Rejected Religion Podcast

*Note: This is the Free Content version of my interview with Veronica French. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 2 'Groves of Orpheus' member on Patreon, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. My guest this month is Veronica French. Veronica has an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Erfurt, Germany. She specializes in the study of modern shamanism, anthropology of religion and gender studies. Her master's thesis explored how modern shamans living in Germany define a “shaman way” and their turning point or crisis, which informs their “shamanic journey.” Her undergraduate work was in medical anthropology with a focus on shamanic techniques and Chinese 5 Element, in which she explored the scholar/practitioner position. She presented previously at the 8th Biannual Conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE) with the paper “Performative Strategies of Creative Esotericism in 19th Century Jewish Communities” (Cork, Ireland, 2022); XXXI International Summer School on Religion Women and Religions with the paper “Modern Shamanism, Empowerment and Green Religion: Contemporary Shamanic Practice in Germany” (San Gimignano, Italy, 2024); and the International Theosophical History Conference 2024 with the paper “Modern Shamanism, Theosophy and Ecological Spirituality: Connecting Nature Spiritualities” (Ascona, Switzerland, 2024). Veronica also presented at three seminars at the University of Erfurt: “Initial Shamanic Interviews” University of Erfurt, Master's Thesis Colloquium (2023); “Green Religion and Indigeneity in Popular Media,”University of Erfurt, Green Religion? Answers to Climate Change from the Perspective of Religious Studies (2023); and “Ethnographic Work of Shamanic Practice in Eastern Germany,” University of Erfurt, Master's Writing Seminar (2023).In this discussion, Veronica shares her background and inspiration for her research into modern shamanism. We talk a bit about the terms shamanism and animism, as these are somewhat contested within academia, and Veronica shares how she is using these terms in her work. She explains what questions she was asking at the outset of her project, and also the surprising additions that arose once she started interviewing her participants. Veronica also notes the interesting data that she gathered regarding topics such as gender, identity, “lived religion,” and ecology. As Veronica has her own experience within the concept known as a the holistic milieu (referring to a broad and diverse spiritual landscape that encompasses various New Age and alternative spiritual practices; often contrasted with traditional religious institutions, as it focuses on personal spirituality, self-development, and holistic well-being rather than formal doctrines or organized worship), she found she was able to relate well to the experiences of her participants, and this aspect has led her to consider continuing her research using the method known as autoethnography. This is a qualitative research method that combines autobiographical storytelling with ethnographic analysis. It allows researchers to use their personal experiences to explore and critique cultural beliefs, practices, and social phenomena. Veronica talks about other scholars in the field who have been using this method, and how it is becoming more accepted within academia. If anyone has any questions or comments for Veronica, please post them here or contact me via email and I can pass these on to her. She welcomes further feedback and discussion! Veronica was also very kind to share some references for futher reading; please see this below. PROGRAM NOTESReferences:Olivia Cejan: "Arts and Crafts Divine" is her dissertation utilizing autoethnography and pedagogy to write about a secret society group. Talk at Copenhagen Conference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g2qvGcy5pY&t=524sCorrine Sombrun: -Her institute: https://trancescience.org/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oDs10hUy6ETrailer to her movie; English subtitlesTed Talk:English subtitleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym0kIECFi0Uhttps://amara.org/videos/Tcvokh51yb2Y/en/1543652/?tab=revisionsAnother interview with English (Google)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syy4MTHAfF4 Alice Ahern: Phd Cork Ireland, studying shamanism and pop culture:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCCeV7MLtFcYoutube talk:  "The Reclamation of Feminine Wisdom in the Irish Neo-Shamanic Milieu" Traditional Religions view on Nature Religions:https://fore.yale.edu/Event-Listings/Religions-World-and-Ecology-Conference-Series/Religions-World-and-Ecology-Archivehttps://fore.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/annual_review_environment.pdfBibliography :Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1972.Harner, Michael J. The Way of the Shaman. 10th anniversary ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1990.Harvey, Graham. Animism: Respecting the Living World. Kent Town: Wakefield Press, 2005.Harvey, Graham. Shamanism: A Reader. London: Routledge, 2003.Jenkins, Willis. u.a: “Religion and Climate Change”, Annual Review of Environment and Resources 2018 (43), 85-108.Kaza, Stephanie. “The Greening of Buddhism: Promise and Perils”, in: Oxford Handbook of Religion and Ecology, Oxford 2006, 184-220.Kraft, S, T Fonneland, and J Lewis. Nordic Neoshamanisms. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Nordic Neoshamanisms | SpringerLinkLaack, Isabel (2020) “The New Animism and Its Challenges to the Study of Religion”, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, 1-33.Lewis, I.M., Ecstatic Religion | A Study of Shamanism and Spirit Possession | I.M.McGuire, Meredith B. Lived religion: Faith and practice in everyday life. Oxford University Press, 2008.Puca, Angela. Italian Witchcraft and Shamanism: The Tradition of Segnature, Indigenous and Trans-Cultural Shamanic Traditions in Italy. Leiden; Brill, 2024.Saler, Benson. Conceptualizing Religion: Immanent Anthropologists, Transcendent Natives, and Unbounded Categories. New York: Berghahn Books, 2000.Shelton, Dinah (2015): “Nature as a legal person”. In: Vertigo (Hors-série 22).DOI: 10.4000/vertigo.16188.Taylor, Bron Raymond. Dark Green Religion: Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010. Dark Green Religion – Professor Bron TaylorZnamenski, Andrei A., The Beauty of the Primitive: Shamanism and Western Imagination | Oxford Academic Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea 

