How to Study Demonology - On the Operations of Demons - Foundational Book about Demonic Beings
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- Опубліковано 12 сер 2021
- The Byzantine savant Michael Psellus / Psellos (11th century ce) was instrumental in the survival of much pagan literature that would go on the be the foundation for the Hermetic and Occult revivals in the centuries that followed him. In this episode, I explore one of his most influential texts Περι ενεργειασ δαιµονων διαλογος / De operatione daemonum - On the Operations of Demons which describers the nature and activity of the various species of demonic entities along with their various weaknesses (fear of iron, especially swords), etc. This text would prove foundational for all later develops in demonology among both Inquisitors and Witch-Hunters but also among Occult Philosophers and Ceremonial Magicians.
Recommended Reading:
Psellus / Gautier (standard, reliable version) - Le De daemonibus du Pseudo-Psellos - www.persee.fr/doc/rebyz_0766-...
Collisson (English translation, not always reliable) - www.esotericarchives.com/psell...
Skinner edition of Collisson - 978-1912212125
Greenfield - Traditions of Belief in Late Byzantine Demonology - 978-9025609627
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Your notes on the parallels between the necrinomicon made me wonder about a Halloween special or a bottle episode about fictional esotericism like Lovecraft’a works or even more modern works like A Song of Ice and Fire and even more frivolous silly things like the Worst Witch
נדד
You absolutely slay the algorithm with video recommendations somehow
Do you do anything with your beard/put any product in it? When I tried to grow mine out long it was wild and all over the place.
I love your channel. Interestingly enough, can you maybe make a video about occult practices like circumcision? And the strange case of a rabbi selling foreskin for consumption. There was a rabbi in NYC who was arrested “Rabbi Aaron Zayin was arrested last week after exchanging messages with a federal agent posing as a Craigslist user interested in purchasing “fresh baby foreskins,” according to the criminal complaint. “He would sell them in small bags, fried in oil with added spices and salt, like little onion rings, which seemingly made them more palatable and easier to consume,” 40th precinct New York Police Officer P.J. Hustler told reporters. He claimed they were aphrodisiacs and cures for cancer. I know circumcision goes back to ancient Egypt. But it’s a practice that has its roots in religion and occult.
Until I started watching your channel I had not realized just how incredibly influential these esoteric works have been and (in some cases sadly) continues to be, this resource has value way beyond it's scope and it's truly wonderful that we have you to bring this to a global audience. Thanks for the education Dr Sledge.
I completely agree with your comment.
Of course, people often think that esoteric implies non-influential, but that's far from the case!
Rav, What if any? Are the Origins of the demonic Realm from your own Jewish perspective?. It seems there are certain classifications or Ranks according to Certain Biblical accord.
From what I gather?, they seem to have a connection to mans certain negative side.
I oft pondered if demons are the result of the remaining wandering Spirits of men or offspring Nefalim(Giant men of reknown) wiped out by the Torah (Noah) flood construct???
From a Kabbalistic perspective it would seem to fit the narrative of Natural/Supernatural existance???
Shalom
@@need2know739 some perhaps, others may be a kind of thoughtform
@@TheEsotericaChannel there are no new stories only new ways of telling older stories many thanks for keeping the origins of most of humanity's stories alive for everyone do appreciate 🍻
"You can't just leave stuff in Latin because it's... gross." ~ Dr. Sledge
Well, actually, because a whole bunch of us don't understand it. Dr. Fischer
@@francisfischer7620 was just about to say that without the Dr
What? Why not make it simple? @okasa64
😅😅😅😅
I suppose I could redress my Latin.
The mapping of demons onto all four element system is fascinating to me. In the medieval Irish text Liber de Ordine Creaturarum demons are exclusively beings of the upper airs because the author depicts them as fallen angels and basically stuck there because of their aerial nature.
What makes sense is that because they don't eat, they have more control of themselves. They R more in tune with electro-magnetic fields. They can materialize, and de-materialize. At least an aerial spirit can. Consciousness is not bound. And we must remember, that we R consciousness.
Why you think they don't eat? Jinn certainly do eat, @@renatojohnsonjr.5403
Something about demons I always found interesting is that they have names and a hierarchy, along with tales of highly peculiar behavior. Errementari was a neat movie that focuses on this.
they have whole civilizations beyond our sight
Angels have a hierarchy why not demons from a kingdom ment to rival heavens
As above; so below….
@@victoriajones9964 What's in the middle?
@@allendaniels3768 good question
It’s always a great pleasure to peruse your back catalogue for things I’ve missed, like this gem. Thanks for all you do!
