Advertise on podcast: ANGELA'S SYMPOSIUM 📖 Academic Study on Witchcraft, Paganism, esotericism, magick and the Occult

Did the ancient Celts really believe the veil thinned at Samhain? Discover the surprising history behind one of Halloween’s most familiar spiritual claims. Drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship and historical sources, I trace the “thinning of the veil” through medieval Irish fairy lore, Catholic traditions of the returning dead, Spiritualism and modern witchcraft. How did doors into the Otherworld become a veil between the living and the dead? For witches, Pagans and anyone interested in ancestor rituals, this episode explores what that history means for magical practice today. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ 00:00 The Thinning of the Veil at Samhain 02:16 The sentence and its papers 02:57 Mounds that open 03:44 Meyer’s Halloween and the opened mounds 04:26 The Otherworld as a kingdom 05:30 The dead come in by the church door 06:18 All Souls’ Night and the returning dead 07:17 A god, a New Year and a conditional 08:29 Frazer’s conditional and the invisible boundary 09:18 How a veil learned to thin 10:02 Bess Houdini and the Halloween séance 10:57 Witchcraft joins the doors and the veil 11:57 What the membrane is for 12:45 Irish Pagan practice and the dead 13:49 Learning to experience a “thin” night ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

Was The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz an allegory of alchemical initiation, a Rosicrucian manifesto, or a sophisticated satire of esoteric knowledge? In this academic lecture, religious studies scholar Dr Angela Puca examines one of the most influential and enigmatic texts in the history of Western esotericism. Published in 1616 and attributed to Johann Valentin Andreae, The Chymical Wedding presents a seven-day journey through mysterious initiations, alchemical transformations, royal death and resurrection, and encounters with forbidden knowledge. Following the narrative from beginning to end, we explore its historical context, Christian theology, Hermetic symbolism, alchemical imagery and relationship to early Rosicrucianism. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, the lecture also examines competing interpretations of the text, including its possible satirical intentions and its later reception by Rudolf Steiner and Carl Gustav Jung. What can this extraordinary work reveal about the relationship between esoteric knowledge, spiritual transformation, religious symbolism and the limits of human understanding? CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

What if everything you think you know about Voodoo comes from Hollywood myths and colonial misconceptions? What is Voodoo really, and how does it differ from Haitian Vodou, West African Vodun, New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo? In this episode of Angela’s Symposium, we explore the fascinating history, theology, cosmology and magical practices of these Afro-Atlantic traditions, drawing on academic research and historical sources. Discover the mysteries of the lwa, spirit possession, ancestral worship, ritual magic, sacred objects and initiatory practices. We also investigate the legends of Marie Laveau, the origins of zombies and the relationship between Vodou, Hoodoo and Western occultism. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

What happens when art becomes a vehicle for hidden knowledge, spirit communication, and alternative forms of spirituality? In this livestream interview on Angela’s Symposium, I am joined by Dr Nina Kokkinen to explore the fascinating intersections of art, esotericism, occultism, mediumship, and spiritual seekership. We will discuss how esoteric ideas have shaped modern and contemporary art, why women’s contributions to occult and spiritual art have so often been overlooked, and how concepts such as occulture and seekership can help us understand artists whose religious and spiritual lives crossed conventional boundaries. We will also explore questions of mediumship, clairvoyance, artistic agency, and what happens when museums exhibit works that were originally understood as spiritually active or inspired. Nina Kokkinen (PhD, 2019) is an art historian, scholar of religion, curator, and award-winning non-fiction author specialising in the intersections of modern and contemporary art with esotericism, occultism, and alternative spiritualities. Her research has contributed to scholarly discussions of concepts including occulture and seekership, while her curatorial work has explored how academic research can be translated into exhibitions and public engagement. Her exhibitions include Arcana Borealis: Northern Women, Art and Esotericism (2026) at the Finnish National Gallery’s Ateneum Art Museum, and Aleksandra Ionowa: Visions of the Spirit World and Peace (2025) at the Gallen-Kallela Museum. From 2021 to 2024 she served as Editor-in-Chief of TaHiTi: Journal of the Society for Art History in Finland, and she is a member of the Advisory Board of Brill’s Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism. She also serves on the Scientific and Organising Committees of ESSWE 11: Alternative Epistemologies, to be held in Turku in 2027. Join us for an academically grounded exploration of occult art, women’s esoteric networks, mediumship, spiritual creativity, and the often invisible histories behind some of modern art’s most intriguing works. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out! Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5768951004397568

