Institution
ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism)
The learned society of academic esotericism studies, convening the field since 2005
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About
The European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism is the learned society established in 2005 to advance the academic study of esotericism across Europe and beyond. It is where the field's institutional life happens: a biennial conference series (recent editions in 2025, 2023, 2022 and earlier), the peer-reviewed journal Aries, a newsletter, book series and conference transactions, and a network structure of regional and thematic groups.
Beyond the conference cycle, ESSWE runs thesis workshops, bursaries, prizes and sponsorship programs for early-career scholars, publishes news and maintains educational resource pages linking libraries, archives and research collections. Its governance is formal, with officers, a code of conduct and membership categories, and its journal Aries is the field's flagship academic publication.
For practitioners and scholars alike, ESSWE represents the academic study of Western esotericism as an established discipline, with chairs, research centres and university networks across Europe behind it. Membership is open, with discounts on conference and publications for members. The institution's stated mission: To advance the academic study of Western esotericism.
Mission
To advance the academic study of Western esotericism.
History
ESSWE was established in 2005 as Europe's learned society for the study of Western esotericism, running biennial conferences, the journal Aries, networks, thesis workshops and bursaries for the field's scholars.