David Sherb: Occult Orders, Trauma, Discernment & the Living Work of Initiation

In this episode, David Sherb joins the conversation for a wide-ranging exploration of occult orders, spiritual discernment, initiatory experience, trauma, religious identity, family, vocation, and the difficult work of separating authentic spiritual tradition from projection, fantasy, and misuse.

The discussion moves through David’s personal background, his experiences with esoteric communities and former affiliations, and the deeper question of what makes a tradition “living” rather than merely institutional. From there, the conversation opens into themes of trauma, PTSD, spiritual responsibility, masculine and feminine principles, the home, moral formation, and the importance of grounded discernment when approaching occult claims, teachers, and initiatory systems.