For over thirty years, Richard Kaczynski has been a scholar, speaker and writer on Western esotericism, particularly the life and work of British occultist Aleister Crowley. His publications include Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley (2002, 2010), The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley (2009), Forgotten Templars: The Untold Origins of Ordo Templi Orientis (2012), Friendship in Doubt: Aleister Crowley, J. F. C. Fuller, Victor B. Neuburg, and British Agnosticism (2024), and the just-released Mind Over Magick: The Psychology of Ritual Magick (2025). He also edited, annotated and introduced a critical edition of Aleister Crowley's The Sword of Song (2021, 2025). He has spoken internationally at both academic and pagan/occult conferences, and appeared in several documentaries. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology with a minor in statistics. His doctoral dissertation examined the structure and correlates of metaphysical beliefs.

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What happens when a work of fiction becomes a real grimoire? In this episode, we explore The Demons of the Necronomicon, H. P. Lovecraft’s imagined pantheon of cosmic entities and their extraordinary transformation into living figures within modern occultism. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, we trace how Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, and Nyarlathotep escaped the pages of pulp horror to become objects of ritual, devotion, and philosophical speculation. From Kenneth Grant’s Typhonian Thelema to chaos magic’s postmodern experiments, this video unveils how fiction, faith, and imagination converge in the making of contemporary demonology.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Asprem, E. (2014). The problem of disenchantment: Scientific naturalism and esoteric discourse, 1900–1939. Leiden: Brill.

Asprem, E., & Granholm, K. (Eds.). (2013). Contemporary esotericism. Sheffield: Equinox.

Bolton, K. R. (2011). The Influence of H. P. Lovecraft on Occultism. Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, 9, 2–21.

Burleson, D. R. (1990). Lovecraft: Disturbing the universe. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.

Dyrendal, A., Lewis, J. R., & Petersen, J. A. (Eds.). (2016). The invention of Satanism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Engle, J. (2014). The troubling use of fiction in cultic practices: Lovecraft and religion. Mythlore, 32(1), 15–34.

Evans, T (2005) — Timothy H. Evans, “A Last Defense Against the Dark: Folklore, Horror, and the Uses of Tradition in the Works of H. P. Lovecraft” (Journal of Folklore Research, 2005).

Grant, K. (1972). The magical revival. London: Frederick Muller.

Harms, D., & Gonce, J. W. (2003). The Necronomicon Files: The truth behind Lovecraft’s legend. St. Paul, MN: Weiser.

Hine, P. (1994). Pseudonomicon. Chaos International.

Joshi, S. T. (1996). H. P. Lovecraft: A Life. Baltimore, MD: Necronomicon Press.

Joshi, S. T. (2001). A dreamer and a visionary: H. P. Lovecraft in his time. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.

Laycock, J. (2015). Dangerous games: What the moral panic over role-playing games says about play, religion, and imagined worlds. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Partridge, C. (2004). The re-enchantment of the West: Volume 1 — Alternative spiritualities, sacralization, popular culture, and occulture. London/New York: T & T Clark.

Punter, D. (1996). The literature of terror: A history of Gothic fictions from 1765 to the present day. London: Longman.

Schultz, D. E. (2006). The cosmology of chaos: H. P. Lovecraft and the modern horror of entropy. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 17(1), 45–62.

Joshi, S. T., & Schultz, D. E. (2001). An H. P. Lovecraft encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Urban, H. B. (2006). Magia sexualis: Sex, magic, and liberation in modern Western esotericism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

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Asmodeus is more than the “demon of lust.” In this episode, I trace his journey from the Avestan aēšma in Zoroastrian texts to Ashmedai in Jewish literature, through the Book of Tobit and the Babylonian Talmud, into Islamic narratives of Solomon’s throne, and on to Christian demonology, Renaissance grimoires, Enlightenment satire, and modern occult reinterpretations. Rather than a single biography, Asmodeus emerges as a cultural palimpsest that different communities used to think about desire, power, and knowledge. We examine philology, theology, ritual technologies, and iconography to ask what this demon reveals about changing ideas of evil and the management of sexuality. If you value evidence-based scholarship on magic and esotericism, this one is for you.

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REFERENCES 📚(full list on screen)

Boyce, M. (1975). A history of Zoroastrianism: The early period. Brill.

Duling, D. C. (1983). Testament of Solomon: A new translation and introduction. In J. H. Charlesworth (Ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Vol. 1, pp. 935–987). Doubleday.

Fitzmyer, J. A. (2003). Tobit. De Gruyter.

Al-Ṭabarī. (2001). The history of al-Ṭabarī: Volume III, The children of Israel (W. M. Brinner, Trans.). State University of New York Press.

Clark, S. (1997). Thinking with demons: The idea of witchcraft in early modern Europe. Oxford University Press.

