Rejected Religion Podcast

This video aired on March 31, 2023 on Rejected Religion's YouTube Channel.  New courses are available at Owlhouse Seminars.

Sue Terry has an MA from the University of Surrey where her dissertation was _The Magician Goes Further: The Occult Oblique View in the Short Fiction of Mary Butts_. Sue is now a PhD candidate at Surrey researching feminist occult modernist novels of the 20th century, and she is teaching open access courses in "Literature and the Weird" through her new venture Owl House Seminars.  

Sue co-founded the Magickal Women Conference in 2018 and after almost five successful years as director, she stepped down in January 2023 in order focus on her doctoral research, on Owl House Seminars, and her writing on the fiction of Alan Garner, which is destined to become a book.  

In this interview, Sue begins by talking about her rich history with the Magickal Women Conferences. We then move the conversation to her new venture, and Sue gives us a sneak preview of several upcoming seminars that she has planned. She then shares about her PhD research that investigates female literary responses to occult ideas and practices, and we close with an interesting look into her research and writing about the author Alan Garner.  

Sue is a wonderful storyteller and I found this discussion fascinating and extremely engaging!  

PROGRAM NOTES

Sue Terry Esoteric Academic (sueterryacademic.com)
Sue Terry (@suemetro) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Facebook
OwlhouseSeminars (@OwlhouseSeminar) / X (twitter.com)

Magickal Women Conference
Making Magic Happen — Magickal Women Conference

Jeffrey J. Kripal, PhD – J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion – Rice University (jeffreyjkripal.com)
Alan Garner | The Booker Prizes
 

Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 2, we sit with the concept of accelerationism, how it is occultural in its original form (in Bob’s opinion), its problems, its appropriation by far-right groups, and the related sticky problems of capitalism and neoliberalism that are currently associated with accelerationist thinking in these circles. 
The conversation from here continues to expand.
Bob also discusses the explosion of digital technologies and how contemporary spiritual currents and esoteric movements are enmeshed with technology. This leads us into a more detailed exploration of the CCRU and conspiracy theories, as well as the irony of how the esoteric concept of perennialism (or the idea that there is one everlasting Truth with a capitol T), has gained traction with some magical practitioners. 
As a little tangent, we also talk about trauma, as this is the ‘elephant in the room’ when discussing Slenderman, as well as the current focus by many on ‘healing’ and how esoteric currents AND neoliberalist viewpoints have also influenced the discourse around healing and wellness.
Lastly, Bob shares his current work into the works of JG Ballard and Simon Sellars. Bob sees these works as esoteric texts that add to his interests of researching not only historiographical aspects, but also what is happening now in modern esoteric currents. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Bob Cluness:
(99+) Bob Cluness | University of Iceland - Academia.edu
(99+) "I am an other and I always was…" On the Weird and Eerie in Contemporary and Digital Cultures Ritgerð til MA-prófs í menningafraeði | Bob Cluness - Academia.edu

Social media:
Facebook

 

Simulacra and Simulation (The Body, In Theory: Histories of Cultural Materialism): Jean Baudrillard, Sheila Faria Glaser: 9780472065219: Amazon.com: Books
Selected articles about philosophers mentioned in E28:
Gilles Deleuze (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Félix Guattari - Wikipedia
Jean François Lyotard (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Hyperstition Primer (edith.reisen)
The Weird And The Eerie [PDF] [3ufdj9jsm190] (vdoc.pub)
Applied Ballardianism | Memoir from a Parallel Universe
#ACCELERATE: The Accelerationist Reader | libcom.org

Slender Man stabbing - Wikipedia

(99+) Speculative Fiction | Aren Roukema - Academia.edu
“Book Zero” through the Years in: Aries - Ahead of print (brill.com)
Chapter 12 “Cthulhu Gnosis” in: Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration, and the Power of Imagination (brill.com)

Intensive Care (album) - Wikipedia
Watch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (HBO) | TV Shows | HBO Max

NOTE about audio: At this time, I am recording at a temporary location due to extensive home renovations. Unfortunately, the building in which I'm located is also undergoing renovations. I had attempted to work around the noise, but sadly, I wasn't aware that wood floors were being sanded at the same time I was recording. The audio is therefore not optimal; I did my best to edit out the noise, but apologize for the (at times) poor audio quality. 

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea
Other Music: Stephanie Shea
 

This month’s guest is Bob Cluness. Bob is a PhD candidate and researcher in the cultural studies program at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. Bob graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in film studies on accelerationist aesthetics and action cinema, while in 2020 he received a master’s degree in cultural studies with a thesis on the weird and eerie in contemporary and digital cultures. His current PhD project deals with the relationship between and esotericism and acceleration in UK subcultures in the late 20th century, through a discursive analysis of chaos magic(k) and the Cybernetic Cultures Research Unit, also known as CCRU. As part of his Academic research, Bob’s interests look at the myriad intersections between esotericism and contemporary subcultures, such as cyberpunk, cyberspace and technology, the counterculture and the New Age, comics, zine culture, and music. He has also given papers centered on Icelandic occulture and spiritual currents such as Ásatrú, spiritualism, and wellness.

As you can tell from the episode title, Bob and I are talking about a little bit of everything, and while, on the surface, these things may seem unrelated, as the discussion unfolds, I hope it will become clear that all of these strands are indeed very much connected. As this was a long interview, I’m providing it to you in 2 parts.

In Part 1, Bob begins by explaining the terms “the weird” and “the eerie” and how these literary concepts have helped to fuel the social imagination; as well as the tricky issue of how one discerns between ‘fiction’ and ‘reality’. With the help of philosophical concepts such as ‘the hyperreal’ and simulacra taken from Baudrillard, as well as other concepts from French philosophers such as Deleuze, Guattari, and Lyotard, Bob discusses the effects of signs, symbols, and other images on our understanding of what’s ‘real’, as well as the dissolving boundaries between ‘the real’ and ‘the artificial’. 

This all takes us into the area of hyperstition, the CCRU, and a case study that is a good example of a hyperstition found in the Slederman character, and later incident in 2014 involving Slenderman where two girls come to believe that he is a real entity, attempting to kill their friend because of it. Bob also talks about how such a character becomes implanted in our collective consciousness through digital interactions such as memes, and later becomes a part of our cultural history. Bob also touches on the concept of acceleration, which he later expands upon in part 2. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Bob Cluness:
(99+) Bob Cluness | University of Iceland - Academia.edu
(99+) "I am an other and I always was…" On the Weird and Eerie in Contemporary and Digital Cultures Ritgerð til MA-prófs í menningafraeði | Bob Cluness - Academia.edu

Social media:
Facebook

 

Simulacra and Simulation (The Body, In Theory: Histories of Cultural Materialism): Jean Baudrillard, Sheila Faria Glaser: 9780472065219: Amazon.com: Books
Selected articles about philosophers mentioned in E28:
Gilles Deleuze (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Félix Guattari - Wikipedia
Jean François Lyotard (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Hyperstition Primer (edith.reisen)
The Weird And The Eerie [PDF] [3ufdj9jsm190] (vdoc.pub)
Applied Ballardianism | Memoir from a Parallel Universe
#ACCELERATE: The Accelerationist Reader | libcom.org

Slender Man stabbing - Wikipedia

(99+) Speculative Fiction | Aren Roukema - Academia.edu
“Book Zero” through the Years in: Aries - Ahead of print (brill.com)
Chapter 12 “Cthulhu Gnosis” in: Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration, and the Power of Imagination (brill.com)

Intensive Care (album) - Wikipedia
Watch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (HBO) | TV Shows | HBO Max

NOTE about audio: At this time, I am recording at a temporary location due to extensive home renovations. Unfortunately, the building in which I'm located is also undergoing renovations. I had attempted to work around the noise, but sadly, I wasn't aware that wood floors were being sanded at the same time I was recording. The audio is therefore not optimal; I did my best to edit out the noise, but apologize for the (at times) poor audio quality. 

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea
Other Music: Stephanie Shea




 

My guest this month is Dell J. Rose. Dell is a cultural historian and current Ph.D. researcher at the University of Amsterdam’s HHP Center. He is also the recipient of the Swedenborg Doctoral Scholarship from the Swedenborg Society in the UK. Dell holds a Bachelor's degree, with majors in English, History, and Religion, and a Master's degree in Folk Studies. His current Ph.D project deals with Charles Augustus Tulk, the reception of Swedenborg’s ideas amongst 19th-century reforming societies, and the role that Swedenborgian ideas played in 19th-century political discourse. Dell has many academic interests which examine the interface between culture and esotericism including Christian theosophy, especially Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig and Jakob Böhme. Dell is also interested in Willem Bilderdijk studies, and the relationship between Romantic nationalism and esotericism. He has also worked on the Christian interpretation of Sabbateanism and Karaitism, and he has written on the philosophy of Franz von Baader. Other interests include work on the relationship between technology and esotericism, especially in the history of aviation and the airship.  

This month's topic centers around Emanuel Swedenborg, who was, and still is, an extremely influential figure within the currents of esotericism. Dell Rose begins by giving a short introduction about Swedenborg, and then moves to discuss other aspects of Swedenborg's life and beliefs that led to his eventual 'revelations' about the nature of the spiritual world and free will. 

Dell is particularly concerned with the cultural reception of Swedenborg, and he notes that Swedenborg's influence is varied, but overwhelming. This influence is seen in all forms of cultural life from the 19th century onward, in areas such as art, literature, poetry, and music; but also in the political sphere, including public planning, cooperative societies, and women's rights. Dell shares his own research into Charles Augustus Tulk, who was keen to implement Swedenborg's ideas onto social issues, as well as other figures who were also inspired by Swedenborgian thought. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Dell J. Rose: Research: Dell J. Rose - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)
Dell Joseph Rose – Swedenborg Society

Selected works by Emanuel Swedenborg:
Arcana Coelestia volume 1 (swedenborg.com)
Heaven and Hell (swedenborg.com)

Swedenborg Foundation: Swedenborg Foundation - Explorations of spiritual love and wisdom inspired by Emanuel Swedenborg

Karl Herman Vetterling ('The Higher Buddhism in Swedenborg'): 5db21a82014ef811ec8a2232_Herman Vetterling.pdf (webflow.com)
Thomas Lake Harris (Swedenborg ideas eventually transmitted to Japan): American Communities and Co-Operative Colonies : Hinds, William Alfred : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Alfred Deakin (Australia): Alfred Deakin | National Museum of Australia (nma.gov.au)

Charles Augustus Tulk: Microsoft Word - lines_swedenborg.doc (ucl.ac.uk)
Swedenborg’s Influence – The Swedenborg Project
Charles Augustus Tulk 1786 - 1849 | Sue Young Histories


Theme music: Daniel P. Shea
Other music: Stephanie Shea


 

It was my pleasure to speak with Prof. Dr. Wouter Hanegraaff about his new book, Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity. As Wouter preferred not to give a general summary, I chose four very important themes of the book to discuss: what the Hermetica is really all about; the notion of embodiment in the Hermetic texts; the difficult but extremely important task of interpreting the ancient texts; and the importance of the faculty of the imagination - not only within the Hermetica, but also for the scholar trying to understand what the texts are actually saying. 
Wouter does an excellent job of explaining the terms gnosis and nous (that Wouter calls the "hero of the book") and how they are used within the Hermetic texts; these terms are crucial for the rest of the discussion.  Following the four themes, Wouter discusses in more detail how Platonism influenced the Hermetica, how Gadamer's concept of hermeneutics plays a role in the process of understanding these texts, the paradox of how we think about the term imagination, and how Wouter tries to 'systematically privilege weirdness' when studying the Hermetic texts. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Wouter's website: Home | Wouter Hanegraaff- Hoogleraar - UVA (wouterjhanegraaff.net)
List of publications: Books | Wouter Hanegraaff (wouterjhanegraaff.net)
Links to new book: Hermetic spirituality and historical imagination altered states knowledge late antiquity | History of religion | Cambridge University Press
Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity: Hanegraaff, Wouter J.: 9781009123068: Amazon.com: Books

Corpus Hermeticum: The Corpus Hermeticum & Hermetic Tradition -- The Gnostic Society Library (gnosis.org)
Poimandres: Poimandres—Corpus Hermeticum I | The Matheson Trust
The Asclepius: The Perfect Sermon, or The Asclepius I - The Corpus Hermeticum - Sacred Texts - Hermetic Library

Plato:
Symposium: The Internet Classics Archive | Symposium by Plato (mit.edu)
Phaedrus: The Internet Classics Archive | Phaedrus by Plato (mit.edu)

Tommy Cowan, MA (res)
(99+) What Most People Would Call Evil: The Archontic Spirituality of William S. Burroughs | Tommy P Cowan - Academia.edu
(99+) Archontic States of Consciousness in Twentieth-century Neuromancy | Tommy P Cowan - Academia.edu
 

Hans-Georg Gadamer
Hans-Georg Gadamer (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Gadamer, Hans-Georg | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu)
Hermeneutics: Gadamer’s Hermeneutics - Northwestern University Press

Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Derrida, Jacques | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu)

History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (University of Amsterdam): HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 2, Luke and I discuss the esoteric connections and intersections with the figures of Blake and Ginsberg. We talk about in the influence of Emmanuel Swedenborg and Gnosticism on the worldviews of both Blake and Ginsberg, how Ginsberg saw Buddhism and Gnosticism as being connected in a syncretic way, and what contemporary artists could be viewed as ‘carrying on the Blakean torch’ in our own popular culture. 

Dr Luke Walker has published widely on the intersections between British Romantic poetry, American counterculture, and esotericism.
His publications include "‘One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain poetics", in The Beats, Black Mountain, and New Modes in American Poetry, ed. Matt Theado (2021), “Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion’s ‘underground’”, in The Routledge Handbook of International Beat Literature, ed. A. Robert Lee (2018), “Tangled up in Blake: the triangular relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats”, in Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2, ed. James Rovira (2018), “Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Wales Visitation’ as a neo-Romantic response to Wordsworth’s ‘Tintern Abbey’”, in Romanticism journal (2013), and “Allen Ginsberg’s Blakean Albion,” in Comparative American Studies journal (2013). Most recently, Luke co-edited a special issue of the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, on “The Artist of the Future Age: William Blake, Neo-Romanticism, Counterculture and Now” (2022). 

He is now writing a book entitled William Blake and Allen Ginsberg: Romanticism, Counterculture and Radical Reception.

PROGRAM NOTES

Dr. Luke Walker:
academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.edu
Twitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / Twitter

Selected Articles:
(99+) Tangled Up in Blake: the Triangular Relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's 'underground' | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Psychedelic Romanticism: Ginsberg, Blake and Wordsworth | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) 'One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain Poetics | Luke Walker - Academia.edu

William Blake Archive: The William Blake Archive
Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTube
Mike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.edu

Allen Ginsberg: The Allen Ginsberg Project - AllenGinsberg.org
'Wichita Vortex Sutra': Allen Ginsberg: Wichita Vortex Sutra (chriscander.com)

Bob Dylan 'Tempest': Bob Dylan - Tempest (Official Audio) - YouTube
'Rough and Rowdy Ways': I Contain Multitudes - YouTube
'Subterranean Homesick Blues': Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official HD Video) - YouTube

OTHER RESOURCES:
patti smith: official site
Home - Kae Tempest
John Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLF


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

In Part One, Luke discusses the great influence of the poet and artist William Blake on Allen Ginsberg, one of the most influential people from the Beat Generation and the ‘counterculture’ movement of 1960s United States. He also talks in detail about Ginsberg’s “Blake Vision,” the name Ginsberg gave to a series of extraordinary events in his life in 1948. We then discuss Luke’s article “Tangled Up in Blake” that focuses on Ginsberg’s views about Bob Dylan and their complex relationship. Lastly, we talk about the influence of Buddhism on Ginsberg and how this affected his views about Blake and his worldview in general.

