In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.

Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the Western magickal tradition of spirit conjuration, traces their diverse forms through the centuries, and considers the range of beings described, from the land sprites of localised traditions to the high angels of the Enochian system of Renaissance polymath John Dee.

Dr Joffe reflects on the origin and changing usage of terms such as “demon” and “devil”, laments the prevalence of dangerously lax invocation practices, considers the cultural impact of the grimoire tradition, compares the systems of demonology found in world religions, and notes striking similarities between Buddhist tantric mystic Padmasambhava and King Solomon.

Dr Joffe also shares his own occult experiences including tales of spirit contact, servitor creation, dream visitations from the recently deceased, and ritual workings in several magickal systems.

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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:12 - Western Esotericism

04:42 - Spirit conjuration and the grimoire tradition

05:49 - Analysing spirit conjuration tropes in horror movies

09:46 - Diverse magical practice

10:51 - Professor Ronald Hutton’s history of Western Esotericism

12:05 - History of spirit conjuration from Ancient Egypt to today

14:49 - Mesopotamian laws against witchcraft

16:08 - The status of magick in the Abrahamic traditions

16:58 - Clerical underground of wizards

18:20 - Literacy and the power of a magickal book

21:03 - Prioritising of the book and of language itself

23:08 - Gathering one’s magickal tools

25:00 - Preparation is key

26:20 - Do spirits find humans repulsive?

30:29 - Self-purification and strategies for self-deification

31:24 - Similarities between Padmasambhava and King Solomon

32:43 - Dzamling Chi Sang and subjugating spirits

33:41 - The Testament of Solomon and subduing spirits

35:34 - Magick and frat-boy fantasy

37:47 - John Dee and the quest for knowledge

39:40 - Christian ceremonial magick and Jesus as a sorcerer

41:55 - Pre-Christian Pagan European spirit traditions

43:09 - Magick vs religion

45:12 - Hamlet and old spirit frameworks

48:03 - Arguments for and against the grimoire tradition

53:56 - Cultural impact of the grimoire tradition

56:05 - Wisdom of the past

58:33 - Different types of spirits and supernatural beings

01:02:33 - Muslim views of Iblīs (the devil) and djinn.

01:04:22 - Evil spirits in Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism

01:06:01 - Different ideas of the Devil

01:07:17 - What is a demon?

01:07:50 - Lazy demonology

01:15:05 - The perspective of nondual Tibetan tantra

01:18:31 - Limitations of dualistic cosmology

01:20:56 - Angels and pre-modern Christian views

01:25:03 - Why demons are useful for practical magick

01:27:47 - Ben’s personal reflections on working with spirits

01:31:17 - Rites of passage and creating servitors

01:33:00 - Ben explains the Goetia

01:34:16 - Ben reflects on his magickal career

01:36:45 - Summoning spirits at 12 years old

01:43:11 - ADHD approach to magick

01:44:09 - Ben recalls powerful, unexpected spirit contacts

02:00:51 Group corroboration

02:02:17 -Dream visitations from the recently deceased

02:04:56 - Are these experiences real?

02:07:30 - The social aspects of magickal practice

02:10:48 - Ben’s relationship with an invented spirit

02:15:42 - Wyatt the servitor

02:21:02 - Models of magick and questions of purity

02:29:09 - The two wolves inside of Ben

02:31:25 - Universal principles or relative frames?

02:34:33 - Artisanal magick and honing attention

02:36:18 - Is magickal training reliable?

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Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=joffe

To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit:

- https://perfumedskull.com/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James