Mgr. Jan Ševčík

is a librarian, political scientist, and historian specializing in the history of occultism and the influence of occult organizations and teachings on politics. He obtained his higher education while working at Masaryk University, where he earned a master's degree in political science in 2019. He is now continuing his studies in a doctoral program at the Historical Institute of MUNI. He works at the Jiří Mahen Library, currently as the head of the Jiří Mahen Memorial. He is also involved in social work and lecturing. Among his publications, for example, is a comprehensive historical study "Brno," which explores various conceptions of the city, whether functional or in the understanding of its different groups of inhabitants. The study was published as part of the collection The City and Its Symbols (2021).

PhDr. Mgr. Tomáš Kubisa, PhD.

is an ethnologist and scholar of religion, focusing on contemporary esotericism and new religious and esoteric movements in Slovakia. He completed his rigorous studies at Charles University in Prague and his doctoral studies at the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS). He worked at the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of SAS, where he focused on digital ethnology, archival research, applied archival science, and digitization of archival collections. He currently works as a historian at the Nation's Memory Institute. He is a founding member and the current director of the Institute for Research of Slovak Esotericism.

Mgr. Veronika Šulcová

is a Czech political scientist and author. Topics such as indigenous traditions, myths, and magic have attracted her since childhood. Eventually, however, she was captivated by Afro-Caribbean religions, which she has been studying for 15 years. In this spirituality, she finds a unique connection of a living religious system and deep historical roots. In her books, she combines an academic approach, straddling the fields of religious studies and cultural anthropology, with engaging descriptions of local customs and authentic depictions of magical and ritual practices. Published books include: Voodoo: Magic and Religion (2013), Santería: Worship of Saints in Cuba (2017), Initiation into Haitian Voodoo (2020), Encyclopedia of Voodoo (2022).

Mgr. Olga Čejková

studied religious studies and art history at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno. She is currently engaged in a doctoral study of religious studies at Palacký University in Olomouc, focusing on the research of religious elements in hunting. She works at the Jiří Mahen Library in Brno, where she serves as the head of the Marketing Department and Cultural Educational Services. She is also active as an art curator in independent projects at Schrott Gallery Brno, Galerie Ve výminku, and others.

Mgr. Ondřej Varaďa

is a doctoral candidate at the Historical Institute of the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University in Brno. He focuses on the circumstances surrounding the creation of Czechoslovakia, the history of the Czechoslovak legions, and especially the fates of their members during the interwar period in Czechoslovakia. Among other things, he presented his findings in the study The Image of Home in the Diaries of Czechoslovak Legionnaires (Studia Historica Brunensia, No. 1, 2022).

Inka Shanna

Markéta Oskeruše

participates in the conference as one of the additional organizers. Her own practice, which is primarily focused on Czech folk magic and witchcraft, brought her to this role. She is also inspired by other European traditions, such as Basque and Romani witchcraft. Besides her practice, she is particularly devoted to her artistic creation, inspired by magic, witchcraft, and magical folklore. You can find her under the brand Oskerushe.

And others...

  Network Platform

is a loose association of scientists, occultists, and interested individuals that was established at the end of 2023 to facilitate mutual communication, organize conferences and community events, collaborate on occultism research in the Czech and Slovak Republics and assist with the exchange of information and archival materials.

The Network's activities also include the preservation of occult documents and artifacts, particularly through their digitization and making them accessible, as well as supporting emerging researchers and practitioners, and lastly, the popularization of scientific research of occultism.

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Institute for the Study of Slovak Esotericism

was established in 2023 as an institution that maps, studies, and documents the esoteric and occult circles in Slovakia, both historical and contemporary.

Currently, its main research lines include the activities of members of the Czechoslovak Society Universalia in Slovakia and the continuation of their legacy, as well as documenting the activities of the esoteric and occult from 1989 to the present.

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Jiří Mahen Library in Brno

is the largest public municipal library in Moravia and the second largest in the Czech Republic. It has been established by the statutory city of Brno since 1921. 

The library is a significant cultural, educational, informational, and social center consisting of the Central Library, Mahen Memorial, IN-center, and 34 branches.

The library offers a wide range of services, literature, media, and music scores and organizes cultural and educational programs for schools as well as for the general and professional public.

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Historia Europeana

is an association founded in the spring of 2011, open to all students and academic staff who are dedicated to the study of modern European history. The founders of HE are doctoral students from the Historical Institute of the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno. 

Our vision is to organize conferences, workshops, and lectures, especially designed for young researchers in the fields of modern history, international relations, European studies, political science, legal history, and other related disciplines. At these events, participants can meet, discuss, establish contacts, and mutually enrich each other with different perspectives and insights from other humanities disciplines.

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Friday Dancers

is a Brno-based dance group that specializes in improvisational belly group dance in the FCBD style.

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Liquid Landscape

is a podcast for spiritual exploration, independence, literacy, diversity, and spiritual well-being. 

The goal of the podcast is to build spiritual literacy and independence in the listener, map the spiritual world of the twenty-first century, explore esotericism intelligently, and have some fun while doing it. 

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Way of Tea

is a tea house and tea shop. At The Tea Journey, our main focus is on the quality of the teas we offer. We also strive to always be able to advise you and share our knowledge from the world of tea culture.

Whether you are an experienced tea lover or a complete beginner when it comes to loose teas and their preparation, you will always find what you are looking for with us. Whether you stop by for tea or to buy tea, we are always happy to welcome you here!

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Brewery in Stráž nad Nežárkou

 was established in the former premises of the JAS Stráž nad Nežárkou company, which used to produce wooden toys. The brewery continues the tradition of brewing beer in Stráž, which dates back to the mid-16th century and lasted until 1926. Since brewing beer ceased nearly 100 years ago, the new brewery started with a clean slate. The first idea for building the brewery arose on July 1, 2020, and the first batch of beer was brewed on December 1, 2021.

The brewery also brews Baron beer, a 13% strong dark beer dedicated to the memory of Baron Adolf Leonhardi, who resided in Stráž nad Nežárkou. Baron was a member of the Imperial Council, a Czech patriot, a friend of T.G. Masaryk, as well as a restorer and tireless promoter of Czech occultism. The brewery is donating a keg of Baron beer to support our conference.

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