Dr Luke Walker has published widely on the intersections between British Romantic poetry, American counterculture, and esotericism.
His publications include "‘One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain poetics", in The Beats, Black Mountain, and New Modes in American Poetry, ed. Matt Theado (2021), “Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion’s ‘underground’”, in The Routledge Handbook of International Beat Literature, ed. A. Robert Lee (2018), “Tangled up in Blake: the triangular relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats”, in Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2, ed. James Rovira (2018), “Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Wales Visitation’ as a neo-Romantic response to Wordsworth’s ‘Tintern Abbey’”, in Romanticism journal (2013), and “Allen Ginsberg’s Blakean Albion,” in Comparative American Studies journal (2013). Most recently, Luke co-edited a special issue of the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, on “The Artist of the Future Age: William Blake, Neo-Romanticism, Counterculture and Now” (2022). 

He is now writing a book entitled William Blake and Allen Ginsberg: Romanticism, Counterculture and Radical Reception.

PROGRAM NOTES

Dr. Luke Walker:
academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.edu
Twitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / Twitter

Selected Articles:
(99+) Tangled Up in Blake: the Triangular Relationship among Dylan, Blake, and the Beats | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Allen Ginsberg's Blakean Albion | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Beat Britain: poetic vision and division in Albion's 'underground' | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) Psychedelic Romanticism: Ginsberg, Blake and Wordsworth | Luke Walker - Academia.edu
(99+) 'One physical-mental inspiration of thought': Allen Ginsberg and Black Mountain Poetics | Luke Walker - Academia.edu

William Blake Archive: The William Blake Archive
Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTube
Mike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.edu

Allen Ginsberg: The Allen Ginsberg Project - AllenGinsberg.org
'Wichita Vortex Sutra': Allen Ginsberg: Wichita Vortex Sutra (chriscander.com)

Bob Dylan 'Tempest': Bob Dylan - Tempest (Official Audio) - YouTube
'Rough and Rowdy Ways': I Contain Multitudes - YouTube
'Subterranean Homesick Blues': Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official HD Video) - YouTube

OTHER RESOURCES:
patti smith: official site
Home - Kae Tempest
John Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLF


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

In this interview, Cavan McLaughlin begins by discussing his motivation and inspiration to create the Trans-States platform, that focuses strongly on bridging the gaps between the academic and larger esoteric/occult communities. Cavan is an artist, filmmaker and media producer as well as an academic lecturer, and this multi-disciplinary aspect is extremely important for the Trans-States exhibition and conference series as well. 

As the third conference has recently taken place, Cavan and I discuss the successful interdisciplinary interactions and contributions, the themes of the conferences and their developments (based upon Major Arcana tarot cards), and what is to come in the future. Please check out the Trans-States YouTube channel to view uploads of past conference presentations and performances, and check back in the new year for the latest uploads!

PROGRAM NOTES 

 Trans-States YouTube Channel: Trans- States - YouTube
Keynote Alan Moore: Alan Moore - (Keynote) Trans- States conference 2016 - YouTube
Website: About Trans- States | Trans- States

Facebook: Trans- States | Facebook

Instagram: Trans- states (@trans_states) 

Twitter: Trans- States (@Trans_States) / Twitter

Cavan McLaughlin: 
Academia.edu: (99+) Cavan McLaughlin | University of the West of England - Academia.edu
Monad Journal: Monad: Journal of Transformative Practice | Peer-reviewed open access multimedia journal (monadjournal.com)

Facebook: Cavan McLaughlin 

Instagram: Cavan McLaughlin (@cavan.mclaughlin)

Twitter: Cavan McLaughlin (@cavanmclaughlin) 

 Theme music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 2, Aaron and I look at different related threads that one encounters when delving into this topic; in particular, how Aaron's research ties into a topic that I had talked about last year with regard to the recent documentary-type show called 'Hellier' (specifically with regard to a man named Allen Greenfield). This links to high strangeness such as that seen in the book The Mothman Prophecies, but also ritual magick, and occulture at its finest. We try to make some sense out of all of this and ask how it all relates to the original case study of Steiner and Hynek. We then shift our attention to talk about the challenges that a researcher within academia faces when trying to explore topics that are considered 'controversial', as well as the backlash that a researcher might experience from the people being researched. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Aaron's presentation for the Trans-States conference is not yet uploaded to their YouTube channel, but here's the link so you can check back at a later date: https://www.youtube.com/@TransStates/featured

Dr Aaron J. French: The Magic of Technology: Rudolf Steiner's Rosicrucianism and the UFO Phenomenon ~ Guest lecture for University College Cork's Study of Religions Research Seminar Series: https://youtu.be/fReIz1gU-nI
 

Dr. Aaron French academia page: (99+) Aaron French | Universität Erfurt - Academia.edu
email: [email protected]
Aaron J. French (uni-erfurt.de)

Hussein Agrama: Secularity, Synchronicity, and Uncanny Science: Considerations and Challenges (omnilogos.com)

The Basement Office -The UFO Lie: Shocking truth of Pentagon AAWSAP program: https://youtu.be/6XD4gQS_-qY

Allen Greenfield: Amazon.com: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: 9781718645356: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: Books

J. Allen Hynek & Jacques Vallee: Hynek and Vallee - The Edge of Reality (1975) | PDF | Unidentified Flying Object | Ufology (scribd.com)

Barbara Marciniak Bringers of the Dawn (1992): Bringers of the Dawn | Book by Barbara Marciniak | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com)

Michael P. Masters: Amazon.com: Identified Flying Objects: A Multidisciplinary Scientific Approach to the UFO Phenomenon: 9781733634069: Masters, Dr. Michael P: Books

Mark O'Connell (biography J. Allen Hynek): The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs: O'Connell, Mark: 9780062484178: Amazon.com: Books

New York Times Article: Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Diana Pasulka: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology: Pasulka, D.W. (amazon.com)
 

Information regarding Rudolf Steiner's planetary stages of evolution and Vulcan: Vulcan - AnthroWiki

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

John Greenewald's The Black Vault: The Black Vault - Document Archive - The Black Vault

Hellier Experiments Information: 
'Estes Method': The Estes Method: How the Groundbreaking SB7 Spirit Box Experiment is Changing Paranormal Investigation (weekinweird.com)

'God Helmet': God helmet - Wikipedia


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Additional Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Aaron and I explore many different rabbit holes regarding esotericism and high strangeness. Aaron begins by expanding on his earlier presentations that he gave this year on this topic; he's looking at the relationship between technology and magic, and is asking, 'how does technology reenchant the world?' One area that we can find a lot of interesting material is the UFO-field. Aaron talks about his research findings regarding the links between Rudolf Steiner and J. Allen Hynek (a scientist who was working with the U.S. government in its project to study the UFO phenomena). From there, we look at the esoteric ideas linked with this topic, how they developed and have become assimilated into New Age thought surrounding the narratives and ideas found in the UFO field. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Aaron's presentation for the Trans-States conference is not yet uploaded to their YouTube channel, but here's the link so you can check back at a later date: https://www.youtube.com/@TransStates/featured

Dr Aaron J. French: The Magic of Technology: Rudolf Steiner's Rosicrucianism and the UFO Phenomenon ~ Guest lecture for University College Cork's Study of Religions Research Seminar Series: https://youtu.be/fReIz1gU-nI
 

Dr. Aaron French academia page: (99+) Aaron French | Universität Erfurt - Academia.edu
email: [email protected]
Aaron J. French (uni-erfurt.de)

Hussein Agrama: Secularity, Synchronicity, and Uncanny Science: Considerations and Challenges (omnilogos.com)

The Basement Office -The UFO Lie: Shocking truth of Pentagon AAWSAP program: https://youtu.be/6XD4gQS_-qY

Allen Greenfield: Amazon.com: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: 9781718645356: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: Books

J. Allen Hynek & Jacques Vallee: Hynek and Vallee - The Edge of Reality (1975) | PDF | Unidentified Flying Object | Ufology (scribd.com)

Barbara Marciniak Bringers of the Dawn (1992): Bringers of the Dawn | Book by Barbara Marciniak | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com)

Michael P. Masters: Amazon.com: Identified Flying Objects: A Multidisciplinary Scientific Approach to the UFO Phenomenon: 9781733634069: Masters, Dr. Michael P: Books

Mark O'Connell (biography J. Allen Hynek): The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs: O'Connell, Mark: 9780062484178: Amazon.com: Books

New York Times Article: Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Diana Pasulka: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology: Pasulka, D.W. (amazon.com)
 

Information regarding Rudolf Steiner's planetary stages of evolution and Vulcan: Vulcan - AnthroWiki

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

John Greenewald's The Black Vault: The Black Vault - Document Archive - The Black Vault

Hellier Experiments Information: 
'Estes Method': The Estes Method: How the Groundbreaking SB7 Spirit Box Experiment is Changing Paranormal Investigation (weekinweird.com)

'God Helmet': God helmet - Wikipedia


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Additional Music: Stephanie Shea
 

Richard Mason returns to discuss A.E. Waite's order, The Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and the special tarot deck developed for private use in rituals. Waite formed the order in 1915 (during WW1) and enlisted the help of artists and a financial backer to create the tarot 'deck,' that is now housed in the British Museum. Notable in the artwork is the shift from 'magic' to 'mysticism', and this artwork reflects Waite's strong views of a 'secret tradition' - a blend of Christianity with various esoteric concepts. 

Note of Clarification: 'W.M. Yeats' is incorrect; W.B. Yeats was intended during conversation; The master album of the Trinick-Pippet drawings are located at the British Museum (not the British Library). 

Thanks to Richard Mason for generously providing the images used in this video. 

PROGRAM NOTES 

Contact Richard Mason: [email protected] 

Primary Sources: 
-Myer, Isaac, Qabbalah. The Philosophical Writings of Solomon Ben Yehuda Ibn Gebirol or Avicebron, and their connection with the Hebrew Qabbalah and Sepher ha-Zohar (1888) 
-Encausse, Gérard, Qabalah: The Secret Tradition of the West (1892) 
-Édouard E., Blitz, Treatise on The Great Art: A System of Physics According to Hermetic Philosophy and Theory and Practice of the Magisterium (1898) 
-A. E. Waite’s occult journal The Unknown World (1894-95) 
-Waite, A. E., Azoth, or The Star in the East (1893) 
  -The Doctrine and Literature of Kabbalah (1899/1902) 
  -Steps to the Crown (1907) 
  -The Hidden Church of the Holy Grail (1909) 
  -The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry (1911) 
  -The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross (1924) 
  -The Holy Grail its Legends and Symbolism (1933) 
  -The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry (volume II) (1936) 

Secondary Sources: 
-Gilbert, R. A., A. E. Waite: A Bibliography, (1983) 
-Gilbert, R. A., A. E. Waite: Magician of Many Parts, (1987) 
-Hanegraaff, Wouter, “The Mysteries of Sex in the House of the Hidden Light: A. E. Waite and Kabbalah” (2018) 
-Ferguson, Christine, Reading with the Occultists: Arthur Machen and A. E. Waite and the Ecstasies of Popular Fiction (2016) 
-Parisious, Roger, Figures in a Dance: The Rider-Waite Tarot, (1987) 
-Roukema, Aren, Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction in Charles Williams Fiction, (2018) 
-Südekum, Stuart, “The Secret Tradition of Silence” (2014) 
-Südekum, Stuart, Drinking from the Haunted Well: A mystical exploration in the Fairy Land of A. E. Waite, (2014) 
-Seidmann, Gertrud, The Rev. Greville John Chester and ‘The Ashmolean Museum as a Home for Archaeology in Oxford’. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 16(1), (2006), pp.27–33. 

Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

In this discussion, Michelle and Christian share their experiences with pilgrimages, and how they came to write their book about the Japanese pilgrimage route known as the Kumano Kodo. As many may not have had their own experiences with pilgrimages, they talk about the reasons that people might choose to go on a pilgrimage, what the purpose is, and how it's not always a 'religious' thing. We also discuss the liminal aspect of the pilgrimage road, the different types of spirits that one can encounter as the pilgrim enters the 'other' space on the road, and how these encounters change the perspective of the pilgrim during the pilgrimage, but also afterwards. This conversation also includes some information about the mythology of the Kumano region of Japan, plus an interesting finding by Christian about the political side of the Kumano Kodo as a UNESCO heritage site, plus much, much more that can't be included in a short summary! 

PROGRAM NOTES

Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots - 
Amazon.com: Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots: J. Christian Greer, Michelle K. Oing, J. Christian Greer: 9798985917307: Amazon.com: Books
Ebay: Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots | eBay
 

Dr. Michelle K. Oing -
Academia.edu: (99+) Michelle Oing | Stanford University - Academia.edu
Instagram: ~*unofficial histories*~ (@speculativearchaeology) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Dr. J. Christian Greer -
Academia.edu: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Stanford University - Academia.edu
Instagram: Dr. JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Website: dr. J. Christian Greer (jchristiangreer.com)



Artwork: J. Christian Greer

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea
Other music: Stephanie Shea

 

In the first part of our interview, Andrea and I discuss the complex issue regarding the definition of 'magic' within the Western historical study of esotericism and/or religion, and how we could perhaps see 'magic' as a meta-category containing 'family resemblances' or 'patterns of magicity' that allow for comparisons of different magical practices or attitudes. We also talk about the differences between the etic and emic perspectives of the term 'magic', as grimoires are concerned with the magicians' views and ideas about the rituals they perform and the significance these rituals hold.  

We then delve into the topic of legitimization of ritual magical practices within the context of Christianity from the 1200s-1500s. In this time period, most magical texts were considered heretical by the Church, forcing magicians to try to legitimize the use of these manuscripts. We look in particular at the views of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim and his attempts to restore the reputation of magic as a divine art.  

