Hello everyone, I’m Dr Angela Puca and welcome to the Livestream Symposium. I am a PhD and a Religious Studies scholar and this is your online resource, now live, so that you can ask all of your questions on the academic study of Magick, Esotericism, Shamanism, Paganism and all things occult.

And I’m already in a Samhain mood and happy full moon to all of you for whom it is something meaningful and significant. And yeah, I was already browsing the chat so I will start saying some of your names shortly.

But yeah, before we start I really want to remind everybody that Angela’s Symposium, this project, can only really exist thanks to your support. So if you can help at all and want to help and find value in this project I really appreciate any kind of help. Such as a one-off PayPal donation, joining Memberships or my Inner Symposium on Patreon. I can see that some of my Patrons are here. I am particularly happy about my Patron community, actually. Because we always have amazing conversations, and monthly lectures and there’s also the chance to have one-to-one conversations with me. So check it out, in case you are interested and want to support my work and this project – keeping it alive. Everything is really appreciated.

So if you want to ask questions you can write QUESTION in capital letters before your question and then you can ask your question. And you can also Superchat a question. By Super-chatting it will be highlighted and I will definitely see it and answer it and you will also support this project.

Yeah, let me see now who is in the chat. And if you have questions, guys, you can just start asking away and don’t forget the QUESTION beforehand or, indeed, Superchat your question.

So, first of all, thank you to Andrew, who is moderating the chat. He is the moderator, and he is also my first patron.

And hi to Edward, another very kind Patron of mine. And hello to Owl-Go-Rhythmz – k. That is a very difficult nickname (laughing).

Oh, Serpent Power, thank you so much; that’s very kind of you.

And hi, Frater RC and Celestial Wolf. Thank you for the Superchat, Lenn. Thank you so much; it is really appreciated.

Celestial Wolf, he is asking in capital letters, how did you know – come across with Shamanism first? I’m not sure what the question is. I am guessing that you are asking how I first came across Shamanism. If that’s the question, I came across Shamanism for the first time when I was a teenager and met a Mapuche Shaman. So yeah, she introduced me to Shamanism, and of course, my PhD was heavily based on Shamanism. And I think that Shamanism is really fascinating, and perhaps it could be part of the paganism umbrella, but I understand that it is and can be debated.

So, thanks again, Len Sisson, for your donation.

I can see another question from David. So, what are the similarities and differences between Astral Projections and Shamanic spirit journeys?

It’s funny that you’re asking this question. Yesterday, I posted the schedule on my Patreon Community, and every month, we have a lecture for the Magus and up tiers. And this month, it will be on Astral Projection. So, in case you are interested you might want to join at a Magus or up tier.

But yeah, to answer your question – what are the similarities and differences between Astral projections and Shamanic spirit journeys? That’s difficult to answer in a few words because it really depends on what you mean by Shamanic Journey because there are different Shamanic Journeys as well. Some that are more similar to Astral Projection and to how we conceive Astral Projection, that’s another whole topic. That’s why I had to make a lecture on that. So, our idea of the Astral Projection and of the Astral Plane is heavily based on the teachings of the Theosophical Society. And there is, in fact, a video that I have on the Astral Plane where I explain where the concept of the Astral Plane comes from. And I have a recent video also on Theosophy and I think there are many that I should be making because there are so many things, so many influences that come from the Theosophical Society. Another thing is the Akashic Records, that’s another thing that I have on my mind that I’d like to make a video on but too many ideas – too little time. So there are different ways of intending Astral Projection and there are different ways of intending Shamanic Journeys so I will be very brief.

By Shamanic Journey some people intend what, for instance, the Core Shamanism intends, so for instance, a form of visualisation that is also believed to be real but the ontology of that should be explained further. And it is done through visualisation and you can travel to the lower, to the middle and the upper world. And there are also other similar forms of visualisation that are now called, by practitioners, Shamanic Journey and that is one form of a Shamanic Journey. And there are other forms of Shamanic Journey that are more similar to how the Astral Projection or Astral Travel is meant, which means that you basically detach your consciousness from your physical body and you project it to your subtle body, your Astral Body and that is able to travel through space and time in a different way. And in that sense, for instance, you also have a different perception of time but what is interesting about people who claim they are able to Astral Project is that they are able to maintain the same exact consciousness that they have during the waking time, and like the same consciousness that I have now in case I was to Astral Project I would be with the same consciousness in my subtle body and I would be able to move in space and time in a different way.

And then you have forms of Astral Travelling that are related to dreams, that people access through dreams. But there are many forms of Astral Travel so that is why I will give a talk on that. But I hope that this answered, at least briefly, your question, David.

So, let me see if there are any other questions.

Liam says he would love for me to speak on my own personal perspectives and practices.

Um, maybe one day. Not today, not today. You know that I don’t really talk publicly about my beliefs and practices or lack thereof, of both of them. Because I decided to do so and just to focus on offering you the academic knowledge of the subject. It may be the case that one day I change my mind but at the moment that is my stance.

And hi Cipriano.

So Justin asks how much has Shamanism influenced a religion like Thelema or sects such as the OTO?

In that case, it would be like what form of Shamanism? In terms of Thelema or Thelema as English speakers usually say and the OTO, I think that it was way more influenced by The Golden Dawn. So I don’t see really many influences from Shamanism. I think that in Chaos Magick you see more influences from Shamanism but I am not sure about Thelema or the OTO. I don’t think there are many really. But if there is any Thelemite in the chat – you tell me. But yeah, I cannot think of many, no, especially when we talk about influence. If we were to talk about whether there are things in common…

Oh, Steve is asking an interesting question, what is the difference between Occultism and Folk Magic and how would you define Folk Magic?

Wow, that is a difficult question. So the difference between Occultism and Folk Magic. So, first how to define Occultism. I would say I tend to collate the terms Occultism and Esotericism. And I think in the academic study, in the academic field surrounding these topics I’ve never come across a definition of Occultism unless it was a contextual definition. You know, that in some cases you might have a full argument as to why you should define a specific term, like Paganism, as an umbrella term that has this and these characteristics. Usually, you have a very full argument and in other cases when somebody is using terms, that are used, that are in common parlance or because they are present in books and texts that the author or the scholar is talking about. Sometimes you just problematise, in the beginning, the concept and you just say by Occultism I mean this. But that is not what I am meaning now. When it comes to a full definition with a proper argument I don’t think I have ever come across a definition, an academic definition of Occultism. I think the term Esotericism tends to be more – the centre of attention – how to define Esotericism and we know that, for instance, Woulter Hanegraaff has a very popular definition and that is ‘rejected knowledge.’ And I think that I tend to collate Occultism and Esotericism in that sense. And then you also have definitions of Magic. Sorry, I am getting sidetracked by my thoughts again. – focus! So the question is what is the difference between Occultism and Folk Magic?

So granted that by Occultism I mean Esotericism and that is the practice and the study of what is usually rejected from the dominant cultural framework and that also includes some form of Magic, that’s our operative definition.

Folk Magic is more the form of Witchcraft that is practised by the people. It tends to be less structured, it tends not to be institutionalised, it tends to be not linked to a specific religion, it has religious elements but is not a religion per se if that makes sense. So I think that Folk Magic can be defined, and this is again an operative definition, can be defined as the magic practice operated by people of a place mainly to address problems of their mundane experience and to address issues within their community. So that is how I would describe Folk Magic. And it tends to have religious elements. Often it combines more than one religion, you know, in the kind of, absorption of these kinds of religious elements. Yeah, I guess that is the definition that I would give. And the difference, I would say, is that in Occultism or Esotericism you have more structure, more ceremonies, and more rituals. Folk Magic tends not to have as many rituals so it would be somewhat simple in how it deals with things. Very few tools, very few rituals, and lots of herbs, usually. Well, not necessarily but lots of things that you find in your mundane world.

And also, I was thinking, Esotericism and Occultism have what is often called as ‘High Magic,’ even though I don’t like these definitions of ‘High Magic,’ ‘Low Magic.’ But you also have a form of practice that has a religious and a spiritual aim, that is to get in contact with your higher self or with the divine or with, you know, entities that may also help your own spiritual and religious journey. And I think that that is found much less in Folk Magic. I am kind of thinking in my mind the forms of Folk Magic and yeah, I think that that is the case, that it’s very practical, very about the everyday life.

So Frater Zigmund says, loved the video on Theosophy and I would love to see a video on Blavatsky and her crazy life (laughter).

Yeah, there are so many videos that I could make on Blavatsky. I was thinking of making the next, you know, research-based video on Rudolph Steiner. But, yeah I definitely have to make a video on Blavatsky as well. She is quite an interesting character.

So let me see.

Do you ever become annoyed at laymen not understanding the underlining, methodological naturalism in academic work?

Um, no. Maybe because I’m too much of an optimistic person. I just assume that not everybody can know everything. So, when somebody doesn’t know something I am just happy to explain, if they are interested, I just stay silent on the matter if they are not interested. I think that I get annoyed when people purposely don’t want to understand or don’t want to acknowledge the fact that, for instance, these kinds of topics can be studied from an academic point of view. And I have come across those people and yeah, in that case, I get angry. You don’t want to see angry Angela (laughter). Well, you can see the horns (points to her head). So that’s a clue.

Owl-Go-Rhythmz says what do you mean by Chaotic?

When did I say Chaotic? I think I said Chaos Magick earlier when I was trying to talk… when we were talking about the influences that Shamanism may have played on Thelema and I mentioned Chaos Magick but I don’t know, have I said Chaotic in any other context? Let me know if so.