What is Hoodoo, and how does its magic actually work? This episode explores the African American history of Hoodoo, rootwork and conjure, from slavery and resistance to healing, protection, divination and spiritual empowerment. Discover the meanings behind mojo hands, roots, Psalms, candles, ritual baths, graveyard earth and laid tricks, alongside the regional variations found in the Lowcountry, Mississippi, New Orleans and urban spiritual-supply traditions. We will also separate Hoodoo from Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo, examining how African, Christian, Indigenous and European influences were transformed within a distinctly African American tradition. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

Were the Knights Templar really an occult secret society, or did that story emerge centuries after their destruction? In this episode, I explore the real history of the Knights Templar and trace how a medieval Christian military order became associated with Baphomet, the Holy Grail, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, the Assassins, Freemasonry and hidden initiatory traditions. We’ll examine the mysterious accusations made during the Templar trials, what the historical evidence actually says about their alleged secret rituals, and how figures such as Agrippa, Karl von Hund, Hammer-Purgstall and Éliphas Lévi helped transform the Templars into one of the most enduring symbols of Western esotericism. From medieval Jerusalem to Baphomet, Freemasonry, occult orders and modern conspiracy theories, discover how the Templar myth was created and why it refuses to disappear. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

What if the biggest problem with explaining magic is the question we keep asking: “How does it work?” In this episode, I explore Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and what happens when we stop imagining reality as a collection of separate objects and instead understand it as a web of events, relations and processes of becoming. We examine actual occasions, prehension, causal efficacy and the “fallacy of misplaced concreteness”, asking what these concepts might contribute to the philosophy of magic. Along the way, I consider ritual perception, participatory thinking, egregores and spirits, Tanya Luhrmann’s anthropology of presence, Stanley Tambiah’s theory of participation, and the important differences between Whiteheadian process theology and Iamblichus’ theurgy. Does process philosophy prove that magic works? No. But it may expose some of the hidden metaphysical assumptions that make magic appear impossible before the evidence is even considered. If you are interested in magic, Western esotericism, occult philosophy, ritual theory and the academic study of religion, this episode offers a rigorous alternative to both pseudo-quantum explanations and simplistic psychological reductionism. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

We did it: 500,000 subscribers on Angela’s Symposium! 🎉✨ Join me LIVE on Sunday 13 September at 6:00 pm UK time / 1:00 pm Eastern Time for a special 500K celebration. Half a million people have now subscribed to a channel dedicated to the academic study of magic, esotericism, Paganism, witchcraft, occultism, shamanism, mysticism, and religion. That is something I could never have imagined when I started Angela’s Symposium, and I want to celebrate this extraordinary milestone with all of you who have made it possible. This livestream will be a chance to celebrate together, look back at the journey of Angela’s Symposium, talk about what comes next, answer your questions, and simply spend some time together as a community. I may also share a few behind-the-scenes reflections about the project, academic research, upcoming videos, books, courses, and future plans for the Symposium. Whether you have been here since the earliest days or discovered the channel recently, you are part of this milestone. Thank you for watching, commenting, sharing the videos, joining the discussions, supporting my research, and helping demonstrate that there is a substantial audience for serious, evidence-based scholarship on magic and esotericism. 📅 Sunday 13 September 2026 ⏰ 6:00 pm UK / 1:00 pm ET 🔴 LIVE on Angela’s Symposium Come and celebrate half a million Symposiasts with me! 🖤✨ Angela’s Symposium explores magic, esotericism, Paganism, witchcraft, occultism, shamanism, mysticism and related religious traditions through peer-reviewed academic scholarship and the study of primary sources. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out! Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5768951004397568

