Another London: Excavating the disenchanted city
3 days ago
- #London_history
- #occult
- #psychogeography
- London's history is intertwined with myths and legends, from King Brutus to King Lud, reflecting a city rich in folklore and pseudohistory.
- The Situationist International explored psychogeography, studying how urban environments affect emotions and behavior, as part of a revolutionary critique of consumer society and the 'Spectacle.'
- London's transformation over the decades, from the Ring of Steel security measures to the rise of surveillance, reflects the encroachment of control and the loss of urban mystique.
- Psychogeography and urban exploration thrived in the 1990s, with movements like Reclaim the Streets and figures like Iain Sinclair uncovering hidden histories and occult connections in the city.
- The influence of occultism and visionary thinkers, from John Dee to William Blake, persists in London's cultural and architectural landscape, blending reality with myth.
- Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair have reimagined London's history through fiction and psychogeography, creating narratives that challenge official histories and reenchant the urban environment.
- The Isle of Dogs and other areas of London have been sites of both real and imagined occult significance, with psychogeographers drawing connections between architecture, history, and power.
- The quest for a 'reenchanted' London continues, despite the challenges posed by modernity, surveillance, and the commodification of urban space.