Heretics by Woven Energy

In this episode we examine the link between Kata (martial arts forms) and Spirit Dance. We also talk about changing perceptions of the meaning of the word "form" in the martial arts over time. The episode was prompted by two of our long-term patrons independently, so many thanks to Tom and Jason for the idea, as well as to Jan for the article that started off our discussion. Not all of this topic was covered, so there may well be a second episode at a later date.

Some five years into our series on the development of Xing Yi, we reach a pivotal episode, the first of two on the Formation of the Ming Army. Who was involved, and how did the Red Turbans form and fund a tightly integrated army that would solidify the new dynasty for over two hundred and sixty years? What was the influence of Yueh Fei on this process? These questions and more examined in our latest episode.

In this episode we conclude our examination of day 2 of the primary Rosicrucian allegory, the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, looking at some of the pitfalls of level 2 practice. Please note that this episode was originally recorded around November 2024, before episode 105 was recorded - please refer to the start of 105 for an explanation.

After a long break we are back with a patron-requested episode about Xing Yi's famous Beng method. What is Beng? Where does it come from? What does it have to do with the I-Ching? These questions and others answered in this episode.

This time Heretics examines the pros and cons of using recorded music for spirit dance, as well as making some recommendations for artists and tracks to try out. We also talk a bit about the upcoming Woven Energy Gathering of the Tribe in May.

In this episode we continue our exploration of the second day of the great Rosicrucian allegory, The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz, examining the meanings of the two portals, the tokens and the torch bearers, among other topics.

Who were the Illuminati in real life? How do they relate to other secret societies? How successful were they? How were they influenced by the Freemasons and the Jesuits? What relationship did they have with Mozart? Do they exist today? These questions and more examined in this episode.

Where did the idea of Santa and the elves come from, and how was it used by the church? What did Terence McKenna mean when he talked about Machine Elves? These questions and more examined in our special Christmas episode.

This is our special 100th episode which covers both part 16 of our narrative on the origins of Xing Yi plus an extra hour of Q&A about Xing Yi and some of the controversies that surround it.

In this one we pick up our story of Xing Yi, examining the influence of Yue Fei and the great Song generals on the people who were inspired to challenge the increasingly degenerate late Yuan Dynasty. We also look at the influence of the "mythology of the West" in China and of Central Asian religious and spiritual traditions on the White Lotus Society, of which the leaders of the rebellions were members.

Our special guest this time is Dr. Marc Reid who heads up a world-leading academic research team in the field of Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde, as well as being an in-demand public speaker in several other areas, including safety and the theme of this episode, the so-called Imposter Syndrome. Marc has written a book on the subject of what he prefers to call the Imposter Phenomenon, "You are Not a Fraud: A Scientist's Guide to the Imposter Phenomenon". You can find out more about Dr Reid's work at https://www.dr-marc-reid.com/

This episode follows on from Episode 26 of Graham's Tai Chi Notebook Podcast in which he interviews Woven Energy patrons Rikard Elofsson and Miika Wikberg about the little-known martial art of Baji. We discuss the possibility that the Baji Xiaojia is the most perfectly balanced form from any martial art - "Xiaojia is more Tai Chi than Tai Chi", and look in a bit more detail at the history, technique, strategy and background to this subtle and robust martial arts style.Graham, Miika and Rikard's original episode can be found here: https://thetaichinotebook.com/2023/07/15/new-podcast-rikard-elofsson-and-miika-wikberg-a-deep-dive-into-nordic-bajiquan/

Where do hierarchies come from and why can they be so destructive? This is part one of a special 2 part episode to mark the re-launch of the Pigs and Chickens Podcast. Part 2 is immediately available over on Pigs and Chickens at the following link:https://www.spreaker.com/user/9404101/5-hierarchy-pigs-and-chickens-re-launch

Did Western movies and TV lead to the creation of the Shaolin Warrior monks? Did the modern Shaolin fake something that had already been reinvented anyway? Did the Qing Dynasty really destroy the Shaolin temple, or did they instead create it? What influence did three subsequent phases of communism have on Shaolin? Was there a Southern Shaolin Temple, and what about the modern stuff at Wudang Mountain? These questions and more answered in our new episode on the infamous temple and its monks.

Is there any evidence that King Arthur was a real person? Why was Tintagel so important in the Dark Ages? Why does Tintagel Castle look so organic? What have Arthur and Tintagel got to do with the Crusades? These questions and more examined in our new episode.

At long last, and now armed with our recent episodes on alchemy, we again pick up the story of Christian Rosenkreutz and the Chymical Wedding. What is Day 2 all about? How does the "Language of the Birds" appear in Day 2? How does it relate to Amsghar? What does Christian make of his newfound escape from the Miasma, and what are the four paths that a shaman can follow? All these and more examined in this new episode.

This time we move into the second part of the nigredo or black phase of alchemy, dissolution, looking at the world of elixirs as well as spiritual dissolution technique. We discuss the alchemical symbolism of dissolution and some of the context of the famous Voynich Manuscript.

According to the 2021 census, the number of people who identify with Shamanism has grown ten-fold since 2011. We talk about whether or not this is true, and its implications, as well as reviewing the state of Shamanism in the UK today.

Was Jesus a shaman? What is and isn't shamanic about the New Testament? In this episode we review "Jesus the Ultimate Shaman", a new book by Stephen Bull and Sally Denny.

We continue our Heretics Alchemy Tutorial by taking a look at the first phase of the Great Work, Calcination. What is Calcination? What is its practical application in chemistry, martial arts and business? These topics and more in this episode.

We begin our new Heretics Alchemy Tutorial in earnest with an exploration of the Emerald Tablet, the foundational document of Alchemy. We cover concepts such as The Language of the Birds, the Seven Metals, the triumvirate of Sulphur, Mercury and Salt, the alchemical origins of the term gibberish, as well as many others. Use this unit of the tutorial to get a good understanding of basic alchemical terminology and concepts.