Can we really train ourselves to see the unseen? From ancient dream divination and medieval grimoires to John Dee’s crystal visions, Golden Dawn scrying, psychedelic imagery, and modern neuroscience, this episode explores the extraordinary history of visions and spiritual sight. We examine how cultures have deliberately cultivated visionary experiences, how practitioners distinguished revelation from illusion, and what contemporary research on perception, mental imagery, expectation, mirror-gazing, and altered states can actually tell us. Are spirits independently real, products of the mind, inhabitants of an imaginal realm, or something more complex? And if ritual can train us to see, how do we decide whether what appears is trustworthy? Join me for an academically rigorous exploration of scrying, clairvoyance, mystical visions, altered perception, and the philosophy of magical sight, where history, esotericism, psychology, and neuroscience meet. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

s ancient magic really more powerful, or are we mistaking age for effectiveness?In this episode of Angela’s Symposium, we challenge one of the most persistent assumptions in occult and esoteric communities: that older spells, rituals and magical systems must be more authentic, powerful or effective simply because they are ancient.Drawing on the academic study of magic, ritual and Western esotericism, we explore magic as a form of “ritual technology”, examining how traditions evolve through adaptation, experimentation, transmission and innovation. From the Greek Magical Papyri and Solomonic magic to Wicca and chaos magick, we ask what actually makes a ritual powerful, and whether modern magical practices can sometimes be better suited to contemporary practitioners than ancient ones.If you are interested in witchcraft, ceremonial magic, grimoires, occult history, Paganism or the academic study of esotericism, this episode offers a different way of thinking about the relationship between tradition, authenticity and magical efficacy.CONNECT & SUPPORT💖MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/coursesWEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/servicesSUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapucaBECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapucaSUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ☕️https://ko-fi.com/drangelapucaONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://paypal.me/angelasymposiumJOIN MEMBERSHIPS 👥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/joinMY PODCAST 🎙 https://open.spotify.com/show/2TKoWTGe6OKRokHN2zUIxM?si=dd9f50a734b14f86MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/FOLLOW ME👣- YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟- SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca- Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸- TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵- Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦- Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥

What happens to spirituality when belief in traditional religion falls away? Can ritual, mysticism, awe, contemplation, divination, sacred stories and experiences of transcendence still have value without requiring supernatural explanations? Britt Hartley is a religious deconstruction educator, author, and atheist spiritual director who helps people rebuild meaning, identity, and family culture after faith. She is the author of No Nonsense Spirituality and a doctoral student whose work explores existential crisis, secular spirituality, and life beyond traditional religion. In this livestream, we will explore Britt’s concept of secular spirituality and her attempt to navigate a fascinating middle ground between organised religion, atheistic scepticism and contemporary alternative spirituality. We will discuss religious deconstruction, nihilism, meaning-making, mysticism, ritual and the psychology of spiritual experience, as well as the question of whether practices traditionally associated with religion and the occult can remain meaningful when their supernatural interpretations are suspended. We will also venture into some particularly interesting territory for Angela’s Symposium: astrology, Tarot, psychedelics, intuition, altered states of consciousness, the Divine Feminine, cognitive bias, the relationship between mystical experience and metaphysical claims, and Britt’s distinction between useful spiritual tools and what she describes as “woo”. GET THE BOOK US https://amzn.to/4c8e3i2 UK https://link.amazon/B02qi3ynV MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out! Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5768951004397568 00:00:00 No Nonsense Spirituality Introduction 00:01:23 Meet Britt Hartley 00:05:20 From Mormonism to Atheist Spirituality – Britt Hartley’s Story 00:07:49 Hard vs Soft Polytheism: Can Atheists Be Pagan? 00:09:07 Why Humans Create Gods: Religion as a Human Project 00:12:33 Is Spiritual Atheism Actually a Form of Paganism? 00:13:34 Sufism, Shinto, Christian Mysticism and Spiritual Atheism 00:16:48 Chaos Magic, Fictional Deities and Spiritual Scepticism 00:19:42 Can Ritual Work Without Belief? 00:22:51 The Science of Ritual Without Metaphysical Belief 00:26:16 Why Practise Spirituality If You’re an Atheist? 00:33:40 How to Build a Secular Spiritual Practice 00:37:05 Situational Belief: Can Belief Be Used Temporarily? 00:41:22 Belief as a Spiritual Tool Without Dogma 00:43:59 Belief, Cognitive Bias and the Western Mind 00:49:03 Spiritual Tools Without Metaphysical Truth Claims 00:51:57 Nihilism, Phenomenology and What Is Really Real? 00:55:39 Philosophical Nihilism, Spiritual Experience and the Self 00:57:19 Is Belief Another Tool for Spiritual Practice? 00:59:05 Religious Trauma, Trance and Feeling Safe Without Belief 01:04:36 Does Everyone Need Religion or Spirituality? 01:08:17 The Paradox of Atheist Spirituality and Religious Belief 01:13:29 Clothing, Makeup and Adornment as Spiritual Practice 01:19:15 How you can support this valuable work