Our conversation then leads to different magical texts, focusing on the Liber Iuratus Honorii, or The Sworn Book of Honorius as it relates to Andrea's own research into ritual spaces. We also use Andrea's article to discuss these concepts in more detail, especially why space is such an important part of the magical ritual. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Andrea Franchetto -
Andrea Franchetto - Stockholm University (su.se)
(1) Andrea Franchetto | Stockholm University - Academia.edu
(1) Andrea Franchetto | Facebook
Andrea (@andrewcrnf) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Research Master Thesis: content (uva.nl)
Imaginal architectural devices and the ritual space of medieval necromancy - ScienceDirect
 

'Magic' -
(83) General Introduction to 'Defining Magic: A Reader' | Bernd-Christian Otto and Michael Stausberg - Academia.edu

(1) Magic (Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd Edition) | Bernd-Christian Otto - Academia.edu

Patterns of Magicity: A Review of Defining Magic: A Reader | Asprem | Correspondences (correspondencesjournal.com)

(64) « Astral Magic and Intellectual Changes (Twelfth-Fifteenth Centuries). “Astrological Images” and the Concept of “Addressative” Magic », dans J. Bremmer et J. R. Veenstra (dir.), The Metamorphosis of Magic From Late Antiquity to Early Modern Period, Louvain, Peeters, 2002, p. 167-187. | Nicolas Weill-Parot - Academia.edu

(83) Contemporary Ritual Magic (Chapter 39, The Occult World) | Egil Asprem - Academia.edu

(83) Intermediary Beings (Ch. 64, The Occult World) | Egil Asprem - Academia.edu

(83) Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (2015) | Wouter J. Hanegraaff - Academia.edu
(1) Better than Magic: Cornelius Agrippa and Lazzarellian Hermetism (2009) | Wouter J. Hanegraaff - Academia.edu
(1) Lodovico Lazzarelli and the Hermetic Christ: At the Sources of Renaissance Hermetism (2005) | Wouter J. Hanegraaff - Academia.edu

Grimoires -
Liber Juratus Honorii, or the Sworn Book of Honorius (esotericarchives.com)
The Sworn Book of Honorius and the Christian Reception of Angel Magic* - Docest

Speculum Astronomiae | Detailed Pedia
Ars Notoria: the Notory Art of Solomon (esotericarchives.com)
Picatrix (The Aim of the Sage) of pseudo-Majriti (summary) (esotericarchives.com)

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

 

In this interview, Ralph shares his own perspectives on many of the topics that Dr. Christian Greer and I had discussed in Episode 19 ('Etic Examinations'). He shares his own background in occultism, 'the state of things' in Germany in the 1970s and -80s, as well as the change in perspective with the introduction of the 'Anglo' or British perspective about occultism and chaos magic. He also talks about his viewpoints regarding the concepts of 'gnosis' and 'shamanism' as they relate to chaos magic, how he feels about 'rationalist' thinkers such as Theodor Adorno, and highlights some of his own works. In my opinion, Ralph gives a very interesting overview of how he, as a practitioner, things about magic and how magic works for people who practice it. 
A very special thanks to Friedemann Rimbach-Sator for the inspiration behind the 'chaos magic' episodes, and for introducing me to Ralph Tegtmeier. 


PROGRAM NOTES

Selected Bibliography Ralph Tegtmeier/ Frater U:.D:. (provided  by Mr. Tegtmeier):
Amazon.com: High Magic: Theory & Practice: 9780738704715: U.:D.:, Frater: Books
Money Magic by Frater UD – Draconis Arcanum (draconisbooks.com)
(99+) Practical Sigil Magic - Frater U.D | EmMa Cold-Hag - Academia.edu
Sex Magic by Frater UD – Draconis Arcanum (draconisbooks.com)
The Magical Shield, by Frater UD by Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. - Issuu
Where Do Demons Live by Frater UD – Draconis Arcanum (draconisbooks.com)
Amazon.com: Living Magic: Contemporary Insights and Experiences from Practicing Magicians: 9780738766799: U.:D.:, Frater, Budenbender, Axel, Eilenstein, Harry, Knecht, Josef: Books
Dark Star Magick - Posts | Facebook (A Fall Like No Other)

Other Selected Frater U:.D:. References:
Models of Magic (chaosmatrix.org)
Frater U:.D:. - [ChaosMatrix.org]

Chaos Magic:
Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic: Carroll, Peter J.: 8601404697678: Amazon.com: Books

Selected Academic References:
(99+) Chaos Magick | Colin Duggan - Academia.edu
(99+) Perennialism and Iconoclasm: Chaos Magick and the Legitimacy of Innovation | Colin Duggan - Academia.edu
(99+) The Illuminates of Thanateros and the Institutionalisation of Religious Individualisation | Bernd-Christian Otto - Academia.edu
 

Contact Ralph Tegtmeier/Frater U:.D:. Ralph Tegtmeier | Facebook

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea
Other music: Stephanie Shea

As the Rejected Religion platform is concerned with what is known as 'occulture,' or how the occult is represented and portrayed in popular culture, this video highlights some of the occult references found in two recent Netflix series, Archive 81 and Stranger Things. Please see the 'References' section below for more detailed information concerning these topics.

 Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. 

 


REFERENCES 

1. Celestial/astronomical magic 

- Ninian Nijhuis (99+) Western Sidereal Astrology: From Ancient Babylonia to the Modern West | Ninian L Nijhuis - Academia.edu

 - Nicholas Campion Astrology | 67 | The Occult World | Nicholas Campion | Taylor & Franci (taylorfrancis.com)

 - Wouter Hanegraaff (see in particular pp.392-395) New Age Religion and Western Culture – Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought | Brill

 2. Witchcraft
Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements - Oxford Handbooks

 3. Spiritualism 

- Egil Asprem (99+) The Society for Psychical Research (Chapter 24, The Occult World) | Egil Asprem - Academia.edu 
- Cathy Gutierrez The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Catherine Albanese A Republic of Mind and Spirit (yale.edu)

 HBO No One Dies in Lily Dale - No One Dies in Lily Dale (2011) - IMDb

 4. Spirit Art 
5. Spirit Photography 

- Tessel Bauduin (99+) The Occult and the Visual Arts | Tessel M . Bauduin, PhD - Academia.edu

- The Spiritual in Art The Spiritual in Art, Maurice Tuchman | 9780896596696 | Boeken | bol.com

Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future | The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation

welcome - Georgiana Houghton

 6. Theosophical Society 
- Olav Hammer The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Catherine Albanese A Republic of Mind and Spirit (yale.edu)

- Wouter Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture – Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought | Brill

 7. Ritual Magic(k) 
Golden Dawn: 
-Francisco Santos Silva William Wynn Westcott | 24 | The Occult World | Francisco Santos Silva (taylorfrancis.com)

Samuel Liddell Mathers | 26 | The Occult World | Francisco Santos Silv (taylorfrancis.com)

- Robert Gilbert The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

 Ordo Templi Orientis & 
8. Agape Lodge No. 2: 

- Christian Giudice The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Nicolas Goodrick-Clarke The Occult Roots Of Nazism : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

- Nicolas Campion The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Manon Hedenborg White (99+) From Chorazin to Carcosa. Fiction-Based Esotericism in the Black Pilgrimage of Jack Parsons and Cameron | Manon Hedenborg White - Academia.edu

Amazon.com: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism): 9780190065027: Hedenborg White, Manon: Books

- Hugh Urban (99+) Magia Sexualis | Hugh Urban - Academia.edu

9. Mankind United
Mankind, Unite! | Lapham’s Quarterly (laphamsquarterly.org)

Mankind United Index (sacred-texts.com)

California cult : the story of "Mankind United" : Dohrman, H. T : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 10. Satanic Panic 

- Philip Jenkins (pp.221-241) in  Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements - Oxford Handbooks

 - Jesper Aagaard Petersen The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Jeffrey Victor The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Christopher Partridge The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Joseph P. Laycock Dangerous Games by Joseph P. Laycock - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

- Peter Bebergal Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll: Bebergal, Peter: 9780399174964: Amazon.com: Books

 Theme music: Stephanie Shea

Ninian Nijhuis holds a Research Master in Religious Studies (University of Amsterdam); a BA in Law and an LL.M. in International Public Law (University of Utrecht). Her main focus is on Western Esotericism and her key fields of interest are Jungian psychology, sidereal astrology, mysticism, spirituality and its connections to science. Additionally, she is Head of Social Media at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP Centre) and the University of Amsterdam, and currently works as a sidereal astrologer and coach.  

In this interview, Ninian and I discuss sidereal astrology, and how it differs from tropical astrology (the system that most people in the West are familiar with). Ninian shares the history of astrology and of these two systems; why these systems became separated (with tropical astrology the most popular form in the West, and sidereal astrology in the East); and how sidereal astrology made a 'comeback' in the West via Cyril Fagan and others.  

Ninian also shares her personal journey and views with regard to astrology, her research interest on an academic level, and how she uses sidereal astrology together with Jungian psychology in her own work.


RESOURCES

You can find Ninian at https://niniansiderealastrology.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niniannijhuis/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninian.nijhuis

Academia.edu: https://uva.academia.edu/NinianNijhuis

Ninian's article about Western sidereal astrology: https://www.academia.edu/50008714/Western_Sidereal_Astrology_From_Ancient_Babylonia_to_the_Modern_West

From her website:https://niniansiderealastrology.com/2021/11/19/what-is-western-sidereal-astrology/

If you are interested in the academic study of Western Esotericism, and would like to be kept up-to-date on current lectures, courses, conferences, books, podcasts, etc., please check out -

https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamhermetica/

or https://www.amsterdamhermetica.nl/

or https://www.facebook.com/amsterdamhermetica

Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part Two, Dylan begins by discussing why the gnostic system of thought was considered heretical by Christians. We then talk about the fascinating gnostic text 'The Secret Book of John', and how this creation story is quite different from the one in the Book of Genesis. Eve is not a villian in this tale, but the representative of consciousness and the reminder to Adam of the real heavenly world. In closing, we discuss how popular culture manifests and represents this topic. 

Dr. Dylan Burns is Assistant Professor of the History of Western Esotericism in Late Antiquity at the University of Amsterdam.

REFERENCES
Dr. Dylan Burns - 

Did God Care? Providence, Dualism and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy : Did God Care? – Providence, Dualism, and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy | Brill

Co-editor: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Online (brill.com)

AncientEsotericism.org :: Network for the Study of Esotericism in Antiquity | A Thematic Network of ESSWE

HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Academia.edu page: (99+) Dylan Burns | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Selected Articles:
(99+) Apocalypses amongst Gnostics and Manichaeans | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Providence, Creation, and Gnosticism According to the Gnostics | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Weren’t the Christians Up Against a Gnostic Religion? G.R.S. Mead at the Dawn ‎of the Modern Study of Gnosticism‎ | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
Ancient Esoteric Traditions: Mystery, Revelation, Gnosis | Dylan M. Bu (taylorfrancis.com)


Other Resources:

The Secret Book of John (Apocryphon of John) (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments - Bruce Codex (gnosis.org)
Nag Hammadi Library (gnosis.org)
The Dead Sea Scrolls
(99+) The gnostic bible | Constantin Gherghinoiu - Academia.edu


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Photo Credit Dylan Burns: Jeff Berlin Green
 

Dr. Dylan Burns is Assistant Professor of the History of Western Esotericism in Late Antiquity at the University of Amsterdam.

In Part One, Dylan begins by sharing the Gnostic story or revelatory myth that takes place in four acts, so to speak, and the evidence of this story found in texts such as the Nag Hammadi codices. We then move the discussion to the definitions of the terms 'gnostic', 'gnosticism', and 'gnosis' and why these terms are somewhat controversial in the academic realm. 

REFERENCES
Dr. Dylan Burns - 

Did God Care? Providence, Dualism and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy : Did God Care? – Providence, Dualism, and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy | Brill

Co-editor: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Online (brill.com)

AncientEsotericism.org :: Network for the Study of Esotericism in Antiquity | A Thematic Network of ESSWE

HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Academia.edu page: (99+) Dylan Burns | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Selected Articles:
(99+) Apocalypses amongst Gnostics and Manichaeans | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Providence, Creation, and Gnosticism According to the Gnostics | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Weren’t the Christians Up Against a Gnostic Religion? G.R.S. Mead at the Dawn ‎of the Modern Study of Gnosticism‎ | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
Ancient Esoteric Traditions: Mystery, Revelation, Gnosis | Dylan M. Bu (taylorfrancis.com)


Other Resources:

The Secret Book of John (Apocryphon of John) (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments - Bruce Codex (gnosis.org)
Nag Hammadi Library (gnosis.org)
The Dead Sea Scrolls
(99+) The gnostic bible | Constantin Gherghinoiu - Academia.edu


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Photo Credit Dylan Burns: Jeff Berlin Green
 

Korshi Dosoo is the leader of the junior research group project 'The Coptic Magical Papyri: Vernacular Religion in Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt' at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg. Formerly ATER (lecturer) at the University of Strasbourg and post-doctoral researcher on the Labex RESMED project Les mots de la paix. His PhD thesis, 'Rituals of Apparition on the Theban Magical Library' was completed in 2015 at Macquarie University, Australia. His research focuses on magic and lived religion in Egypt from the Ptolemaic to Mamluk periods as revealed by papyrological and epigraphic sources. 

In this interview, Korshi begins by explaining what magical papyri are, where they came from, how they were used, and how people would obtain these texts. He also discusses his views about the concept of magic, and whether ancient people thought differently about 'magic' than contemporary people do. Our conversation then moves to modern occult practices and ritual magic, in particular, the use of a text taken from the Theban Magical Library Codex that is now known as 'The Headless God' or 'The Bornless Rite.' Korshi also shares his experience as 'impromptu' translator of a mysterious copper plate, thought by authorities to be written in Coptic, that was originally believed to be linked to an unsolved murder case from 1970, and his involvement in the podcast dedicated to this case, 'The WVU Coed Murders.' While some might think that the scholary study of ancient languages and texts to be far removed from everyday life, this example shows the importance of academic research for real-world issues. 

Korshi is also part of a team that produces 'The Coptic Magical Papyri Podcast,' where interested people can learn more about this special area of research. 

