Prof. Dr. Nick Campion – Sophia Centre – Cosmology in Culture

A post about Nick Campion – https://www.facebook.com/SollerWeb/posts/nick-campion-astrologer-of-our-parish-and-sollericarticle-by-shirley-roberts-int/2379853962097358/

Towards a Post Modern Astrology – a lecture by Robert Hand – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_1m7_5y9fo&t=1943s

Filmliste – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWfUcScvQbEwZVXRagkTgfJfxR-7gS_NF

Urania Trust – https://www.uraniatrust.org/about-us/board-of-trustees – Sophia Trust – https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sophia_Trusthttps://www.astro.com/edu/ed_soph2_e.htm

Dr. Nick Campion – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/staff/nicholas-campion/ is Associate Professor in Cosmology and Culture – Director of the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture – Director of the Harmony Institute – Programme Director of the MA Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, MA Ecology and Spirituality – Principal Lecturer at the Institute of Education and Humanities – University of Wales Trinity Saint David – Lampeter,Ceredigion,Wales, SA48 7ED,UK.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) was formed on 18 November 2010 through the merger of the University of Wales Lampeter and Trinity University College Carmarthen – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/about/

MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology

Information by Bernadette Brady – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkWCPwO0WNw&list=PLqrXs5EoIK0mx0Y8bycjcT6etJZkck-XR&index=10

https://www.astrology.org.uk/astrology-at-university-the-ma-in-cultural-astronomy-and-astrology-by-nicholas-campion/

Quotes:“First, a bit of background. We do not teach astrology as a vocational discipline – and for very good reasons. In 2000 there was a two-day meeting of all the astrological schools and national astrological societies in the UK, along with some academics, and it was agreed that the teaching of astrology as chart-reading was done well enough by the astrological schools,  and that postgraduate education should deal with historical, cultural and philosophical issues. So we set off at Bath Spa University College, our first home, in 2002, to create a postgraduate course – a MA – which explored astrology from a historical, anthropological and philosophical perspective.“

„As we are based in the University’s Faculty of Humanities we do not have to consider any notions of astrology’s truth or otherwise. These are scientific concerns which don’t bother us. Neither are we concerned with proving astrology. Instead we are interested in the experience of astrology, what astrologers say and do – and what they said and did in the past. We treat astrology as a universal feature of human culture so, although most of the material concerns western astrology, we are beginning to include information from India and China, and students can explore the history and culture of Aztec, African or Australian Aboriginal astrologies – or of anywhere else – of they wish. We try to embrace all student interests!“

„About 80% of our students have a background as students or practitioners of astrology, while 20% have a general interest in the wider culture of astronomy and the ways in which we use the sky to make meaning in our lives.“

„We also take more traditional academic approaches: in the History of Astrology module one of the assignments requires an examination of the use or depiction of one planet, zodiac sign or constellation through at least three sources, which may be astrological or astronomical or both, as long as one is modern and one is ancient.“

„The first module (‘Introduction to Cultural Astronomy and Astrology’) focuses on debates about the nature of culture; the philosophy and nature of astrology, and theories about how and why it works….“

„The second compulsory module, ‘Researching Contemporary Cosmologies’, deals with such issues as the position of the researcher in the research process….Amongst the other topics we cover are the nature of symbol, the development of psychological astrology, classical divination and theurgy, and the nature of sacred space, and students get a chance to learn how to work out astronomical alignments at ancient sites, analyse astrological texts, and keep a sky journal.“

Initiated in 2002 as a campus-based degree with fifteen students, the MA has been taught online since 2008. – https://www.academia.edu/40449336/A_Niche_Degree_a_Case_Study_of_an_MA_in_Cultural_Astronomy_and_Astrology

(Quotes) from https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/ma-cultural-astronomy-astrology/

„The Centre – and the MA – are a part of the Institute of Education and Humanities  = the former School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.“

Prof. Campion:“Our work can be summed up as the study of the many, varied and rich ways in which human beings relate to the cosmos, and use the sky as a backdrop for their lives, looking to it to provide meaning and encourage action. Astronomy and astrology in the sense they are widely understood now were not distinguished in premodern and non-western societies, which explains why we can bracket them together in the wider pursuit of understanding the relationship between humanity, culture and the cosmos.“

