Rendering Unconscious Podcast: Psychoanalysis & Culture

Watch the video of this discussion here: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru339-emmalea-russo-and-vanessa-sinclair Become a paid subscriber to Rendering Unconscious Podcast for access to all new and archived episodes: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU339: EMMALEA RUSSO & VANESSA SINCLAIR ON PSYCHOANALYSIS, DREAMS & LIFE AS ART Rendering Unconscious episode 339. Emmalea Russo is here to discuss her ongoing course PSYCHO-COSMOS and the upcoming workshop we are hosting together DREAMS AS ART: Freud, Jung, Lacan In this discussion we dive into Emmalea's year-long class, "Psycho Cosmos," which explores the intersections of psychoanalysis, astrology, and art. The class features visuals, slides, and conversations, and has attracted a diverse group of artists, astrologers, and psychoanalysts. We highlight synchronicities, such as references to Freud’s seminal dream “Irma’s Injection” and Louise Bourgeois’ spiders, and discuss the astrological significance of Neptune entering Aries. We discuss our upcoming workshop on Freud, Lacan, and Jung, and their relationship to art, where we’ll explore dreams and life as creative expressions, and artworks as mirroring dreamwork. I also mention my upcoming classes on avant-garde art and psychoanalysis at Morbid Anatomy, and love for encouraging independent research and diverse perspectives. EMMALEA RUSSO is a writer. She is the author of four books of poetry and her first novel, Vivienne, was published in 2024. She has taught at various institutions including Saint Peters University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Continental Philosophy, and GCAS. She teaches classes independently on art, literature, psychoanalysis, and the occult and works with clients online via her private astrology practice. https://emmalearusso.com/ Join Emmalea Russo and Vanessa Sinclair for a free-associative workshop exploring psychoanalysis as art. DREAMS AS ART: Freud, Jung, Lacan, SATURDAY MAY 10th 11am ET - 2pm ET. https://emmalearusso.com/new-products/p/psychoanalysis-as-art-freud-jung-lacan Then beginning Sunday, May 25th, I’ll be giving a 4-week online course The Cut in Creation: Exploring the Avant-Garde, Dada, Surrealism, Modern Art, Noise Music, and Performance Art through a Psychoanalytic Lens via Morbid Anatomy Museum. https://www.morbidanatomy.org/classes/p/the-cut-in-creation-exploring-the-avant-garde-dada-surrealism-modern-art-noise-music-and-performance-art-through-a-psychoanalytic-lens-led-by-vanessa-sinclair-psyd For those interested in entering into psychoanalysis with me, I provide remote psychoanalytic treatment online, as well as consultation services for those undergoing psychoanalytic formation. For more information visit my website drvanessasinclair.net Feel free to email me directly at vs [AT] drvanessasinclair [DOT] net https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/contact/ As always thanks to Carl Abrahamsson for producing Rendering Unconscious podcast and book series. Follow him at Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CarlAbrahamsson The Fenris Wolf Substack: https://thefenriswolf.substack.com An Art Apart Substack: https://anartapart.substack.com The song at the end of the episode is “Spiraling colors” from the album “Things are happening” by Vanessa Sinclair and Pete Murphy. Available at Pete Murphy’s Bandcamp Page: https://petemurphy.bandcamp.com Our music is also available at Spotify and other streaming services: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3xKEE2NPGatImt46OgaemY?si=jaSKCqnmSD-NsSlBLjrBXA Image: Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst, Remedios Varo, 1961

In this podcast episode, Carl Abrahamsson explores the contemporary occult scene, emphasizing its dual role as both a reflection of our collective consciousness and a potential catalyst for social change. The term "occult," derived from the Latin "occultus," highlights practices historically shrouded in mystery. However, today's modern occultism has emerged into the open, resonating with contemporary anxieties and aspirations. Abrahamsson examines the rise of astrology and pop witchcraft among millennials and Gen Z, linking these trends to broader societal issues like economic instability and environmental crises. The commercialization of occult practices, from crystal shops to tarot subscriptions, reflects the tensions of consumer culture while modern aesthetics and technology integrate seamlessly with traditional practices, fostering a highly individualistic spiritual landscape. He argues that while the occult scene's diversity poses challenges for achieving consensus, it also allows for organic cultural influence. Shared themes—such as ecological awareness and psychological transformation—emerge across varied practices. Additionally, the internet facilitates connections among different traditions, enabling a dialogue that can inspire collective change. Ultimately, Abrahamsson posits that the contemporary occult is not merely escapism but a vibrant cultural laboratory where new models of meaning and community can evolve. In a disenchanted world, the occult's enchantment offers pathways to engage with pressing societal questions, blurring the lines between the occult and the mainstream and shaping our cultural future. https://thefenriswolf.substack.com CONTACT/SOURCE MAGIC MENTORSHIP: carl AT carlabrahamsson DOT com