Davies, O. (2009). Grimoires: A history of magic books. Oxford University Press.

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00:00 Introduction: Who is Asmodeus the Demon?

06:57 Asmodeus: Philological Archaeology and Zoroastrian Foundations

11:38 Asmodeus inJewish Tradition and Second Temple Literature

13:40 Asmodeus Reimagined in the Testament of Solomon

16:49 Asmodeus in Christian Demonology

18:53 The possessed Nuns of Loudun

21:37 Islamic Adaptations of Asmodeus

26:05 Asmodeus in Renaissance Grimoires and Systematic Demonology

31:44 Modern Occult and Esoteric Reinterpretations of the Demon King Asmodeus

36:46 Conclusion: The Demon as a Cultural Palimpsest

41:33 Support Angela’s Symposium

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Ivy Corvus has been practicing various occult philosophies for 20 years. She is the author of "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide", a contributing author to "This is Chaos: Embracing The Future Of Magic", and has written for Pagan Dawn magazine. Ivy is best known as “Ivy The Occultist” on her YouTube channel, established in 2022. She is a seer, witch, chaos magician, astral surfer, a former Zen Buddhist, embodying the curiosity of Alice with magic and mysticism. With a history as a healthcare practitioner, and through her science degree, her passion lies in understanding the convergence of mind, body, and spirit.

All of Ivy Corvus' links can be found here:

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Across three millennia, the goddess Astarte was recast as the demon Astaroth: a transformation that reveals more about humanity’s fear of the sacred feminine than any real change in divinity. This episode traces that metamorphosis from ancient Mesopotamian goddess to grimoire demon and modern occult archetype. Drawing on sources from biblical polemics and Renaissance demonology, as well as feminist and queer reimaginings, this exploration examines how Astaroth embodies the persistence of forbidden knowledge, gender fluidity, and spiritual defiance. Was Astaroth truly a fallen angel or the suppressed face of divine wisdom, buried under centuries of theological sabotage?

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES (full list on screen)📚

Cornelius, I. (2004). The many faces of the goddess: The iconography of the Syro-Palestinian goddesses. Academic Press.

Russell, J. B. (1977). The Devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press.

De Plancy, J. C. (1993). Dictionnaire infernal. Slatkine. (Original work published 1863)

Lévi, É. (2001). Transcendental magic: Its doctrine and ritual (A. E. Waite, Trans.). Weiser Books. (Original work published 1854)

Crowley, A. (1995). The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (S. L. M. Mathers, Trans.). Weiser Books. (Original work published 1904)

Ruether, R. R. (1974). Religion and sexism. Simon & Schuster.

Granholm, K. (2014). Dark enlightenment: The historical, sociological, and discursive contexts of contemporary esoteric magic. Brill.

Hanegraaff, W. J. (2012). Esotericism and the academy: Rejected knowledge in Western culture. Cambridge University Press.

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00:00 Introduction: A Theological Palimpsest of the Demon Astaroth

05:12 Philological and Historical Foundations: Tracking Asteroth’s Divine Genealogy

08:36 Asteroth’s Presence in Grimoires and Demonological Catalogues: Codifying the Forbidden

12:37 Theological and Polemical Framing: The Demon as Moral Allegory

19:11 Esoteric and Magical Receptions: Reclaiming the Fallen

26:27 Demonic Iconography and Symbolism: Reading the Visual Palimpsest

31:40 Practical Ritual Dimensions: From Constraint to Cooperation

37:13 Asteroth - Contemporary Relevance and Reinterpretations: The Living Tradition

41:27 IX. Conclusion: The Endless Metamorphosis of the Demon King

15:11 Support Angela’s Symposium

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This video explores the fascinating figure of Paimon, one of the most prominent kings of the Goetia, tracing his journey from early modern demonological catalogues to his reinvention in contemporary occultism and popular culture. We will examine how his image shifts across grimoires, from Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum to the Ars Goetia, and how his regal yet ambiguous traits became symbols of hidden wisdom, exotic authority, and intellectual mastery. The talk also considers Aleister Crowley’s psychological reinterpretation, the adaptations within Left-Hand Path traditions, and the transformation of Paimon into a mentor-like figure in modern demonolatry. Finally, we look at his unexpected entry into mainstream media through Ari Aster’s Hereditary and his reimagining in gaming and internet culture. Paimon’s enduring appeal lies not in stability but in continual reinvention, making him a key case study in the dynamics of Western esotericism.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Agrippa, H. C. (1992). Three books of occult philosophy (J. Freake, Trans.; D. Tyson, Ed.). St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications. Original work published 1533.Church,D. (2020). Post-Horror: Art, Genre and Cultural Elevation. United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press.