Craig Delaney – did you get to read more about Jack Parsons?

Jack Parsons is really interesting and yes, I have read about Jack Parsons and I definitely have to make a video on that as well. You guys are kind of reminding me because I always have, you know circulating thoughts. You have to make a video on this, you have to make a video on that. But yeah, it’s usually just a problem of time because I also have to do academic work alongside YouTube and social media. But yeah, I definitely want to do that. And by the way, I am working on the first draft of my book. So, fingers crossed I will be able to make it by the deadline. And also next week, I forgot to say I should say these things in the beginning but I forget. I’m going to London because I was approached by a couple of Americans from LA, they are producing a documentary on Esotericism and Witchcraft and they want to interview me as an academic in the field. Maybe I won’t wear the horns in that context. I am aware that I don’t look like an academic but (laughter) whatever! That’s not what makes you an academic, it’s not how you look. It’s your publications. Publish or perish!!

So let me see if there are other questions.

Thank you, Andrew, for reminding people to start with QUESTION in caps-locks – in caps-lock.

Thomas is asking, My point of view is that the “Astral Plane” or that plane the Shamans contact, is full of lame entities looking to get attention and favours from humans. Has someone seen it like that?

Yes, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (laughter). I’m telling you that many of the ideas that we have around the Astral Plane and also Blavatsky thought that even when people contact the spirits of the dead in some cases it’s just, you know, they are not actually contacting them but its more… I can’t get the English term because I read these things in Italian, years ago, and they kind of made an impression. But it’s more like lower entities, it’s more like a reflection of those spirits, it’s not actually the spirits of the dead, in most cases that you are talking with. But definitely, the perception that you find amongst practitioners when it comes to Astral Projection and the Astral Plane, it’s very influenced by Theosophy. And I find it interesting that currently, Theosophy is not as spoken about, I don’t think, within academic… not within academic, sorry, but within circles of Practitioners – that practice Magick. It is not as talked about and yet when you look at the history of Esotericism it was quite a turning point. It was the first time that you have the inclusion of eastern practices from Asia.

And also it is not just the practices that you see across the board including Aleister Crowley, he also includes a lot of practices from India, Yoga and Tantra. But not only Theosophy was the first western tradition to include those elements but they gave it a sort of higher status compared to our own western tradition and that’s something that, I think, impacted massively how Occultists perceived those practices from the east. Because if you have the perception that they have a higher status in terms of how truthful they are and how effective they are then obviously you will want to include them in your practice. And then there is the element, you know, of exoticism that always plays a role when it comes to Esotericism. Not just when it comes to Asian practices being included in a western tradition but I think that more generally exoticism plays a role. You know, the idea of, sourcing from something that is far away. And yeah, that is very different, for instance, from Folk Magic going back to the idea of Folk Magic being something that is rooted in the mundane. In many esoteric traditions, you have this perception that you want to source from something that is beyond, that is higher, that is not the mundane, is sacred, it is something that is different from what you have around you day by day.

So that element of either exoticism or archaism is also called in the literature. And you find a lot of that, for instance, in Mircea Eliade. Archaism is the concept that you will find more truth and effectiveness when you go back in time. So if something is historical then it means that it is more valuable. If something is exotic, it is from a different place, in a different language. It also has that kind of appeal and it could be a psychological appeal but for some Practitioners, some theorists and Practitioners have also actually believed, strongly, that it isn’t just the psychological effect of otherness that would be somewhat attached to the concept of sacredness but also the fact that they were actually, indeed, really more effective.

So that element of either exoticism or archaism is also called in the literature. And you find a lot of that, for instance, in Mircea Eliade. Archaism is the concept that you will find more truth and effectiveness when you go back in time. So if something is historical then it means that it is more valuable. If something is exotic, it is from a different place, in a different language. It also has that kind of appeal and it could be a psychological appeal but for some Practitioners, some theorists and Practitioners have also actually believed, strongly, that it isn’t just the psychological effect of otherness that would be somewhat attached to the concept of sacredness but also the fact that they were actually, indeed, really more effective.

And thank you for your donation Gltin69 (laughter). You guys make it difficult for me to say your names or user names. Could you possibly make a video about Saturn Occult symbolism in the future and maybe briefly talk about the topic now?

