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C.G. Jung, Lord of the Underworld – Gary Lachman – Zoom

A Short History of Modern Occultism in three lectures, each lecture will be sold separately, see below for details of the other lectures in the series (if missed, these will be available on demand)

1. Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society – 11 Jan 2022

2. Aleister Crowley: The Wickedest Magician in the World – 8 Mar 2022

3. C.G. Jung, Lord of the Underworld – 27 Mar 2022

 

Crowley wasn’t the only mystical face on the cover of the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s. Another figure with whom he shared space among “the people we like,” was the psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, who died in 1961, just on the cusp of the 60s revolutions. With Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler, Jung was one of the Big Three of modern psychology, and throughout his career Jung presented himself as a scientist and empiricist, mapping out the contours of the psyche. But Jung had the occult in his DNA. His mother spoke in tongues and held seances in which she communicated with her dead father, and Jung started his career with a study of the paranormal performances of his cousin. Jung broke with Freud because of his occult beliefs – at one point scaring the wits out of Freud by manifesting a poltergeist – and his “descent into the unconscious” following their split revealed to him the secrets of the “collective unconscious,” the reservoir of ancient symbols and images whose archetypes come alive each night in our dreams. As early as 1940, Jung was talking about a coming Age of Aquarius,and anyone who knows they are an introvert has Jung to thank for that. UFOs, out of the body experiences, Near Death Experiences, the I Ching and the “meaningful coincidences” he called synchronicities are only some of the unusual phenomena that the”sage of Kunsnacht” explored in his long life.

 

Gary Lachman is the author of many books about consciousness, culture, and the Western esoteric tradition, including The Return of Holy Russia, Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump, Lost Knowledge of the Imagination, and Beyond the Robot: The Life and Work of Colin Wilson. He writes for several journals in the US, UK, and Europe, lectures around the world and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. In a former life he was a founding member of the pop group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Before moving to London in 1996 and becoming a full time writer, Lachman studied philosophy, managed a metaphysical book shop, taught English literature, and was Science Writer for UCLA. He is an adjunct professor of Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He can be reached at www.garylachman.co.uk, www.facebook.com/GVLachman/ and twitter.com/GaryLachman

Watch a recording of This Lecture, & 100s of others, for free when you join our Patreon www.patreon.com/theviktorwyndmuseum

Village Witchcraft & Magic – Professor Ronald Hutton

Ronald Hutton’s topic this evening consists of beliefs in witchcraft and magic held by ordinary British people in the period between 1740 and 1940, that often lost, neglected and mysterious time between the end of the witch hunts and the appearance of modern Pagan witchcraft. These years have in fact left a huge treasure trove of evidence for the subject, which has recently at last become a focus for sustained study. Those studies reveal a complex and fascinating world rich in magical tradition, in which cunning folk and charmers flourished in every part of the land, overlapping with learned ceremonial magicians, and the fear of malevolent witchcraft still lay heavily over most communities. Ronald Hutton offers a tour of it, proposing answers to the questions of what sort of people became magicians and why; what practical techniques they used; whether they were pagans; how they took up their skills; whether they worked in groups; how much they were persecuted; and what eventually became of their traditions.

Leonora Carrington, My Mother – Gaby Weisz – Zoom Lecture

Since her death in 2011, the legendary Surrealist Leonora Carrington has been reconstructed and reinvented many times over. In his new book, Gabriel Weisz Carrington draws on remembered conversations and events to demythologise his mother, revealing the woman and the artist behind the iconic persona. He travels between Leonora’s native England and adopted homeland of Mexico, making stops in New York and Paris and meeting some of the remarkable figures she associated with, from Max Ernst and André Breton to Remedios Varo and Alejandro Jodorowsky. At the same time, he strives to depict a complex and very real Surrealist creator, exploring Leonora not simply in relation to her romantic partners or social milieus but as the artist she always was. A textured portrait emerges from conversations, memories, stories and Leonora’s engagement with the books that she read. Using the act of writing to process and understand the death of his mother, the author has produced a moving and fascinating account of life, art, love and loss.