I can't believe I put Collisson's translation out there 14 years ago. Anyway, I added English translations of the Latin passages in footnotes now.
I can't believe such a legend as yourself watches my channel - thanks so, so much for all the work you've done. You're an inspiration.
@@TheEsotericaChannel love your channel. Thanks and keep up the good work!
The Taoist Immortal Lü Dongbin was said to have a magic sword that dispelled evil spirits. That same sword is associated with the god Xuanwu, who borrowed it from Lü Dongbin and then didn't want to return it. The use of a magic sword for power against evil spirits is not unique to the West, and Taoist magicians use swords modelled after that one for magic rituals.
master sword!
Their is a Chinese comedy movie called journey to the west (named after the myth) that depicts this.
Most Daoist exorcists do not use a metal sword, though, they use a peachwood sword.
I wonder how much opium they had to consume to see that
I absolutely love the way you temper such serious matters with humor. The T-1000 mention was so great
The way you connect your material to such an eccletic array of elements, for example the T-1000 from Terminator, gives your analyses an aura of all-emcompassing respect. I very much enjoy your lectures.
As someone that’s a luciferian, ( being highly interested in any and all types and forms of magic as well as being fascinated by demonology, ) I find your content, extremely interesting. Keep up the good work and I hope your doing well.
Thanks for the kind words !
Define what being a luciferian means to you. Where do you worship? Why?
Also, what does it afford you? I hate to be probing, I'm curious what it does for ya that's all. I find all this stuff terribly interesting but in terms of actual practice it seems a bit out dated. That is to say today we have philosophy and historical experience to integrate these things into the human soul without buying into them wholesale. To me, picking any one of these ideologies and raising them to the position of categorical worship seems like I'd be leaving alot on the table. What does being a luciferian give to you? Thanks alot for any input.
Dr Sledge my good sir... Please make a video on chaos Magick🙏😄
Keep up the amazing work💪
Dare eye sAi their isa #SisterSledge two?¿ 😉
All of your videos are amazing, and this one may be my favorite so far. You are so knowledgeable, and your videos are so interesting and easily digestable that 25 minutes somehow is not enough! 🤩
I appreciate that you provided source material at the end for people looking to find a copy for themselves!
Dr. Sledge, I have to say that I'm constantly impressed with the breadth and depth of your knowledge. You are clearly a man of intellect and great learning. I'm not an occultist and I have only the slightest interest in real world magick. However, I find your content fascinating even though I don't think I could ever bring myself to read, or even own the materials you mention in your videos. I keep watching you because of the shear amount of erudition you display in each of these presentations. Please keep up the work and know that you are appreciated very much for your efforts. It is both informative and captivating for us non-scholarly types too.
Thank you Dr. Sledge. I sincerely appreciate the time and work you put into the content. This was very informative. Have a blessed Shavot.
Glad to be producing content that folks finds engaging and interesting!
Awesome!
Great!
Super!
Your ability to modernize and “coloquialize” these heady , deep, and dank subjects is unmatched!
Very refreshing to hear the word ''Goetia'' pronounced properly.
GO-TEE-A
@@gtavtheavengergunnerlegend3340 lol.....its really pronounced "goated" ...the A is silent and D is invisible 💀💀💀
I have been watching your channel for a while now but It was really great seeing you on with Neal on Gnostic Informant and I hope to see an interview with Derek of Mythvision. The work you do is extremely valuable and it has rekindled my own fascination with the occult and esoteric.
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition they have spirit daggers.
a tri-bladed knife (kind of like a Mercedes symbol viewed head on)
that were frequently made of brass or iron.
Meteoric iron being most prized.
A lot of this is Indian in origin but with a heavy Bōn influence.
It could be said that some now defunct schools of Tibetan Buddhism actually practised black magic, so they had a need for a dagger that could defend themselves against wrathful deities.
Such curious and brilliant timing 👏
Well... I'm grateful... Deeply grateful for you. Your channel showed up in my feed today and I'm more than impressed with you. The way you break things down, the nuance, the frankness, your sense of humor. You're a real scholar, and a breath of fresh air in an environment that can be extremely bigoted and fascistic. I'm a chaos magician who's deeply troubled with how stuff is going down nowadays and I'm often confused. You're a light in an otherwise very dark, often hazardous, hostile place. Please keep it up. This video damn near made me cry.❤
Thanks, Doc.
"IM a chaos magician"
...says the 16 year old boy...