What lies beyond using runes as simple symbols for divination or spellcraft? In this livestream, I speak with David Linder, author of Advanced Rune Magic: The Greater Mysteries of Nordic Spirituality, about the Elder Futhark as a path of experiential knowledge and self-transformation. David approaches the twenty-four runes as interfaces with Runa, the greater Mystery. Drawing on the Rune Poems, Eddic mythology, historical context, meditation, galdor, talismans, and lived practice, he explores how runes can shape not only magical workings but the practitioner’s character, relationships, and engagement with the world. We will also examine where historical reconstruction ends and personal gnosis begins, how modern practitioners can create responsibly within a living tradition, and why Odin’s ordeal on Yggdrasil offers a powerful model of sacrifice, initiation, and the reconstruction of the self. Is rune magic ultimately about changing circumstances, or about becoming someone capable of changing the world? Book link: US https://amzn.to/4g1COxx UK https://link.amazon/B06d9fKYG MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out! 00:00:00 Advanced Rune Magic with David Linder 00:02:20 From Vikings to Heathenry and Rune Magic 00:05:29 What Makes Rune Magic ‘Advanced’? 00:07:59 What Are Runes? The Elder Futhark Explained 00:09:43 Elder Futhark, Rune Names and the Rune Poems 00:12:04 Runa: The Great Mystery Behind the Runes 00:16:24 How Do You Really ‘Know’ a Rune? 00:21:40 Experiencing Runes: Galdr, Trance and Runic Practice 00:23:57 Rune Magic, Animism and Signs from Nature 00:27:57 Odin and Rune Magic as Self-Transformation 00:31:08 Historical Sources vs Personal Gnosis in Norse Magic 00:35:09 Can We Reconstruct Ancient Rune Magic? 00:41:01 Mystical Experience vs Rational Decision-Making 00:43:55 Christian Influence on the Rune Poems and Eddas 00:46:10 Creating New Myths in Modern Norse Paganism 00:48:54 Rune Magic, Fate and the Three Norns 00:52:16 Hagalaz: Chaos, Destruction and Transformation 00:56:12 Dagaz and the Dangers of Spiritual Extremes 00:58:56 The Dark Side of Odin: What Should Practitioners Emulate? 01:01:48 Laguz, Jung and the Collective Unconscious 01:04:30 Rune Practice, Compassion and the Greater Good 01:07:59 Odin, Shiva, Ásatrú and Galdr 01:09:03 What Does It Mean to ‘Win the Runes’? 01:11:47 David Linder, Living Runes and Further Resources 01:13:10 How to join Angela’s team of esoteric excellence. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5768951004397568

