Today’s episode explores a topic not often covered in mainstream occult discourse: the esoteric and often bizarre evolution of Finnish occultism.
We discuss Lightbringers of the North, a fascinating book chronicling the unique and eccentric magical history of Finland. It reads like a fever dream of mysticism and madness, filled with characters who blur the line between inspired genius and outright lunacy. Finland, like many regions emerging into independence in the early 20th century, found its occult identity during a time of political and cultural upheaval.
“Genius and madness dance on the same floor—especially in the occult.”
“The Finnish magic circle didn’t just defy religion; they rewrote the rules of the sacred with dirt under their nails and spirits in their lungs.”
Occultism in Finland arose from socio-political chaos, where spiritual movements like Theosophy offered alternatives to the rigidity of Christianity.
The 1930s Finnish “magic circle” performed corpse rituals using spells from the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses, driven by belief in treasure and transformation.
Spiritual rebellion became a cultural movement, not just a mystical one. The blending of anti-elitism, magical war, and folk healing shows how the occult was a form of resistance.
Figures like “Satan” redefined black magic as service to divine will, challenging dualistic ideas of good vs. evil and emphasizing karmic alignment.
Sex magic practices evolved uniquely in Finland, with rituals involving sperm drinking and sound-based language as tools for spiritual insight.
The Finnish occult scene was politically polarized, with both radical left-wing Thelemites and violent right-wing Satanists using occultism to further ideology.
Today’s Finnish esoteric scene is richly syncretic, blending ancient traditions with new paradigms, and attracting younger generations through groups like the Star of Azazel.
Despite tragedy and extremism, these occult movements reflect a deep human yearning for meaning, transformation, and hidden knowledge.
“To honor God by invoking the Devil—such was the paradoxical theology of Satan the mystic.”
“In a country searching for identity, occultism became both rebellion and revelation.”
Our guest today, Vesa, co-authored this compelling book. He shares with us the origins of a notorious 1930s magical group made up of working-class Finns. These individuals, largely uneducated, became infamous for mutilating up to 50 corpses in a cemetery for use in bizarre rituals. Believing that sacrifices would summon treasure from a sacred spring, they turned to texts like the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses, known in Finland as Mostrato—the Black Bible.
What’s compelling is the mix of desperation, belief, and magical practice. Their spellwork and rituals were blended with revolutionary fervor, launching magical attacks against political opponents and even each other. Healing and folk magic were also woven into their work, blurring the line between community service and arcane performance.
We explore the evolving Finnish break from traditional Christianity, as these groups created their own hybrid spiritualities. One figure named Tuomas, for instance, described himself as an ambassador of Lucifer. His cosmology included Christ, Satan, and God, but not as enemies—instead, as different energetic intelligences serving a divine whole. Another notorious figure, known as “Satan,” practiced black magic with the aim of honoring God, viewing all beings—including demons—as agents of divine will.
This leads us to some very strange corners of Finnish occultism, including a group that ritualized sperm consumption to decode divine alphabets and a tragic narrative involving death, suicide, and psychological vulnerability. Still, even these disturbing chapters shed light on the magnetic power of myth-making and the need for meaning during times of cultural transition.
We also discuss the intersection of politics and the occult. One faction, deeply aligned with Nazism and Satanic ideology, used actual violence, including bombings and animal sacrifice, to wage spiritual and ideological war. At the opposite end, other occultists followed Crowleyan Thelema or Theosophy with left-leaning views and a spiritual focus on enlightenment, not chaos.
Today, Finland’s esoteric landscape remains diverse. There’s an increase in syncretic practice, where modern practitioners blend Satanism, Theosophy, Gnosticism, and magical traditions into new expressions. Groups like the Star of Azazel continue to evolve metaphysical Satanism in deeply philosophical ways, demonstrating that the occult current in Finland is far from stagnant.
Despite the internet-era’s shift in attention spans and belief systems, Thelema, Gurdjieff work, Freemasonry, and yes—even remnants of the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses—continue to influence a growing number of seekers.
This episode is more than history—it’s a mirror into the human condition, where myth, madness, liberation, and power converge.
Vesa Iitti is a Finnish writer and translator with a master’s degree in comparative religion from the University of Turku. He lives in Turku, Finland.
“Sex, sound, and semen—this was the language of divine truth for some of Finland’s most controversial mystics.”
“Modern occultism thrives not in purity, but in synthesis—truth born from contradiction.”
“The devil in Finland had many names—but behind each was a mirror reflecting the soul of a people in transformation.”
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