Leonora Carrington is one of Viktor Wynd’s most enduring obsessions, her work is in his museum and surrounds him at home.

These are extraordinary times and the plague has hit some harder than others, tickets are by donation – if you possibly can £10 is much appreciated, but £2 is also much appreciated. Thank you for your support.

Watch a recording of This Lecture, & 100s of others, for free when you join our Patreon www.patreon.com/theviktorwyndmuseum

Paul Benney – Night Paintings

“The sombre richness of Benney’s aesthetic is at its strongest throughout what he terms his ‘Night Paintings’, a perhaps deliberate reference to the ‘Night Piece’ prints by Rembrandt whose dark tonal burr likewise captures an intimate sense of nocturnal mystery and magic. Rembrandt is an obvious point of comparison to Benney, whether in their mutual skill and worldly success as portraitists or in their compensatory lure towards the shadow and the very dark itself.”

Adrian Dannat

Paul Benney has worked as an artist and musician in both the U.S. and U.K. and is represented in public collections world wide including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery of Australia, The National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Collection, The Eli Broad Foundation, AIG Houston, and Standard Life. A member of the Neo-Expressionist group of the early 80’s in New York’s East Village, Benney became known for his depictions of stygian themes and dark nights of the soul. Also one of the country’s leading portrait artists, he has painted many prominent cultural and political figures from Mick Jagger to The Queen

Please Check The Museum’s Website for latest Opening Hours.

Due to The Oddities of The Current Plague Viewing is Best at Opening Time, Or Come Half An Hour Early to See Them On Your Own – Confirm with [email protected]

Admission to The Exhibition is Free – Though there is a Charge to See The Museum

The Mummies of Aseki & The Islands of Love

7.7.2019 update – expedition now full – email [email protected] to join the waiting list

7.6.2019 Update – due to a cancellation there is now one space available email [email protected]

5.2.2019 THIS EXPEDITION IS NOW FULL – TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]

Papua New Guinea’s ancient cultures are famed around the world. Yet in this stunning land, there is a unique custom of preserving the dead in cliff-side sites as guardians of nearby villages. From their lofty graves, the Aseki mummies are believed to watch and protect their descendants.

In many remote villages across PNG, first contact with the outside world is within living memory and visiting today is like stepping back in time to witness cultures that defined native peoples for millennia.

The aim of this expedition is to travel back in time to witness fascinating, ancient cultures little-changed by the outside world. These unique cultures are precious examples of fading beliefs and customs.

We first travel to the remote Trobriand Islands to experience ancient circle dances, meet ebony carvers, traditional shark callers and unique intricately carved yam houses! The subsistence yam-farmers of the Trobriand Islands have arguably one of the most intact cultures of anywhere in the Pacific region. It is a place where locals still believe (vehemently) in magic, and spirit stones stand guard over villages.

We then travel to Lae to venture by four-wheel-drive vehicles to the extremely remote Aseki District to see the Anga people’s mummies (smoked bodies arranged on bamboo scaffolding in life-like positions, often inside baskets along cliffsides). The mummies have fascinated travellers, anthropologists and writers for more than a century! The origins of the mummies is partly lost in the mists of time, but it is known that the red clay-covered bodies were preserved by smoking over a period of several months in local Spirit Houses.

We then travel to Madang, and have the opportunity to see birdwing butterflies, beautiful cold-water sulphur springs (home to giant eels and turtles which we can feed), and the remains of a World War 2 Japanese bomber. This expedition is a unique journey into the most fascinating corners of Papua New Guinea!

COST: US $3,950 per person (= approx. £3,150 British Pounds or 3,485 Euros) all inclusive from Port Moresby, back to Port Moresby).(flights to Port Moresby from the UK are normally available from around £1000)
START POINT: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
END POINT: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

DATES: Friday October 18th to Monday October 28th, 2019.

 

The Last Tuesday Society is Delighted to Offer Up To Ten People The Unique Opportunity to Accompany Viktor Wynd On a Expedition

 

To Find New Wonders For His Museum.

