Michael Psellus on the Operation of Daemons – Stephen Skinner & Marcus Collisson

Michael Constantine Psellus (c. 1018-1096) was one of the most important intellectual figures of the Byzantine world. A philosopher, theologian, political adviser and scholar, he wrote on an extraordinary range of subjects, including medicine, astronomy, classical philosophy, magic and daemonology. His work is especially valuable because it stands at a fascinating crossroads between the older Greek concept of the daimon and the increasingly Christian understanding of demons as dangerous or malevolent spiritual beings.

In this work, Psellus examines the nature and classification of demons, their characteristics, their relationship with the material world and the ways in which human beings were believed to encounter them. His discussion preserves elements of classical Greek philosophy while interpreting them through the theological framework of Byzantine Christianity, making the text an important witness to the gradual transformation of demonology during the medieval period.

For students of occult history, Psellus is especially interesting because he helps us understand that the idea of the demon did not develop in isolation. Earlier Greek concepts of intermediary spiritual beings, philosophical speculation, Christian theology and inherited magical traditions all contributed to the complex demonological systems that would later influence medieval and Renaissance occultism.

This makes the work particularly useful for anyone who wants to understand the historical difference between demons, spirits and the older concept of the daimon, rather than approaching demonology only through later grimoires or modern popular culture.

Read This Book in the Occult World Mystery School

This book is available to students of the Occult World Mystery School as part of Lesson 2 of the Demonology Course. In that lesson, we explore the distinction between demons and other spiritual beings and place Psellus within the wider historical development of demonology.

If you would like to read the complete work and study it in context, join the Demonology Course at the Occult World Mystery School and continue with Lesson 2.