Dr. Stephen Skinner | The History Of Magic, Summoning Spirits, & John Dee

While many of us are no stranger the the principals of Chaos Magic or astrology, thanks to appearances from former guests such as Gordon White, Chris Knowles and Austin Coppock, today’s guest, Dr. Stephen Skinner is a true champion for the re-enchantment of the world. Dr. Skinner has been a passionate and enthusiastic scholar who is considered to be one of the leading authorities on classical magic and the Grimoires.

As a man responsible for an impressive body of work, including over 36 published books, Dr. Skinner joins The Higherside to help us expand our knowledge base about the ancient magic of old. Thanks to his tireless dedication to restoring and translating ancient Grimoires and other Greek and Graeco-Egyptian magical writings, many rituals and texts are now available in English for the first time in history.

3:00 Kicking things off, Dr. Skinner begins by describing the technology of magic, detailing his research into the Grimoires, and explaining how learning classical Greek furthered his understanding of ancient Greek and Graeco-Egyptian magic. He details the similar techniques and parallels he discovered during his extensive research of Graeco- Egyptian magic, the Grimoires, and Taoist magicians.

12:42 Having gone through most magical texts, including all Grimoires of the western tradition, Greg and Dr. Skinner discuss the systems and techniques in magical books that could be considered most effective. As Dr. Skinner explains perhaps the best and most complete works are the direct line transmission of spells from the Greek magicians in the Hygromanteia.

21:30 With Dr. Skinner’s approach to magic being one of a scientific nature, he and Greg troubleshoot some common errors and small details that may be overlooked by amateur practitioners. Dr. Skinner explains the significance of protection from devious spirits, the power of of smell, the personal purification process prior to ceremonies, how certain scents are used to attract and dispel apparitions, and the importance of the environment, process and timing of magic rituals.

30:01 Dr. Skinner details how the technology of magic has helped him construct a  more perfect paradigm, and an elevated reality. He also elaborates on his stance that magic isn’t just for reading, but instead more of an applied science. He describes the best process for conjuring spirits, the necessary commitment involved and the ideal conditions for practicing magic.

42:51 Switching gears, Greg and Dr. Skinner discuss another like-minded man in his scientific approach to magic: mathematician, occultist, and magician to the Queen, John Dee. As Dr. Skinner details the Latin roots of the Grimoires, how that lead to it’s exclusivity, and how that has parlayed into today’s ritual ceremonies of the elite.