Natascha Ewert
2702624e@student.gla.systa-s.com
Research title: A Jungian exploration of the Delphic maxim ‘Know Thyself’: Healing the Autobiographical Self through the intersection of poetry, art and tarot
Research Summary
A Jungian exploration of the Delphic maxim ‘Know Thyself’: Healing the Autobiographical Self through the intersection of poetry, art and tarot
Based on autobiographical experiences, this research challenges narratives of mental illness from a female perspective. The focus on healing the self through the exploration of artistic and occult practices, mainly visual diaries and Tarot as a divination form builds the foundation for this project.
Drawing upon autobiographical research of women in the past, mainly Leonora Carrington, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, who suffered a severe form of mental illness and got hospitalised, the connection between creative illness, the archetypal artist and the trope of the Mad Woman will be explored. In relation to mental health and recovery, it aims to valorise the personal occurrences of a mentally ill woman. Periods of 'madness', 'mania', 'psychosis' or 'hysteria', states that women are ascribed to during phases of mental unrest are inevitable and form part of one's own personal healing journey. The complexity of a woman's mental state is often reduced to inability and refusal to conform to societal expectations, resulting in a lack of support and provisions for those in need.
This thesis counteracts notions of 'madness', 'monstrosity', 'external locus of control' analysing the underlying issues of prejudice and stigmatisation by inviting the general public to engage with the polarising figure of the witch, a powerful image that can be compared to the 'mad woman'. Alongside the narrative of mental illness, the biracial experience and notions of 'the other' contribute to this study at the intersection of poetry, art and Tarot through a Jungian lens. Psychoanalytical theory, mainly the application of Jungian thought to the practical element of art-making and Tarot reflects the subconscious undercurrents of this creative process.
The reinterpretation of Tarot as a creative self-healing tool attempts to offer a more eisegetic approach towards studies in divination in general. Themes of subversion, self-mastery and creativity as a form of resilience will emerge in the creative part of this project.
Research Interests
-The figure and representation of the witch
-Fairy tales
-Mental illness & Creative Illness from a female perspective
-Medical humanities
-Multiethnic Writing
-Feminine in Writing
-Jungian Thought & Archetypes
-Autobiographical Self
-Artist Books
-The Archteypal Artist
-Occult Practices & Tarot Studies
-Witches and priestesses across centuries