Who Performs the Magic？ The Self in Esoteric Practice

In this episode, we delve into one of the most profound and contested questions in both philosophy and esotericism: What is the self in magical practice? Drawing on thinkers such as René Descartes, David Hume, and Carl Jung, we examine how the self has been variously conceived as a rational substance, a bundle of perceptions, or an archetypal totality. We then explore how these models intersect with key esoteric frameworks, from Aleister Crowley’s doctrine of the True Will and the invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel, to the layered soul of Hermetic Qabalah, and the radically performative self of chaos magic. Is the magical self unified, fragmented, performative, or transcendent? And how do different traditions answer this question through their rituals, symbols, and spiritual technologies? Join me as we explore the shifting boundaries between self, soul, and sorcery. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER 💌 https://www.drangelapuca.com/#newsletter BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ☕️https://ko-fi.com/drangelapuca ONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://paypal.me/angelasymposium JOIN MEMBERSHIPS 👥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/join MY PODCAST 🎙 https://open.spotify.com/show/2TKoWTGe6OKRokHN2zUIxM?si=dd9f50a734b14f86 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 https://amzn.to/3GUMI6b https://amzn.to/3YM6QgN https://amzn.to/43gS7Mr https://amzn.to/4dlR8iy https://amzn.to/3S2B4IE REFERENCES 📚 Carroll, P. J. (1987). Liber Null & Psychonaut: An introduction to chaos magic. Samuel Weiser. Crowley, A. (1904/1997). The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis). In H. B. Urban (Ed.), The Law is for All: The Authorized Popular Commentary of Liber AL vel Legis (pp. 3–41). New Falcon Publications. Crowley, A. (1929/1998). Magick in theory and practice. Castle Books. Crowley, A. (1998). The Vision and the Voice: With commentary and other papers. Weiser Books. (Original work published 1911) Crowley, A. (1999). Magick: Book four – Liber ABA. York Beach, ME: Weiser Books. Descartes, R. (1641/1996). Meditations on first philosophy (J. Cottingham, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. Hume, D. (1739/2000). A treatise of human nature (D. F. Norton & M. J. Norton, Eds.). Oxford University Press. Jung, C. G. (1953). Psychological aspects of the personality. In Two essays on analytical psychology (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.; Vol. 7 of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, pp. 123–240). Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the phenomenology of the self (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.; Vol. 9, Part II of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung). Princeton University Press. Jung, C. G. (1963). Memories, dreams, reflections (A. Jaffé, Ed.; R. Winston & C. Winston, Trans.). Pantheon Books. Kraig, D. M. (2002). Modern magick: Eleven lessons in the high magickal arts (2nd ed.). Llewellyn Publications. 00:00 Exploring the Role of the Self in Magical Traditions 01:26 The Legacy of Descartes' Cogito and the Conception of Self 02:54 David Hume's Challenge to the Concept of a Stable Self 04:28 Jung's Model of the Self in Analytical Psychology 06:03 The Multifaceted Nature of the Self in Western Philosophy 06:54 Support Angela’s Symposium 07:27 The Concept of True Will in Thelema 10:02 The Soul in Hermetic Qabalah 12:47 Magical Identity as Ritual Performance 14:25 Esoteric Debates on the Nature of the Self 15:27 The Self as Crucible of Magical Transformation 16:14 Support Angela’s Symposium ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!