Europe's first school for witches and wizards opens in Austria

ANANOVA NEWS ^ | September 11, 2002

[NYer]

Europe's first school for witches and wizards opens in Austria

Europe's first school for witches and wizards has opened in Austria.

Students can take a six-semester course, including learning to make potions and cast spells, ending in a "sorcerers' diploma."

The school is located in the mountains of Klagenfurt in southern Austria.

"Wizardry is very close to nature and is in no way a form of religion," said school director Andreas Starchel, who also calls himself Dakaneth.

"The school's aim is to pass on witches' and wizards' ancestral knowledge, which is gradually being forgotten," says the school's website.

The school caters for three classes of students. This year up to 15 sorcerers' apprentices will be taught astrology, magic, history of magic, meditation and divination and later put their theoretical studies into practice: preparing potions, making talismans and performing rituals.

Having completed a final examination and a dissertation, the student witches and wizards receive a "veneficus certificate" to mark their qualification.

A spokesman added: "In the past, witches and wizards were people recognised by society, who used their divining powers and learning to mediate between the visible and invisible worlds.

"Etymologically, 'witch' means someone who is on the border between our world and the beyond," he added, saying the aim of the courses was "to restore contact with nature, which has been lost by our society."

That means that Celtic and druidic learning and nature studies play a large part in Starchel's teachings. Stories of the legendary Lord Voldemort and classes in Defence Against the Dark Arts featured in JK Rowling's Harry Potter books do not.

[sparkydragon]

ping

[Between the Lines]

Harry Potter High?

[APBaer]

Now I see the secret of their yummy Sacher Torte!

[Cachelot]

Europe's first school for witches and wizards has opened in Austria.

"My name is Rhincewind. Where do I put my Luggage?"

[Jzen]

I want to see pictures/live coverage on the first class of broom flying. I can see it now standing atop the mountain, ok kids everyone on their brooms and push off.

[sparkydragon]

Y'know, all in all recognization for a much ignored and reviled art is probably a good thing . . . but positive recognition will probably not be forthcoming from this. At best (for the school) I can see their little diploma actually meaning something to people, thus putting many just as qualified fortune tellers, tarot readers, and palm readers out of business. Who wants to bet that they actually teach the people how to be convincing con artists?

sparky

[Alouette]

What's the name of their Quidditch team?

[robertpaulsen]

"Wizardry is very close to nature and is in no way a form of religion"

Whew! That means it's OK to teach in our schools.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[Snuffington]

A spokesman added: "In the past, witches and wizards were people recognised by society, who used their divining powers and learning to mediate between the visible and invisible worlds.

Sure, but eventually we learned that they were scam artists, frauds, and phonies. It's not like we banished them to irrelevance on accident.

[Tai_Chung]

After graduation, where would you find a job?

[dark_lord]

Whew! That means it's OK to teach in our schools.

Sarcasm? Humor?

[Snowy]

I want to see pictures/live coverage on the first class of broom flying.

What's the MPG for a broom, and can it tow a boat?

[Consort]

Classes are now in session

[kellynla]

Sure looks like the National Organization for Women to me! ROFLMAO

[kellynla]

or is NOW the National Organization for Witches LOL

[Lizavetta]

Where is that picture from? A movie?