I can't begin to express my gratitude for your channel. I love all your videos. Thank you.
You are so welcome!
Congratulations on this remarkable effort to create content accesible to all
In Greece, Μιχαήλ Ψελλός(Psellos) is among the most famous/known intellectuals of the Byzantine era.
That's great! I wish he were better known here?
@@TheEsotericaChannel lol
Wow......that was superb. Really filled in a few gaps for me. Now to read the source material. Thanks Justin.
Qs will not replace us! Love your work Doc, i feel really fortunate man, you are a fine educator and a dark role model for budding esoteric intellects, mucho appreciado amigo.....
I think you have found the summum bonum, the philosophers stone. You are one of the only people that openly discuss such subjects with a open mind and trying to keep it non biased. A lot of the drivel being written about such matters are garbage. Thanks for your show and sharing/teaching. You are a gem I bumped into. I don’t believe in coincidence.🙏👍
Thank you for your work and excellent content, as always. It makes for a great listen while I work on my new comically-large sketch-tome.
I just came across this video today. But I have to say it is one of the better ones I have seen touching the subjects of the esoteric and philosophy while remaining grounded on common sense and not dwelling down a rabbit hole (aka conspiracy theory).
Yeah, we don't do that around here.
Brilliant, as always, and frighteningly topical. Thanks for the wisdom ;)
Excellent work as always! Thank you for the time you put into these and the awesome reading lists they generate.
Thanks for such in depth free content. You are an excellent teacher good sir!
How dare anyone thumbs down you! Momma says: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Well, you have my full support anyhow, teach! (Albeit not with cash, I am a broke girl) I see how hard you work. Respect! Anyone flush reading this: pledge to Sledge!
Thank you so much ,for your wonderful work! Water to my soul these videos are.
Fantastic episode! Thanks so much for including the links for documentation. Now I'm bouncing between the english translation and the french. I should have taken more french in school, ugg.. :)
It's not super hard french so I'm sure you can do it and at least it's all translated unlike the English edition (unless you read latin....then why not just read it in Latin ?)
This content is excellent. Thank you for your work.
All this is so interesting But I really need to start writing down words and definitions, as well as names to keep following along. I appreciate your work.
beautifully illustrated while forming general nature of demons and not demanding personal beliefs of whom or what is or should be
Will subscribe. These questions have been bouncing around in my mind lately
my favorite UA-camr 😍I'm in love
I’ve been so interested in the subject of demonology since I was a teenager.
Maybe you were meant to be an exorcist or demon Slayer.
@@WeRNthisToGetHer ♥️
@@WeRNthisToGetHer Or an occultist
@@talanorth8388 if you study these things at all, you already are an occultist. Demonology is just one of many occult studies.
I'm a demon slayer, myself so of course I am biased 🤗
Thank you for another great video on an interesting topic.
I’m so happy for this video and hoping for even more about demons! ✨
I know it's not as much of a deep dive as most of the texts you cover on your channel, and certainly more recent given that it's early nineteenth century, but I'd love to see you explore the history of Dictionnaire Infernal by Jacques Collin de Plancy, and where the origins of these illustrations and descriptions ultimately come from. I figure if anyone would know, it would be you. Anyway, as always thank you for the highly knowledgeable content. (and although it might harm my credibility a bit, I'm going to aside that if you ever get the inclination to start a heavy metal band, with a name like Doc Sledge and a background like yours, I'd have to buy a ticket out of principle alone.)
O god how old is this one 14??
Wow, beautiful and right on time dial!
interesting. the title page for the De Operatione Daemonum book shown at 1:12 came from the Psellus book that i own! fascinating overview. thank you!
Love your videos!!! I tend to play videos as background noise but I can’t help but catch every word you say.
Funny kinda background noise, but I can dig it :)
@@TheEsotericaChannel perhaps an episode on hermetic memory pursuits by Giordano Bruno and other Hermeticists and adopted by Masons and the like? Would be fascinating from a rigorous academic independent historical perspective!
When you said, “Q Anon,” it clearly gave you indigestion.
Thank you for all of your research and presentation!
im pretty new to demonology. i watched a single youtube video and now im going down a rabit hole . i really find your video interesting making me really wanting to study more!
Bruh this channel is so awesome.
Thank you for your work and sharing.
Lovecraft's hinting to a Necronomion is brilliant. Instead of explaining everything in some anti climatic canon, he leaves it up to the reader to try and make sense of the few references throughout his stories.
Totally agree - what's not said is always more haunting than what is.
@@EricDMMiller LOL...He loves his adjectives alright !