In this episode, I offer a complete guide to the grimoire tradition: what grimoires are, where the term comes from, how these books of magic developed, and why they became so central to the history of Western esotericism. We will explore major texts such as the Key of Solomon, the Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton, the Ars Goetia, the Sworn Book of Honorius, the Picatrix, the Arbatel, the Book of Abramelin, the Heptameron, the Grand Grimoire, the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, and the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. Rather than treating grimoires as mysterious books that simply appeared from nowhere, I look at them as living technologies of magical authority, shaped by clerical manuscript culture, print capitalism, occult revival movements, and contemporary magical practice. We will also look at how grimoires moved from medieval monastic and clerical settings into cheap printed chapbooks, Victorian ceremonial magic, Wicca, chaos magic, and modern occult practice. Along the way, I explain why many grimoires were attributed to figures such as Solomon, Moses, Honorius, Albertus Magnus and Peter of Abano, and what those false attributions tell us about authority, antiquity and magical legitimacy. Finally, I discuss how modern practitioners can approach these texts today: not as timeless manuals dropped from heaven, but as historical artefacts, ritual technologies and sources of magical imagination that have been copied, edited, adapted and reinvented for centuries. This is an academic, historically grounded introduction for anyone interested in grimoires, ceremonial magic, Solomonic magic, the Goetia, occult books, Western esotericism and the history of magical practice. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

Can Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy offer a new way of understanding how magic works? Join me live on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at 12 pm EST for a fascinating conversation with Dr Darren Iammarino of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. We will explore the philosophy of magic between 1875 and 1975, beginning with Spiritualism, Theosophy, William James, and the emergence of spirit and energy models. Our central focus will be Whitehead’s process philosophy and its potential to explain magic through an informational and relational model of reality, in which events, consciousness, agency, and influence are interconnected processes rather than isolated substances. We will also consider how yoga, Tantra, and the Yoga Sūtras conceptualise siddhis, or supernormal powers, alongside the influence of perennialism on modern Western interpretations of magic. Can process thought help us move beyond the familiar opposition between supernatural and psychological explanations? Could magic be understood as participation in a dynamic and interconnected cosmos? Join us live and bring your questions for the discussion. Discover more from Dr Darren Iammarino: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ToTwoTruth?si=eUy8QTaRVEadbkTI Books and author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darren-Iammarino/author/B00GJ9KV1Y/allbooks?ccs_id=19e6820b-d273-45bc-bdbb-87d6d4faeaa3 CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ 00:00:00 Introduction to Process Philosophy & Magic 00:02:50 Meet Dr. Darren Iammarino: Background & Research 00:12:45 Actual Entities, Prehension, & Subconscious Experience 00:14:17 What is Process Philosophy? (Alfred North Whitehead Explained) 00:14:43 Meaningful Coincidence vs. Causal Magical Influence 00:17:38 How Magic Operates in a Whiteheadian Universe 00:24:17 The Information Model of Magic vs. Magical Energy 00:29:52 Action at a Distance & Non-Locality in Magic 00:33:33 Naturalizing Magic: Do Stones & Objects Have Consciousness? 00:38:25 Atheistic Magic, Panentheism, & Process Theology 00:42:58 Sigil Magic, Chaos Magic, & Altered States of Consciousness 00:51:43 Perennial Philosophy vs. Religious Pluralism 01:01:19 Why Esoteric Practitioners Should Study Process Philosophy 00:05:04 Technomancy, Prediction Markets, & AI Digital Magic 01:07:27 Defining Magic from an Academic Perspective 01:12:29 Join Dr Puca’s growing team of scholars and practitioners ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!

Was Lughnasadh really an ancient Celtic fire festival, and is it actually the same celebration as Lammas? In this video, I separate historical evidence from modern Pagan reconstruction. I explore the medieval Irish assemblies associated with Lugh and Tailtiu, the English Christian origins of the Lammas loaf-mass, the folklore collected by Máire MacNeill, and how Wicca brought these distinct traditions together on the modern Wheel of the Year. Join me if you are interested in Paganism, witchcraft, occultism, Celtic religion or harvest festivals, and discover how we can celebrate the season meaningfully without mistaking modern mythology for ancient fact. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca 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 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!