REFERENCES 

Dr. Korshi Dosoo:(99+) Korshi Dosoo | University of Würzburg - Academia.edu

Coptic Magical Papyri Website (podcast link available there): Coptic Magical Papyri (uni-wuerzburg.de)

Facebook page: Coptic Magical Papyri | Facebook

Podcast Episode - Appalachian Mysteria: Mared and Karen: The Magical Plate Decoded: Appalachian Mysteria: Mared and Karen: The Magical Plate Decoded on Apple Podcasts

About Mared & Karen: About Mared & Karen | WVU Coed Murders

Books and Scholars Mentioned: 

Dr. Bernd Christian Otto (magic): (99+) Bernd-Christian Otto | Universität Erfurt - Academia.edu

Damon Zacharias Lycourinos (magic): (99+) Damon Zacharias Lycourinos - Academia.edu

Zora Neale Hurston (anthropology): Zora Neale Hurston

Michael Cecchetelli: The Book of Abrasax: Cecchetelli, Michael: 9780990568728: Amazon.com: Books

Jake Stratton-Kent: The Headless One — HADEAN PRESS (hadeanpress-eu.com)

Hans Deiter Betz: (99+) The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, including the Demotic Spells | Roy Kotansky - Academia.edu

Charles Wycliffe Goodwin: (PDF) Fragment Of A Graeco Egyptian Work Upon Magic Download eBOOK (bookarchive.net)

Sir James Frazer: goldenbough.pdf (templeofearth.com)

Allen Greenfield: The Complete Secret Cipher of the Ufonauts by Allen Greenfield (goodreads.com)

 Music: Stephanie Shea

This month's episode is the first in a 2-part series about chaos magic. Dr. Christian Greer talks about the history of modern magical groups and how these earlier groups led to the birth of the chaos magic current. Christian begins by talking about why the topic of magic (in all its forms) is relevant as an area of research and study. He then gives a brief history of modern and contemporary ritual magic groups, and how these, along with other influential movements of the time, informed the major figures associated with chaos magic. We then move the discussion to talk about the larger chaos magic current in more detail. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Christian's  academia.edu page: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu
Instagram: @angelheadedhipstersarchive • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Alex Owen's The Place of Enchantment: The Place of Enchantment: British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern, Owen (uchicago.edu)

Marco Pasi's 'The Modernity of Occultism': (99+) The Modernity of Occultism: Reflections on Some Crucial Aspects | Marco Pasi - Academia.edu

Christopher Partridge's 'Occulture is Ordinary' + handbook: Occulture is Ordinary (Chapter 6) - Contemporary Esotericism (cambridge.org)

Theodor Adorno's 'Theses Against Occultism': Ralph Dumain: "The Autodidact Project": T.W. Adorno's "Theses Against Occultism"

John Carter, Sex and Rockets  (Jack Parsons): Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons: Carter, John, Wilson, Robert Anton: 9780922915972: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Gorightly, The Prankster and the Conspiracy (Kerry Thornley): The Prankster and the Conspiracy: The Story of Kerry Thornley and How He Met Oswald and Inspired the Counterculture: Gorightly, Adam, Robert Anton Wilson: 9781931044660: Amazon.com: Books

Kenneth Grant 'Typhonian Trilogies Series': Typhonian Trilogies Series by Kenneth Grant (goodreads.com)

Austin Osman Spare at Hermetic Library: Austin Osman Spare - Hermetic Library

Thee Temple of Psychick Youth (TOPY), Thee Psychick Bible : THEE PSYCHICK BIBLE (archive.org)

Christopher Partridge (editor), The Occult World: The Occult World - 1st Edition - Christopher Partridge - Routledge Bo

Other scholars mentioned in this episode - 

(Theosophy) (99+) Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

(Thelema) (99+) Manon Hedenborg White | Karlstad University - Academia.edu

(Kenneth Grant) (99+) Henrik Bogdan | University of Gothenburg - Academia.edu

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea





 

Guests: Dr. Jonathon O'Donnell; Brennan Kettelle, MA (res); Tommy Cowan, MA (res) 

In this special Spotlight episode, my guests and I discuss Netflix's Midnight Mass from various perspectives. We start out with our 'first impressions' of the show, then move to discuss our own talking points based upon each of our own research interests and specialties - religion and demonology in U.S. politics, monster theory, queer-coding of vampires, the nature of angels and demons, vampire history, religion and society, intertextuality, (religious) identity - these topics and more are covered in this panel! 

Find these great people on social media - 

Twitter:
S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD 😈🏳️‍🌈 (@demonologian) / Twitter
Tommy P Cowan (@TommyPCowan) / Twitter

 Instagram: 

Jonathon O'Donnell (@demonologian) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Brennan Kettelle (@_restingwitchface) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
@the_art_of_distraction • Instagram-foto's en -video's

 Facebook: 

Jonathon O'Donnell | Facebook
Brennan Kettelle | Facebook
Tommy Cowan | Facebook

 Academia.edu: 

S. Jonathon O'Donnell | University College Dublin - Academia.edu
S. Brennan Kettelle | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Tommy P Cowan | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

 Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

This episode is a special 'listener response' to episode 17's 'esoteric in art,' with guest Michael Carter. Michael is an artist and teacher living in Los Angeles, CA. He holds an MFA from Claremont Graduate University in CA, shows his work in live performances, gives lectures, and and exhibited works in both the U.S. and Europe.  

Michael's personal interest in Theosophy plays a large role in his own research into the spiritual dimensions of abstract art.  

This discussion includes Michael's personal opinions and research about the history of spiritual movements as they relate to the category of modern abstract art, as well as his own personal background as an artist and spiritual 'seeker.' We also discuss his essay regarding metaphysical art, where he explains his ideas about the two cateogories of art, and his own work with a pendulum. We also talk about Jack Burnham's ideas about kinetic art, then move to a discussion about the condition of the Theosophical movement today, including his own opinions about whether or not today's artists feel comfortable expressing their own spiritual questioning as it is reflected in their art. Plus much more!

PROGRAM NOTES

Michael Carter -

website: HOME - Michael Carter Studio
Twitter: Michael Carter (@MichaelKCarter) / Twitter
Instagram: Michael Carter (@michaelcarter.studio) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Essay "Form Following Spirit: An Investigation of Recent and Near-Recent Metaphysical Art" in Speculative Arts Research,  Issue Four, November 2021: SAR.04.pdf (speculativeartsresearch.com)

The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985: The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985 by Maurice Tuchman (goodreads.com)

Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint: Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint :: Zeitgeist Films

Website Lita Alberqerque: Lita Albuquerque

Joseph Beuys: ‘Honey is Flowing in All Directions’, Joseph Beuys, 1976 | Tate

Jack Burnham -
All Systems Go: Recovering Jack Burnham’s ‘Systems Aesthetics’ – Tate Papers | Tate
Ritual Aesthetics: Salt Flat and Systems – In Focus | Tate
Jack Burnham (1931–2019) - Artforum International
Dissolve into Comprehension | The MIT Press

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea
 

Interview Highlights: 
Brennan begins by talking about the figure of Lilith as she has been portrayed in historical myths and legends; and then moves to more modern interpretations of Lilith as a 'dark feminine' archetype, and as a feminist. Our discussion then shifts to how Lilith can be linked to queerness, and how the poet Renee Vivien used Lilith as a muse in her work (even more so than the figure of Satan/Lucifer who was extremely popular in turn-of-the-century France, where Vivien lived and worked). 

Find Brennan at: S. Brennan Kettelle | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Instagram: Brennan Kettelle (@_restingwitchface) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Music: Stephanie Shea

Karen Swartz (Åbo Academy University) 

Interview Highlights: 

Karen shares some of her preliminary research findings regarding four women - Marie Steiner von-Sivers, Ita Wegman, Edith Maryon, and Judith von Halle (not three as I mistakenly mention in the interview) - all deeply involved within the Anthroposophical Society over the past decades and in the present day. While doing research for her PhD, Karen found that narratives surrounding these influential women were often curiously different in nature than those surrounding men. Additionally, their efforts were often not mentioned, or if they were, they were downplayed, as if to suggest the women involved did not play a pivotal, leading role in the work of the Society. She has now started a new project to explore this new area in greater detail. 

Karen notes how the status of the women who were involved in personal relationships with Rudolf Steiner also declined when they were no longer "favored" by him. Dr. Manon Hedenborg White's term "proximal authority" is referred to in this case, and Karen explains how she sees this perspective playing out in her case study. We also discuss how Judith von Halle's claims to Steiner's authority has caused upset within the Society, and the problematic response of the group to her attempts to forge her own autonomous path (that differed from how the group responded to men making similar claims). 

This discussion highlights an important issue of how women's roles/efforts/works are often marginalized and minimized as compared to men's, and how this case study can open up further important discussions. For example, why are these women spoken about as if they aren't fully autonomous, capable adult women as their male counterparts are (with reference to the women being referred to as 'helping angels'). What are the larger implications of this case study with regard to gender and authority? 

Theme music: Stephanie Shea

Interview Highlights: 
Thomas begins by giving some background on Violet Mary Firth, later known as Dion Fortune. He describes her somewhat rebellious nature, and how Fortune did not always agree with the notion that certain things should be kept "secret". However, she did stress the need to be careful and skeptical of those who purport to have the "truth". Thomas then moves to the topic of initiation and how this was viewed by Fortune. To her, initiation was becoming involved in a cosmic process of the 'right-hand' path, or a path of service. The goal of the initiate is to completely surrender individual consciousness and achieve a cosmic union with the Divine Mind. How does one do this? 

You can contact Thomas at [email protected] should you have any specific questions.

Theme music by Stephanie Shea

To view Tommy's presentation, please follow this link to the YouTube Channel Lynchland (Tommy's presentation is in Part IV, near the beginning of the video):  Twin Peaks | The Return Online Conference - YouTube

Interview Highlights: Tommy begins by talking about his own motivations to create a presentation for the Twin Peaks online conference. We then move the discussion to talk about several concepts that were important in the work and life of William Burroughs that have a connection to Twin Peaks: possession, the number 23, and the atomic bomb. I then ask Tommy's opinion about the character of Sarah Palmer, and whether or not she also might have known that she was also possessed. A little history of Twin Peaks and its occult connections is also added to the mix! 

Tommy P. Cowan at Academia.edu: Tommy P Cowan | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

 Correspondences Journal (Tommy is an associate editor): Correspondences – Journal for the Study of Esotericism (correspondencesjournal.com)

 Theme music: Stephanie Shea

Video uploaded on YouTube on August 18, 2021

Interview Highlights: 
Joel begins by sharing how he came to write about Grant Morrison's Batman RIP, and then we dive into many Buddhist concepts that Morrison uses in their story. As Joel explains these concepts, he also points out how Morrison uses them differently than a Buddhist practicioner would - this due to the great influence of Western occult ideas (such as initiation, the Abyss, and ego-death) taken from Aleister Crowley, among others. Our discussion points out that in fact, Morrison draws on many different sources in the creation of their Batman story, and this leads to some interesting thoughts about the notion of occulture, and creativity. 

You can find the pre-publication draft of Dr. Joel Bordeaux's chapter here: (PDF) “The Dark Knight of the Soul: Death as Initiatory Ordeal in Grant Morrison’s Batman R.I.P.” | Joel Bordeaux - Academia.edu

Full Title: 'The Dark Knight of the Soul: Death as Initiatory Ordeal in Grant Morrison's Batman RIP. From The Assimilation of Yogic Religions Through Pop Culture, edited by Paul Hackett. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2017. 

AND Joel's lecture for the HHP Centre here: Taking the Left Hand Path to Tibet, by Dr. Joel Bordeaux || HHP Student Association - YouTube

Links: Academia.edu page: Joel Bordeaux | International Institute of Asian Studies, Leiden - Academia.edu
IIAS profile page: Joel Bordeaux | IIAS
Humanities Commons profile page: Joel Bordeaux – Humanities Commons (hcommons.org)
YouTube Channel: Joel Bordeaux - YouTube
Twitter: Joel Bordeaux🌹জোয়েল বোর্দো (@JoelBordeaux) / Twitter

OTHER RESOURCES OF INTEREST: 
'The Occult and Comics' by Kennet Granholm: (PDF) The Occult and Comics | Kennet Granholm - Academia.edu
'Occulture is Ordinary' Keynote speech from Christopher Partridge: Christopher Partridge, “Occulture Is Ordinary” | Contemporary Esotericism Research Network (contern.org)

Music: Stephanie Shea

Interview Highlights: 
Ninian begins by talking about the recently published Black Books and Red Book by Jung, and how the Black Books acted as journals to explore Jung's own consciousness. She then discusses the fantasy Jung had about a 'madhouse', who Jung 'met' in the fantasy, and what Jung was trying to 'sort out' in all of this. This leads to a discussion about pathological madness and divine madness, what distinguishes the two, and how Jung perceived religious experience. Ninian also touches on Jung's struggle to balance his professional life and his spiritual/religious life, his emphasis on an "attitude of openness" and his ideas of how a person can have a "self-regulating consciousness." 

REFERENCES 

Ninian's Adademia.edu page: Ninian L Nijhuis | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Selected Articles: (PDF) Carl G. Jung and His (Not So) Fantastical Madhouse | Ninian L Nijhuis - Academia.edu
(PDF) Psychological Healing as Religious Experience: In The Works of Carl Jung (1875-1961) | Ninian L Nijhuis - Academia.edu
(PDF) Western Sidereal Astrology: From Ancient Babylonia to the Modern West | Ninian L Nijhuis - Academia.edu

Instagram: NINIAN | Sidereal Astrologer (@niniannijhuis) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents website: HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)
HHP YouTube Channel: History of Hermetic Philosophy Amsterdam - YouTube
HHP Instagram: Western Esotericism (@amsterdamhermetica) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
HHP Facebook: History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents | Facebook

Carl Jung's The Black Books: Amazon.com: The Black Books: 9780393088649: Jung, C. G., Shamdasani, Sonu, Liebscher, Martin, Peck, John: Books
-The Red Book: Amazon.com: The Red Book (Philemon): 8580001055930: C. G. Jung, Sonu Shamdasani, Mark Kyburz, John Peck, Sonu Shamdasani: Books
- Answer to Job:  Answer to Job: (From Vol. 11 of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung) (Jung Extracts, 27): Jung, C. G., Hull, R. F.C., Shamdasani, Sonu, Shamdasani, Sonu: 9780691150475: Amazon.com: Books
Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ: The Imitation of Christ: Thomas A. Kempis : Kempis, Thomas A.: Amazon.nl: Boeken
Frederich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra: Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for Everyone and Nobody : Nietzsche, Friedrich: Amazon.nl: Boeken

Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

 

In Part 2, we move the conversation to discuss some points brought up in few academic articles, such as how rituals create a liminal space for connection with the invisible realm; the importance of exhibitions for providing spaces of encounter; the importance of religion or spirituality in the art space; what automatism is; and how art can respond to, or cope with, radical changes in the world.

