercury in alchemy? And how have modern spiritual interpretations of it in the Western Esoteric tradition missed this physical substance? This talk is an exploration of the role that the Mercury archetype plays in and out of the laboratory in traditional Hermetic alchemy, with images and work shared from the speaker's lab.

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12:15pm - Lunch.

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1:15pm - Dr. David Waldron - “The Almanac of a Cunning Man".

This talk explores the intersection of folk medicine, supernatural belief, and social marginality in colonial Australia, focusing on the practices of so-called “cunning folk.” Drawing on archival materials, including almanacs and handwritten remedies, it examines the lives of figures such as Benjamin Noakes, a transported convict turned rural healer, and Margaret Foran, a fortune teller whose practices reflected deep-rooted traditions of supernatural belief.
 

2:00pm - Break.

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2:15pm - Shu Yap - “Secrets of the Mercury Cycle".

Mercury completes its synodic cycle with the Sun in approximately 116 days, during which it moves through distinct morning and evening phases and passes a series of ordered thresholds marked by visibility, concealment, ascent, and descent. These recurring astronomical moments form a coherent and meaningful pattern, long recognised, though seldom fully articulated, within occult and astrological traditions. In this lecture, we will reveal the inherent patterns of Mercury’s movements and realise that they are not merely astronomical events, but expressions of a deeper Hermetic order in which celestial motion mirrors processes of intellection, mediation, and transformation. From this emerges a structured matrix, offering practitioners a refined framework with which to consciously align astrological elections, magical operations, and contemplative or spiritual practices.

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3:00pm - Break.

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3:15pm - Peregrin Wildoak - “Go Gentle into that Good Night: the Esoteric Dimension of Death”.

A presentation of the contemporary esoteric wisdom on death, dying and the post mortem state. This presentation will detail the hidden side of death, provide keys for maximising the spiritual potential of our own deaths and methods to spiritually assist those who are dying or who have recently died.

 

4:00pm - Speaker Panel Q & A, door prizes drawn.

This is a chance for anyone from the audience to ask the speaker panel any burning questions they may have.

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4:30pm - 6:00pm - Conference open to non-ticket holders, stalls until close.

In the last part of the day, the general public may come in to browse the stalls for free.