Duncan Barford, an occult practitioner and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home,’ shares captivating insights into the realm of spirits, from ghosts to demons. He discusses his personal experiences with entities and the importance of engaging with the deceased on a spiritual journey. The conversation delves into the Goetia, exploring the complexities and risks of summoning demons for personal gain, alongside the psychological allure and ethical dilemmas that come with such practices. Barford reflects on transformative retreats and the intricate dynamics of power in the mystical world.
Duncan Barford categorizes spiritual entities, highlighting the complex relationships individuals can develop with formless beings like demons and angels.
The Goetia is explored as a controversial but seductive system of summoning demons, often leading practitioners to experience detrimental and parasitic relationships.
Engaging with the dead can facilitate personal growth and healing, contrasting sharply with the demanding nature of interactions with demonic entities.
Deep dives
Understanding Spiritual Entities
A comprehensive examination of various categories of spiritual entities highlights the complexity of relationships one might form with them. These entities, which include demons, angels, and elementals, are characterized not by physical form but by the nature of interactions and experiences associated with them. The speaker discusses a spectrum of spiritual entities, emphasizing that while they are formless and not scientifically provable, they can induce distinct sensations and impacts in individuals. This dynamic leads to a reflection on the nuances of relationships with such entities, often likened to the nature of human connections that shape our experiences, despite lacking a physical presence.
The Goetia and Its Implications
The Goetia presents a controversial system of summoning demons, often perceived as a path to personal gains, but it is fraught with complexities and risks. Practitioners seeking tangible benefits, such as material wealth or knowledge, often find themselves entangled in a detrimental dynamic that may extract more than it provides. Personal anecdotes reveal encounters with Goetic demons, illustrating the potential for darker, sinister experiences that can arise when seeking contact for selfish reasons. This system operates on a low barrier for entry, drawing in those eager for quick rewards while obscuring the potential for loss and unhealthy attachments.
The Nature of Demonic Relationships
Interactions with demonic entities are characterized by a dynamic where these spirits often demand something from practitioners, resulting in a parasitic relationship. The speaker highlights that such entities may offer promises in return for what they seek, usually leading to a sense of loss or depletion for the individual. Experiences with the Goetia illustrate that the motivations behind seeking contact with these beings are often rooted in desperation or the allure of immediate benefit, fostering a harmful dependency. This dynamic reflects broader themes of how attachments can invoke feelings of obligation and the difficulty of disengaging from these relationships.
Engaging with the Dead
A significant aspect of spiritual exploration involves the relationship with the dead, which can offer profound insights and guidance. The podcast delves into how interactions with deceased loved ones, often experienced through dreams or meditative practices, can uncover unresolved feelings and contribute to personal growth. This engagement with the dead contrasts with relationships with demons, emphasizing that the dead do not demand but instead provide opportunities for reflection and healing. Through discussions on personal experiences, it becomes evident that fostering a connection with the deceased aids in navigating grief and can significantly impact one's capacity to live meaningfully.
Cultural Reflections and Accountability
The relationship with the dead is also framed within current cultural contexts, where there seems to be a disconnect between societal views on mortality and the wisdom imparted by those who have passed. The discussion touches on the idea that judging the dead by present standards can create barriers to understanding and growth, emphasizing the need for recognition and respect towards historical figures and deceased relatives. Furthermore, exploring the concept of accountability to the dead allows for a richer engagement with one’s heritage and personal history, as the knowledge of the past can inform and shape present actions. This reflection encourages a thoughtful approach to the legacy one carries and the importance of integrating lessons from the dead into everyday life.
In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home’.
Duncan details the different categories of spirits and entities, ranging from ghosts to demons to angels to elementals and land spirits.
Duncan reveals his own encounters with these entities, recalls paradigm shifting fire kasina retreats with Daniel Ingram, and shares his own ideas about the importance and inevitability of working with the dead while on the spiritual path.
Duncan also explains the Goetia, a controversial system of summoning demons for personal gain; recalls his own and others’ experiences of the system; and reflects on what drives practitioners to seek tangible contact with the realms beyond.
…
Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep283-seance-summoning-goetic-demons-duncan-barford-2
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
…
Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Ontology of spirit entities
04:18 - How to categorise spirits
07:07 - Different spirit relationships
08:18 - Demonic entities and their demands
09:44 - What is the Goetic magickal system?
11:08 - Dangers of working with Goetic entities
13:48 - When Duncan used a Goetic demon for money
15:24 - Addictive quality of working with demons
16:55 - Goetia as magick of last resort
18:33 - Why do people work with Goetic demons?
21:41 - Duncan reflects on his Goetic rituals
24:43 - Barrier to entry for success in magick
29:37 - Duncan comments on the Enochian system
32:16 - Fey and fairies
33:28 - A challenging fire kasina retreat
35:18 - A powerful encounter with elementals and nature spirits
40:47 - Duncan reflects on his fire kasina retreats
43:59 - Encounter with Duncan’s guardian angel
45:27 - Why seek supernatural experiences after enlightenment?
47:49 - Shared magickal experiences with Daniel Ingram
49:52 - Duncan’s breakthrough and a compelling encounter with Spider Buddha
58:44 - Dreams as a portal
01:00:09 - Contacting the dead
01:01:31 - The hatred of the dead
01:02:27 - Death of Duncan’s father and dream visitations
01:08:25 - What the dead leave behind
01:10:18 - Helping the dead to let go vs judging them
01:14:15 - The fear of death
01:14:45 - Denying the dead
01:17:02 - We are accountable to the dead
01:18:53 - Carl Jung on relating to the dead
01:20:15 - Duncan’s affinity with the poet John Clare
01:21:18 - Duncan’s encounter with Badger
01:22:05 - The perfected dead
01:23:18 - Working with ancestors
01:24:55 - We live in a world of the dead
01:26:00 - Duncan’s advice for working with the dead
01:27:29 - Encountering the dead in the Odyssey and Aeneid
01:33:41 - The dead as bundles of karma
01:34:52 - National myths and history as propaganda
01:39:32 - Black Easter and occult means of obtaining power and influence
01:47:15 - Magick and politics
01:49:24 - Glory and honour
01:50:27 - Are magicians political?
…
Watch previous episode with Duncan Barford:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep265-occult-experiments-duncan-barford
To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit:
- https://www.duncanbarford.uk/
…
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode