A Report by International Guest John J. Meek

Tea at Mephisto’s is unique in academic conferences in that it is well-rounded. It offered a unique balance of both academic and practicing lecturers, as well as rituals.

Walking in, I did not know what to expect. I had been to a meeting of the EuropeanSociety for the Study of Western Esotericism and am a member of two lodges of research, so I based my expectations on that. I have lectured in 4 countries, on two continents; I have even been the Keynote Speaker for the 2023 annual meeting of the Illinois Lodge of And considering that I was going in as a lecturer, I really did not know what to expect.

When I finally arrived on Friday, I found a genial, but intelligent, obviously educated group of people. There was nothing of snobbery, simply intellectuals passionate about their field of study. The first night consisted of the Welcome, as well as the Opening Lecture. The evening also included the opening receptions for the tarot exhibition from the collection of Pavel Langer and the painting exhibition by Lenka Táborská. And the evening ended with dinner and a concert by Klastracinski/project. This certainly was different from anything I had been to before.

Saturday and Sunday were the meat of the conference. Over the course of these two days, there were fifteen more lectures, mine included. These lectures covered the spectrum of esoteric practice and scholarship. There was something everyone to learn from. And the conversations between sessions and at dinner built upon the seeds sown during the lectures. And this is where the conference shined.

Topics ranged from Freemasonry to Thelema, from the Eleusian Mysteries to sleep paralysis, and various other topics. Lecturers and participants discussed different esoteric paths from various angles.

The spirit of the conference was one of collaboration and coeducation. Neither education nor learning, but coeducation, which is rare. There was no dogmatism present, simply academics and practitioners who came together to enrich themselves and those others who were present so that each walked away with having been exposed to a perspective to which they previously had no exposure.

The conference did not only consist of lectures, there were also rituals – tea ceremonies both mornings and afternoon demonstrations of esoteric rituals. This conference fed the mind and the soul.

When it was all said and done, everyone walked away with a deeper and, at the same time, broader understanding of modern esotericism. By wedding the theoretical, the practical, and the social aspects if esotericism, Tea at Mephisto’s gave the participants a unique opportunity for individual and collective growth.

John J. Meek