Consciously Illicit: Transgression in Western Esotericism

6-7 June 2018 𐤀 Brno 𐤏 Czech Republic

The conference will research a particular aspect of the Western Esoteric Tradition, where groups or individuals are willing to violate or break taboos, transgressing social and religious boundaries or values as part of their practices and beliefs. We will investigate whether the followers of illicit esoteric practices consider themselves to be effectively dissident, whether they wish to keep their practices public, private and what their objectives and motivations are for transgressing. However, the conference will not exclude societal or external perceptions since transgression maintains reactionary characteristics, generally in opposition to a perceived overpowering majoritarian presence. Finally, another key aspect will rest on a historic investigation as the conceptualization of transgression is necessarily different within the context of Antiquity as opposed to the Renaissance or the Contemporary era.