Asprem, E. (2014). The problem of disenchantment: Scientific naturalism and esoteric discourse, 1900–1939. Leiden: Brill.

Asprem, E. (2021). The occult among us: Esotericism in the mirror of contemporary culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Aster, A. (Director). (2018). Hereditary [Film]. A24.

Carroll, P. J. (1987). Liber Null and Psychonaut. York Beach, ME: Weiser.

Clark, S. (1997). Thinking with demons: The idea of witchcraft in early modern Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Connolly, S. (2010). The complete book of demonolatry. Tempe, AZ: DB Publishing.

Crowley, A. (1973). Liber ABA: Book four, parts I–IV. Weiser. Original work published 1909.

Crowley, A., & Mathers, S. L. M. (1976). The Goetia: The lesser key of Solomon the King. Samuel Weiser. Original work published 1904.

Davies, O. (2009). Grimoires: A history of magic books. Oxford University Press.

Gilbert, R. A. (1983). The Golden Dawn: Twilight of the magicians. : Aquarian Press.

Granholm, K. (2016). Dark enlightenment: The historical, sociological, and discursive contexts of contemporary esoteric magic. Leiden: Brill.

Hine, P. (1995). Condensed chaos: An introduction to chaos magic. Weiser.

Howe, E. (1972). The magicians of the Golden Dawn: A documentary history of a magical order, 1887–1923. Routledge & Kegan Paul

Karlsson, T. (2004). Qabalah, Qliphoth and Goetic magic. Ouroboros.

Karnowska, M. (2011). Magician means philosopher: Magic of Giordano Bruno. Studies in history and philosophy of science Part C: Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences, 42(3), 449–456.

Kieckhefer, R. (1997). Forbidden rites: A necromancer’s manual of the fifteenth century. Pennsylvania State University Press.

Peterson, J. H. (Ed.). (2001). The lesser key of Solomon: Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis. Weiser Books.

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Is there such a thing as a universal human experience of the divine, or are all encounters shaped by culture, language, and power? In this video, we explore the classic debate between perennialism and constructivism, from William James and Mircea Eliade to Steven Katz, Talal Asad, and beyond. Drawing on philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience, we look at how claims of universality are entangled with history and how particular traditions cultivate what we call “religious experience.”

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REFERENCES 📚

Asad, T. (1993). Genealogies of religion: Discipline and reasons of power in Christianity and Islam. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Beauregard, M., & Paquette, V. (2006). Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns. Neuroscience Letters, 405(3), 186–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2006.06.060

Boyer, P. (2001). Religion explained: The evolutionary origins of religious thought. Basic Books.

d’Aquili, E., & Newberg, A. (1993). Religious and mystical states: A neuropsychological model. Zygon, 28(2), 177–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9744.1993.tb00918.x

d’Aquili, E., & Newberg, A. (1999). The mystical mind: Probing the biology of religious experience. Fortress Press.

Eliade, M. (1958). Patterns in comparative religion. Sheed & Ward.

Forman, R. K. C. (1990). The problem of pure consciousness: Mysticism and philosophy. Philosophy East and West, 40(4), 463–483. https://doi.org/10.2307/1399452

Forman, R. K. C. (1999). Mysticism, mind, consciousness. State University of New York Press.

Fuller, C. J. (1992). The camphor flame: Popular Hinduism and society in India. Princeton University Press.

Hood, R. W., Jr. (1975). The construction and preliminary validation of a measure of reported mystical experience. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 14(1), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.2307/1384454

Hood, R. W., Jr., Hill, P. C., & Spilka, B. (2001). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach (4th ed.). Guilford Press.

Hori, V. S. (1999). Teaching and learning in the Rinzai Zen monastery. Journal of Japanese Studies, 25(1), 5–39. https://doi.org/10.2307/133231

Humphrey, C., & Laidlaw, J. (1994). The archetypal actions of ritual: A theory of ritual illustrated by the Jain rite of worship. Clarendon Press.

James, W. (1902). The varieties of religious experience: A study in human nature. Longmans, Green.

Katz, S. T. (Ed.). (1978). Mysticism and philosophical analysis. Oxford University Press.

Keane, W. (2007). Christian moderns: Freedom and fetish in the mission encounter. University of California Press.

Luhrmann, T. M. (2012). When God talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with God. Knopf.

Mahmood, S. (2005). Politics of piety: The Islamic revival and the feminist subject. Princeton University Press.

Meyer, B. (2009). Aesthetic formations: Media, religion and the senses. Palgrave Macmillan.

Meyer, B. (2011). Mediation and the genesis of presence. In D. Morgan (Ed.), Religion and material culture (pp. 84–102). Routledge.