PROGRAM NOTES

Pádraic E. Moore - 

Website: Padraic Moore
Academia.edu page: Pádraic E. Moore | UCD Ireland - Academia.edu
Article "A Mystic Milieu: Johannes Itten and Mazdaznan at Bauhaus Weimar": A Mystic Milieu - Articles – bauhaus imaginista (bauhaus-imaginista.org)
Twitter: Páḋraic E. Moore (@M0REM00REM0RE) / Twitter

Ewoud van Rijn -

Website: ewoud van rijn
Academia.edu page: Ewoud van Rijn | KABK Royal Academy of Art The Hague - Academia.edu
Article "Playing with the Other in the Beyond": (PDF) Playing with the Other in the Beyond | Ewoud van Rijn - Academia.edu
Instagram: Ewoud van Rijn (@ewoudvanrijn) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Garage Rotterdam, The Netherlands; "The Great Invocation" Exhibition: Catalogue | The Great Invocation (garagerotterdam.nl)

Kurt Seligmann -

The Mirror of Magic (innertraditions.com)
Kurt Seligmann 1900-1962 : Leben und Werk. by Hauser, Stephan E.: Very Good Hardcover (1997) First edition. | Roe and Moore (abebooks.com)
Paintings of Kurt Seligmann (surrealism.website)

Essays by Grazina Subelyte in collected works - 
"Kurt Seligmann, Surrealism, and the Occult" in- EBOOK: Surrealism Occultism And Politics Book PDF EPUB TUEBL MOBI (findfullebook.com)
"Spectrality and the Dance of Death in the Art of Kurt Seligmann" in - Black Mirror 2 – elsewhere – Fulgur Press
Info Grazina Subelyte: Grazina Subelyte - The Courtauld

Selected Articles and Books

"The Other Side" by Lars Bang Larsen: The Other Side by Lars Bang Larsen — fine print (fineprintmagazine.com)
"Coming Forth by Night: Contemporary Art and the Occult" by Dr. Marco Pasi: (PDF) Coming Forth by Night. Contemporary art and the occult | Marco Pasi - Academia.edu

Suzi Gablik -
The Reenchantment of Art: Gablik, Suzi: 9780500276891: Amazon.com: Books
Has Modernism Failed?: Suzi Gablik: 9780500284841: Amazon.com: Books
 

Artists Mentioned in the Podcast -
Redfern Barrett, AA Bronson and Angus Cameron - Witches: Hunted, Appropriated, Empowered, Queered [Second Edition] - Printed Matter
Les Complices - Witches: hunted, appropriated, empowered, queered
Linda Stupart
chiara fumai

Other Reference Material -
The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (archive.org)
The Theosophical Enlightenment (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions): Godwin, Joscelyn: 9780791421529: Amazon.com: Books

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea
 

In Part 1, Pádraic and Ewoud both talk about their backgrounds and their own interests in the esoteric/occult, and then we move on to talk more about the inspiration for 'The Great Invocation' (Garage Rotterdam), plus Ewoud's inspiration for his own installation there. We talk more about the Theosophical Society as a movement and how it relates to contemporary art; we talk about Kurt Seligmann and the surrealists' viewpoints on art, magic, and the potential of the human mind; and Ewoud discusses an experience he had in the search for a new form of art practice. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Pádraic E. Moore - 

Website: Padraic Moore
Academia.edu page: Pádraic E. Moore | UCD Ireland - Academia.edu
Article "A Mystic Milieu: Johannes Itten and Mazdaznan at Bauhaus Weimar": A Mystic Milieu - Articles – bauhaus imaginista (bauhaus-imaginista.org)
Twitter: Páḋraic E. Moore (@M0REM00REM0RE) / Twitter

Ewoud van Rijn -

Website: ewoud van rijn
Academia.edu page: Ewoud van Rijn | KABK Royal Academy of Art The Hague - Academia.edu
Article "Playing with the Other in the Beyond": (PDF) Playing with the Other in the Beyond | Ewoud van Rijn - Academia.edu
Instagram: Ewoud van Rijn (@ewoudvanrijn) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Garage Rotterdam, The Netherlands; "The Great Invocation" Exhibition: Catalogue | The Great Invocation (garagerotterdam.nl)

Kurt Seligmann -

The Mirror of Magic (innertraditions.com)
Kurt Seligmann 1900-1962 : Leben und Werk. by Hauser, Stephan E.: Very Good Hardcover (1997) First edition. | Roe and Moore (abebooks.com)
Paintings of Kurt Seligmann (surrealism.website)

Essays by Grazina Subelyte in collected works - 
"Kurt Seligmann, Surrealism, and the Occult" in- EBOOK: Surrealism Occultism And Politics Book PDF EPUB TUEBL MOBI (findfullebook.com)
"Spectrality and the Dance of Death in the Art of Kurt Seligmann" in - Black Mirror 2 – elsewhere – Fulgur Press
Info Grazina Subelyte: Grazina Subelyte - The Courtauld

Selected Articles and Books

"The Other Side" by Lars Bang Larsen: The Other Side by Lars Bang Larsen — fine print (fineprintmagazine.com)
"Coming Forth by Night: Contemporary Art and the Occult" by Dr. Marco Pasi: (PDF) Coming Forth by Night. Contemporary art and the occult | Marco Pasi - Academia.edu

Suzi Gablik -
The Reenchantment of Art: Gablik, Suzi: 9780500276891: Amazon.com: Books
Has Modernism Failed?: Suzi Gablik: 9780500284841: Amazon.com: Books
 

Artists Mentioned in the Podcast -
Redfern Barrett, AA Bronson and Angus Cameron - Witches: Hunted, Appropriated, Empowered, Queered [Second Edition] - Printed Matter
Les Complices - Witches: hunted, appropriated, empowered, queered
Linda Stupart
chiara fumai

Other Reference Material -
The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (archive.org)
The Theosophical Enlightenment (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions): Godwin, Joscelyn: 9780791421529: Amazon.com: Books

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea





 

Interview Highlights: 
As Elena discusses, 'real vampyres' are those who feel a physical need to consume energy, whether it be blood or 'psychic' energy. As her research takes an inclusive, sexuological perspective, Elena suggests that this might be a sexual orientation for some. Her research into fetish identity explores the possible connections between this identity and vampyrism, as her data indicates that fetish identity is not a mental pathology, not a choice, and is not necessarily paired with sexual activity. She further notes that some religious and/or spiritual practices can sometimes assist in forming a framework for a person's identity - providing in some cases a safe place to explore this identity. While this is a very complex topic with no easy answers, Elena stresses that 'sexual diversity awareness' can help educate others, create realistic representations regarding the diversity of identity, and help to foster a sense of inclusiveness.

RESOURCES 

Elena Sperner on Academia.edu: Elena Sperner | Linköping University - Academia.edu
MA Thesis: (PDF) Fetish Identity: A Collaborative Auto-phenomenographic Approach to Reframe Sexual Fetishism | Elena Sperner - Academia.edu

Instagram: Elena (@shatteringglassceiling) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Dr. John Edgar Browning on Academia.edu: John Edgar Browning | Savannah College of Art and Design - Academia.edu
Selected articles: "The real vampires of New Orleans and Buffalo: a research note towards comparative ethnography" | John Edgar Browning - Academia.edu
(PDF) "Looking Inside the Coffin: An Overview of Contemporary Human Vampirism and Its Relevance for Forensics Professionals" | John Edgar Browning and DJ Williams - Academia.edu
"What they do in the shadows: my encounters with the real vampires of New Orleans" | John Edgar Browning - Academia.edu

Merticus X is an active researcher and participant in the real vampire community since 1997. Academia. edu page: Merticus X - Academia.edu
Selected articles: (PDF) Demystifying Real Vampirism For The Rest Of Us | Merticus X - Academia.edu
(PDF) Definition Of Real Vampirism | Merticus X - Academia.edu

Dr. Joseph Laycock: Vampires Today: The Truth about Modern Vampirism (English Edition) eBook : Laycock, Joseph P.: Amazon.nl: Kindle Store
Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community on JSTOR

Theme music: Stephanie Shea

Interview Highlights: 

Richard begins by giving a short background and biography of Waite and the people who had a great influence on his life. We discuss Waite's famous tarot deck and the inspiration for it, noting that illustrator Pamela Coleman Smith is often omitted from being mentioned. Richard then talks in more detail about how Waite's 'outsider status' has led to his work being neglected, and how his notion of a 'secret tradition' is deserving of more study. 

REFERENCES 

Email Richard Mason: [email protected] 

Online Book List by Arthur Edward Waite: Arthur Edward Waite (Waite, Arthur Edward, 1857-1942) | The Online Books Page (upenn.edu)

The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry, Vol. 1&2: (PDF) A. E Waite - The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry | Athanassios Nick. Christopoulos - Academia.edu

The Pictoral Key to the Tarot: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

Translations of Eliphas Levi's: 

- Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual: Transcendental magic, its doctrine and ritual : Lévi, Eliphas, 1810-1875 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

- The History of Magic: The history of magic : including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteries : Lévi, Eliphas, 1810-1875 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Robert Gilbert, A.E. Waite: A Magician of Many Parts (biography): Waite - A Magician of Many Parts.pdf (preterhuman.net)

Stewart Südekum (regarding tarot): Arthur Edward Waite | Stuart Südekum (wordpress.com)

In 1987, Adam McLean organized the 'Golden Dawn Conference,' wherein Roger Parisous presented about Waite, and puts forth some interesting alternate explanations about the Rider-Waite tarot. You can access his presentation here (located at Adam McClean's YouTube Channel): GD Conference 1987 Lecture 2 Roger Parisious - YouTube

The full conference is available on a playlist provided by Adam McLean, for those who are interested. 

Website ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism): ESSWE | European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism - About

Theme music: Stephanie Shea

SHOW LESS

Part 2 Highlights:

My conversation with Jenny goes in a direction that I had not really anticipated, but was happy to let organically unfold. Jenny begins by talking about the contemporary pagan practices and traditional Irish views about Samhain or Halloween, but from there we talk rather in-depth about the complex relationship between the dead and 'the good people', otherwise known as fairies- whether they like humans or not - and how the ideas about 'the good people' are tied up in Irish culture (that has had a difficult past, especially due to Catholicism), and how new narratives are emerging due to contemporary pagan efforts.

PROGRAM NOTES:

Bio Dr. Jenny Butler (website and UCC page): About - Dr Jenny Butler

UCC Research Profiles: Jenny Butler, Study of Religions

Academia.edu page: Jenny Butler | University College Cork - Academia.edu

Selected works:

(PDF) Symbolic and Social Roles of Women in Death Ritual in Traditional Irish Society | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Neo-Pagan Celebrations of Samhain | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) The Neo-Pagan Ritual Year and Historical Reinterpretations | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) The Neo-Pagan Ritual Year | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Irish Neo-Paganism: Worldview and Identity | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Remembrance of the Ancestors in Contemporary Paganism - Lineage, Identity, and Cultural Belonging in the Irish Context | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

Other Reference Works: 

The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger  by Patricia Lysaght: The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger by Patricia Lysaght (goodreads.com)

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton: The pagan religions of the ancient British Isles : their nature and legacy : Hutton, Ronald : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer by Gearoid O'Crualaoich: The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer: Amazon.co.uk: Gearóid Ó Crualaoich: 9781859184127: Books

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Part One Highlights:

Jenny begins by explaining the meanings of the terms 'neo-pagan' and 'pagan,' and why she has stopped using the first term and opts instead for 'contemporary pagan.' We then delve into the topic of death and how death and the dead are viewed in Irish traditions, as well as in some contemporary pagan views. The conversation extends to the roles of women, and traditions such as keening, that are associated with Irish wakes; as well as female otherworldy characters such as the banshee, that are associated with the dead, the Otherworld, and the divine feminine. 

PROGRAM NOTES:

Bio Dr. Jenny Butler (website and UCC page): About - Dr Jenny Butler

UCC Research Profiles: Jenny Butler, Study of Religions

Academia.edu page: Jenny Butler | University College Cork - Academia.edu

Selected works:

(PDF) Symbolic and Social Roles of Women in Death Ritual in Traditional Irish Society | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Neo-Pagan Celebrations of Samhain | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) The Neo-Pagan Ritual Year and Historical Reinterpretations | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) The Neo-Pagan Ritual Year | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Irish Neo-Paganism: Worldview and Identity | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

(PDF) Remembrance of the Ancestors in Contemporary Paganism - Lineage, Identity, and Cultural Belonging in the Irish Context | Jenny Butler - Academia.edu

Other Reference Works: 

The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger  by Patricia Lysaght: The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger by Patricia Lysaght (goodreads.com)

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton: The pagan religions of the ancient British Isles : their nature and legacy : Hutton, Ronald : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer by Gearoid O'Crualaoich: The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer: Amazon.co.uk: Gearóid Ó Crualaoich: 9781859184127: Books

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Rejected Religion Spotlight with Keith Ready, Chairman of the Boleskine House Foundation

Boleskine House: Heritage, History, and Esotericism

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
Keith starts our discussion by giving a short background and history of Boleskine House and the surrounding area. We then move to how the house is linked to the area of esotericism/occultism through one of its more famous (infamous?) owners, Aleister Crowley. Keith talks about why Crowley bought the house, and the changes that were made to the house in order to perform the arduous magical ritual to summon one's Holy Guardian Angel, known as the Abramelin Ritual. We then shift gears to discuss the events that led to the creation of the Foundation and the goals/aims of the Foundation, both locally and internationally. In closing, we discuss the various options available to those who are interested in contributing to the restoration of Boleskine House. 
For questions about Journal submissions, etc., email: [email protected]. 

LINKS
Boleskine House 
(includes all links to social media pages)

Inzamelingsactie van Boleskine House Foundation SCIO : "Raise the Roof" of Boleskine House (gofundme.com)

Boleskine Journal Issue #4 | Boleskine House

Keith Readdy's book: One Truth and One Spirit (one-truth-one-spirit.com)

Boleskine House Foundation SCIO (boleskinehouse) - Profiel | Pinterest

Theme music: Stephanie Shea

The podcast episode for October will be delayed a bit, but look for a new audio-only version of Rejected Religion Spotlight (featured on YouTube)! 

In Part 2, Mriganka discusses two important figures within the Indian Theosophical Society - Peary Chand Mittra and Mohini Chatterji - how they became 'on the radar' of Blavatsky and Olcott, their differing ideas and perspectives, and how escalating tensions led to a break between Mohini Chatterji and Blavatsky. Mriganka talks in particular about how Indian philosophies such as Advaita Vedanta influenced the Indian perspective and how Indian members approached Theosophy because of it. 

PROGRAM NOTES
Mriganka's academia.edu/ UvA page: (99+) Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) Mohini: A Case Study of a Transnational Spiritual Space in the History of the Theosophical Society | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) A Short History of the Theosophical Movement in Colonial Bengal | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) The Occult and the Orient: The Theosophical Society and the Socio- Religious Space in Colonial India | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) Occult's First Foot Soldier in Bengal: Peary Chand Mittra and the Early Theosophical Movement | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

Facebook: Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | Facebook

Mohini Chatterji's Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gîtâ; Or, The Lord's Lay: Chatterji, Mohini M.: Amazon.com: Books

Annie Besant's Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad-Gita (Text and Translation) (yogastudies.org)

Mohini Chatterji and Laura Holloway's Man: Fragments of a Forgotten History: ManFragmentsOfAForgottenHistory_MChatterjiLCHolloway.pdf (theosophy.world)

Michael Gomes The Dawning of the Theosophical Movement: DAWNING OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MO : Gomes, Michael: Amazon.nl: Boeken

Joscelyn Godwin The Theosophical Enlightenment: Amazon.com: The Theosophical Enlightenment (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions): 9780791421529: Godwin, Joscelyn: Books

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Note: The 'other music' featured in this video was created by myself, Stephanie Shea, specifically for my own work using the Launchpad: DJ with Novation App, from Ampify Music. Under Ampify Music's license agreement, it states that all 'sounds' provided in their soundpacks are royalty-free, and that I/the user "own the intellectual property rights in your recordings of your musical work or compositions which use any Sounds and/or Tools."  Furthermore, other users of the same soundpack "acknowledge that other users may use the Sounds and/or Tools in their own musical compositions and you may not prevent other users from doing so." [see https://ampifymusic.com/soundpacks_legal/].

In Part 1, Mriganka gives an outline of the cultural, social, and religious history in Bengal, and the beginnings of the Theosophical Society in India - why Calcutta was so attractive to Helena Blavatsky and Henry Olcott, and who they were interested in as potential members. Mriganka also gives an explanation of particular terms that we use often in our conversation, such as the Brahmo Samaj sect and Ram Mohan Roy; the Bhadralok community; and the Bengal Renaissance - these are important to know about in order to understand the historical context of 19th c. India. Mriganka also discusses how the popularity of Mesmerism and Spiritualism in India formed the basis for the formation and propagation of the later Theosophical Society.