In the second episode of The Fenris Wolf Podcast, Carl Abrahamsson explores the evolution of contemporary occultism and the relationship between artistic creation and magic. He reflects on how historical occult practices were structured and hierarchical, contrasting them with the more fluid and individualistic approaches seen today. Abrahamsson notes that current societal chaos and instability have led to the rise of personal practices that blend various traditions, emphasizing adaptability and individual empowerment. He discusses the importance of collective action and personal development, suggesting that true change comes from individuals working on themselves as part of a larger interconnected web of transformation. He introduces the idea that the "Great Work" involves each person recognizing their role in the collective, working not in isolation but as part of a greater pattern. Abrahamsson emphasizes the transformative power of artistic creation as a form of practical alchemy, arguing that art can facilitate profound personal and societal change. He shares a story about a mentee who found healing through creating music, illustrating how artistic expression can encode intentions and emotions that resonate on a collective level. He encourages listeners to integrate artistic practices into their magical work as a way to harness this transformative potential. Ultimately, he posits that the merging of magic and art is key to navigating the challenges of modern life. https://thefenriswolf.substack.com

THIS WEEK on Rendering Unconscious! https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU338: RICHARD LEDES ON HIS LATEST FILM "V13" STARRING ALAN CUMMING AS FREUD: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru338-richard-ledes-on-his-latest I sat down for a talk with Director Richard Ledes to discuss his new film "V13." The film, set in contemporary New York, explores events and the intersecting lives of persons in Vienna in the year 1913. The film features acclaimed actor Alan Cumming as Freud. Watch the full episode now exclusively at https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru338-richard-ledes-on-his-latest Richard C. Ledes is a New York City filmmaker, artist and writer. Visit his website https://www.richardledes.com/ and Follow him at Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rledes/ As a bonus, this week I also posted the video of our prior conversation, RU198, this time I spoke with Richard and actor David Patrick Kelly, who portrays Lacan in Richard’s previous film "Adieu Lacan," which received acclaim in the psychoanalytic community and beyond. Watch the full episode now exclusively at https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru198-actor-david-patrick-kelly-and Join Richard Ledes and Alan Cumming this Thursday, April 3, for a live in-person event at IFC, where they will be present for a Q&A following the 7PM screening of V13. The event is already sold out but you can find more information at https://www.ifccenter.com/films/v13/ For those interested in entering into psychoanalsysis with me, I provide remote psychoanalytic treatment online, as well as consultation services for those undergoing psychoanalytic formation. For more information visit my website https://www.drvanessasinclair.net Feel free to email me directly at vs [AT] drvanessasinclair [DOT] net https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/contact/

Join Tobias Wiggins, an expert in transgender mental health, Myriam Sauer, a PhD candidate focused on queer psychoanalysis, Griffin Hansbury, a practicing psychoanalyst, and M.E. O'Brien, an analytic clinician advocating for systemic change, as they delve into the intriguing intersections of psychoanalysis and queerness. They discuss representation, challenges faced by trans individuals in the field, and the transformative power of psychoanalysis. Explore activism through trans narratives and the vibrant responses of queer communities to post-lockdown life.

