We'll set aside the colonial period and recall some exciting times such as when Jimmy Doolittle flew over Williamsburg, a band of yeggs blew up the bank vault, Winston Churchill made the mayor wait while he was playing cards. And we'll remember the Eastern State Hospital patient who lived in her own house (it's still standing)and the Richmond widow who put a Confederate plaque in Bruton Parish Church.    

 

This course offers a new examination of some of the most notable and best selling books in American History.  The novels that the course considers are those that not only have had an impact on our culture and politics, but also reveal to us certain truths about our society.  I expect that most people who take this course will have read, or at least familiar with each of the books that we will discuss.  I hope that the lectures on each book will encourage the student to read or re-read the novels we discuss.

Of Spirits, Of Magicks, and an Interior Life is a five-part exploration of magical consciousness and the unseen currents that shape daily life. This series considers how ancient powers linger beneath modern habits and beliefs, how suppressed knowings persist as gestures, rituals, and quiet intuitions. We begin with Magic Jesus: Miracles, Faith, and the Untamed Divine, recovering the raw, miracle-working power of Jesus before doctrine reined it in, and move through Ancient Rites, Modern Chains, tracing how institutions have policed, silenced, and controlled magick across time. From there, we uncover The Powers in Daily Life, the protective acts and subtle wards we perform without thinking, and expand into Magical Consciousness: Beyond the Veil of the Rational, exploring how awareness itself becomes an active, enspirited practice. Finally, we conclude with Living Magick: Reclaiming the Unseen, offering ways to integrate these powers into daily rhythms, restoring a sense of connection, protection, and meaning that has never fully disappeared.

Sessions:
Magic Jesus: Miracles, Faith, and the Untamed Divine
Ancient Rites, Modern Chains: The Hidden History of Magick
The Powers in Daily Life: Warding, Invoking, and the Unseen
Magical Consciousness: Beyond the Veil of the Rational
Living Magick: Reclaiming the Unseen

 

 

Stephen Sondheim is known as one of the most brilliant composers to conquer Broadway. From his start with musicals like West Side Story and Gypsy to his numerous Tony award winning shows through the 70s, 80s and 90s. This course will look at the many shows Sondheim brought to the stage and his process in creating a catalog of shows on a range of topics. Course will utilize footage and recordings of Sondheim’s shows and music as well as interviews featuring the composer.

This course is a basic introduction to the science behind weather modification. It will present the fundamentals of cloud formation, the history of weather modification efforts, the science behind cloud seeding and the current technology being employed in cloud seeding efforts across the world.
The class will include three active learning segments
Adiabatic Cooling: Goal allow the participants to experience the temperature drop when air (gas) expands. Materials: 10 cans of compressed air. Discussion: how this temperature drop causes cloud formation.
Dry ice seeding of supercooled clouds: Goal allow the participants to observe the changes in clouds when seeded with dry ice. Materials: one pound dry ice, tongs, ice chest capable of being cooled to -15 C, black velvet cloth. Discussion: Implications of being able to initiate glaciation in supercooled clouds/fog.
Cloud Seeding: Discussion after viewing “How Cloud Seeding Works”, Comet/MetEd on-line learning module (no cost module)
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/index.php

Want to understand how differing multifaceted political cultures can explain not only what is happening in individual countries, but also in professional settings or social organizations in which you may participate? The theoretical material underlying political cultures will be presented and then a survey of how this material effects not only countries but individual organizations. Aspects of political cultures, among others, includes differing governing ideology, governing systems, dominate religions, economic systems, and civic and social engagement.

Have you ever, like many of us, found yourself wanting to be an author?  Join our discussion as we begin with your initial idea and follow various routes to publication.  We will consider many different genres and formats (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, textbook, technical, essays….).   By the end of our interactive session, you will have the tools to research your idea and transform it into words.   Hopefully, you will then be prepared for the HARD part:  getting your work published.  We will discuss various avenues to do so, and the challenges associated with each.  We will also consider different avenues to market your work.   Bring your ideas, your problems, and your enthusiasm to write!!

