Winter 2018 The Devil in the Detail : An Introduction to Decadent Occultism from the Editors (original) (raw)
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This introduction discusses the issue of Volupté, which explores the complex relationship between Decadent literature and occultism, highlighting the intersections of these themes through various scholarly articles stemming from a conference on Decadence, Magic(k), and the Occult. It reflects on the historical context of Decadence, its ties to the occult, and the contributions of significant figures such as Yeats and Crowley, while inviting exploration of lesser-known influencers in Decadent occultism. The issue aims to enrich the dialogue between Decadence studies and occult studies, showcasing a range of creative and critical works that challenge patriarchal narratives and engage with non-normative expressions of sexuality.
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Decadence, Magic(k), and the Occult
2018
Nineteenth-century Decadence coincided with a resurgence of esotericism, alternative religions, and a belief in magic as a rejection of secularism and science. Until now, this intersection has been most richly considered in relation to Catholicism. Most well-known is Huysmans’s tetralogy, which traces Durtal’s movement from the Black Mass to the monastery. However, Decadent literature has a much more complicated relationship with mystical, supernatural, and magical realms, one which extends beyond a simple rejection of Christian faith and has a legacy reaching beyond the long nineteenth century. DMO Ritual.jpg This two-day interdisciplinary conference is hosted by the Decadence Research Unit at Goldsmiths. Our aim is to investigate the role of occultism and magic(k) in the Decadent literary and artistic tradition through a consideration of the relationship between Decadence and the esoteric revival of the fin de siècle, providing an opportunity to re-examine the Occult roots of Decadence and explore the wide range of artistic responses to the blurred boundaries between Decadence, mysticism, ritual, and the Dark Arts. Is the meeting of practical magic and literary esotericism indicative of a symbiotic relationship between Decadence and the Occult, or does it represent merely another aspect of the Decadent rejection of mainstream ideologies?
Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, 2023
Recent years have seen a surge in scholarly monographs and edited volumes on the occult and broader esoteric topics, a clear indication of both growing interest in the field and expanding recognition of the continuing role these currents play in shaping modern societies and cultures around the world. Despite the relative newness of the academic study of Western esotericism, which is conventionally believed to have entered mainstream academic discourse with Antoine Faivre's (1934-2021) groundbreaking work L'ésotérisme (1992), the field has achieved impressive theoretical and methodological sophistication in the span of a mere four decades. The present volume, The Occult Nineteenth Century: Roots, Developments, and Impact on the Modern World, is an excellent example of the theoretical depth, interdisciplinary breadth, and topical variety characteristic of the field today, bringing together some of the biggest names and most innovative thinkers in the field of esoteric studies. The editors of the volume, Lukas Pokorny and Franz Winter, have accomplished a formidable task, masterfully combining seventeen chapters by well-established and up-and-coming scholars of esotericism into a multifaceted yet coherent collection celebrating the pioneering work of Karl Baier, Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Vienna. Unfortunately, two groundbreaking works by Baier, often referenced by the contributors, Yoga auf dem Weg nach Westen. Beiträge zur Rezeptionsgeschichte (1998) (Yoga on the Way to the West. Contributions to the History of Reception) and Meditation und Moderne: Zur Genese eines Kernbereichs moderner Spiritualität in der Wechselwirkung zwischen Westeuropa, Nordamerika und Asien (2008) (Meditation and Modernity: On the Genesis of a Core Area of Modern Spirituality in the Interaction between Western Europe, North America, and Asia) are yet to be translated into English. It is beyond doubt that this volume will be of great interest both to scholars of alternative spiritualities and to a wider audience of non-specialists who want to gain a broader understanding of various occult movements and their
The Occult World (edited by Christopher Partridge), 2015
W hile a historical study of the occult has grown into its own discipline since the early 1990s, under labels such as 'the history of hermetic philosophy' and 'the history of Western esotericism,' no comparable developments exist for a sociology of the occult. Attempts were made in the early 1970s, but the work in this regard by pioneering researchers such as Edward Tiryakian has largely gone without notice in broader sociology. With historians of the occult neglecting or being uninterested in sociological perspectives, and with sociologists interested in the study of the occult rarely paying attention to existing historiographical work, we have a situation where incompatible defi nitions abound and misunderstandings are diffi cult to avoid.
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