„Nick Campion is an associate Professor in Cosmology and Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, where he is also the programme Director of the MA in Cultural Astronomy – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/ma-cultural-astronomy-astrology/ – Over the duration of the MA, students take four thirty credit modules and then write a dissertation worth 60 credits. A full-time student would take two modules per term. In the former structure one twenty credit module would require about 10 to 12 hours of study per week. Each module of the former structure consisted of eight weeks of course work plus, usually an extra four weeks to complete the final essay. Students work in their own time depending on other professional or family commitments. – The course, quite simply, is unique. It is the only accredited university degree in the world to explore the human relationship with the sky through history and culture. We cover a wide range of material, from the ancient world to the present, and across cultures, and give students the chance to undertake individual research projects.“

Teaching Staff – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/sophia/staff-profiles/

„And as a successful graduate you will have:

  • Gained an understanding of the role of astronomy, astrology and cosmology in society, through history and in a range of cultures.
  • Acquired skills in qualitative research.
  • Developed skills in critical thinking and the ability to develop evidence-based arguments in the subject area.
  • Obtained a qualification which stands as a worldwide mark of quality.
  • Learned how to communicate with academics in different disciplines.“

The Topics

  • The cultural consequences and expressions of astronomy, astrology and cosmology
  • Collect data on what people believe about the stars right now
  • Explore the history of astrology
  • Examine the use of the sky, stars and planets in religion
  • Investigate ideas about the relationship between soul, psyche and psychology and the cosmos
  • Research ancient practices of magic and divination
  • Keep a journal of your own sky observations.
  • Look at how the sky and stars are represented in the arts, literature and film.
  • Learn how to measure and interpret celestial alignments at archaeological sites

„You will be awarded the MA on successfully completing a 15,000 word dissertation based on a supervised research project. – Students from some other MAs in the University can take some Cultural Astronomy and Astrology modules towards their own qualifications. These include Ancient Religion, the Study of Religions, Engaged Anthropology, and Ecology and Spirituality.“

Flexible Qualifications and Learning (in the former structure):

You can sign up for the whole MA, or just commit to a Postgraduate Certificate (two modules) or Postgraduate Diploma (three modules) and then upgrade to the MA. You can also take one or two modules as an Occasional Student. – Some of our modules offer the chance to pursue a research project, and the 15,000 word dissertation is based on personal research, worked out and conducted under the direction of our expert staff. – We also hold an annual summer school.  – https://www.flickr.com/photos/sophiacentre/ – We combine staff lectures with classes and a chance for students to present their work and an excursion. It’s a chance to work, study and socialise.“ 

Examples for first-class Dissertations

http://sophia-project.net/Spica/http://spica.org.uk

Issue 1 – http://sophia-project.net/Spica/pdfs/2013-1.pdf

Prof. Campion is the Director of the Sophia Centre

for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, and Astrology – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/sophia/ – the only academic Centre in the world to deal with cultural relationships with the sky and the cosmos. – Staff – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/sophia/staff-profiles/

and editor of the journal Culture and Cosmos – https://sophiacentrepress.comhttp://www.cultureandcosmos.org

The Journal of Skyscape Archaeology (JSA) – https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JSA

Prof. Campion on the Astra – Project

History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy with Nicholas Campionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FzvaHB1GwQhttps://talk.vonabisw.de/Talk/NC1.mp4

https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/staff/nicholas-campion/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Campionhttps://www.astro.com/astrowiki/de/Nicholas_Campionhttps://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Nicholas_Campionhttps://top-astro.de/horoskop/nick-campion-horoskop.phphttps://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Nicholas_Campionhttps://www.facebook.com/nick.campion.10https://www.cpalondon.com/nick.html

Topics for a Talk

-Roots and History of the Sophia Centre and the task of the Urania Trust – https://www.uraniatrust.org/about-us/board-of-trustees

-Creating the only academic Centre in the world to deal with cultural relationships with the sky and the cosmos and the challenges in that process – the journey from Bath to Lampeter

-Other places with „Astrology and the Academy“ and Your View about Kepler – College in Seattle

-History of the journal Culture and Cosmos

-History of the Sophia Centre Press

-The Visions and Techniques in and about „Cultural Astronomy and Astrology (MA)“ 

-the details of the MA –

  • The cultural consequences and expressions of astronomy, astrology and cosmology
  • Collect data on what people believe about the stars right now
  • Explore the history of astrology
  • Examine the use of the sky, stars and planets in religion
  • Investigate ideas about the relationship between soul, psyche and psychology and the cosmos
  • Research ancient practices of magic and divination
  • Keep a journal of your own sky observations.
  • Look at how the sky and stars are represented in the arts, literature and film.
  • Learn how to measure and interpret celestial alignments at archaeological sites

How do these Topics manifest themselves in the studies of the individual student?

About how many normal pages will a 15,000 word dissertation be?