THIS WEEK on Rendering Unconscious! https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU178: TODD MCGOWAN ON PSYCHOANALYSIS, FILM, POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY, HITCHCOCK, BREAKING BAD: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru178-todd-mcgowan-on-psychoanalysis On this episode of Rendering Unconscious, I sat down with one of my favorite guests, Todd McGowan. Todd discusses the book he’s writing on right-wing and left-wing enjoyment and the class he’s teaching on Breaking Bad. He mentions using philosophers like Kant, Peter Singer, and Martha Nussbaum. We also discuss the impact of technology on social interactions, the role of language in psychoanalysis, and the challenges of teaching and analyzing in the digital age. Mentioned in this episode: RU164: CRESTON DAVIS, BRACHA ETTINGER, ISABEL MILLAR, JULIE RESHE, HELEN ROLLINS, VANESSA SINCLAIR ON GCAS CERTIFICATE IN PSYCHOANALYSIS: https://www.renderingunconscious.org/psychoanalysis/ru164-bracha-ettinger-isabel-millar-julie-reshe-helen-rollins-vanessa-sinclair-creston-davis-on-the-certificate-of-psychoanalysis-program-gcas/ The LATEST episode of Rendering Unconscious was just posted! RU337: Myriam Sauer, Griffin Hansbury, M.E. O’Brien & Tobias Wiggins on The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru337-myriam-sauer-griffin-hansbury Myriam Sauer, Griffin Hansbury, M.E. O’Brien, and Tobias Wiggins are here to discuss their contributions to The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge 2025) edited by Vanessa Sinclair, Elisabeth Punzi, and Myriam Sauer: https://amzn.to/4l84P8q The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond is an exploration of psychoanalysis’ often complicated and fraught history with thinking about queerness, as well as its multifaceted heritage. Throughout the chapters, the contributors write about psychoanalysis’ relationship with queerness, the ways in which queerness is represented in the psychoanalytic archive, and how that archive endures in the present and creates various disruptive effects both within and beyond the clinic. Each chapter from the global cohort of contributors approaches queerness from a different angle: they consider the literary aspects of queerness’ presence in the analytic world; the clinical complexities of working with queer and trans people; metapsychological inclusion and exclusion of queerness, and many other subjects. Taken together these contributions constitute a decisive intervention into the psychoanalytic canon. They are an unabashed demand for accepting and furthering the representation and inclusion of queer, and in particular trans, people within psychoanalysis. It is a call for action to utilize and deepen psychoanalysis’ enormous explicatory powers and bring together voices that have so far been denied a unity of expression, while critically reevaluating psychoanalysis’ historical relationship to queerness. Written almost exclusively by analysts, scholars, and activists who identify as trans and/or queer, this important volume puts theory into practice by centering queer and trans voices. The Transgender Psychoanalysts are Coming, Friday March 28, 2025, 6:30 PM, 81 Court St, Brooklyn. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-transgender-psychoanalysts-are-coming-tickets-1143110808199?aff=oddtdtcreator For those interested in entering into psychoanalsysis with me, I provide remote psychoanalytic treatment online, as well as consultation services for those undergoing psychoanalytic formation. For more information visit my website drvanessasinclair.net Feel free to email me directly at vs [AT] drvanessasinclair [DOT] net https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/contact/ Photo: Dr. Sinclair

