
Show Notes
Welcome to Occult of Personality: esoteric podcast extraordinaire. I’m your host, Greg Kaminsky and your co-host is Rudolf Berger.
This is episode number 201, featuring an interview with Peter Mark Adams who returns to the show to discuss his recent book, Mystai: Dancing Out the Mysteries of Dionysos, published by Scarlet Imprint.
Occult of Personality podcast is made possible by you, the listeners, and by the subscribers to https://chamberofreflection.com, our membership site.
Before we get to the show intro, I need to say a few words about our current circumstances. Probably like you, I’m now isolating in a sort of lockdown situation to prevent the spread of the COVID19 virus. I pray that you all stay well and are not too stressed by what is happening. The main point that I want to convey is that this situation, while unusual to us, doesn’t change the fundamental reality in which we exist. Our futures are always uncertain. We never know when the end may arrive. In fact, we all suffer from a fatal condition called beingness. As initiates, occultists, mystics, Freemasons, illuminists, and magicians, we are taught to meditate upon death and impermanence as a most effective way to transform from being self-concerned to caring about the world and others. We must hold this in our minds and always remember that a contagious disease spreading through our communities does not change the fact that we must do the right thing even though it requires courage to do so. Please be brave and know that you can put your spiritual practice to the test in these days. We have the capacity to control our reactions and decisions. Use that ability with wisdom and help those around you who need it. I encourage you to be tender-hearted and compassionate even more so than before. Spread that instead of fear. We must be the light and not just talk about it.
So, in that spirit, beginning this week, I’ll be posting older content from the Chamber of Reflection archive publicly at no charge. I’ll offer a free recording each day of an older interview, presentation, or meditation. Links to this free content will be posted on the Occult of Personality Facebook page and our Twitter starting on Friday, March 27th. During this time when we’re adapting to new circumstances in various ways, the least I can do is offer you some additional content to fill your days with even more magick and mystery.
Now, in episode #201, Peter Mark Adams returns to the show to discuss his wonderful book, Mystai. You can find Peter Mark Adams online at https://petermarkadams.com/. Peter appeared on the show previously to talk about his book, The Game of Saturn (https://occultofpersonality.net/peter-mark-adams/).
“Peter Mark Adams is an author, esotericist, tarotist and professional energy worker; he has been engaged in practical research in the fields of esotericism, energy, consciousness and healing for over 45 years. Peter and his wife run a professional practice dedicated to energy-based healing. Previous publications include Altered States / Parallel Worlds, The Tarot de Marseille Chapbook, The Healing Field: Energy: Consciousness and Transformation; and contributions on ritual, demonic possession and interventions of the deceased in the healing process in the peer reviewed academic journals Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal and the Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology. Peter has acted as an advisor to a television documentary on the paranormal and been a speaker at international academic seminars on healing and consciousness. Peter is an associate member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE).”
“The Dionysian themed frescos of Pompeii’s Villa of the Mysteries constitute the single most important theurgical narrative to have survived in the Western esoteric tradition. No other practitioner account of the ritual process for conducting a mystery rite has survived down to today. The frescoes’
More from Occult of Personality podcast
Garin Horner is a spiritual practitioner, photographer, professor, author, and Tarot designer. He joins us to discuss his amazing book, A Feather on the Breath of RA: Conversations with an Alchemist on Photography, Light, & Magic. Garin's book is one of the most unexpected and brilliant books about alchemy and Western esotericism that I've ever read. I highly recommend it.
The superlative Ike Baker interviews me about two of my newer books: Peregrine: Crossing Spiritual Boundaries to Find a New Home, An Essay, and The Silent Call of the Heart: A Testimony of Spiritual Awakening. Our conversation focuses on these two new books, which are closely related but distinct in tone: one more comparative and outward looking, the other more personal and inward looking. We cover comparisons between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, the meaning of pilgrimage, and the idea that different practices may lead to similar experiences of realization. Another major theme we discuss is the role of the teacher in spiritual practice, and the argument that an authentic teacher is needed to recognize enlightenment and divinity, not merely to learn techniques. Our discussion also covers honesty about suffering, weakness, and spiritual bypassing, as well as ways of responding to nihilism.
Georgina Rose — polytheist, ceremonial magician, and Thelemite, and author of Planetary Theurgy: Ascent Through the Seven Veils — joins me to talk about what it actually means to have a spiritual path with a trajectory, rather than a vague collection of borrowed practices. We get into her rejection of psychologized, watered-down approaches to magic, her critique of New Age spirituality's shallow eclecticism, and why she believes discipline and even transgression are essential to real gnosis rather than obstacles to it. This was an excellent conversation and I confidently recommend Georgina Rose's work. She is a qualified guide with a solid approach to the magical path and the courage to speak it. For extended conversations like this one, ad-free episodes, and more, support the show at https://www.patreon.com/occultofpersonality/.
The one and only Jaime Paul Lamb joins us to discuss his wonderful book The Astrological Goetia: The 72 Keys to Angelic and Demonic Astrology (Inner Traditions, 2025). This was an amazing interview with an exceptional practitioner. Enjoy! This is the full interview. Please support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/occultofpersonality or our members' website at https://chamberofreflection.com for exclusive content, extra interviews, and more! Jaime's website - https://www.jaimepaullamb.com/ The Astrological Goetia - https://a.co/d/09L2nUyp My new website - https://gregkaminsky.net/
In this episode of Occult of Personality podcast, we have an absolutely epic interview with author, Hermetic practitioner, and meditation specialist Martin Faulks (https://martinfaulks.co.uk/) about Freemasonry, alchemy, meditation, the human subtle body, Tantra, and the book Long Livers: with the Rare Secret of Rejuvenescency, published by Lewis Masonic (https://www.lewismasonic.co.uk/long-livers.htm). I've been anticipating and preparing for this conversation with Martin for years. It's a huge blessing that it's finally come to fruition!