In this livestream conversation, I am joined by Dr Caroline Tully, archaeologist, antiquities curator, and practising Pagan, to explore the fertile ground where academic research, magical practice, and creative making intersect. Drawing on her specialism in Bronze Age Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean art and religion, we will reflect on how ancient religious worlds continue to shape contemporary Pagan identities, artistic practices, and esoteric imaginaries.

A central focus of the discussion will be the exhibition Creative Acts at the State Library Victoria, which Caroline co-curated and examines how artists access creative material, whether through psychological, spiritual, or esoteric frameworks. We will discuss occult art, automatic drawing, and the work of Barry William Hale, situating these practices within longer histories of inspiration, channelling, and altered states of consciousness.

The conversation will also address broader themes relevant to contemporary Pagan and esoteric studies, including the reception of ancient religions today, the role of material culture and landscape, animism and ecology, and the increasing visibility of esotericism within museums and galleries. This livestream is aimed at those interested in Pagan studies, Western esotericism, archaeology, art history, and the critical study of lived religion, as well as practitioners curious about how scholarship and practice can meaningfully inform one another.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr Caroline Tully is a Pagan and witch who is also an archaeologist, antiquities curator, and a professional tapestry weaver. She is an honorary fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia, specialising in Bronze Age Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean art and religion. Caroline’s research interests also include the reception of ancient religion within contemporary Paganism, the use of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art and architecture within Neoclassical and Egyptian Revival styles – particularly funerary monuments – and she has strong interests in the Environmental Humanities, nature, landscape, animism, ecology, and ecofeminism.

See her academic publications here: https://unimelb.academia.edu/CarolineTully

See her blog here: https://necropolisnow.blogspot.com/

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00:00:00 Introduction: Meet Dr Caroline Tully

00:01:56 How Dr Tully became a Pagan

00:04:39 Dr Caroline Tully encounters Wicca

00:06:47 Dr Tully and the Church of All Worlds

00:09:28 The O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis)

00:13:16 Dr Tully’s Academic Career

00:18:22 Dr Tully’s PhD in Archeology

00:20:13 Is Wicca an Ancient Religion?

00:22:16 Can Reconstructed Religions work?

00:29:13 On Being a Scholar of Paganism and Being a Pagan

00:34:08 Practitioner – Scholar Relations Discussion

00:39:17 Scholars Need to be Open and Honest with Practitioners

00:49:37 Misunderstandings about Bronze Age Aegean Religions

00:56:25 The Minoan Snake “Goddess” Figures

01:03:12 How Important is it to Comply with an Established Ritual?

01:06:36 The Creative Arts Exhibition that Dr Tully helped Curate

01:22:34 How to Find Dr Caroline Tully’s Work Online

01:25:56 Support Angela’s Symposium

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Published on January 12, 2026