The Power of Nature: The folklore and practices of evoking the divine
with Chantal Toporow, PhD



This 4 week course from the Rhine Education Center is presented as an adult education course and can be taken as a graded course in the Libaral Arts program. If it is taken for a grade, it may be applied to some certificate programs from the Rhine Education Center. It will consist of weekly class broadcasts on TuesdaysOctober 10th - 31st, 7pm - 9pm Eastern US Time, along with an interactive discussion forum where students can discuss class topics and interact with the course instructor.

If you cannot attend the live class broadcasts, you can watch the recordings of the classes when it is most convenient for you. Many successful students have attended courses by watching the class recordings.


View the Course Syllabus


Course Description


Nature colorfulMashupHow does Nature reveal the divine, the miraculous, and mystical, and what are the similarities between cultures that give us profound insight into its power?

This 4-week survey course will review paramount movements through the ages to discover how nature has enabled humans to connect with the deeper consciousness of all living things. Students will explore how the people of the world share a reverence for nature, considering it to be divine, sacred, or populated by spiritual beings, and how ancient beliefs and present-day movements are influencing attempts to use the powerful forces of Nature to conjure the extraordinary and the unimaginable.

As we critically examine a multitude of nature-based practices, such as the belief in supernatural beings and supernatural forces, we will introduce concepts used in ancient and modern movements such as animism, alchemy, astrology, biodynamics, bioenergetics, druidry, hermeticism, geomagnetism, green magic, qigong, natural healing, nature spirituality, mythology, polytheism, shamanism, Shintoism, tribal nature-based religions, wiccan, etc. This journey will enable students to gain an introduction and deeper appreciation of our connection to nature and how it governs our own psychic and conscious development, nurturing our connection to nature's more ethereal realms.


When: Live broadcasts once a week or watch the class recordings at your convenience.

Where: This is an ONLINE COURSE, so you can participate anywhere you have an internet connection.

Tuition: $99 ($79 for Rhine Members)


View the Course Syllabus