The MA requires  4 x 30 credit modules (instead of the former six twenty credit modules)+ the Dissertation – how are the modules structured – can the student choose out of a lot more than 4 – how do these modules present themselves – considering that the whole MA is online – what are Your personal experiences with advantages and disadvantages of this approach – What’s the meaning of „30 credit“?

The Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture – https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/sophia/https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/ma-cultural-astronomy-astrology/https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/research/humanities-lampeter/sophia-centre/http://www.sophia-project.net

The Sophia Centre Press – https://sophiacentrepress.com

Culture and Cosmos – since 1997

a peer-reviewed academic journal – http://www.cultureandcosmos.org

The Sophia-Tairona Project – http://sophia-project.net/research/tairona.php

Filmlisten Prof. Dr. Nick Campion

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqrXs5EoIK0mx0Y8bycjcT6etJZkck-XR

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWfUcScvQbEwZVXRagkTgfJfxR-7gS_NF

Nick Campion – Seine Bücher – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU2YXLS1IUE

https://www.amazon.de/Nicholas-Campion/e/B001H6QAF0%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Archetypische Kosmologie – Videoshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqrXs5EoIK0kMLY9TyLGAijiNhGUitLwp

Sacred Mysteries – https://www.youtube.com/@SacredMysteriesTV/videos – Filmliste – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWfUcScvQbEywAjGAGzUmdTR1jwMUf2n6

The public outreach page of the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, with information about studying with the University, as well as links to related conferences, classes, publications and events. – http://www.sophia-project.net

Spica Student Journal – http://sophia-project.net/Spica/index.phphttp://spica.org.uk

Awards

  • Marc Edmund Jones Award (1992)
  • Prix Georges Antares Award (1994)
  • Spica Award (1999)
  • Charles Harvey Prize (2002)
  • Regulus Award (2002)
  • Regulus Award (2012)
  • Carlos Jaschek Award, the leading international award in cultural astronomy.

https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/news/press-releases/press-2022/uwtsd-academic-receives-international-carlos-jaschek-award.html?fbclid=IwAR38Wu1qpzTjnHrQ7QnEmzq_dAseaSv9XWtzkxzNwD8TdOCzJj501ZJhnNc

The European Society for Astronomy in Culture is a Professional Association of scientists working in the field of Astronomy in Culture or Anthropological Astronomy, including the interdisciplinary disciplines of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy – https://easychair.org/cfp/SEAC2022

On the Internet in 2022 about the Sophia Project:

The goal of the Sophia Project is to advance the scholarly study of astrology and cultural astronomy in British institutions of higher education. We seek to make it possible to study any aspect, past or present, of the heavens’ human significance – whether social, intellectual, cultural, religious or psychological – and to do so in accordance with the best academic standards. Funds for this purpose are administered by the Sophia Trust, which is advised by a steering committee comprised of trustees and elected representatives from the astrological community. – At present the Sophia Project is funding four principal initiatives:

The Warburg Institute, University of London: A short-term research fellowship, the Sophia Fellowship, will provide funding for one month (£1,000), two months (£1,800) or three months (£2,600) to pursue research into any aspect of the history of astrology or cultural astronomy in any period up till 1700. Applicants must be 29 years of age or older. The first position was advertised in October 2001 for tenure in the academic year 2001-2002. We are hoping to hold a joint Warburg/ Sophia research seminar in summer 2002.

The University of Southampton: Professor Chris Bagley, of the Social Work Studies Department, has started a Research Group for the Critical Study of Astrology. The group is working with several social science postgraduate students with relevant research concerns (for example, the efficacy of astrology as a counselling tool). It has also embarked on establishing a comprehensive online data-base, complete with brief abstracts, on research into astrology.

The University of Kent at Canterbury: An undergraduate course – part of the study of Mysticism and Religious Experience – began in September 2001, and a module in the MA starts in January 2002. Both are entitled ‘Cosmology and Divination’, and take as their starting-point astrology as a divinatory practice in the ancient,  classical, Renaissance and modern worlds.

In autumn 2002 a pioneering Centre for the Study of Cultural Astronomy and Astrology will open, in its own premises, at Bath Spa University College. Its purpose is to promote the academic study of astrology and its practice, and to pursue research, scholarship and teaching on the relationship between cosmological, astronomical and astrological myths, beliefs and theories, and society, politics, religion and the arts, both past and present. It will offer an MA. The Centre will be led by a Principal Lecturer supported by a Senior Lecturer

https://web.archive.org/web/20020125081608/http://sophia-project.org.uk/