In this episode we give a bit of background on our forthcoming "Heretics Alchemy Tutorial". We explore the origins of Alchemy in Egypt and its progression through to modern Europe, as well as giving hints at the kind of things that will be covered in the tutorial.

Utnapishtam was the ancient version of Noah in the Mesopotamian flood myth that was incorporated into Genesis about 2000 years after it was first written. In this episode we compare and contrast the older Mesopotamian and newer Genesis versions of Noah, and look at some of the social reasons for the (slight) differences between them.

We finally discuss the figure from the Heretics logo, Girolamo Savonarola, and look at why he was burned as a heretic despite being just the opposite in many ways. We also look at his role in setting the scene for Martin Luther.

This time the Heretics have a go at a bit of a music and video review of the track Anoana by the band Heilung.

In this episode we begin an extended look at what Yoga was like before westerners got their hands on it.

Where did Stoicism start, and how was its founder different from later Stoics? What were the shamanistic aspects of early Stoicism? What is Tyrian Purple? How did Alexander the Great influence the development of Stoicism? How does the life of Zeno of Kition parallel the life of Yang Luchan?

What ways are there to be religious, and what constitutes a religion in the first place? Is Tai Chi a better religion than Christianity? Is there any difference between the New and Old Testaments? Why do so few people understand esotericism and its purpose, and why are organised religions afraid of it? These questions and more are examined in our latest episode.

Following on from the recent episode on Atlantis we pick up where we left off back in episode 35 with Thales and do a rapid survey of the development of the Ancient and Classical Greek miasma through to the time of Zeno.

Was Atlantis an ancient utopia or an evil empire? Why is the Atlantean Myth close to the heart of Western Civilisation? Could it really have existed? In this episode we head beneath the waves to discover the birth of the western experience with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

In the middle to late part of the Yuan Dynasty the former Confucian ruling class came back with a vengence and started a downward spiral that would ultimately lead to the fall of the dynasty. In this episode we examine how and why this happened, which will set the context for the important events at the end of the dynasty in the next episode.

Following on from last year's Merry Mithrasmas episode, this year we turn our attention to the early origins of word "Christmas" itself: in ancient Greek philosophy, Roman mystery religions and cannibalistic rites. Merry Yule!

Are the hill figures of Britain really ancient? What do they mean? In this episode we look at the symbolism of these enigmatic figures that have been preserved for centuries, and, in one exceptional case, for millennia by countless generations of people.

Was Aleister Crowley really the most wicked man in the world? What was the relationship between Aleister Crowley and Wicca? How did the events of his life shape the religious and spiritual traditions that he gave rise to?

What has Norse Mythology got to do with Shamanism? Were Odin and Thor usurpers of a more ancient tradition? Did the Vikings know they had Norse Mythology? Who were the Norns? These questions and more examined in this episode.

Shuai Jiao is a popular modern Chinese martial art, but is it related to other arts and if so, which ones? In this episode we also look at the Chinese cosmological concept of Qinglong, or the Azure Dragon.

Is Capitalism a religion? How did Christianity create it? Are there non-subjects that relate to how societies are run? Who stands to benefit? In this episode we look at the effects of the Reformation on belief systems and economic systems, and how they ultimately resulted in Capitalism as we know it today.

This episode explores the connection between the martial arts of the great Song generals' tradition and Chinese theatre, which was emerged during the height of the Yuan Dynasty.

We pick up our series on Xing Yi with a new dynasty, the Yuan, examining the social changes that Mongol rule brought to China and their implications for the martial arts through the lens of the artwork of the period.

How does Shamanism descend into belief-based religion over time? Why are many people uncomfortable drawing a link between Shamanism with the martial arts? Who was Mircea Eliade? These and many other questions are explored in our latest episode.

What does Shamanism have to do with the martial arts? What does Shamanism have to do with business? How is the Miasma involved? All this and more in our latest episode.

What are the internal martial arts? Does the term "Internal Martial Arts" have any legitimacy? What is a "fake" martial art? All this and more is explored in our new episode.

This time we look at Yiquan, a derivative of Xing Yi, putting it in the context of the Miasma of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.

Why is Baguazhang so strange? What does it have to do with Mongolia? In this episode we have a chat about this very unusual martial art, often considered a sister art to Xing Yi and Tai Chi.

In this episode we un-pause our series on Genesis, looking specifically at the figure of Enoch and the associated Enochian Literature. We examine the reasons why this literature has been suppressed by Christians since the time of Emperor Constantine.

Merry Mithrasmas! This is our episode for the 25th December, investigating the origins of Christianity in Mithraism and the pivotal role played by Constantine the Great.

In this episode we come to the end of Poemandres, the foundational text of the Corpus Hermeticum. Among other topics we discuss the various aspects of the miasma that a human being has to strip away in order to become a shaman.

We make further progress with Poemandres this time, looking at the Corpus Hermeticum's dual-perspective treatment of Shamanism and Esotericism, with a vivid description of the relationship between human beings and Nature.

In this episode we expore the meaning of the Hermetic Elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire as a foundation for further exploration of Poemandres.

In part 2 of our series on Hermeticism we start exploring Poemandres, the foundational text of the Corpus Hermeticum. A certain amount of technical terminology is used, so listening to episode 5 of the Woven Energy Podcast first would be a useful prerequisite before listening to this episode.

In the first of our new multi-part series on Hermeticism we explore the early origins of this esoteric tradition in the empire of Alexander the Great and the subsequent rule of his general Ptolmey's rule over Egypt. This episode sets the scene for our upcoming examination of the Corpus Hermeticum starting from the next episode.