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In this episode, we explore the complex and often uneasy relationship between science and magic. Rather than asking whether magic is "real," we examine why scientific methods struggle to capture the essence of magical practices, and whether such validation is even desirable. From questions of measurement and philosophy to issues of cultural autonomy and demystification, this lecture reveals why attempts to prove magic scientifically may risk stripping it of its meaning, depth, and sacredness. Drawing on anthropology, history, and esotericism, we invite reflection on the value of magic beyond the lens of science.

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What happens when Italian folk traditions cross the Atlantic? This video explores how Italian witchcraft, especially the healing practice of Segnature, has been reimagined, reinvented, and often misrepresented in the United States. From Leland’s Aradia to Wicca-inspired “Stregheria,” we’ll look at how Italian-American communities blended folklore, Catholic devotion, and Pagan spirituality to create new forms of practice. But are these the same as the vernacular traditions in Italy, or something entirely different?

This video is a recording of the paper I presented at the World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, held at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.

Join me as we unpack the myths, the reinventions, and the cultural translations behind Italian witchcraft in America.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Cox, J. L. (2007). From primitive to indigenous: The academic study of indigenous religions. Ashgate.

De Martino, E. (1961). Sud e magia. Feltrinelli.

Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference (pp. 222–237). Lawrence & Wishart.

Hobsbawm, E., & Ranger, T. (Eds.). (1983). The invention of tradition. Cambridge University Press.

Leland, C. G. (1899). Aradia, or the gospel of the witches. David Nutt.

Magliocco, S. (2004). Witching culture: Folklore and neo-paganism in America. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Magliocco, S. (2009). Italian American stregheria and Wicca: Ethnic ambivalence in American neopaganism. In M. F. Strmiska (Ed.), Modern paganism in world cultures: Comparative perspectives (pp. 55–86). ABC-CLIO.

Magliocco, S. (2026, forthcoming). Wicca alla marinara: La stregoneria neopagana italiana nella diaspora nordamericana. In M. Castagnetto Alessio, S. Palmisano, & N. Pannofino (Eds.), Rinascite pagane: Una religione dall'età della ragione alla postmodernità (pp. 45–67). Mondadori.

Owen, S. (2011). The appropriation of Native American spirituality. Continuum.

Pike, S. M. (2001). Earthly bodies, magical selves: Contemporary pagans and the search for community. University of California Press.

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⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️

Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

Explore the teachings of the Temple of Set, one of the most influential yet misunderstood esoteric movements of the modern era. From Michael A. Aquino’s Diabolicon to the mysterious Leviathan Working, this lecture uncovers the philosophy of Xeper (self-becoming), the myth of Lucifer/Set, and the Temple’s quest for self-deification. Drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship and rare sources, we trace how Setianism reshaped the Left-Hand Path and challenged mainstream ideas of religion, magic, and identity.

If you’re curious about Satanism, esotericism, or the deeper currents of occult philosophy, this is a journey into the heart of one of the most radical magical traditions of our time.

CONNECT & SUPPORT💖

MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses

WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER 💌 https://www.drangelapuca.com/#newsletter

BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services

BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca

SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ☕️https://ko-fi.com/drangelapuca

ONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://paypal.me/angelasymposium

JOIN MEMBERSHIPS 👥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/join

MY PODCAST 🎙 https://open.spotify.com/show/2TKoWTGe6OKRokHN2zUIxM?si=dd9f50a734b14f86

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Dyrendal, A., Lewis, J. R., & Petersen, J. A. (2016). The invention of Satanism. Oxford University Press.

Flowers, S. E. (1999). Order of Leviathan papers. Privately circulated manuscript.

Granholm, K. (2012). The Left-Hand Path and post-Satanism: The example of the Temple of Set. In P. Faxneld & J. A. Petersen (Eds.), The devil's party: Satanism in modernity (pp. 209-228). Oxford University Press.

Granholm, K. (2014). Dark enlightenment: The historical, sociological, and discursive contexts of contemporary esoteric Satanism. Åbo Akademi University Press.

Petersen, J. A. (2012). The seeds of Satan: Conceptions of magic in contemporary Satanism. Aries, 12(1), 91-129.

Schipper, B. U. (2014). Ancient Egypt and modern occultism: Trajectories of religion from the pyramids to pyramidology. In A. B. Kilcher & P. Theisohn (Eds.), Die Enzyklopädik der Esoterik (pp. 413-431). Wilhelm Fink.

van Luijk, R. (2016). Children of Lucifer: The origins of modern religious Satanism. Oxford University Press.

Webb, D. (2004). Uncle Setnakt's essential guide to the Left Hand Path. Rûna-Raven Press.

Wimbush, V. L. (2015). Scripturalizing the Human: The Written as the Political.(2015). Taylor & Francis.

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- Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB

- Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK

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- DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ

⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️

Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!