Saturn Occult symbolism, you mean how Saturn is perceived by Occultists in terms of the correspondences? Saturn tends to be seen… yeah I could do a video. I literally want to do a video on everything. (Laughter) So sometimes if people ask me, aren’t you worried that you will run out of ideas for your YouTube channel or your social media, it’s like, what? The one thing that I have no shortage of is ideas. What I do have a shortage of is time and sometimes means but definitely not ideas. So Saturn tends to be feared by Practitioners because he tends to be seen as the destroyer and when Saturn is transitioning in your sun sign everybody is scared because it will cut ties with all the things that are not working in your life anymore. And I think there is a lot of low-key fear around Saturn. But for Practitioners, actually many Practitioners would still say that for every single planet and every single planetary energy and influence can be used for the enrichment of one’s life. Because, for instance, even if you’re dealing with a destroying or restricting energy, well maybe you can destroy boundaries, maybe you can destroy negative influences, maybe you can destroy bad habits or restrict those. So, you know… yeah, I think it’s interesting how there is kind of fear around Saturn but actually, I think it is a very interesting planetary influence.

So thank you so much for the donation, Craig and thank you so much for being a Channel Member. Good work. Thank you, it’s really appreciated.

So let me see if there are other questions.

Thelema has a lot of syncretism (laughter).

Yes, syncretism. But I’d say, yeah, all esoteric traditions have a lot of syncretism really. All religious traditions have syncretism. I think it really depends because obviously the more a religion is institutionalised and has a central dogma the least amount of syncretism you will find. But still, when you look a the whole history and even the precursor of that religious tradition you will still find that there’s been an influence of different streams of different religious beliefs and practices. So I don’t really think there is anything that is pure, in that sense, pristine, that has never been influenced by anything else. Because I think nothing in our culture or religious experience or even our lives are self-contained you don’t have anything that is fully isolated and self-contained.

So unless it is a religion that has been developed on the peak of a mountain and they have never had any contact with the rest of the world. Maybe in that case but I think that we, as human beings, we tend to have a circulation of knowledge. And the more you have a circulation of knowledge, the more there is a tendency towards syncretism and that is why now in the era of the internet and even, ever since the era of the 19 – 20^th centuries, you know, the more access you have to information and even to information on occult knowledge, the more you find the traditions have a syncretic, a strong syncretic component. Then they can crystallise and have their own identity because you definitely have traditions like Thelema or Theosophy or Rosicrucianism, I can think of many – they have their very specific identities and they can recognise them and say, OK that is Rosicrucianism and is not Theosophy – it’s very clear what the identity is. So even the way syncretism is employed it can determine a tradition’s identity as opposed to another tradition’s identity.

So, Tony says, good to see You, Dr Puca. Good to see you, Tony. According to historical documents, was there any shamanic phenomenon, trance and channelling, in the Ancient Middle East, something similar to the oracle of Delphi?

I don’t think that I am the right person to ask because I have never studied, specifically, Shamanism in the Ancient Middle East. Maybe you could ask Filip at Let’s Talk Religion. I think he might have come across studies on the matter but unfortunately, I am not really an expert on that. Although you have made me curious and it is very likely I will look it up afterwards but sorry about that.

So let me see if there are other questions. By the way, let me know in the chat guys if you prefer this time – 6 PM my time as opposed to – I used to do the live streams at 5 PM and I wanted to try and do it an hour after, just because I know most of you guys are from the US and so I thought more of you could attend the live stream. But let me know if you prefer this time or another time and I will see if I can accommodate it. And I saw from those of you who have responded to the poll on my YouTube channel I see that you guys tend to prefer Friday. And so our next live streams will be hopefully on Fridays. I couldn’t do it this Friday though. Sometimes Fridays are busy so I will have to plan that ahead.

So, Eraserhead, another David Lynch fan I’m guessing. So, is there knowledge of cocaine use in occult practices?

There are some Shamans in Peru that chew the leaves of coke as part of their spiritual practice but I don’t know much about it, to be fair. And yeah I think that there are some regions of the world were chewing the coca leaves… I think there is also divination with coca leaves actually. But yeah, it is very different from the use of cocaine. And also when Shamans intake entheogenic drugs or substances it’s done very differently from the substance use that you have in the west outside of a spiritual context because they would ask the plant when they need to take the plant, then when they have to intake it and in what ways. So it is really the spirit of the plant that will tell the Shaman or the Practitioner how they should engage with the intake of that specific plant. So it is very different from, for instance, a drug addict who will just take the drug to have a certain experience and is dependent on a drug and will just take it whenever. It’s not like that at all.

Asilem55 – Hello! Greetings from Argentina. Better late than never.

Yes, hi (waves). Yeah, I have very good memories from Argentina. And I actually hope to go back there one day.

So let me see if there are other questions.

David Staverly says, in science, new and up-to-date research is considered a good thing, but in Esotericism, it seems that older is considered better, or more genuine. What is the cause of this worldview?