@@TheEsotericaChannel Especially in the 'pro-internet 'age. I grew up in the 80thies, rummaging trough second hand books about the occult, not knowing if something was complete nonsense or a ancient treasure.
12:52 Speaking of H.P. Lovecraft, I felt a scant connection between the idea of unknowability as it's posed in some Gnostic representations of the highest godly being/"uknowable father" and Lovecraft's brand of cosmic horror.
Thank you for all the work you do producing this content and sharing your knowledge. I’ve ordered my copy of Psellus’ work. Along with King James’ Daemonologie, what are some other works you’d recommend? Will there be a video of suggested reading for demonology?
Very interesting. I had never thought about the source material for the concept and definition of "western""demons" except as sourced from the Koran, the canonized books of the bible, the non-canonized books related to biblical sources, Jewish sources, the written works of the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians, the Vedas, and all other dualistic religions that have existed. What they all have in common is that they spring from the imaginations of the human mind as a manifestation of our instinctual fears.
Hey! 100,000 subscribers! Congratulations!!! Great work gets around...
Thank you for the light.
A fascinating third party academic stance on the subject, very precise. Thank you.
My thanks for your review and thoughtful comparative analysis of this pertinent work from the 11th Century. I'm finding that many of your cited references are very hard to lay hands on physically as some great suppression is still in sway amongst seller's or other's who hope to quell their study. Only Theological Seminaries seem to be able to resource these critical manuscripts, made into print, and offer only heavily cloaked versions which bear little resemblance to your suggested releases. The French copy would ultimately be a favored flavor since that Lingua was my chosen area of study in college. Recall the look of horror with the guidance council's that attended my entrance to the Nazerine Univerity years ago, as problematic when certain works bordering on occult practices were mentioned. They must of thought me a fool, or worst yet, a practitioner, to petition them for training in Graphic Arts after my admission to intense study of archaic and questionable works. As if the Lesser and Greater Key's of the Hebrews greatest Sorcerer could not be seen as historically significant or allied to Judaic study. Always I question why my forebears would turn from their Jewish roots, robbing me of that tradition. My gratitude to you my brother in all things archaic and hidden from most.
I think the left and right wings in most factions belong to the same bird, including angels and demons. Each has a place and function, and gives us an impression of order and heirarchy; much like society as crafted by the architects of control. Maybe it's all a big show projected onto the wall of Plato's cave.
Politics is merely "theater for the ugly". The right and left are indeed two wings of the same bird; and while the image of an eagle has always been utilized by the US, I feel that the vulture is not only a more appropriate symbolic representation, but a perfectly accurate and honest one.
Of course a video drops while I'm on the clock! 😭 guess I'll have to listen on my smoke breaks
Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime - that's why I poop (and watch videos) on company time
@@TheEsotericaChannel the funny thing is i actually did! Still didn't get a chance to finish it but I'm whittling away one poop or smoke break at a time!
I am enthralled by the fascinating historical context or perspective and academic rigor brought to your fascinating topics and the different lenses applied over time! Plus I thought “Mani” was a nickname of (Manichaean)...
Thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful comments - especially on the live streams!
@@TheEsotericaChannel Thank you kindly for responding in the fast scrolling livestreams! Often I think I get ahead of myself. Like pausing to comment mid-topic. Amazing content as always and as you said, scholarly!
Thanks for another excellent video! The six types of demons mentioned in the text correspond almost exactly with the six types of spirits in the PGM text referred to as the Stele of Jeu ( PGM V, 96-172) in which the practitioner asks to gain power of "every daimon, whether heavenly or aerial or earthly or subterranean or terrestrial or aquatic". Does this similarity in demonological types in these two documents which are so widely separated in history, by six or seven centuries derive from a common tradition?
Know your enemy. Its important to know who and what you are up against.
As a Gnostic Luciferian and someone generally interested in the history and practice of The Occult I gotta say: I really appreciate this channel, generally, but also this video. In the short amount of time I've known your channel its been an amazing resource to learn about all sorts of topics I've been interested in.
As a "gnostic luciferian" 🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@uberbabe585 Yeah cause it’s cool to make fun of people for their beliefs. Jokes on you, it’s not.
@@revolutionarymagic3459 it's not cool but it sure is true 😂😂😂
Gustav Dore’s art is so good 😍😍😍
Excellent video!!
I know this is 2 years later but if one wanted to make their own necromancer sword, where would I go to learn more about them and what symbols would be needed on one?
