The Fenris Wolf 9 intro
As a little treat in awaiting the publication of The Fenris Wolf 13, I share the introduction to The Fenris Wolf 9, originally published in 2017:
Editors’ Introduction: Looking back at the crossroads
In 1953, psychoanalyst and anthropologist George Devereux published a collection of works from various psychoanalysts entitled Psychoanalysis and the Occult, which explored the intersection between the practice of psychoanalysis and occult phenomena, including contributions from Freud himself on ‘Premonitions and Chance’, ‘Psychoanalysis and Telepathy’, and ‘The Occult Significance of Dreams’. Additionally, Freud’s paper ‘Notes on the Unconscious’ was published in the journal of the Society for Psychical Research in 1912. Since that time, however, the majority of psychoanalysts willing to traverse occult terrain have worked within a Jungian framework, as the topic itself was central to the split between Freud and Jung, with the former insisting the burgeoning field of psychoanalysis be scientific and not spiritualist. However, Freud maintained an interest in occult phenomena longer than many of his followers would like to believe, and it is time to explore this aspect of his work further.
Until now, the intersection of psychoanalysis and the occult has perhaps been most richly explored through the arts. Most well known are the Surrealists, who espoused Freud’s theories, and who were fascinated by the unconscious, dreams, synchronicity, automatic writing and chance encounters. These themes and methods are also featured in the work of the Symbolists, Futurists, Dadaists, Fluxists and Actionists, as well as in the work of avant-garde artists of our day.
With all of this in mind, an idea grew inside us to create a cross-disciplinary, intellectual interface that would not only shine the light on similarities and differences, but also heal the unnecessary divide that in so many ways bars development and progress. This idea gradually expanded into the conference Psychoanalysis, Art & the Occult, which was held in London on May 5-8, 2016, and organised by us (Vanessa Sinclair of das Unbehagen and Carl Abrahamsson of The Institute of Comparative Magico-anthropology).
The purpose of this conference was to bring together a diverse group of psychoanalysts, occultists and artists to share their views on human subjectivity and culture. Through an investigation of the unique modes and methodologies utilized by each individual practitioner, we believe it’s possible to explore human experience via the convergence of domains that rarely speak to one another yet often work in similar and complementary ways. And that’s more or less exactly what happened during these three highly inspirational days in London.
The conference space (the Candid Arts Centre) exhibited relevant art, with works by Natan Alexander, Jhonn Balance, Vanessa Sinclair, Jesse Bransford, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Val Denham, Ken Henson, Derek Elmore, Steingrímur Eyfjör∂, Katelan Foisy, Billy Jacobs, Malcolm McNeill & William S. Burroughs, Roberto Migliussi, Juan Sebastian Montoya, Annette Rawlings, Charlotte Rodgers, K Lenore Siner, Austin Osman Spare, and Fredrik Söderberg. Besides this exhibition and the actual talks (with ensuing discussions), we also arranged for musical performances, film screenings, sales of books from pioneering publishers, and even a final ritual facilitated by Langston Kahn and Khi Armand, with the expressed desire to heal and overcome the interdisciplinary divide. Needless to say, most participants were overwhelmed, enthusiastic, inspired and eventually exhausted!
This issue of The Fenris Wolf collects most of the papers and talks from the conference, including additional ones from the different panels’ moderators. It presents a colourful bouquet of wisdoms, experiences, perspectives, traditions and attitudes that we believe is the first of its kind (but surely not the last).
It’s interesting to see how people from the different disciplines felt challenged to enter, to varying degrees, into new fields of information. Occultists took on psychoanalysis, and analysts, occultism. One of the greatest rewards of the conference was this audacious attitude of looking at new things and new areas in the company of savants; the overall bouquet benefiting from this speculative bravery.
The inspiration and insights from the conference linger on in those who attended, and in those who have since heard and read about it. It is our sincere hope that this issue of The Fenris Wolf will carry on in that experimental Promethean spirit we all conjured up together at this literally analytic, creative and magical crossroads in time and space.
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who participated as speakers, artists, booksellers and attendees; with special thanks to Andrew Lahman, James Birch, Malcolm McNeill, Andrew M McKenzie, Gail Denham, Danny Loker, Oli Novadieks, Jeanne Delvin, Caleigh Fisher, Sheer Zed, Jordan Osserman, and Claus Laufenburg & Xavier Laradji of Timeless Editions.
An editorial note: As the texts in this issue stem from various minds from various cultures, there are obviously some stylistic inconsistencies. We have chosen to keep these, including possible “magical” language quirks and experiments, in the name of heterogeneous and creative integrity. However, for any spelling or typographical errors, pure and simple, we assume full responsibility.
Vanessa Sinclair & Carl Abrahamsson
New York & Stockholm, Vernal Equinox 2017
I always enjoy what you write