So first of all in science and academia, you tend to have the idea that when research is a bit dated usually it is not considered to be a reliable source. So there are different criteria when it comes to reliable sources and one of these has to do with how old the publication is. However, that doesn’t apply to all cases, it only applies to certain cases. So, for instance, in natural science, yeah that’s the case in most fields within natural science. In social science the same, in Anthropology the same. But, for instance in History, obviously in History it is not necessarily the case that a study done 50 years ago or 100 years ago on a specific text, for instance, in literature as well it is not necessarily the case that the study becomes outdated. So it really depends on the field whether that matters or not. But yeah, generally it tends to be the case that the more that newer research is considered to be up-to-date. Because the concept in science and in academia is not that you are a scholar and you will have this genius idea that will change the world and you have discovered the truth.

The concept in academia, that is why peer review is so important and so foundational. Even theoretically, besides methodologically, is that science is based on a network of studies and on a network of discoveries. It is not about one person even though we like the individual genius but it is not based on one person, it is based on a network, a network of knowledge that is built, thanks to many different studies. And that’s why you might have one isolated study that demonstrates something in their findings but is not able to be replicated by a large-scale study elsewhere or by any other colleague from all over the world and that matters. If you study in isolation and you have thousands and thousands of studies that say something completely different from what that one study says. Obviously, it means that one study is not as reliable, probably there is a problem with the methodology, probably there is a problem with data collection or data analysis.

But yeah, science is based on a network of knowledge and that is important for you guys to understand when it comes to scientific literacy because when you have in the news or when there is a major drama in the world and people tend to hold on to a specific study that is a small scale study that no one has been able to replicate, then that one study is not the same and doesn’t weigh the same as a dozen or a hundred of other studies that say otherwise. So it is always important to keep in mind that science is a network. It is not the one genius, the one Einstein that discovers something important, it’s a network of knowledge.

So what is the cause of the worldview, why practitioners tend to think that when something is older it is more important? This is my speculation here. I think that one reason may be what I said earlier and that it is a form of archaism slash exoticism. Or it is more like the idea that what you have around you is mundane and is dull and is banal and trivial and what you are seeking is something sacred, that goes beyond, that tells you something that goes beyond space and time, beyond your experience, beyond your mortality. So where will you find something like that? Not in something that is close but in something that is distant, that perhaps has been somewhat proven to be true or to be reliable over the centuries.

I think that it is both the idea to go back to the source in time and in that case it underlies the perception of time as linear. So you have a perception of time as linear and you want to go to the source, to the beginning of time and see what was believed back then and what was the source of knowledge back then. And also you have the idea of the distance from the present that may have an appeal because it makes things feel less mundane and less linked to your daily problems and your daily struggles. And in a way it has that kind of mythical sense of the golden age, you know, that kind of perception of the golden age, to go back to that time in history, or in human history where there was access to the truth and then the truth was concealed. There are many narratives around that. In some cases, it is about how ancient that knowledge is and that it has proven to be true over the centuries, in some cases it is about finding the source of knowledge.

So what you are practising today needs to be extremely old otherwise it is not reliable because it means it’s not true if it doesn’t stand the test of time. That underlies, of course, the idea that truth exists and that truth is something immobile that, you know, is like a stone that never changes. But that is a different matter. I think there is also an element of exoticism, you know, the sense of something that is distant. But, yeah, I hope that that answers your question.

And I think that I saw a Superchat. Oh yeah, the Serpent Power. Thank you so much for the donation by the way. Have you decided on a Halloween costume?

Well, maybe you will see it on the live because maybe I’m organising with some people that you know over here on YouTube to do something together on Halloween or Samhain. So you may find out by yourself. But what would you guys, I mean if you were to picture me in a Halloween costume, what would it be, I curious, let me know.

Oh, this is cool, a cool question. Do you have a favourite book or artefact you have collected during your studies?

Thank you for your donation GLtin69. I want to know what your username is all about.

Oh, Craig says a Swamp Witch.

Best costume for you – Catholic Nun.

(laughing) I remember I once went to a Halloween party when I was back in Italy dressed as a man. (laughter) I think that I wanted to be a man when I was younger. It is not that I was – I didn’t have gender dysphoria. But I just wished I was born a man.

So Studio Noir says I feel that Italian Shamanism is like an autonomous current inside of Theistic… oh sorry, Italian Satanism. For some reason, I saw Italian Shamanism. I feel that Italian Satanism is like an autonomous current inside of Theistic Satanism overall. What do you think? And who do you think is the most influential figure in Italian Satanism?