In this timely invitation to the American Wisdom Tradition, Michael Lorence is joined by special guest Dr. Michael Luchs, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Marketing at the W&M Mason School of Business, a leading expert in the research field of Consumer Wisdom. “I think of wisdom as the art and science of thriving," says Professor Luchs. "More than ever, I believe that wisdom is something we all can learn, and that how wisely we choose to use our resources can have a profound effect on our well-being – and on others as well.” Please join us for this philosophical and practical exploration of a subject of interest to us all today: What does it mean to be wise in a consumer stage of the American Wisdom Tradition?

This course delves into the intricacies of investment portfolio management. Learn how to build a diversified portfolio, analyze equities, and manage risk. Discover the pitfalls of the market and potential strategies to avoid them. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned investor, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make informed investment decisions.

 

This course is the third of a projected five-session arc exploring how Virginia’s leadership used a series of extra-legal meetings to negotiate the increasingly volatile last couple of years of being a British colony.
In the summer of 1775, relations between Great Britain and her American colonies had been exacerbated by the battles at Lexington and Concord and the convening of the Second Continental Congress. Virginia had held two extra-legal meetings, styled  “conventions,” and were now obliged to call a third to help put the colony on a war footing, should the need arise.  This course will use primary documents not commonly known to the general public to explore the options and decisions that faced Virginia’s colonial leaders.   
Subsequent classes will be timed to coincide with the 250th anniversaries of the two remaining conventions, culminating—in May, 2026—with an examination of the pivotal Fifth Convention.

This course examines illness and suffering from an Islamic perspective, drawing on the teachings of the Qur'an and the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It focuses on Said Nursi's *Message for the Sick*, rooted in the Qur'an, to explore the spiritual and emotional dimensions of hardship, offering insights into healing, wisdom, resilience, and the deeper meaning behind trials. Participants will learn how illnesses provide an opportunity to establish a deeper connection with God, transforming challenges into moments of spiritual growth and closeness to the Divine.

While the Apollo 11 and 12 missions were both successful in landing on the Moon in 1969, the crews and their challenges were very different. This class describes the fascinating, little-known stories associated with those historic missions. Videos will be shown that were made by the astronauts during those missions that capture the excitement and dread at key moments.  Informative and entertaining without scientific, engineering jargon.

"In celebration of the 250th year of his birth, this class will examine the works of J. M. W, Turner, England's foremost painter of landscapes and seascapes.  We will focus on his development from a late 18th-century student of Sir Joshua Reynolds to his growing freedom from tradition as he created works, increasingly abstract, that were both acclaimed and criticized in his own time.  Turner's paintings are extraordinarily modern in style and subject matter.  We will look at his career, his legacy, and his remarkably eccentric personal life.   Known as the ""Painter of Light,"" Turner's painting, “the Fighting Temeraire” has been acclaimed Britain’s favorite work of art.

"Have you read a good book recently? Do you want to tell others? Is the book nonfiction? Is it about a time in United States history prior to 1878? Do you want to learn about similar books from Osher students?

If you are answering yes to all questions, you belong in this class. Each student brings an open mind and ears, plus a readiness to discuss their required reading book choice that is / non-fiction / about U.S. history / covers a time prior to 1878 /

Classroom experience: Students discuss the book they read, listen to others talk about their book, reference in-class handouts, and make notes. The instructor facilitates the discussion. Students may disagree about books. However, they do so with respectful disagreement, rather than disagreeableness."

Born in 1932, John Williams has written some of best-known film scores of all time, including Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., and Schindler’s List. This talk will place Williams in the history of film music, review his long career, and show many clips from movies he has scored, along with interviews. Join us to celebrate the contributions of this great composer and enjoy some of his greatest scores.