Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am joined by British occultists, authors, and creative collaborators Alan Chapman and Duncan Barford. Alan and Duncan reflect on their decades of shared magickal practice and creative collaboration. They recall their first meeting at the secret society the “Illuminates of Thanateros” and muse on the gatekeeping and status games of the Chaos magick scene. They explain why they fee...

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Buddhist nun Guruma Dhamma Vijaya. Guruma recalls her childhood in Kathmandu Valley, the religious life of her Newar Vajrayāna family, and why she turned to Theravāda Buddhism and took ordination as a nun. Guruma recounts her extensive training in Mahasi and Goenka meditation styles, compares tantric techniques to ānāpānassati...

R.B. Russell, author and founder of Tartarus Press, takes us on a deep dive into the life and works of Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machen.  Ray traces the religious life of Machen, his involvement with the occult society the Golden Dawn, and his friendship with famed occultist A.E. Waite. Ray details Machen’s fascination with the esoteric symbolism of the Grail mythology; his role in originatin...

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition who is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching conversations conducted with students online.  Dhammarato guides us through the Ānāpānassatisutta, a much loved scripture which describes Buddhism’s famous breath meditation practice. Dhammarato describes the technique in detail, challenges common miscon...

In this bonus episode, I share with you a Guru Viking remix video created by Zakery Mizell from the Youtube channel Zakery Mizell. Zakery’s channel focuses on knowledge and beauty and he has made several videos commenting on and even remixing episodes of the Guru Viking podcast. When I came across his remixes, I enjoyed his approach very much and we agreed to share his work here. In this video, Za...

In this bonus episode, I share with you a Guru Viking remix video created by Zakery Mizell from the Youtube channel Zakery Mizell. Zakery’s channel focuses on knowledge and beauty and he has made several videos commenting on and even remixing episodes of the Guru Viking podcast. When I came across his remixes, I enjoyed his approach very much and we agreed to share his work here. In this video, Za...

In this interview I am joined by Dr Thomas Clough Daffern, philosopher, educator, peace activist, and peace officer for the Council of British Druid Orders. Dr Daffern explains the meaning of Christmas and the Winter Solstice, reflects on cyclic time and indigenous wisdom, and shares his own recent reckonings with death and loss. Dr Daffern reveals the esoteric and mythic symbolism of the Christma...

In this episode, I am once again joined by Gerald Ilyas Klawatsch, Sufi musician, music therapist, and founder of the international musical ensemble Ak Pirim. Ilyas presents the sacred music of Sufism, explains its various instruments and principles, and performs musical pieces live. Ilyas tells stories of discipleship under his Sufi master, recounts profound moments of spiritual bliss, and reflec...

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist, occultist, and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Ben reveals the industry convention of guru ghostwriting in which spiritual teachers employ one or a team of writers to produce their dharma books, explains his collaborative process with Nida Chenagtsang on their latest Vajrayana book, and sheds light on his own edito...

In this episode I am once again joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of “Occult Experiments in the Home”. Duncan begins with an analysis of the 2016 film, “A Dark Song”, which he believes is the most accurate depiction of occult practice in cinema. Duncan details the plot, breaks down its depictions of ritual, and shares his own emotional reaction to the film's cli...

In this episode I am once again joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism. Alex lays out his ideal curriculum of practices to achieve awakening including a full technique sequence, explanation of the signs of success at each stage, and the various post-awakening paths that are available. Alex details the energetic openings that occur after awakening a...

In this episode I am once again joined by Myriam Szabo, also known as Ngakma Yumma Mudra: dancer, producer, model, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and founder of the international Danza Duende Network. Ngakma Yumma Mudra recounts the story of her life from a childhood of domestic abuse, intense discipleship under Russian dance teachers, and years of living on the streets. Ngakma Yumma Mudra recalls h...

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, Buddhist teacher, doctor of Tibetan Medicine, and author of “Tibetan Healing Massage”. Dr Nida reveals the Tibetan art of massage, details its unique characteristics, and shows its links to theories of typology and subtle energy. Dr Nida explains the Tibetan idea of “la” energy and how it is best guarded, details acupressure points a...

In this episode I join Charles Manson in Oxford, England to visit the Bodleian Library (Oxford University) where he is the specialist librarian for its Tibetan Collections. Charles leads us through the streets of Oxford to visit the old Bodleian Library, founded in 1602. Then we arrive at the Weston Library to explore its collection of Tibetan manuscripts. Charles guides us through gold lettered t...

In this episode I am joined by Alana Fairchild, spiritual teacher, psychic, and author of the best-selling Kuan Yin Oracle Deck. Alana recalls her unusual childhood of Catholicism and folk spirituality, details her training as a psychic, and recounts her significant spiritual experiences. Alana shares her journey of academic excellence through law school, explains her career-change to become a wor...

This trialogue continues a series of discussions exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death. Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center in the Department of Religious Studies in the...

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Alan reflects on his search for true awakening, compares the spiritual traditions of the West and the East, and questions the liberal ideal of the universal man. Alan presents Merlin as the archetype of the Western adept, asserts theosis to be the true purpose of Christianity, and reveals the...

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, Buddhist teacher, doctor of Tibetan Medicine, and author of "Foundations of Vajrayana”. Dr Nida discusses the foundations of tantric practice, shares the power of its intensive ngondro practices, and reveals how to face one’s emotions with Vajrayana methods. Dr Nida also explains the nyingthig genre of heart drop teachings, different...

In this episode I am joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London. Francisco recalls his upbringing and education in Luxembourg; details his rigorous academic training in classical languages such as Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit; and laments what he sees as the rise of idealogical indoctrination in modern ed...

In this episode I am once again joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of ‘Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas’. In this episode we had planned to discuss Leigh’s latest book, entitled “On The Way To The Far Shore”. Instead Leigh spontaneously began to explore the theme of Buddhism and politics and so we decided to go deeper into his ideas. Leigh shares...

In this episode, I am once again joined by Lopon Yudron Wangmo, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and author of several books including, her most recent, “Clearing the Way to Awakening”. Lopon Yudron Wangmo shares stories of her discipleships under various spiritual gurus such as Lama Tharchin, recalls her memories of the California Vajrayāna scene, and remarks on the qualities she has observed...

In this episode I am once again joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism. Alex explains how to meditate after awakening; details the path to success in Zen, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen; and compares Taoist Inner Alchemy to cultivating the enjoyment body, Saṃbhogakāya. Alex reflects on the biases of the Buddhist tradition, summarises the phases of his own...

In this episode I am joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher. Alan recalls his troubled childhood in the impoverished North of England, reflects on the British class system, and shares his first encounter with Aleister Crowley. Alan recounts his occult adventures with long time collaborator Duncan Barford, shares his spiritual biography of awakenings and mystical e...

In this episode I am joined by Myriam Szabo, also known as Ngakma Yumma Mudra: dancer, producer, model, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and founder of the international Danza Duende Network. Ngakma Yumma Mudra describes the path of the body, what it means to practice the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta through movement, and how to contact the blissful nature of mind with dance. Ngakma Yumma Mudra reveals how she...

In this episode I am once again joined by John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha: writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.  John shares his own decades of contact with the Bon religion, reveals its doctrines and practices, and gives a detailed history of its transmission in the West. John traces the automythos of Bon, compares it to historical eviden...