Dr Angela Puca engages in conversation with Dr Stephen Skinner, exploring the pivotal role of early grimoires in the preservation and evolution of Western esoteric traditions. The discussion focuses on seminal texts such as the Summa Sacre Magice (SSM), Trithemius’ Steganographia, and Liber Juratus, also known as the Sworn Book of Honorius.
Dr Skinner elucidates how these texts underscore the centrality of prayer over invocation, pointing out the scientific structure of the SSM in contrast to the more common perception of magical manuscripts. Moreover, the conversation will reveal the surprising role of religious figures, including the Abbot Trithemius, in safeguarding these precious manuscripts against the ravages of time and cultural shifts. These clerical preservers, often overlooked, were instrumental in ensuring the survival of a rich magical heritage that might otherwise have vanished.
Highlighting the Vatican Library’s critical role in this preservation, Dr Skinner provides insights into how these ecclesiastical institutions, typically seen as antagonists of magical practices, have paradoxically served as custodians of the magical tradition. This interview promises to shed light on the intricate relationships between religion, science, and magic in the context of historical manuscript preservation.
GUEST BIOGRAPHY
Stephen Skinner began his academic career at the University of Technology in Sydney after graduating from Sydney University. He ventured into esoteric writings with “The Search for Abraxas” (1972) and later moved to London where he authored several influential works, including “Techniques of High Magic” and “Terrestrial Astrology: Divinatory Geomancy.” His research extended to editing key texts by Dr. John Dee and Aleister Crowley, significantly contributing to the study of Western esotericism.
Skinner has produced pivotal works on divinatory geomancy, prophecy, and sacred geometry. He edited a comprehensive edition of Agrippa’s “Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy” and has collaborated on the “Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic” series, focusing on historical grimoires and Solomonic magic.
An authority on classical Chinese feng shui, Skinner has authored over 46 books translated into more than twenty languages and was awarded a Ph.D. in Classics for his research on magical texts. He currently resides in London, continuing his scholarly contributions to the fields of magic and feng shui.
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Published on May 6, 2024