Bro's line up is fresh AF no cap
Finding the origins of an idea; of what is fact, fiction and the state in between, is like extracting the essence of salt out soup which essentially flavours it.
Very interesting to see how history repeats itself.
Excellent episode Dr Sledge cannot wait tell another video !
thank you for this great information!
This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Lol this is very interesting stuff Dr, thank you!!
Thank you for you brain, your channel is great 😃
I've been looking forward to this, I actually ordered a translation of this edited by Dr. Steven Skinner so I'll be able to follow up!
This was fantastic, I can't wait to read it, even without the demon semen I suppose. Can't win em all...
It's a fun text though even that edition doesn't translate the whole text
A collab with Da'at Darling would be so awesome 🤩
Great video as usual! Guess I found another book to buy...
Would love to see a tour of the items behind you!
I LOVE YOUR BEARD! It looks awesome
Nice to see the air being cleared...thanks for sharing...Love that Earth cleanup is inevitable...🌎💪🏽😍
I really enjoy these episodes of the series and I am also interested in religion and show more of the occult if possible thanks 😊🙏
♈♌♉🔯
Do you have any videos on the identity and nature of ancient deities before the church church demonized them? I'm interested in learning about how Ishtar become Ashteroth for example.
Fantastic Info. Thankyou
Fantastic topic
Really a great 👍 talk ! Thanks 🙏
Very informative episode. Thank you Sir.
The bit about intrusive thoughts does interest me. I suspect demons with their gift of foreknowledge can percieve things about a person in order to tailor make intrusive thoughts uniquely horrifying for said person.
I read of people developing intrusive thoughts or OCD from messing with invocation or otherwise attracting unwholesome spirits.
Maybe don't take things quite that literally in this specific case.
Aristotle said that all men by nature desire to know, although Levi's "That which is not realized cannot exist" is my favorite. Suddenly the theme song from Reading Rainbow is playing in my head. I'll go ahead and sub! 😉
in·ter·po·la·tion
/inˌtərpəˈlāSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
the insertion of something of a different nature into something else.
"the interpolation of songs into the piece"
2.
a remark interjected in a conversation.
"as the evening progressed their interpolations became more ridiculous"
Thank you for the new word
Great word, right?
I think we also can say that Psellus was one of the main factor to cause The Great Schism in Christianity in these years. This was most likely due to Hermetic creed involved into religion in the eastern Roman Empire but it was denied by Rome, Vatican.
Love it man, wish I had more time to watch your videos.
Thanks for letting me know where Milton go it from!
We all have our own personal demons, through that which goes beyond normal negative emotional responses.
The more you are haunted, the more you can be Enlightened, if properly dealt with through Gnosis.
Light shines brightest out of absolute darkness.
Dr Sledge, be honest: are you Q?
Joking aside, thanks for your work. The production quality and your academic rigour are both fantastic.
Thank you
If daemons need nourishment, what happens to the ones that don't get it?
As a fan of Horror. I love reading up on anything on the Demonic. Demons and otherworldly creatures fascinated me, and since you brought up Lovecraft's Cosmic Horror in the Necronomicon and its similarity to the story of the Hermit Marcus I find that very fascinating. Makes me wonder if Lovecraft actually took elements of that story to create the story of Alhazred and the Necronomicon. It was horror movies and books and other forms of horror fiction and certain religious and occult thoughts that have made me redefine my definition of what Demons are. It's not new or unique this definition can be found in certain sects of Buddhism, Shintoism, and even certain Rabbinical Jewish schools. This definition can also be found in the Hellraiser movies and in the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k RPG games. And that is that Demons are not Fallen Angels, Fallen Jinn, or Fallen Gods or Nature Spirits of any kind. Demons are the mirror reflections of the Human Soul. Demons are us and we are them. They are diabolical only because they were Human and so they show what Humans are and have always been. Demonic.
if your interested in demons and you’re a fan of horror you’ll be thrilled to learn what the afterlife is like
In Enoch, demons are spirits of dead nephilim(giants). Half human half divine, They are bound to this earth but in a different dimension.
Great talk...I wonder now if Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey ever poured over Psellus' work, especially this text. Gaiman wrote the graphic novel THE SANDMAN and Mike Carey LUCIFER....but Carey's LUCIFER has little in common with the television show by the same name.
Interesting question!
@ESOTERICA I’m curious if you have any intent/interest on highlighting Traditional Afrikan Spirituality & Occultism from a Afrikan perspective particularly in West Afrika? This topic is often ignored from an Academic Standpoint. Nonetheless thank for your work.