Seeking Recommendation Occult authors with philosophical background

[luotenrati]

I like occultism but I also like philosophy. Obviously they are not that distinct and esotericism is often called occult philosophy as well. Despite this, I find many authors slipping into new age territory and making weak claims. Now don't get me wrong, I started out from chaos magic and have been using it as my meta-framework from the beginning. The pragmatism and belief-shifting lend it its rigour however, even if it is a postmodern kind of rigour.
I have also recently found Oleg Bakhtiyarov's work on Psychonetics which has a distinctly pragmatic approach that starts out from phenomenology and cognitive linguistics rather than metaphysics. Someone described it as a 'pragmatic samatha'.
Patrick Dunn also has a pragmatic and postmodern approach based in linguistics which is quite refreshing.

Now pragmatic and phenomenological approaches are useful for practical magick. High magick, however, requires a metaphysics. This is where I find authors slipping into new age stuff. Just because a metaphysics is based on relevation doesn't mean it shouldn't be rigorous. Take a look at Thomism or Augustinianism for example. Or Ockham, who went as far as to completely divide philosophical and revealed truths from each other. Their methodologies are solid. This is much different from "just trust me bro" kinda arguments.

I'm looking for occult authors that also have a PhD in philosophy or another related discipline, like religion studies or linguistics, preferably philosophy though. It is crucial that they be practitioners because academics like to get stuck in their armchair which is another thing I'd like to avoid.

I already know of Justin Sledge, he's great. Stephen Skinner and Stephen Flowers also have really good material.
It was Jeffrey Kupperman's book Living Theurgy and it's detailed philosophical account of Iamblichus' philosophy that made me want to get my hands on more philosophical books of this kind however.

I just find it hard to get myself into Kabbalah because it's based on Jewish mysticism. It takes great inspiration from Neoplatonism anyway so why not just stick to Neoplatonism from the start since it is the more rigorous of the two? I understand that for most systems you need an operationalizable metaphysics but why does it have to come from Judaism? Why not from TCM or Shinto for example?

I want to work on developing my own metaphysics for myself rather than just plugging into a ready-to-go system from the start. For this, I want to read authors that have good argumentation going for themselves, like Iamblichus, Whitehead or Schelling. I find it difficult to find concrete philosopher-occultists beyond the obvious ones like Paracelsus, Agrippa or Mirandola.

 

[HoldAll]

Have you looked into books by Wouter J. Hanegraaff yet? He's a Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam. Authors that also come to mind include Gregory Shaw (Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus), Randall Styers (Making Magic: Religion, Magic, and Science in the Modern World) or Jeffrey J. Kripal (The Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion). There are plenty of serious scholarly books on occultism but they're mostly by historians, anthropologists, scholars of religion, and classicists. All in our Library by the way, or on

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[BBMage]

For our modern day you found the main authors I would recommend. I was a scientist for 15 years and became an occultist about 10 years ago. I like your curiosity and desire to create something that works for you. I've been studying this for several years so I tend to be passionate about this topic. Hopefully some of this will help you speed up your process as it took me some time to wrap my science brain around some of it.

While it's important to understand the mechanics behind the metaphysics, if you only focus on literature you are not going to get very far. Real occultism is taught through experiences that can never be fully expressed through any language or artform that we possess. That is why the mysteries are kept secret. The true mysteries must be experienced or your missing the point.

If you are interested in making a metaphysical system for yourself, you need to experience what is happening in the subtle bodies and not just the mind. This usually works better with a teacher, though you can be self taught, it's just harder to navigate. The great philosophers all learned from someone. The point of having a teacher isn't to become the teacher, but to have a guide through the material so that you can fully understand the energetic currents in which that material operates and then, from mastering that understanding, create something new.

The systems out there are each set up with their own archetypal (symbolic) language and each component has multiple layers to it. For example, the black dot is a powerful training tool and symbol for contemplation, astral travel, focus and exploration of inner consciousness. It is rich with meaning, expressing unity in all things and infinite possibility. This is a traditional mystery school teaching. Its easy to understand with logic. But until you turn that knowledge into understanding you can't fully integrate what is being said. I lean heavily on logic because of my research, but in metaphysics a balance between knowledge and experience is essential. Learn the language of one system first through practice and experience so your getting the whole picture and create from a deeper understanding of what is happening in the body and mind when you engage in the energies.

I use hermetic and mixed kabbalah. I don't lean heavily on Jewish kabbalah because I personally don't subscribe to religious dogma. There are a lot of well studied Kabbalists and seeing things from multiple perspectives is important. Someone without a PhD can have extensive understanding from a perspective that balances out the philosophical side of things, though I also stay away from new age sources. Always use discernment which it sounds like you are. Gareth Knight, Isreal Regardie, Mac Gregor Mathers, Dion Fortune, Will Parffit are good to start with from a less dogmatic approach that strict Jewish Kabbalah if you want to explore that.

I wish you much luck and fun on your adventure.

 

[diana_i_gusarova]

In the ancient world, the words “philosopher,” “magician” (“sage”), and “initiate” were synonymous. Philosophy is “the love of wisdom,” which was the result of initiation into the Mysteries. It is only in the modern world that “philosophy” has become idle, speculative chatter indulged in by the uninitiated.