• 367 - Rod Dreher - Living in Wonder
    Nov 21 2024
    Rod Dreher and I had a great discussion about his latest book, Living in Wonder. We discussed re-enchantment, UFOs, AI, attention, the internet, and more. Enjoy!

    Get Rod's book - Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age: https://www.amazon.com/Living-Wonder-Finding-Mystery-Meaning/dp/0310369126

    YouTube version: https://youtu.be/KvNM1AefXN0

    ===========Book description===========
    The West has become "disenchanted"--closed to the idea that the universe contains the supernatural, the metaphysical, or the non-material. Christianity is in crisis. People today are leaving the Church because faith has become dry and lifeless. But people aren't leaving faith for atheism. They are still searching for the divine, and it might just be right under their noses.
    In Living in Wonder, thought leader, cultural critic, and New York Times bestselling author Rod Dreher shows you how to encounter and embrace wonder in the world. In his trademark mixture of analysis, reporting, and personal story, Dreher brings together history, cultural anthropology, neuroscience, and the ancient Church to show you--no matter your religious affiliation--how to reconnect with the natural world and the Great Tradition of Christianity so you can relate to the world with more depth and connection.
    He shares stories of miracles, rumors of angels, and outbreaks of awe to offer hope, as well as a guide for discerning and defending the truth in a confusing and spiritually dark culture, full of contemporary spiritual deceptions and tempting counterfeit spiritualities.
    The world is not what we think it is. It is far more mysterious, exciting, connected, and adventurous. As you learn practical ways to regain a sense of wonder and awaken your sense of God's presence--through prayer, attention, and living by spiritual disciplines--your eyes will be opened, and you will find the very thing every one of us searches for: our ultimate meaning.

    ===========Other books mentioned===========
    - Passport to Magonia: https://www.amazon.co.za/Passport-Magonia-Folklore-Flying-Saucers/dp/0987422480
    - Free version: https://archive.org/details/passporttomagoni0000vall_m8g5
    - American Cosmic, by D.W. Pasulka: https://www.amazon.com/American-Cosmic-UFOs-Religion-Technology/dp/019069288X
    - The Mountain of Silence, by Kyriacos C Markide: https://www.amazon.co.za/Mountain-Silence-Search-Orthodox-Spirituality/dp/0385500920

    ===========Christian Wonder Tales course===========
    Sign up for Dr. Martin Shaw's first-ever live online course, Christian Wonder Tales. This 4-week, 8-hour course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community. Patrons at the Involved level or higher get 10% off, apply your discount code at checkout: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales

    ===========Timestamps===========
    00:00 - Coming up
    01:13 - Intro music
    01:38 - Enchantment is having a moment
    06:54 - A strange enchantment
    21:20 - A positive aspect of this
    23:19 - Psychedelics and the Californian Buddhist
    25:37 - Rod's journey to Christianity
    30:23 - What's on the horizon? AI
    33:01 - UFOs and the great religious deception
    38:39 - UFO spiritual influences
    40:37 - Pay attention
    46:04 - Rod's book's reception
    49:35 - Propositional vs being in person
    52:24 - Embodiment
    55:08 - Christian re-enchantment

    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
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    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
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    59 mins
  • 366 - Richard Rohlin - Universal History: The Voyage of St. Brendan
    Nov 17 2024
    This episode is part of our miniseries of Universal History episodes focused on Ireland. We talk about the voyage of St. Brendan the Navigator, one of the mythical founders of Ireland, along with a general exploration of what it takes to create culture and being a Christian in the world.

    YouTube version: https://youtu.be/nlzEUV5sV2o

    Previous UH episodes on Ireland:
    1. Universal History: Ireland, the Remnant: https://youtu.be/PBNkmLxUYHk?si=QQPkLg6VVx57o2GC
    2. Universal History: The Surprising Irish Origin of Purgatory - with Richard Rohlin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBdXgwl1VYU

    Read more about Irish saints. The book Richard recommends is in two volumes: The Lives of Irish Saints, edited by Charles Plummer. Links:
    - Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Saints-Oxford-Reprints-Volumes/dp/0198213891
    - Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/bethadanemnr01plumuoft/page/n7/mode/2up

    ---

    Sign up for Dr. Martin Shaw's first-ever live online course, Christian Wonder Tales, starting November 12th. This 4-week, 8-hour course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community. Patrons at the Involved level or higher get 10% off, apply your discount code at checkout: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales
    Mythographer, writer, and storyteller Dr Martin Shaw takes us deep into the heart of what he calls Christian Wonder Tales. Profoundly mythic, these teaching stories range from the early saints through to the grandeur of the Round Table and Arthurian tradition. Shaw emphasises these stories as remerging providentially on time for the perils of modern life. Filled with vocation, sacrifice, and courage, these are an inheritance many of us simply didn’t know we had.

    🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    ---

    Timestamps:
    00:00 - Coming up
    00:46 - Intro music
    01:12 - Start
    03:04 - A corrective to the Universal History series
    12:05 - The 12 apostles of Ireland
    14:19 - St. Brendan
    21:25 - Fun stories about St. Brendan
    39:26 - Next episode of the Voyage of St. Brendan
    46:13 - The foundation of a church
    49:09 - How to keep the liturgical calendar
    56:14 - The torment of Judas
    01:04:30 - Did Brendan go to North America?

    ---

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    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 365 - Fr. Stephen De Young - Friedrich Nietzsche’s Guide to the Bodily Resurrection (Summit 2024)
    Nov 6 2024
    This talk by Fr. Stephen DeYoung is from the Symbolic World Summit that took place in Florida on the weekend of February 29th, 2024. All other talks and discussions from the event can be accessed through the Symbolic World website if you buy the video package. Other speakers included myself, Jordan Peterson, Dr. Martin Shaw, Richard Rohlin, Neil DeGraide, Fr. Dcn. Nicholas Kotar, Vesper Stamper, and Fr. Silouan Justiniano.
    • Buy the Symbolic World Summit Video Package: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/summit-2024
    • Symbolic World Summit photo gallery: https://thelightboxphotography.pic-time.com/-symbolicworld/gallery
    Timestamps
    00:00 - Coming up
    00:57 - Intro music
    01:23 - Introduction
    03:22 - What happens when you die?
    07:34 - The body
    12:42 - How identity works
    16:25 - Find our identity
    17:41 - The bodily resurrection
    19:00 - Relating to time
    31:53 - The triumph of joy
    35:00 - In Scripture
    41:29 - One life
    44:13 - What about the dead
    48:48 - Fr. Stephen's answer
    50:02 - Eternal death and hell

    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
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    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 364 - Did the Witches Win? The Hammer of Witches through a Symbolic Lens
    Nov 1 2024
    WARNING: The following episode discusses difficult subjects and may not be suitable for children.

    This is a repost of January 2020's patron-only video where I talked about a book called Malleus Maleficarum, translated as The Hammer of Witches, which appeared in the late 15th century. This controversial book has become the central point of our imagination about witches and exemplifies the uneasy transition between the medieval worldview and what would become the modern worldview.

    Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/S75AfTuzLQg

    We decided to make this video public for Halloween. Please consider supporting us for exclusive patron videos like this. https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    ---

    Sign up for Dr. Martin Shaw's first-ever live online course, Christian Wonder Tales, starting November 12th. This 4-week, 8-hour course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community. Patrons at the Involved level or higher get 10% off, apply your discount code at checkout: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales

    Mythographer, writer, and storyteller Dr Martin Shaw takes us deep into the heart of what he calls Christian Wonder Tales. Profoundly mythic, these teaching stories range from the early saints through to the grandeur of the Round Table and Arthurian tradition. Shaw emphasises these stories as remerging providentially on time for the perils of modern life. Filled with vocation, sacrifice, and courage, these are an inheritance many of us simply didn’t know we had.

    ---
    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
    🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau

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    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • 363 - The Double Symbolism of St. Peter: Shepherd and Satan
    Oct 19 2024
    In this video, I discuss the double symbolism of St. Peter as described in the Scriptures. This is related to my last video about Lucifer and the issue of how a representative or a vicar is always in a dual situation where they can become transparent to authority from above, or take authority for themselves...

    My previous video on this topic: The Real Meaning of Lucifer: https://youtu.be/qaoSLwmPARk?si=i2EVHFBPVpVbxTyG

    ---
    Sign up for Dr. Martin Shaw's first-ever live online course, Christian Wonder Tales, starting November 12th. This 4-week, 8-hour course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community. Patrons at the Involved level or higher get 10% off, apply your discount code at checkout: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales

    Mythographer, writer, and storyteller Dr Martin Shaw takes us deep into the heart of what he calls Christian Wonder Tales. Profoundly mythic, these teaching stories range from the early saints through to the grandeur of the Round Table and Arthurian tradition. Shaw emphasises these stories as remerging providentially on time for the perils of modern life. Filled with vocation, sacrifice, and courage, these are an inheritance many of us simply didn’t know we had.

    🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    Become a Symbolic World patron and get access to exclusive content like a monthly patron Q&A and an extra symbolism video every month, as well as sales on our courses: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    BUY OUR BOOKS NOW ON OUR SYMBOLIC WORLD PRESS PRE-ORDER SALE: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com

    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
    Show more Show less
    31 mins
  • 362 - Dr. Martin Shaw - Christian Wonder Tales
    Oct 10 2024
    "The soul is not fed entirely by logic, we are fed by images. Ideas are interesting, but when we want to be absolutely poleaxed by wonder it is a story that's going to do it."

    I had a wonderful discussion with the captivating storyteller and mythographer, Dr. Martin Shaw, about the value of - not only understanding - but also telling and entering into stories. We talk about the various traditions of storytelling covered in his upcoming course, how to approach these tales of our inheritance, the modern taming of Christianity, and how Bible stories are different from pagan and more peripheral myths.

    Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/uPQdfx5a-R4

    Sign up for Dr. Martin Shaw's first-ever live online course, Christian Wonder Tales, starting November 12th. This 4-week, 8-hour course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community. Patrons at the Involved level or higher get 10% off, apply your discount code at checkout: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales

    Mythographer, writer, and storyteller Dr Martin Shaw takes us deep into the heart of what he calls Christian Wonder Tales. Profoundly mythic, these teaching stories range from the early saints through to the grandeur of the Round Table and Arthurian tradition. Shaw emphasises these stories as remerging providentially on time for the perils of modern life. Filled with vocation, sacrifice, and courage, these are an inheritance many of us simply didn’t know we had.
    ---
    Timestamps:
    00:00 - Coming up
    00:44 - Intro music
    01:09 - Start
    01:52 - A failure that makes honey
    05:46 - Pre-Christian Ireland
    08:05 - The Arthurian tradition
    09:53 - A rule for life
    12:29 - Follow an animal
    16:09 - Return to these stories
    20:20 - The soul is not only fed by logic
    24:53 - Why has Christianity become so mundane?
    33:39 - Stories that are too strange
    36:00 - How were they preserved?
    38:08 - Stories that Martin and Jonathan struggled with
    44:54 - The Bible
    48:57 - You can't draw Jesus with one line
    53:07 - The Gospel seminar
    56:06 - Let the stories do the work
    ---
    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
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    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe
    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 361 - The Real Meaning of Lucifer
    Oct 5 2024
    In this video I discuss the meaning and symbolism of the title Lucifer, or the Morning Star, drawing on the Old and New Testament. How it is that this title both refers to Christ, as well as the Adversary?

    BOOKS
    Pre-order Jack and the Fallen Giants and GodsDog 2 at a discounted price. Limited stock of Snow White and the Widow Queen is also available for purchase: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com

    SYMBOLIC WORLD COURSES:
    Don't miss out on our upcoming live courses hosted on the Symbolic World Circle community platform:
    - The Cognitive Science of Ritual with John Vervaeke, starting October 7: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-cognitive-science-of-ritual
    - Christian Wonder Tales with Martin Shaw, starting November 12: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/christian-wonder-tales

    💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
    🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • 360 - John Vervaeke - The Cognitive Science of Ritual
    Sep 26 2024
    John Vervaeke and I discuss the cognitive science of ritual: the many different aspects of ritual and its importance even in the pursuit of reason, among sacred and secular spaces, to mark time and identity, to establish transformation, and more! John is truly making headway in giving us the concepts and vocabulary to understand symbolic and ritual participation across different participatory levels. Enjoy!

    Join us for John Vervaeke's new live course: The Cognitive Science of Ritual. The 6 weeks of lectures start on Oct 7th. Involved patrons get 10% discount. Apply code at checkout. Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-cognitive-science-of-ritual

    Visit our brand new Symbolic World Store now to buy and pre-order our books, like Snow White and the Widow Queen (limited time offer), our new upcoming fairy tale book Jack and the Fallen Giants, GodsDog: Moster and Warrior, digital products, prints, and more: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com

    🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau
    🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

    Timestamps:
    00:00 - Coming up
    00:51 - Intro music
    01:17 - Introduction to Cognitive Science
    04:16 - Ritual and an advent of the sacred
    06:18 - Meaningful ritual
    08:23 - Why work against ritual?
    14:07 - Replace religious with civic
    15:47 - Hermeneutics of suspicion
    18:24 - Progressive rituals
    23:23 - Transformation
    27:51 - Marking identity
    36:17 - Ritual as space

    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/
    My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson.
    Show more Show less
    43 mins