Are you Italian by any chance? So, mmmm I think that in Italy Theistic Satanism seems to be more popular than Atheistic Satanism. And as for influential figures, you have Ahsife Oscura I interviewed her also for my paper on Fulvio Rendhell because she is a disciple of the Spiritist Fulvio Rendhell. She’s kind of a leader or spokesperson for a satanic group. And then there is the Union Satanist Italiani which is the Union of Italian Satanists and her name slips my mind. What’s her name? Yeah, she is also very influential. I’m sorry I will have to find her name – Oh yeah, it’s Jennifer Crepuscolo and she’s also quite influential. And it is interesting because I have interviewed her in the past but I haven’t come around to writing a paper because I want to write a paper on Italian Satanism. And I think that generally Italian Satanism tends to be more theistic and it tends to include elements of Paganism. And in fact, Jennifer Crepuscolo, the one that I was mentioning – she has sometimes claimed that actually, it is a pagan religion and that she feels like they are rejected both by the Christians and the Pagans. So that’s an interesting discourse that kind of challenges terms. But definitely, the Pagan Community doesn’t seem to want to be associated with any form of Satanism and probably Satanists.

So let me see if there are other questions.

So Thomas asks if you believe… oops… here it is. If you believe in Satan, doesn’t that make you a Christian?

There’s an argument on that. That is an argument that a lot of Pagans make, for instance, when I’ve attended debates between Pagans and Satanists they would say, but why are you a Satanist? Because Satan is… the concept of, the entity – well there is a distinction between Satan, the Devil and Lucifer, of course, but the concept of the adversary has been created by Christianity. So there wouldn’t be Satanism without Christianity really. So, I’ve seen the argument of people saying if you are a Satanist then, in a way, you are a Christian – in reverse.

And I have heard Satanists reply to that, that it is not really about Christianity, it is about embracing the role, the adversarial role that has to do with society at large. So since society has been massively influenced by Christianity and by the myth-making of Christianity and by the mythology that that religion or that set of religions has created, then by being a Satanist doesn’t mean that you are a Christian or that you are opposing Christianity. It means more that you are embracing an adversarial role towards the dominant religious system but also the dominant cultural system. For some people, it is about being able to say no to something that is established and evaluate things for yourself. It has more of an antinomian role.

I am not sure if you are familiar with the term antinomian. I talk about it in my videos on Chaos Magic and the Left-Hand Path. So the idea is of the rejection of the authority. That is what antinomian means. And it is, for some Satanists, embracing the archetype, it is more about the archetype and yes it was created by Christianity but there are many other archetypes that are created by all sorts of mythologies, or even TV shows or religions or cultures but for them, it is not about the religion behind it, it is about the archetype that Satan has come to, sort of, express. And so that is what interests them, some of them. At least I have heard this argument made by Satanists.

Hi João, nice to see you in the chat. What about anti-pie?

I don’t think that someone who is anti-pie and especially anti-chocolate – I think this channel is not for you (laughter).

Frater RC says, couldn’t someone reject Theism but maintain the existence of occult forces in nature?

Do you mean in case somebody is an Atheist but they also believe in the forces of nature? I suppose that is possible if you intend them in a very materialistic sense. If you look at my video on Spinoza and the difference between materialistic atheism and… what was the difference, sorry. But yeah, I was talking about the materialistic Atheism and the fact that you could believe in the forces of nature as you believe in physics and the laws of physics, but you are not attributing something that is supernatural, a metaphysical counterpart to those forces of nature. So technically I’d say yes, you can believe in the forces of nature that perhaps don’t have a metaphysical counterpart but they are still acting in a way that follows the laws of physics and the laws of natural science.

Yes, chocolate. I will always maintain that chocolate is the healthiest food on earth. And it is not because I eat a ton of chocolate every day (laughing). Maybe, because it is also really healthy. You know it has a lot of fantastic properties and makes you perky and happy and, you know, endorphins and stuff. Is it endorphins? I think it is serotonin, I cannot remember now. I think I should just silence myself. When I hear the word chocolate, you know, I just go crazy.

So back to the questions.

Roberto Ferreras is asking, is there any good online resources for those interested in ancient magical practices that is accessible to a layman? Also, love your channel.

Oh, thank you for loving my channel. Good online resources. Yeah, well I think that a good idea would be to start with Google Scholar. So if you start with Google Scholar and you can type the things that you are interested in. There are some sources that are accessible and you know, that are not behind a paywall. And when they are behind a paywall what I would recommend is to go on Academia.edu and see if the author has uploaded a pre-print because it is something that many academics do, including myself, because in case you guys don’t know, authors of peer-reviewed articles don’t really get money out of it. And actually, I generally prefer to publish in open-source journals but it is not always possible and in some cases, you have to publish in journals that are behind a paywall.

But we as the authors are able to still upload our material onto Academia.edu. And when it is not on Academia.edu, if you find the author and you find the email, you can email them directly and kindly, say oh, I am really a fan of your work, us academics – it’s like 10 people read our works so when you get an email like that you get enthusiastic and you may ask to read their material, so that’s a way to do that, if they are willing, at least the academics I know they tend to be willing to do that. You can never know. It is worth a shot anyway.

So yeah, I’d say that those are the sources and then there is JSTOR for those who have an academic affiliation. But generally, I would say that Academia.edu is a good source. And there is also Sacred Texts I think that it has some primary sources. And I cannot remember now the library that are copyright-free. Edward, do say in the chat, I’m sure that you know what I am talking about.