RU336: BLANCHE BARTON ON DANCING IN THE GRAVEYARD: DEATH IMAGERY IN SATANISM & CARL ABRAHAMSSON PRESENTS MEMENTO MORI FOREVER: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru336-psychoanalysis-art-and-the Join Rendering Unconscious at Substack: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com Rendering Unconscious episode 336. For this episode, we have two lectures from the Psychoanalysis, Art and the Occult series of events at Morbid Anatomy Museum: Dancing in the Graveyard: Death Imagery in Satanism by Blanche Barton and Memento Mori Forever by Carl Abrahamsson. Dancing in the Graveyard: Death Imagery in Satanism by Blanche Barton “Life is the great indulgence—death, the great abstinence. Therefore, make the most of life—HERE AND NOW!” So reads a phrase from the opening chapter of The Satanic Bible. But if Satanism, true Satanism as defined by Anton LaVey in 1966, is a profoundly life-loving religion, why all the black candles, skulls, and funerary trappings? The use of a coffin in the ceremony known as “L’air Epais—the Ceremony of the Stifling Air”, for example, goes well beyond a simple memento mori to remind ourselves how fleeting is our time here on Earth. The coffin becomes, like the Hanged Man in the tarot, a symbol of both death and transformation. Memento Mori Forever by Carl Abrahamsson For the human individual, there is no greater arbiter than death itself. Anxiety and fear are the very shadow-side fundaments of human religiosity, and nowhere is magical thinking as present as in thoughts and emotions touching upon (the fear of) death. One reason why human neurosis reaches ever new heights in contemporary culture is our distancing from death itself, and our painting ourselves into a corner of abstracted and compensatory imagination. How to cope? How to improve this highly detrimental neurosis and its dangerous side effects, such as monotheism? Carl Abrahamsson is a Swedish author, photographer, and filmmaker. He is also the editor and publisher of the highly renowned anthologies in The Fenris Wolf series. https://amzn.to/4bFDWnP Follow him at Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CarlAbrahamsson The Fenris Wolf Substack: https://thefenriswolf.substack.com An Art Apart Substack: https://anartapart.substack.com Blanche Barton is the present Magistra Templi Rex of the Church of Satan, having been a member for 45 years. She is the author of The Secret Life of a Satanist: The Authorized Biography of Anton Szandor LaVey (2014), as well as her most recent book, We Are Satanists: The History and Future of the Church of Satan (2021). https://amzn.to/4ikE4f2 News & updates: Beginning this Sunday, Carl and I are hosting monthly workshops! Introducing: The Sentient Solar Cycle, with author Carl Abrahamsson and psychoanalyst Vanessa Sinclair. Join us for a year long empowering psychic refinement process, with monthly meetings via Zoom. Each 23rd of the month, we will shine the light on what’s ahead in the coming month, using astrological concepts, oracular pointers, (twenty)third mind dialogs, guided meditations, and more. After each session there will also be time for Q & A and discussions. Read more here: https://thefenriswolf.substack.com/p/the-sentient-solar-cycle https://www.patreon.com/c/vanessa23carl Photo of Blanche Barton, Carl Abrahamsson, Ruth Waytz.

RU335: DR VANESSA SINCLAIR ON RENDERING UNCONSCIOUS, THE BOOK SERIES: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru335-dr-vanessa-sinclair-on-rendering Join Rendering Unconscious at Substack: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com Rendering Unconscious episode 335. In this episode, I discuss my recent trip to the London, the highlight of which was my pilgrimage to the Freud Museum, where my husband, Carl Abrahamsson, gave a lecture on the films "Seconds" (1966) and "The Substance" (2024) with Freudian cinephile Mary Wild as discussant. I am happy to say my visit to the Freud Museum gave me renewed enthusiasm for the field. The museum's existence is so significant for psychoanalysis, especially during these times of rising fascism, as it was where Freud when fellow psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte helped him and his family escape Vienna. I then delve into my book series Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives, detailing its origins, contributors, and themes. The 2019 edition featured artwork by Alison Blickle, while the 2024 edition includes collages by Sinclair. The books cover diverse topics like violence, racism, and political issues, and are dedicated to the memory of queer poet and dear friend, Andrew Daul. Get both volumes of Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives here: https://amzn.to/4bHrdRp News & updates: Join me on March 15 – Book launch event and seminar for The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge 2025) with co-editors Elisabeth Punzi and Myriam Sauer, Malmö Konstmuseum, Malmöhusvägen 6, Malmö, Sweden. Visit https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/events/ The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge 2025) has incredible cover art by trans icon Val Denham. Get yours now: https://amzn.to/3QYFlw6 Links to all my books can be found at: https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/books/

Rendering Unconscious Podcast is now at Substack! https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU334: ÙNA MARIA BLYTH ON MUSES NO MORE: PORTRAITS OF OCCULT WOMEN: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru333-una-maria-blythe-on-muses-no Rendering Unconscious episode 334. Ùna Maria Blyth is here to talk about her new book Muses No More: Portraits of Occult Women (Hexen Press 2024), which features illustrations by Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos. https://www.hexen.fr/books-prints/muses-no-more-una-maria-blyth#/edition-hardcover Follow at Instagram: @unaofthepeatbog @hexen_press @luciferovs The conversation centers on the book Muses No More: Portraits of Occult Women by Ùna Maria Blyth, which features 17 occult women, including Marjorie Cameron, Maya Deren, Annie Besant, Marie Laveau, Pamela Colman Smith, Maria de Naglowska, and Rosaleen Norton. The artist Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos created the cover art and accompanying illustrations. With this book, Ùna emphasizes accessibility and personal connection, avoiding dry academic language. She discusses the importance of including gossip and personal stories. The second half of the book includes interactive spells and exercises to engage readers. This discussion touches on the challenges of being a queer artist and the importance of play and experimentation in both magic and psychoanalysis. Ùna also mentions her apprenticeships in writing and cartomancy, available on her website. https://www.unamariablyth.com Ùna Maria Blyth is an occult writer and practitioner of peatbog folk magic, tarot reader/teacher, workshop facilitator, and meditation teacher living in the Shetland Isles. Alongside offering card readings, magical consultations & meditation facilitation, she has written for a range of publications including Folklore for Resistance, Sabat, Rituals & Declarations, Cunning Folk Magazine, Doggerland, Fire & Knives, and the academic text Reframing Immersive Theatre (published by Palgrave Macmillan).

