Ep273: Spirit Conjuration - Dr Ben Joffe

Guru Viking Podcast

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. ... Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … 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? … 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/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James