Oh, thank you, d00000d for your donation. It is really appreciated. How long until we can listen to Erose – Children of Darkness on Spotify?

Yeah, I can tell you that you looked up my band, well my former band. Oh, it is not like we disbanded, it is just that we live far away and so we are not really continuing with our work, which is a pity but yeah, I really wish we had continued. Yeah, I’m not sure, maybe we could put it on Spotify. I know that the keyboardist is really keen on doing that. So maybe we should learn how to do that because I have no idea how that works. But yeah, thanks for your appreciation of my music.

So, oh thank you so much for your donation Rachel. So Rachel Fletcher says, thank you for all you do, Dr Puca! Is there anything else that you can tell us about your book at this time?

Ooh, my book. So (laughs) let me get anxious now. That’s because I am thinking about something that I am dreading about my book is changing the referencing style because I have to change it from Harvard to Chicago. And I hate to deal with references. But anyway, aside from that, my book is on Italian Witchcraft and Italian Shamanism. I’ve been thinking of how to call it because I want to call it in a way that people who are outside academia can understand what it is all about. The most accurate title, actually, is the title that I gave to my PhD dissertation and it was “Indigenous and Transcultural Shamanism in Italy.” But that doesn’t really tell you what the book is about. Well, it tells you what the book is about but not all the aspects. So, for instance, it doesn’t really tell you that I have systematised the Italian Folk Magic tradition under the label the Tradition of Segnature and that I have done substantial research on that. So I will probably call it Italian Witchcraft and Shamanism. Yeah, and maybe in the subtitle, the discovery of the Tradition of Segnature. Have I just decided on my title on a live stream?

So yeah, that’s what it is going to be about. It is going to be my PhD dissertation turned into a book. It’s not going to be exactly my PhD dissertation. But yeah, it will talk about transcultural shamanic practices in Italy, the Italian Folk Magic tradition that I systematised. And I will argue that it is the indigenous Italian Shamanism. Obviously, I argue extensively what I mean by indigenous and what I mean by Shamanism.

In fact, lately, there is a publication of mine that has gone out in a book called Indigenous Religions in Five Minutes (Indigenous Religious Traditions in Five Minutes) published by Equinox and I have a chapter there where I explain why it is important to disentangle the category of indigenous religion from indigenous people. And I also have a video on that. So, if you are interested you will find my argument in that video. So yeah, that is what my book is going to be about. Hopefully, Angela will finish the daft and it will not be rubbish (laughter).

So Dennett is asking, In a video, I believe you said the Apollonian versus Dionysian are both ecstatic states. Is this an ecstatic state of wisdom, power, or enlighten? Do these manifest in non-ecstatic states?

So the Apollonian and the Dionysian come from Nietzsche, “The Birth of Tragedy” by Friedrich Nietzsche, the philosopher and he describes the Apollonian and the Dionysian as the two forces in nature, basically. You have a force of order and a force of chaos. And everything is an interplay between the two. And in the Book Nietzsche tends to say that there is an equilibrium between the two but you also get the sense that for him the Dionysian is more important. Because it allows you… because Dionysian is also the source of art, the source of new ideas and the source of everything that is new and exciting and breaks the rules in a way that is enriching. Whether they are ecstatic states, I don’t think I’ve said in a previous video that they were ecstatic states – I don’t recall that.

But whether they are ecstatic states – I would say the Dionysian could be seen or could be constructed as, perhaps, as an ecstatic state. Because if the Apollonian is the cosmos, is the order, then it would be more the ordered daily life and the ordered things in life. An ecstatic state, by definition – extasis comes from Latin and Greek, actually, you have it in Latin and Greek and it means ‘out of the state’ – well, out of the state – ex’tasis. So the stasis is something that is stable and then you go outside of it. So in that sense, the Dionysian could be more related to an ecstatic state because an ecstatic state, by definition, is going beyond your normal state of consciousness whereas the Apollonian would be more in line with an ordinary state of consciousness. So in that case I’d say, perhaps, it is more … And what are wisdom, power and enlightenment? I’d say it’s more …. the experience of the chaos in a very Tantric sense.

I will one day have a Tantric ritual on a live stream. And my Patrons know what it is going to be about. But I won’t reveal it so it’s a surprise. But yeah, in a Tantric sense you are in a sense of breaking the rules and finding meaning, finding an enrichment in your life and in your spiritual experience by experiencing and absorbing and by being at one with that chaotic energy.

