McCalla Ann Busman

This class is an exploration of the erotic and sexual currents of Judaism from the biblical kingdom through modern practices. Using both the Cultic and Kabbalistic interpretations of the Shir HaShirim, we will engage in a mythopoetic exploration of a fairy tale meant to express both love and desire, as well as the genesis point for life and death. Is God One? Or many? The Kabbalist would tell you that it is both, but what shaped this view? What are the mythic and ritual origins which allowed those sages to hold such an interesting theological paradox in their mind? Biblical scholars and archeologists have been studying and proposing the possibility of Hebrew monastic theology during the period of the Israelite Kingdom, in which YHVH was not the only deity worshiped, merely the greatest of many. Did the early Israelite mythos somehow make its way to the later Kabbalists of the 13th century? Studies on the Song of Songs, being considered one of the earliest written parts of the Tanakh, have been a large part of this research, especially when compared to other Near Eastern Love Poetry from the period of the Israelite Kingdom.

Utilizing their skills in Biblical Studies, Philosophy, and Poetry, witch and self-proclaimed hieros-gamhoe, McCalla Ann will bring to life the stories and rituals of their ancestors, from perspectives both sacred and profane. We will discuss the Ugaritic connections between the poem, as well as the suspected ritual sex practices which might have taken place within the Levant, before transitioning into a discussion on how these cultic practices might have influenced later Kabbalisits as they broke down the mystery of things such as the Tetragrammaton. Finally, we will end with a deconstruction of a single verse within the poem, wherein we try our own hand at cracking some potential ritual mysteries one can find when looking the poem over with a theurgist’s eye.  Taking this class will allow the student to gain a sense of gnosis and comfort within the realm of Erotic Mysticism as a whole, but most importantly, they will walk away with a deeper understanding of Jewish Mysticism and the way that the erotic and sexual has always been and still is a focal point of Jewish ritual practice and theological understanding.

McCalla Ann is an occult-based philosopher, researcher, spirit worker, and diviner from New Orleans, Louisiana. Besides reading cards, McCalla can be found teaching occult history and education with an emphasis on mysticism, Kabbalah, and philosophy. They also host a podcast under the name SaturnVox, where other occult practitioners are interviewed and critical-thinking questions about the intersection between the art and theory of magic are explored. When they aren’t crafting spells or burying their nose deep in a history book, they enjoy formally participating in religious studies via their graduate program at Rice University and playing video games with their cat, Storm.