Rendering Unconscious Podcast is now at Substack! https://renderingunconscious.substack.com RU333: GEOFFREY HERVEY, MOLLY MERSON & SIMONE A. MEDINA POLO ON THE QUEERNESS OF PSYCHOANALYSIS: https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru333-geoffrey-hervey-molly-merson Geoffrey Hervey, Molly Merson, and Simone A. Medina Polo are here to discuss their contributions to The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge 2025) edited by Vanessa Sinclair, Elisabeth Punzi, and Myriam Sauer: https://amzn.to/3EMYbUg Events to celebrate the book's release are happening! Join Vanessa Sinclair, Myriam Sauer, and Elisabeth Punzi in Malmö, Sweden on Saturday, March 15th: https://fb.me/e/8VAlKjxgt Join M.E. O'Brien, Tobias Wiggins, Myriam Sauer, and Griffin Hansbury in Brooklyn, NY, USA on Friday, March 28th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-transgender-psychoanalysts-are-coming-tickets-1143110808199?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios Molly Merson is co-organizing the upcoming Division 39 Spring Meeting, Bodies in Praxis, April 3-6, Online: https://division39springmeeting.net Rendering Unconscious episode 333. This discussion centers around the new book The Queerness of Psychoanalysis, which addresses the pathologizing tendencies of psychoanalysis in contrast to its liberatory potential. Contributors, almost all of whom are trans and/or queer, challenge traditional psychoanalytic frameworks, emphasizing flexibility and inclusivity, while exploring the intersection of queer theory and psychoanalysis. Specific chapters highlight experiences of transgender psychoanalysts, the role of drag in queer identity, and the need for psychoanalysis to reflect on its own practices, for example. This conversation also touches on the importance of embodied methods and the evolving nature of psychoanalytic theory. Geoffrey Hervey (they/them) is a community organizer, mental health professional, and professional drag artist. They have a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Vanderbilt University and are currently pursuing a Psy.D at George Washington University. Their clinical interests center the mental health of marginalized groups of people from a collective liberation framework. As Sin Clair, they have performed in the Southeast U.S. to audiences of thousands and created the Lipsync Legend Tournament to benefit local community mental health organizations. Follow them at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sin.clair.x_x/ Molly Merson, LMFT (they/them) is a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst in full-time independent practice in the Bay Area, California, practicing on Lisjan Ohlone, Patwin, and Coast Miwok unceded territories. Molly is a clinician, supervisor, author, and instructor, offering interdisciplinary courses for clinicians on psychoanalysis and race, queerness, class, decoloniality, and liberation. Molly facilitates and participates in groups that invite discussions of the entanglements between “the social” and clinical life. Molly has authored “The Whiteness Taboo: Interrogating Whiteness in Psychoanalysis” published in the journal Psychoanalytic Dialogues in 2021, and in the same year authored “Purposive encounters with lack in strength sports and diet culture” in the journal Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society. Follow them at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mx_moll_/ Simone A. Medina Polo (she/her) is a philosopher and PhD candidate at the Global Centre for Advanced Studies (GCAS) for Philosophy and Psychoanalysis. Follow her at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pseudo_antigone/ The song at the end of the episode is “We will be (outside the box)” from the album “The cutting up of love and language” by Vanessa Sinclair and Pete Murphy. Available at Pete Murphy’s Bandcamp Page: https://petemurphy.bandcamp.com/ Our music is also available at Spotify and other streaming services: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3xKEE2NPGatImt46OgaemY?si=jaSKCqnmSD-NsSlBLjrBXA