 

The Quest Will Be Led & Organized by The Distinguished Naturalist, Explorer, Author & Television Presenter Stewart McPherson, Discoverer of New Species, Author of Over 25 Wildlife Books, Founder of Redfern Natural History and Redfern Adventures

 

Mr. McPherson has over a decade of Experience In Taking Groups To Extraordinary Places – We Will Be In Good Hands!

 

What Mr.Wynd Will Find He Does Not Know – But It Will Be Something Marvelous. Papua New Guinea Has One of The World’s Most Famed & Diverse Indigenous Cultures & We Hope To Be Able To Buy Items at The many Remote & Varied Villages We Will Visit.

 

Email [email protected] for more information and to make bookings. This Expedition Will Be Organized and Run by Redfern Natural History Productions

 

This trip is designed to start on Friday (October 18th) to coincide with flights to the Trobriand Islands.

Day 1: We meet in Port Moresby, and fly to the Trobrian Islands. After lunch at Butia Lodge, we visit “the Station” (the only place on the Trobriand Islands with shops), pay our respects to the Paramount Chief (who rules over the islands) and we visit his colourful and impressive yam house. We witness the complex magic- and spirit-based belief system. Magic is still vehemently believed in across the islands, and we hear local legends and stories. Dinner and overnight at Butia Lodge.

Day 2: We walk (approx 45 mins) to Luya Village, the most traditional village in the Trobriand Islands to photograph the traditional yam houses and unique carved houses. We walk to two villages nearby and observe a traditional circle dance. We enjoy a Mumu feast (traditional cooking on red hot rocks in an earth oven), before venturing to a sacred cave with crystal clear, cool water to join the locals for a refreshing swim. We transfer to the north of the island, to the stunning Kaibola coral beach, where we have a lobster BBQ dinner on the white beach. Overnight in a basic (but comfortable) beach lodge.

Day 3: Early morning, we venture in a motorised boat, joining local “shark callers” in traditional canoes. The shark callers use an ancient practise of coconut rattles to attract sharks, which they have caught for hundreds (possibly thousands) of years. We return to Kaibola beach, and have a grilled fish lunch, before visiting a village where we view a traditional rattle dance, and meet artefact carvers (particularly skilled in carving stunning ebony figures and masks). We witness the making of traditional doba (banana leaf money) – an ancient currency still used today. Dinner and overnight at Butia Lodge.

Day 4: We catch a flight to Port Moresby. today. Dinner and overnight in a hotel close to airport.
Day 5: We catch a flight to Lae, and transfer into four-wheel-drive vehicles, and drive to Bulolo. Dinner

and overnight in a basic (but comfortable) local hotel.

Day 6: We drive from Bulolo to Aseki and spend the day visiting the mummies at cliffside burial sites. Very few people have the opportunity to visit this extremely remote part of Papua New Guinea, and even fewer see the mummies! Locals ask a fee for photographing the mummies (please bring 350 Kina in cash). We intend to visit a site with fourteen mummies. We return to Bulolo. Dinner and overnight in a basic (but comfortable) local hotel.

Day 7: We return to Lae. Dinner and overnight in a local hotel.

Day 8: We drive approx 280 km to Madang. Dinner and overnight in a local hotel.

Day 9: We visit the Ohu Butterfly habitat for the chance to see Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterflies (the largest butterfly in the world – with a wing span of almost 30 cm!), and many other butterfly species. We then visit the remains of a Japanese World War 2 bomber (with machine gun bullet holes still visible). We return to Madang. Dinner and overnight in a local hotel.

Day 10: We visit the Balek wildlife reserve, and see cold sulphur springs, crystal-clear blue pols, and underwater caves home to giant eels and turtles which we can feed with bananas. We explore the reserve and spot birdlife. We return to Madang. Dinner and overnight in a local hotel.

Day 11: After breakfast, we transfer to Mount Hagen airport and catch a flight back to Port Moresby