The Humours - choler, phlegm, blood, and black bile - underlie the very Elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth: the foundational organisational principles of a magical cosmos in European occult philosophy and sorcerous practice. They are the corollaries of those Elements found in the bodies of all mammals, and formed the dominant medical as well as magical model used to explain how animals (especially humans) interacted with their environment in a living web of being. The ideas and techniques of the Humours are not simply old outdated bad medicine, but have much to still teach us about living a balanced and connected magical life.

Most immediately, the Four Humours form the basis of the zodiacal personality typology. The Fiery choleric humours sparking hotheaded boldness and rage; Watery phlegmatic humours flooding us with reflective empathy and anxiety; Airy sanguine humours mixing and delighting in joy and lust; and Earthy melancholy humours casting a shadow of deep sombre and sorrowful cogitations. But this course not only offers a foundational understanding of the Four Humours, it teaches how to diagnose humoural imbalance in oneself and others, through study of behaviour, mood and dream as much as nativity charts.

It also teaches how to begin going about re-balancing these abundances and deficits, again, in ourselves and in others. We investigate practical techniques and ritual actions to utilise the sympathies and antipathies of elemental virtues to heat, cool, wet, and dry in order to heal and harmonise. We also discuss the very real elemental properties of food, drink and other botanical materia magica for their therapeutic power in ritual diet.

Finally we explore various forms of operative spell-craft using the Humours: from discussions of the "evil eye" to the power of breath - by which the Humours and passions may be harnessed to infuse things with elemental power. This course presents means of employing the Prayers of the Elementals for drawing and directing potent elemental energies and spirits. Finally, we consider how all this humoural theory and practice can be rooted in deepening understanding of the sanctifying fire, purifying water, fumigating smoke and blessed salt; and overall improving the efficacy of our consecrations - the very rites by which we empower our tools and ourselves.

The course was taught by Dr. Alexander Cummins, who is a professional diviner, consultant sorcerer and academically-trained historian of magic and the emotions. His doctoral studies examined the occult philosophy and practical magical applications of humoural theory and early modern sorcerous approaches to the passions.

This four-part course series breaks down into the following 90-minute-long classes:

Session 1: Elementary Understandings

In which fundamental understandings of the four elements are discussed and analysed, and conceptions of and methodologies for diagnosing imbalance, sympathetic regimen of re-equilibration, and the spellcrafts for manipulating those (im)balances are introduced and considered.

Session 2: A Spotter’s Guide

In which means of recognising and diagnosing particular humoural influences, affectivities, and imbalances are presented and investigated: drawing on observation of personality, behaviour, activity, and sociability as well as detailing the use of a few computational means of divination.

Session 3: Regulation & Intervention

In which are assessed the various means of regulating one’s own humoural temperament, and those of patients and clients: taking into account the employment of the ‘non-natural’ principles of diet, passions, and ‘the airs’, as well as the use of talismans and amuletic therapies.

Session 4: Manipulation & Enchantment

In which are investigated some essential details concering managing and manipulating the humours; detailing the mechanisms of action for the thermodynamics of humoural affect, as well as considering the places of planetary magic, magical fauna and flora, spiritwork, witchcraft, and the affective imagination in healing and harming.

By purchasing this class, you agree that you understand that no part of the material dictated or provided throughout the duration of the course may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any other form (neither electronic nor mechanic, including photocopies and recordings), without the direct and written consent of the instructor, Dr Alexander Cummins.