We also explore the sensitive concept of Aryanism as it related to the Indian people involved, and how this term was used and understood by the Westerners, and by the indiginous Indians of Calcutta. This leads to a broader discussion of the agency of the Indian Theosophical Society members, and who was speaking with more authenticity.

PROGRAM NOTES

Mriganka's academia.edu/ UvA page: (99+) Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) Mohini: A Case Study of a Transnational Spiritual Space in the History of the Theosophical Society | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) A Short History of the Theosophical Movement in Colonial Bengal | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) The Occult and the Orient: The Theosophical Society and the Socio- Religious Space in Colonial India | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

(99+) (PDF) Occult's First Foot Soldier in Bengal: Peary Chand Mittra and the Early Theosophical Movement | Mriganka Mukhopadhyay - Academia.edu

Facebook: Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | Facebook

Mohini Chatterji's Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gîtâ; Or, The Lord's Lay: Chatterji, Mohini M.: Amazon.com: Books

Annie Besant's Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad-Gita (Text and Translation) (yogastudies.org)

Mohini Chatterji and Laura Holloway's Man: Fragments of a Forgotten History: ManFragmentsOfAForgottenHistory_MChatterjiLCHolloway.pdf (theosophy.world)

Michael Gomes The Dawning of the Theosophical Movement: DAWNING OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MO : Gomes, Michael: Amazon.nl: Boeken

Joscelyn Godwin The Theosophical Enlightenment: Amazon.com: The Theosophical Enlightenment (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions): 9780791421529: Godwin, Joscelyn: Books

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Note: The 'other music' featured in this video was created by myself, Stephanie Shea, specifically for my own work using the Launchpad: DJ with Novation App, from Ampify Music. Under Ampify Music's license agreement, it states that all 'sounds' provided in their soundpacks are royalty-free, and that I/the user "own the intellectual property rights in your recordings of your musical work or compositions which use any Sounds and/or Tools."  Furthermore, other users of the same soundpack "acknowledge that other users may use the Sounds and/or Tools in their own musical compositions and you may not prevent other users from doing so." [see https://ampifymusic.com/soundpacks_legal/].

In Part 2, Stewart offers a rich and very detailed discussion of the aristocratic elite group of the Élus Coëns. He discusses their formation, their Gnostic (world-hating) beliefs, their rituals, why the group dispersed and how it morphed into what is now known as Martinism. Stewart also discusses the underlying nationalism that seems to accompany Masonic research and what can be done to combat this. In closing, Stewart talks a bit about how the grimoire was found, and why it took so long to be able to access it for translation purposes.

PROGRAM NOTES

Stewart's new book, The Green Book of the  Élus Coëns , offers an insight into a masonic society called  The Order of Knight-Mason Elect-Cohens of the Universe, one of the most elite and esoteric groups within masonic societies. The book is an English translation of the grimoire that this group used. Please visit the Lewis Masonic website for more details:
Lewis Masonic - Esoteric > The Green Book of the Élus Coëns

Stewart Clelland's website: Stewart Clelland – Blog | Research Journal | (sjaclelland.com)
Facebook: Stewart Clelland | Facebook

Michael Barkun's book: A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Thumbnail art: 
'Emblematic chart and Masonic History of Free and Accepted Masons / Ramsey, Millet, Hudson Steam. Lith. Co.' Library of Congress

'Mason and Mystic Symbols on Blue' by Vera Petruk

In Part 1, Stewart starts by talking about the diverse views of Freemasonry, and how influential Freemasonry has been to many other esoteric and occult societies. I also ask Stewart to give his opinions about why Freemasonry is a common target for conspiracy theorists, especially those found within UFO conspiracies. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Stewart's new book, The Green Book of the  Élus Coëns , offers an insight into a masonic society called  The Order of Knight-Mason Elect-Cohens of the Universe, one of the most elite and esoteric groups within masonic societies. The book is an English translation of the grimoire that this group used. Please visit the Lewis Masonic website for more details:

Lewis Masonic - Esoteric > The Green Book of the Élus Coëns

Stewart Clelland's website: Stewart Clelland – Blog | Research Journal | (sjaclelland.com)

Facebook page: Stewart Clelland | Facebook

Michael Barkun's book, A Culture of Conspiracy: A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

Thumbnail art: 
'Emblematic chart and Masonic History of Free and Accepted Masons / Ramsey, Millet, Hudson Steam. Lith.' Co. Library of Congress

'Mason and Mystic Symbols on Blue' by Vera Petruk

In Part 2, we wrap up our discussion of Jonathon's book by talking about the ironic fact that sovereign power is rarely attainable, and how the demonized are required for the sovereign to remain in existence. We also look at other spiritual warfare narratives in order to compare and contrast the present discussion with earlier discourses. We start with the millennialist concept of the rapture and tribulation, moving to the satanic panic, and then shift to the contemporary phenomenon of QAnon.
 

PROGRAM NOTES

Dr. O'Donnell's website, includes information about Passing Orders: Demonology and Sovereignty in American Spiritual Warfare  S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD (drsjodonnell.com)

Twitter: S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD 😈🏳️‍🌈 (@demonologian) / Twitter

Sean McCloud, American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States  American Possessions - Sean McCloud - Oxford University Press (oup.com)

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan  Leviathan (Penguin Classics): Hobbes, Thomas, Brooke, Christopher, Brooke, Christopher, Brooke, Christopher: 9780141395098: Amazon.com: Books

Megan Goodwin, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions  Abusing Religion — MEGAN GOODWIN (megan-goodwin.com)

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Thumbnail 'demon' image: Phoarto (pixabay free use)

In Part 1 of our discussion, Jonathon begins by talking about their approach in their book, and how this approach broadens the context of the discussion around demonology and spiritual warfare to include contemporary issues surrounding topics such as gender and sexuality, ethnicity, immigration, and heteronormativity. We then move the discussion to talk more in detail about the three demon-concepts that are most commonly used in spiritual warfare narratives - Jezebel, the Islamic Antichrist, and Leviathan. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Dr. O'Donnell's website, includes information about Passing Orders: Demonology and Sovereignty in American Spiritual Warfare  S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD (drsjodonnell.com)

Twitter: S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD 😈🏳️‍🌈 (@demonologian) / Twitter

Sean McCloud, American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States  American Possessions - Sean McCloud - Oxford University Press (oup.com)

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan  Leviathan (Penguin Classics): Hobbes, Thomas, Brooke, Christopher, Brooke, Christopher, Brooke, Christopher: 9780141395098: Amazon.com: Books

Megan Goodwin, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions  Abusing Religion — MEGAN GOODWIN (megan-goodwin.com)

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Thumbnail 'demon' image: Phoarto (pixabay free use)

In Part 2, we continue our discussion by looking at how the women were received and perceived within Thelema. Manon explains her term "proximal authority" and how this relates to Leah, Jane, and Marjorie. We then move to how the women were discussed in the media, their reception outside of the official organization, the legacy of each of the women, and their impact and influence on our culture.

PROGRAM NOTES
The Thelemic Women's History Project: The Thelemic Women's History Project | Facebook

Dr. Manon Hedenborg White on Academia.edu (multiple articles): (99+) Manon Hedenborg White | Södertörn University - Academia.edu

The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism: Amazon.com: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism) (9780190065027): Hedenborg White, Manon: Books

Women of Thelema: Selected Essays: Women of Thelema: Selected Essays – Zero Equals Two!

Leah Hirsig's Diaries to be published: Leah Hirsig’s Magical Diaries To Be Published – Zero Equals Two!

Lukas Vogel, Babalon: Babalon: Vogel, Lukas: Amazon.nl

Jane Wolfe - Red Flame: Jane Wolfe (Red Flame Thelemic Journal #10 & 11) ~ Dark Star Magick

Blog about Marjorie Cameron: Marjorie Cameron | American artist, poet, actress and occultist (vamzzz.com)

The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: http://www (the-eye.eu)

Upcoming Zoom Lecture 17 JUNE: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon - Dr.Manon Hedenborg White by Zoom | Facebook

Twitter: Manon Hedenborg White (@Dr_ScarletWoman) / Twitter

Instagram: Manon Hedenborg White (@dr_scarletwoman) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Manon shares a bit of information about her project (funded by the Swedish Research Council), and what motivated her to start looking into the lives of three women within Thelema, and how the project has been going so far. She then gives an extensive biographical background of each of the women she's researching - Leah Hirsig, Jane Wolfe, and Marjorie Cameron - how they came to Thelema, and their fascinating roles within this group. 

PROGRAM NOTES
The Thelemic Women's History Project: The Thelemic Women's History Project | Facebook

Dr. Manon Hedenborg White on Academia.edu (multiple articles): (99+) Manon Hedenborg White | Södertörn University - Academia.edu

The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism: Amazon.com: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism) (9780190065027): Hedenborg White, Manon: Books

Women of Thelema: Selected Essays: Women of Thelema: Selected Essays – Zero Equals Two!

Leah Hirsig's Diaries to be published: Leah Hirsig’s Magical Diaries To Be Published – Zero Equals Two!

Lukas Vogel, Babalon: Babalon: Vogel, Lukas: Amazon.nl

Jane Wolfe - Red Flame: Jane Wolfe (Red Flame Thelemic Journal #10 & 11) ~ Dark Star Magick

Blog about Marjorie Cameron: Marjorie Cameron | American artist, poet, actress and occultist (vamzzz.com)

The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: http://www (the-eye.eu)

Upcoming Zoom Lecture 17 JUNE: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon - Dr.Manon Hedenborg White by Zoom | Facebook

Twitter: Manon Hedenborg White (@Dr_ScarletWoman) / Twitter

Instagram: Manon Hedenborg White (@dr_scarletwoman) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 2, we move into modernity, where Rune discusses the impact of a radicalized Protestantism that has had a disruptive impact on animist traditions, and the negative psychological effects that a disconnection from the land can cause. We then move to a discussion of how we can experiment in different ways to re-traditionalize ourselves with this knowledge before delving into the more controversial issue of extremist groups appropriating animist symbology for racist and nationalistic agendas. In keeping with the modern theme, Rune offers a very interesting story of the troll Tyr and how he can help us relate to each other in better ways on the Internet. We close by talking a bit about Rune's various platforms, and his book about the Nordic Animist Year/ calendar that he created. 

PROGRAM NOTES:

Nordic Animism (NA) Website: Home Page (nordicanimism.com)

NA YouTube Channel: Nordic Animism - YouTube

NA Facebook: Nordic Animism | Facebook

NA Instagram: Nordic Animism (@nordic.animism) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Graham Harvey Links: "Animism: Respecting the Living World" by Graham Harvey

Animism: Respecting the Living World: Harvey, Graham: 9780231137010: Amazon.com: Books

Irving Hallowell Links: Culture and Experience (Second Edition): A. Irving Hallowell: Amazon.com: Books

Bear ceremonialism in the northern hemisphere: Hallowell, A. Irving: Amazon.com: Books

Tyson Yunkaporta: Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World: Yunkaporta, Tyson: 9780062975645: Amazon.com: Books

The Nordic Animist Year THE NORDIC ANIMIST YEAR - Books and Calendars - NORDIC ANIMISM

Article "Ragnarok is Coming': RAGNAROK IS COMING! Nordic Scholars: Ancient Viking prophecy speaks to our time. (nordicanimism.com)

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Cover art used with permission from www.nordicanimism.com 

In Part 1, Rune and I talk about what animism is and how we can understand it, especially in relation to other religions such as Heathenry and (Neo)Paganism. We also discuss why this animist knowledge was rejected in the first place by looking back in history, and Rune explains important animist concepts, such as Ragnarok and Yggdrasil (the world tree), and how these concepts are extremely important to an animist understanding of our world. 

PROGRAM NOTES:

Nordic Animism (NA) Website: Home Page (nordicanimism.com)

NA YouTube Channel: Nordic Animism - YouTube

NA Facebook: Nordic Animism | Facebook

NA Instagram: Nordic Animism (@nordic.animism) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Graham Harvey Links: "Animism: Respecting the Living World" by Graham Harvey

Animism: Respecting the Living World: Harvey, Graham: 9780231137010: Amazon.com: Books

Irving Hallowell Links: Culture and Experience (Second Edition): A. Irving Hallowell: Amazon.com: Books

Bear ceremonialism in the northern hemisphere: Hallowell, A. Irving: Amazon.com: Books

Tyson Yunkaporta: Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World: Yunkaporta, Tyson: 9780062975645: Amazon.com: Books

The Nordic Animist Year THE NORDIC ANIMIST YEAR - Books and Calendars - NORDIC ANIMISM

Article "Ragnarok is Coming': RAGNAROK IS COMING! Nordic Scholars: Ancient Viking prophecy speaks to our time. (nordicanimism.com)

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Cover art used with permission from www.nordicanimism.com 
 

In Part 2, we jump back in with a more controversial topic, that of John Lamb Lash, and how his interpretation of the concept of Gnosticism has become intertwined with the Mandela Effect. We explore whether or not conspiracy theories are dangerous to society, but also note their more playful quality as we re-visit the old pranksters, the Discordians. We then move on to the topic of memory, how memory affects history, how remembering something actually creates new experiences and can affect our future memories, and what the reward could possibly be for people who believe in the Mandela Effect. Aaron also shares some interesting content regarding a possible PRE-Mandela Effect, and we close with Aaron sharing some other information about his work as a writer and editor of fantasy fiction.

PROGRAM NOTES

Aaron J. French, "The Mandela Effect and New Memory" (99+) (PDF) The Mandela Effect and New Memory | Aaron French - Academia.edu

• "'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt" in The Conversation  'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt (theconversation.com

Erik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies  High Weirdness | The MIT Press

Micheal Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America  A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

Karen M. Douglas et al., "The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories" The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (sagepub.com)

Jan-Willem van Prooijen & Mark van Vugt, "Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms" Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms (sagepub.com)

Matthew Dillon, "The Heretical Library: The Nag Hammadi in American Religion and Culture" The Heretical Revival: The Nag Hammadi Library in American Religion and Culture (rice.edu)

Trailer Steins;Gate Steins;Gate | Anime Trailer [HD] | 2011 - YouTube

Wiki fanpage Steins;Gate Steins;Gate Wiki | Fandom

Take the Mandela Effect Test HOME - Test Mandela Effect

Aaron J. French on Soundcloud Aaron J. French | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Aaron J. French Author Page Facebook Aaron J. French | Facebook

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Aaron and I bring everyone up to speed on what the Mandela Effect (ME) is, where it comes from, and why it is an important area of research for the study of esotericism. We discuss examples of ME, found with book titles (Berenstein/Berenstain Bears), pop culture references (what did Darth Vader actually say to Luke Skywalker?), and how all of this affects our notions of reality and of our memory. We also talk about how Christian elements have come to interact with more esoteric concepts found within the cultic milieu.