Arthur Sleep asks, dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Milk chocolate always. Caramel chocolate, white chocolate. So, I don’t like dark chocolate because why would you have dark chocolate if you can have milk chocolate? Unless you are a vegan and then in that case I respect your choice. But if you’re not a vegan it is like it’s kind of a punishment, it’s bitter, I like things that are sweet, like a lot, sweet. Yeah, my favourite is milk chocolate, caramel chocolate, white chocolate, a lot of chocolate. I don’t like the ones that have strange flavours like strawberry and mint, I don’t like those ones.

Let me see if there are other questions.

I think that I have read all of the questions and definitely all of the Superchats. Let me see – oh there is one that I haven’t seen. I always find ones that I haven’t seen when I look back at the Livestream afterwards. So if I have missed your question I apologise. But you can put it in the comments or indeed if you want to be sure to have an answer you can Superchat it. So I noticed that I missed this one.

What is your interpretation of the “light tunnel” people report seeing during near-death experiences?

I need to interview a scholar who has studied a lot of near-death experiences. And he has been in contact with me, actually, so we need to organise this interview or indeed it could be a live stream so that you guys can ask your questions. So what is my interpretation of the light tunnel? You find it in many different traditions and cultures and that makes it interesting. Some people would say, maybe, it is biological, biochemical reaction but mmmm for some reason I am thinking of the Corpus Hermeticum now and the Hermetic Texts that talk about the light (laughter). That talks about the light as being these very powerful, spiritual source. Maybe that’s what it is. But yeah, it’s speculation.

So yeah, so I think that I have… here’s a question for you- have you ever read the fiction novel The Secret History? I ask because in that novel, and in the subculture of “dark academia” in general, has ties to ancient Greek…

I wanted to read that book actually, but I haven’t gotten around to actually reading it but yeah I am interested in reading that. And also because, you know, the whole dark academia subculture, it’s kind of rooted in that. But I know the plot, the story and it has to do a lot with obnoxious students that believe they can get away with everything.

So, would you consider yourself a materialist?

Definitely not! Nope.

Do you know anything about Candomble? Is that you could do a video on?

Yeah, I’d love to do a video on Candomble. It’s a very shamanistic tradition and I find it fascinating. So yeah, definitely I’d like to make a video on that in the future.

Oh, for example, a Dionysus, (sorry I’m pronouncing it in the Latin way, Dionysus) related ritual in the novel The Secret History. How accurate to ancient Hellenic rituals and beliefs is mentioned in “dark academia”?

I haven’t read the book so I’m not sure. I’m thinking about maybe it comes from the Bacchans (The Bacchae) – how do you say that in English? Because there is a tragedy where there is a cult around Dionysus, I think you say in English, that has to do with cannibalism. So I’m not sure if that is in the book, but if it is in the book then it is linked to Greek tragedy. There is a tragedy called The Bacchans if I am pronouncing it right in English because I am not sure how you would say it in English. And yeah, that was actually the tragedy that I had to translate for my high school final exam (laughter) the classical Lyceum and it was kind of a high school and I had to study Latin and Greek for five years. And in the final exam, you’ll have a translation from Latin and another from Greek and the one from Greek was this tragedy. So, funny.

So, yeah, I think that we can end the live stream here. Yeah, and I’m really glad to have chatted with you guys. And it is always really nice to see you guys in the chat and interact with all of you. And yes, Euripides. I guess that is how you say it in English, right? Because in Greek it would be Euripides. Anyway, I don’t want to confuse you. I’m not sure, I never know really if you are interested in Latin and ancient Greek pronunciations or if you find it over-complicates things. Because my experience with native English speakers is that they get quite upset if you pronounce things, you know, according to, for instance, the Latin or the ancient Greek pronunciation. So I am not sure whether I come across as a, I don’t know, language fascist or whatever if I do so. But if you are interested in knowing the pronunciation of the different ancient, or well, Latin is not necessarily ancient. But it is ancient but it is still used in the Vatican and there are also some people who use it.

There are actually some courses. There are people around the world that have (laughs) all sorts of things, like when I was studying Sanskrit I also realised there were people who would have retreats where they would speak Sanskrit and Sanskrit is not something that you would normally speak. It is more like a literary language and a sacred language. It is spoken by the Brahmans but as a scholar, you don’t normally speak Sanskrit it is more about reading and translating it with your dictionary. But yeah, the same happens with people who want to interact in Latin or in ancient Greek. So but yeah, if you are interested in those pronunciations I will definitely tell you more about those.

But other than that, thank you all for coming over for this live stream. I really had a lot of Academic Fun with you guys. And I hope you stay tuned for some more and don’t forget to SMASH the like-button, if you like this live stream, if you have attended it live or you are going to watch later, SMASH it, if you liked it and hopefully, you did and share this and my other videos with your friend because it helps us grow, it helps this project to exist and yeah, all the links to support the channel are, as always, in a pinned comment. And thank you so much for being here and stay tuned for all the Academic Fun.

Bye for now.

Uploaded 10 Oct 2022