PROGRAM NOTES

Aaron J. French, "The Mandela Effect and New Memory" (99+) (PDF) The Mandela Effect and New Memory | Aaron French - Academia.edu

• "'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt" in The Conversation  'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt (theconversation.com

Erik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies  High Weirdness | The MIT Press

Micheal Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America  A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

Karen M. Douglas et al., "The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories" The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (sagepub.com)

Jan-Willem van Prooijen & Mark van Vugt, "Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms" Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms (sagepub.com)

Matthew Dillon, "The Heretical Library: The Nag Hammadi in American Religion and Culture" The Heretical Revival: The Nag Hammadi Library in American Religion and Culture (rice.edu)

Trailer Steins;Gate Steins;Gate | Anime Trailer [HD] | 2011 - YouTube

Wiki fanpage Steins;Gate Steins;Gate Wiki | Fandom

Take the Mandela Effect Test HOME - Test Mandela Effect

Aaron J. French on Soundcloud Aaron J. French | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Aaron J. French Author Page Facebook Aaron J. French | Facebook

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Thumbnail image credit: www.gaia.com 

In Part 2, Christian discusses the influential Discordian trilogy of books called "Illuminatus!" and we make a little sidestep into discussion about how 'Bill and Ted' may or may not fit into the picture as we move throughout the 80s and 90s. We also talk about Discordianism's links to science fiction and fanzines, and Christian starts interviewing me at a certain point due to the topic of Furries that comes up in our conversation. We then discuss how Discordianism became a type of cyberculture and how hacking relates to it. Christian shares his ideas about the scholarly side of researching this group, and why 'being in conversation in a spirit of generosity' is important for researchers. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Academia.edu website Christian Greer: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu

• (99+) (PDF) Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) Church of the SubGenius | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) "Discordians Stick Apart" : The Institutional Turn within Contemporary Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) Religion Can't be a Joke, Right? | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) [book review] Carole M. Cusack. Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu

Carole Cusack, Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Cusack, Carole M: Amazon.nl

Erik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (The MIT Press): Davis, Erik: 9781907222870: Amazon.com: Books

Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (Volume 15) (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society): Barkun, Michael: 9780520276826: Amazon.com: Books

David Chidester, Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture: Amazon.com: Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture (9780520242807): Chidester, David: Books

Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture: Huizinga, Johan: 9781621389996: Amazon.com: Books

Mikhail Baktin, Rabelais and His World : Rabelais and His World: Bakhtin, Mikhail: Amazon.nl

Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception: The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell: Huxley, Aldous: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Gorightly, Historia Discordia: Historia Discordia: the origins of the discordian society: Gorightly, Adam: Amazon.nl

Historia Disordia website: Historia Discordia – Documenting the Origins, History, and Chaos of the Discordian Society

Principia Discordia (online source): Principia Discordia | the book of Chaos, Discord and Confusion | Fnord!

Gnosis Magazine (online): Gnosis Magazine

Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus Trilogy: The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan: Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson: 9780440539810: Amazon.com: Books

Tom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test: The Electric Kool - Aid Acid Test: Tom Wolfe: 9780552993661: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Curtis article: Adam Curtis Explains It All | The New Yorker

Adam Curtis, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - YouTube: Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021) - YouTube

Dr. Christian Greer's Instagram Page: JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

'Visions of the Occult' Summer School Online Course Information: Summer course: Visions of the Occult - Introduction to Western Esotericism - History of Hermetic Philosophy (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Podcast Theme: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Christian will go into the history of the concept of laughter found in American religion/spirituality, as well as talking about the term 'psychedelicism' and the ways that psychedelics were viewed with regard to spiritual growth. We then get into the Discordians, their history, their ideas about chaos and hoaxes, and how Lee Harvey Oswald fits into the picture.

PROGRAM NOTES
Academia.edu website Christian Greer: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu

• (99+) (PDF) Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) Church of the SubGenius | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) "Discordians Stick Apart" : The Institutional Turn within Contemporary Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) Religion Can't be a Joke, Right? | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu
• (99+) (PDF) [book review] Carole M. Cusack. Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu

Carole Cusack, Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Cusack, Carole M: Amazon.nl

Erik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (The MIT Press): Davis, Erik: 9781907222870: Amazon.com: Books

Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (Volume 15) (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society): Barkun, Michael: 9780520276826: Amazon.com: Books

David Chidester, Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture: Amazon.com: Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture (9780520242807): Chidester, David: Books

Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture: Huizinga, Johan: 9781621389996: Amazon.com: Books

Mikhail Baktin, Rabelais and His World : Rabelais and His World: Bakhtin, Mikhail: Amazon.nl

Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception: The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell: Huxley, Aldous: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Gorightly, Historia Discordia: Historia Discordia: the origins of the discordian society: Gorightly, Adam: Amazon.nl

Historia Disordia website: Historia Discordia – Documenting the Origins, History, and Chaos of the Discordian Society

Principia Discordia (online source): Principia Discordia | the book of Chaos, Discord and Confusion | Fnord!

Gnosis Magazine (online): Gnosis Magazine

Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus Trilogy: The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan: Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson: 9780440539810: Amazon.com: Books

Tom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test: The Electric Kool - Aid Acid Test: Tom Wolfe: 9780552993661: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Curtis article: Adam Curtis Explains It All | The New Yorker

Adam Curtis, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - YouTube: Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021) - YouTube

Dr. Christian Greer's Instagram Page: JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

'Visions of the Occult' Summer School Online Course Information: Summer course: Visions of the Occult - Introduction to Western Esotericism - History of Hermetic Philosophy (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Podcast Theme: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 2, we jump right back into the 'dangerous' and terryifying aspects of contemplating 'the Other,' and this leads to discussing gateways that allow entitites to come through (does this account for accounts of high strangeness)? Thomas notes how Crowley's writings seem to contradict the notion that there is an 'Other,' as there is no duality in Crowley's thought. This leads into a brief discussion about the entities that one may encounter in anomalous events (for example, tulpas)- are these subjective or objective? The latter part of the conversation centers on scholarly approaches to all of this, our appreciation for Hellier as a powerful occultural product, and whether or not scholars could perhaps lend any insights to reseachers as they conduct their own fieldwork. 

EPISODE NOTES:

Rudolph Otto and The Numinous: (99+) (PDF) Rudolf Otto and the Concept of the Numinous | Stuart Ray Sarbacker - Academia.edu

Henri Corbin and the Mundus Imaginalis: MUNDUS IMAGINALIS OR THE IMAGINARY AND THE IMAGINAL (bahaistudies.net)

Bergson-Deleuze Encounters: Bergson-Deleuze Encounters: Transcendental Experience and the Thought of the Virtual: Moulard-Leonard, Valentine: Amazon.nl

Kenneth Grant and the Mauve Zone: Beyond the Mauve Zone: Grant, Kenneth: 9780952782452: Amazon.com: Books

Jeff Kripal & Whitley Strieber's The Super Natural: The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained: Strieber, Whitley, Kripal, Jeffrey J.: 9781101982327: Amazon.com: Books

• Otto and 'the numinous: pp. 45-46
• Myers and ‘the imaginal’: pp. 120-123

Allen Greenfield & The Secret Cipher: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: 9781718645356: Amazon.com: Books

Regarding Tulpas: [PDF] Tracking the Tulpa | Semantic Scholar

(99+) (PDF) On Tulpas - An Analysis of Imagined Others | Arthur Juliani - Academia.edu

Diego Escolar: Boundaries of Anthropology: Empirics and Ontological Relativism in a Field Experience with Anomalous Luminous Entities in Argentina - ESCOLAR - 2012 - Anthropology and Humanism - Wiley Online Library

Rick Strassman & DMT: Rick Strassman MD – DMT: The Spirit Molecule

Robert Cabrales & ‘Occultural Accelerationism’:(99+) (PDF) Aesthetaphysicks and the Anti-Dialectical Hyperoccultation of Disenchanted Representation: Hyperstitional Esoterrorism as Occultural Accelerationism | Robert Elio Cabrales - Academia.edu

Hellier Documentary: Hellier: A Planet Weird Original Series

Penny Royal Podcast: Penny Royal Podcast – A New Podcast of Magic, Mystery and High Strangeness On The Penny Royal Plateau.

Episode Art: Stefan Keller

Podcast Theme: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Part 1 of our roundtable discussion starts out with trying to tackle some major philosophical questions, such as the nature of "the Other", and how we can view reality. We then delve into the Star Sapphire or Blue Star Ritual that was brought up in the Hellier documentary - what it is, why would it be important for the team, what it's possible purpose may be, etc., and end this first part with a discussion about chaos magick and why this may be interesting area of exploration for the Hellier team. 

EPISODE NOTES:

Rudolph Otto and The Numinous: (99+) (PDF) Rudolf Otto and the Concept of the Numinous | Stuart Ray Sarbacker - Academia.edu

Henri Corbin and the Mundus Imaginalis: MUNDUS IMAGINALIS OR THE IMAGINARY AND THE IMAGINAL (bahaistudies.net)

Bergson-Deleuze Encounters: Bergson-Deleuze Encounters: Transcendental Experience and the Thought of the Virtual: Moulard-Leonard, Valentine: Amazon.nl

Kenneth Grant and the Mauve Zone: Beyond the Mauve Zone: Grant, Kenneth: 9780952782452: Amazon.com: Books

Jeff Kripal & Whitley Strieber's The Super Natural: The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained: Strieber, Whitley, Kripal, Jeffrey J.: 9781101982327: Amazon.com: Books

• Otto and 'the numinous: pp. 45-46
• Myers and ‘the imaginal’: pp. 120-123

Allen Greenfield & The Secret Cipher: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: 9781718645356: Amazon.com: Books

Regarding Tulpas: [PDF] Tracking the Tulpa | Semantic Scholar

(99+) (PDF) On Tulpas - An Analysis of Imagined Others | Arthur Juliani - Academia.edu

Diego Escolar: Boundaries of Anthropology: Empirics and Ontological Relativism in a Field Experience with Anomalous Luminous Entities in Argentina - ESCOLAR - 2012 - Anthropology and Humanism - Wiley Online Library

Rick Strassman & DMT: Rick Strassman MD – DMT: The Spirit Molecule

Robert Cabrales & ‘Occultural Accelerationism’:(99+) (PDF) Aesthetaphysicks and the Anti-Dialectical Hyperoccultation of Disenchanted Representation: Hyperstitional Esoterrorism as Occultural Accelerationism | Robert Elio Cabrales - Academia.edu

Hellier Documentary: Hellier: A Planet Weird Original Series

Penny Royal Podcast: Penny Royal Podcast – A New Podcast of Magic, Mystery and High Strangeness On The Penny Royal Plateau.

Episode Art: Stefan Keller

Podcast Theme: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

In preparation for next month's mini-roundtable discussion about' Hellier' and everything 'high strangeness', this episode will attempt to lay a foundation about the documentary 'Hellier,' the podcast 'Penny Royal,' and 'everything else' that seems to be connected to these phenomena - Secret Ciphers, magick rituals and gateways, the Mothman incident, Twin Peaks, and more. 

RESOURCES

'Hellier' Season 1: Hellier Season 1: Episode 1 | The Midnight Children - YouTube

'Hellier' Season 2: Hellier Season 2: Episode 1 | Noise and Signal - YouTube

'Penny Royal' Podcast: Penny Royal Podcast – A New Podcast of Magic, Mystery and High Strangeness On The Penny Royal Plateau.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost: Amazon.com: The Secret History of Twin Peaks: A Novel (9781250075581): Frost, Mark: Books

Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier by Mark Frost: Amazon.com: Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier (9781250163301): Frost, Mark: Books

The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel: Amazon.com: The Mothman Prophecies: A True Story (9780765334985): Keel, John A.: Books

The Complete Secret Cipher of the UFOnauts by Allen Greenfield: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: 9781718645356: Amazon.com: Books

The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained by Whitley Strieber and Jeffrey J. Kripal: The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained: Strieber, Whitley, Kripal, Jeffrey J.: 9781101982327: Amazon.com: Books

The Morning of the Magicians by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier: The Morning of the Magicians: Secret Societies, Conspiracies, and Vanished Civilizations: Pauwels, Louis, Bergier, Jacques: 9781594772313: Amazon.com: Books
 

Cover image: Hellier: A Planet Weird Original Series  

Theme music: Daniel P. Shea

Additional music: Stephanie Shea

In this Bonus Episode, Pat and I deep-dive into the workings of the Celtic Wheel, that Pat refers to as "a companion on the pilgrimage of life." This discussion is not so much about rituals, but more about the spiritual concepts that Pat has gleaned from her experiences with Celtic Spirituality. Our informal exchange focuses on each season, and the special gifts that each month brings.

EPISODE NOTES:
Website Mara Freeman: Chalice Centre | Celtic & Western Magical Traditions

The Celtic Sacred Year: Celtic Sacred Year (chalicecentre.net)

Website John O'Donohue: Works (johnodonohue.com)

This month's special episode concerning inner, personal experiences in Celtic Spirituality is an interview with my aunt, Dr. Patricia Shea. She is Professor Emeritus of Education, and holds an MA in Religious Studies. Currently, she is a life coach, faciliator, and spiritual director. Patricia was also a Catholic nun in the Order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for many years. At this stage of her life, however, she considers herself a Celtic Crone. What Patricia will be sharing in this interview is an integration of what she has learned from others within the area of Celtic Spirituality, combined with her own personal perspectives based upon her life experiences. This is not an academic discussion, but more a space for Patricia to share her own insights about her spiritual path, including her views about religion, and mysticism as well. We discuss what Celtic Spirituality is, the Celtic Wheel and how this is attuned to the Earth, the Winter Solstice, and even some opportunities a worldwide pandemic can offer to help us all explore deeper questions about life. Wishing you all a Happy Solstice!

EPISODE REFERENCES - SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cahill, Thomas. How the Irish Saved Civilization. 1995  

Conway, D.J. & Lisa Hung. A Guide to the Celtic Dragon Tarot.  2011

Freedman, Mara.  Kindling the Celtic Spirit, Ancient Traditions to Illumine Your Life throughout the Seasons. 2001. Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient Traditions to Illumine Your Life Through the Seasons: Freeman, Mara: 9780062516855: Amazon.com: Books

~www.chalicecentre.net

~Grail Alchemy, Initiation in the Celtic Mystery Tradition. 2014

Greer, John Michael. The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth. 2006 The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth: Greer, John Michael, Carr-Gomm, Philip: 9781578633548: Amazon.com: Books

Hamilton, Claire. The Celtic Book of Seasonal Mediations. 2003  

~Maiden, Mother, Crone; Voices of the Goddess. 2005

MacEown, Frank. The Celtic Way of Seeing: Mediations on the Irish Spirit Wheel. 2007  

~The Spiral of Memory and Belonging, A Celtic Path of Soul and Kinship. 2004                                      

Matthews, Caitlin. The Celtic Tradition. 1995  The Way of - The Celtic Tradition: Matthews, Caitlin: 9780007154333: Amazon.com: Books

~The Celtic Spirit, Daily Meditations for the Turning Year. 1999

~The Celtic Wisdom Tarot. 1999

~Celtic Visions. 2013

~Psychic Shield, The Personal Handbook of Psychic Protection. 2006

~Singing the Soul Back Home, Shamanic Wisdom for Every Day. 2018

Matthews, John. The Sidhe: Wisdom from the Celtic Otherworld.  2004.  

~Celtic Totem Animals: Meet your animal helpers on your own shamanic journey.  2002

Matthews, John and Caitlin Matthews. Walkers Between the Worlds,  2003. Walkers Between the Worlds: The Western Mysteries from Shaman to Magus: Matthews, Caitlín, Matthews, John: 9780892810918: Amazon.com: Books

Momma White Cougar. The Sacred Wheel.  Published by publishmybookonkindle.com

Monaghan, Patricia. The Goddess Path.  1999

Newell, Phillip. Listening to the Heartbeat of God.: A Celtic Spirituality. 1997

~A New Harmony: The Spirit, the Earth, and the Human Soul . 2012 A New Harmony: The Spirit, the Earth, and the Human Soul: Newell, J. Philip: 8589901111111: Amazon.com: Books

~Celtic Prayers from Iona. 1997

~Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer. 2000

O’Donohue, John. Anam Cara, Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World. 1997 Anam Cara: A Book Of Celtic Wisdom: John O'Donohue: 9780060929435: Amazon.com: Books

~Beauty, the Invisible Embrace. 2004

~Eternal Echoes, Exploring Our Yearning to Belong. 1999

~To Bless the Space Between Us, A Book of Blessings. 2008  

~Wisdom from the Celtic World. 9 CD’s from Sounds True

Taylor, Joules. The Book of Celtic Symbols, Symbols, Stories & Blessings for Everyday Living.  2007  The Book of Celtic Symbols: Symbols, stories, and blessings for everyday living: Taylor, Joules: 9781782498247: Amazon.com: Books

~Celtic Messages, Book and 52 cards for affirmation and divination.  2007

In Part 2, Marco and I switch gears and talk about why Satan plays such a large role in heavy metal music by using Dr. Kennet Granholm's essay, "Why all that Satanist stuff in heavy metal?" We then shift the discussion to why some people think that occultism leads to fascist and Nazi ideologies with the help of Dr. Julian Strube's essay, "Doesn't occultism lead straight to fascism?" Lastly, we talk about Marco's own essay, "But what does esotericism have to do with sex?" that discusses how sex is actually a very important aspect for some esoteric practitioners. 

EPISODE NOTES

Dr. Kennet Granholm's Academia.edu page: https://independent.academia.edu/KennetGranholm

Wiki page about backmasking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backmasking

Judas Priest articles: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/judas-priests-subliminal-message-trial-rob-halford-looks-back-57552/

https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/17/arts/2-families-sue-heavy-metal-band-as-having-driven-sons-to-suicide.html

Led Zeppelin articles/information: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-10-wildest-led-zeppelin-legends-fact-checked-153103/if-you-play-stairway-to-heaven-in-reverse-you-hear-satanic-messages-154807/

https://jeffmilner.com/backmasking/stairway-to-heaven-backwards.html

Dr. Julian Strube's Academia.edu page: https://uni-hamburg.academia.edu/JulianStrube

Dr. Julian Strube, "Nazism and the Occult", in The Occult World: https://www.academia.edu/20054488/Nazism_and_the_Occult

Dr. Nicolas Goodrick-Clarke, The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology: https://www.amazon.com/Occult-Roots-Nazism-Influence-Ideology/dp/0814730604 

Dr. Marco Pasi's Academia.edu page: https://uva.academia.edu/MarcoPasi

Dr. Marco Pasi, "The Modernity of Occultism: Reflections on Some Crucial Aspects" (in Hermes in the Academy): https://www.academia.edu/470659/The_Modernity_of_Occultism_Reflections_on_Some_Crucial_Aspects

Dr. Hugh Urban, " Magia Sexualis": https://www.academia.edu/8979724/Magia_Sexualis 

Wiki page about Morning of the Magicians: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morning_of_the_Magicians

Hermes Explains book: https://www.amazon.com/Hermes-Explains-Questions-Western-Esotericism/dp/9463720200/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=marco+pasi&qid=1593693803&sr=8-13

Dr. Marco Pasi and I discuss the book, Hermes Explains: Thirty Questions About Western Esotericism. This episode is a mini-history lesson that covers several different subjects. Marco begins by giving some background about Hermes, why esotericism is confusing to try to explain to people, and also why it's an important area of study. We then go on to talk about one of the essays by Dr. Henrik Bodgan, titled "Is it true that secret societies are trying to control the world?" that discusses secret societies, and the Illuminati, in particular. 

EPISODE NOTES:

Website HHP Centre: https://www.amsterdamhermetica.nl/ 

Website ESSWE: https://www.esswe.org/

The Corpus Hermeticum: https://hermetic.com/texts/hermetica/index

Hermes in the Academy (pdf): https://www.academia.edu/43196454/Hermes_in_the_Academy

Zanoni by Edward  Bulwer Lytton: http://www.moup.org/Files/Edward_Bulwer_Lytton-Zanoni.pdf

Wiki page about Abbot Barruel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin_Barruel

Wiki page about Adam Weishaupt/ Bavarian Illuminati: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Weishaupt

Wiki page about the Dreyfus Affair: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_affair

Marco Pasi on Academia.edu: https://uva.academia.edu/MarcoPasi

Henrik Bodgan on Academia.edu: https://gu-se.academia.edu/HenrikBogdan/Papers

We start the episode with a short re-cap of the important concepts from Part 1. In this second part, Robert and I discuss how feedback loops work with the help of the film, The Sixth Sense. We also talk more about the difference between virtual reality and actual reality with the discussion of the concepts of re-enchantment and dis-enchantment. We also discuss how and why the Pepe the Frog meme was used by chaos magicians and others  to attempt to influence the 2016 US election. Robert brings up the topic of Bob Lazar (to my pleasant surprise), and conspiracy theories are discussed in relation to hyperstition.

EPISODE NOTES

Lemurian Time War  http://www.ccru.net/archive/burroughs.htm?LMCL=Mce24a&LMCL=q2_Nlu&LMCL=mttdXf&LMCL=ntDctj&LMCL=pVW4ZS&LMCL=c1yUJ5&LMCL=dFDG23&LMCL=wdLYre

The Ghost Lemurs of Madagascar  http://www.williamflew.com/omni103a.html

CCRU Archive Material http://ccru.net/archive.htm

Robert Cabrales's "The Hyperstitional Philosophy of Time-Travel Cybernetics: Theosophy, the CCRU, and Black-Box Poiesis" https://www.academia.edu/40394659/The_Hyperstitional_Philosophy_of_Time_Travel_Cybernetics_Theosophy_the_CCRU_and_Black_Box_Poiesis

Articles about Chaos Magic by Colin Duggan [see first two papers on the list]  https://ucc-ie.academia.edu/ColinDuggan

Mutants and Mystics : Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal by Jeffrey J. Kripal   https://www.amazon.com/Mutants-Mystics-Science-Superhero-Paranormal/dp/022627148X 

"The Magical Theory of Politics: Memes, Magic, and the Enchantment of Social Forces in the American Magic War" by Egil Asprem https://online.ucpress.edu/nr/article/23/4/15/107331/The-Magical-Theory-of-PoliticsMemes-Magic-and-the

"Accelerationism, Hyperstition and Myth-Science" by Simon O' Sullivan  https://www.academia.edu/19888801/Accelerationism_Hyperstition_and_Myth_Science

Thee Psychick Bible: A New Testament  by Genesis P-Orridge  https://www.amazon.com/Thee-Psychick-Bible-Testameant-Book/dp/1932595392

"The Poememenon: Form as Occult Technology" by Amy Ireland  https://www.urbanomic.com/document/poememenon/

"Charles Fort" by Jeffrey J. Kripal in The Occult World, edited by Christopher Partridge  https://www.amazon.com/Occult-World-Christopher-Partridge/dp/1138219258

In Part 1, Robert discusses the origins of Hyperstition, and our old friend William Burroughs from Episode 3 joins us again, as Burroughs's ideas about Time and Control play an important role in this story. And, as with Burroughs, the use of magick to try to change reality is also important here, especially with regard to semiotics. Theosophy's theory about root races, Aleister Crowley, and Lovecraft also get a mention.

EPISODE NOTES

Lemurian Time War  http://www.ccru.net/archive/burroughs.htm?LMCL=Mce24a&LMCL=q2_Nlu&LMCL=mttdXf&LMCL=ntDctj&LMCL=pVW4ZS&LMCL=c1yUJ5&LMCL=dFDG23&LMCL=wdLYre

The Ghost Lemurs of Madagascar  http://www.williamflew.com/omni103a.html

CCRU Archive Material http://ccru.net/archive.htm

Robert Cabrales's "The Hyperstitional Philosophy of Time-Travel Cybernetics: Theosophy, the CCRU, and Black-Box Poiesis" https://www.academia.edu/40394659/The_Hyperstitional_Philosophy_of_Time_Travel_Cybernetics_Theosophy_the_CCRU_and_Black_Box_Poiesis

Articles about Chaos Magic by Colin Duggan [see first two papers on the list]  https://ucc-ie.academia.edu/ColinDuggan

Mutants and Mystics : Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal by Jeffrey J. Kripal   https://www.amazon.com/Mutants-Mystics-Science-Superhero-Paranormal/dp/022627148X 

"The Magical Theory of Politics: Memes, Magic, and the Enchantment of Social Forces in the American Magic War" by Egil Asprem https://online.ucpress.edu/nr/article/23/4/15/107331/The-Magical-Theory-of-PoliticsMemes-Magic-and-the

"Accelerationism, Hyperstition and Myth-Science" by Simon O' Sullivan  https://www.academia.edu/19888801/Accelerationism_Hyperstition_and_Myth_Science

Thee Psychick Bible: A New Testament  by Genesis P-Orridge  https://www.amazon.com/Thee-Psychick-Bible-Testameant-Book/dp/1932595392

"The Poememenon: Form as Occult Technology" by Amy Ireland  https://www.urbanomic.com/document/poememenon/

"Charles Fort" by Jeffrey J. Kripal in The Occult World, edited by Christopher Partridge  https://www.amazon.com/Occult-World-Christopher-Partridge/dp/1138219258

Part 2 of Tommy's interview continues with an in-depth look at the cut-up method, and why it's relevant to Burroughs's beliefs about the archons (and what these beings are). We also discuss Gnosticism and the links to Burroughs's ideas, how he viewed magic(k) and why Tommy personally finds Burroughs so interesting.

Episode Notes:

Tommy P. Cowan's academia.edu page: https://amsterdam.academia.edu/TommyPCowan/

Correspondences Journal: https://correspondencesjournal.com/

The Exterminator : https://www.sea-urchin.net/books/moloko-print/william-burroughs-brion-gysin-the-exterminator-redux/

The Yage Letters + Junky ( & other works): https://all-med.net/pdf/the-yage-letters/

And The Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, with Jack Kerouac (& other works): https://newbooksinpolitics.com/political/and-the-hippos-were-boiled-in-their-tanks/

The Soft Machine: http://miltonthed.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/1/6/14162844/burroughs_william_seward-the_soft_machine.pdf

Naked Lunch: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7437.Naked_Lunch

Other authors/ persons of interest mentioned in this episode:

Brion Gysin, The Dreamachine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamachine

Jeffrey Kripal, author of The Super Natural : https://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-New-Vision-Unexplained/dp/1101982322

Barry Miles, author of Call Me Burroughs: A Life: https://www.amazon.nl/Call-Me-Burroughs-Barry-Miles/dp/1455511935

Ted Morgan, author of Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23949.Literary_Outlaw

Robert A. Heinlein, sci-fi author: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/robert-heinlein/

Terrance & Dennis McKenna: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Landscape-Mind-Hallucinogens-Ching/dp/0062506358

Kill Your Darlings (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1311071/

Naked  Lunch (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/

Episode art credit: photo by Richard Avedon

In Part 1, Tommy will be delving into Burroughs's background in order to explain how Burroughs's experiences influenced his worldview and his writing. We also discuss some important research findings of Tommy's concerning the Mayan 2012 prophecy and the link to Burroughs, the importance of the alien insect overlords found in Burroughs's writings, and expand further on Burroughs's interest in the occult, including why most literary critics ignore this aspect of Burroughs entirely.

Episode Notes:

Tommy P. Cowan's academia.edu page: https://amsterdam.academia.edu/TommyPCowan/

Correspondences Journal: https://correspondencesjournal.com/

The Exterminator : https://www.sea-urchin.net/books/moloko-print/william-burroughs-brion-gysin-the-exterminator-redux/

The Yage Letters + Junky ( & other works): https://all-med.net/pdf/the-yage-letters/

And The Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, with Jack Kerouac (& other works): https://newbooksinpolitics.com/political/and-the-hippos-were-boiled-in-their-tanks/

The Soft Machine: http://miltonthed.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/1/6/14162844/burroughs_william_seward-the_soft_machine.pdf

Naked Lunch: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7437.Naked_Lunch

Other authors/ persons of interest mentioned in this episode:

Brion Gysin, The Dreamachine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamachine

Jeffrey Kripal, author of The Super Natural : https://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-New-Vision-Unexplained/dp/1101982322

Barry Miles, author of Call Me Burroughs: A Life: https://www.amazon.nl/Call-Me-Burroughs-Barry-Miles/dp/1455511935

Ted Morgan, author of Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23949.Literary_Outlaw

Robert A. Heinlein, sci-fi author: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/robert-heinlein/

Terrance & Dennis McKenna: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Landscape-Mind-Hallucinogens-Ching/dp/0062506358

Kill Your Darlings (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1311071/

Naked  Lunch (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/

Episode art credit: photo by Richard Avedon

In Part 2, we discuss in depth Thomas's own interesting findings regarding an important concept and stage of development in Crowley's system called 'the crossing of the Abyss.' We also talk about the various misunderstandings about Crowley, how he has influenced popular culture, and also why Thomas finds Crowley so appealing.

References:

Sources mentioned in the podcast by Aleister Crowley:

The Book of the Law - http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0220.html

Magick (Book 4) -  https://hermetic.com/crowley/book-4/index

Magick Without Tears - https://hermetic.com/crowley/magick-without-tears/index

The Confessions of Aleister Crowley - https://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/index

The Equinox - http://www.the-equinox.org/  

https://keepsilence.org/the-equinox/

In Part 1, Thomas and I will be discussing Crowley's background, his start in the magical group known as The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the concept of intiation, and Crowley's own magical system called Thelema. 

References:

Sources mentioned in the podcast by Aleister Crowley:

The Book of the Law - http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0220.html

Magick (Book 4) -  https://hermetic.com/crowley/book-4/index

Magick Without Tears - https://hermetic.com/crowley/magick-without-tears/index

The Confessions of Aleister Crowley - https://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/index

The Equinox - http://www.the-equinox.org/  

https://keepsilence.org/the-equinox/

This episode discusses what I mean by 'rejected', plus some important terms and concepts that will act as a foundation for the interviews to come.

Reference material used in this episode:

Wouter Hanegraaff, Western Estotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed

Olav Hammer's chapter, "Esotericism in New Religious Movements," found in The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements

Christopher Partridge's "Introduction," found in The Occult World

Two more books that might be of interest are -

Contemporary Esotericism, edited by Egil Asprem and Kennet Granholm

New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, by Wouter Hanegraaff (with special attention on Chapter One about "Channeling" and Chapter Seven about "Meta-Empirical and Human Beings"