This is a special audio interview for all listeners! As there was no Spotlight interview earlier this year, I have produced this 'extra' Spotlight for the month of May. I hope you enjoy it. :)David W. Kim (PhD: University of Sydney) is a Honorary Lecturer at the School of History and the Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS), Australian National University, a Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space, and a Visiting Scholar, Harvard University, USA (2023-2024). He is a Board Member for UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Korea Government, an Associate Professor at Kookmin University, Seoul, and a NASA Judge for the Human Research Program (HRP), Johnson Space Center Huston, USA.Professor Kim, a Fellow of The Royal Historical Society (UK) and The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britian and Ireland, has conducted a new study on the selection criteria for future Mars astronauts (2033) in conjunction with the Human Research Program (HRP), which remains an open question in the Mars exploration project as part of the Korea Research Foundation's long-term project (2022- 2025) in the field of integration of space science and humanities, as a result of a research visit to Harvard University and NASA Houston, human factors, astrobiology, astrophysics, life sciences, space politics, security, space exploration, and space well-being, and has been recognized as a pioneering study among scholars in the field. In this interview, Dr. Kim first discusses the phenomenon known as the ‘Overview Effect', a profound cognitive shift that astronauts experience when they see Earth from space. It's described as a state of wonderment and self-transformation that occurs upon witnessing the Earth as a fragile, interconnected whole. Many astronauts report feeling an overwhelming sense of unity, beauty, and a newfound appreciation for humanity and the environment. He then moves on to discuss his article, “Mars Space Exploration and Astronautical Religion in Human Research History: Psychological Countermeasures of Long-Term Astronauts” from 2022 in the journal Aerospace. He expands on the challenges and issues that arise when considering long-term space travel (of at least 3 years), such as radiation, zero-gravity, isolation, confinement, the distance from Earth, and emergencies that could arise, as well as the potential for an “astronautical religion” to help mitigate or prevent these challenges. PROGRAM NOTESDr. David W. Kim:Dr. David W. Kim | LinkedInDavid W. Kim - Australian National UniversityAsso. Prof. David W. Kim - The Australian National UniversitySCIE Journal of European Research on Mars Exploration and Human Spaceflight Policy / Professor David William Kim (College of Liberal Arts) - KMU NEWS | Kookmin People - Kookmin UniversityThe 201st Anniversary of the Royal Asiatic Society – Royal Asiatic SocietyAbout Us | RHSArticle from Aerospace Journal: Mars Space Exploration and Astronautical Religion in Human Research History: Psychological Countermeasures of Long-Term AstronautsEditing: Daniel P. SheaMusic and End Production: Stephanie Shea 

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Lars de Wildt. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 1 'Gates of Argonath' member on Patreon, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. My guest this month is Dr. Lars de Wildt. Lars is Assistant Professor in Media and Cultural Industries at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands.Lars studies how media cultures and industries make contemporary worldviews. Examples are how media industries construct 'global' culture and how local audiences consume it; how Western game developers sold religion to secular audiences; how online platforms birth conspiracy theories; and how Western videogames adapt to Chinese players and policies.His first book,  The Pop Theology of Videogames: Producing and Playing with Religion was published Open Access with Amsterdam University Press. Lars was part of the AHRC-funded project "Everything Is Connected: Conspiracy Theories in the Age of the Internet," was previously a (visiting) researcher at the universities of Leuven, Heidelberg, Bremen, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Montréal, and Deakin, and is working on an NWO Veni project about how the hegemonic worldviews of Western videogames adapt to Chinese players and policies. He is also a Member of YARN (Young ARts Network), anEssay-editor of Tijdschrift Sociologie/ Sociology Magazine, a Fellow at the Centre for Religion, Conflict and Globalization, at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, a Member of Faculty of the Consultative Body for Teaching Policy (FOO), and a Research Fellow at the Institute for Media Studies, at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.In this interview, Lars discusses his book The Pop Theology of Videogames: Producing and Playing with Religion. In it, he is offered up the question by a game designer, “what does religion have to do with video games, anyway?” This question opens our discussion on the relationship between games and religion, the differences between developers and players approaches to gaming, how video games can affect players' worldviews, and how role-playing games can potentially contribute to a sense of personal identity. These are just a few of the points Lars covers in this interview. PROGRAM NOTESDr. Lars de Wildt - dr. L.A.W.J. (Lars) de Wildt | Waar vindt u ons | Rijksuniversiteit Groningen@larsdewildt | LinktreeThe Pop Theology of Videogames | Amsterdam University PressAll Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Sheawww.patreon.com/RejectedReligionwww.rejectedreligion.com

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Sue Terry. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 2 'Groves of Orpheus' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. My guest for the month of April is Dr. Sue Terry. Sue Terry is a writer, researcher, conference speaker and lecturer. Her PhD research in occult literary modernism focused on women's empowerment in novels by early twentieth-century women authors, Florence Farr, Mary Butts, Sylvia Townsend Warner and P.L. Travers.  Dr. Sue is ‘The Esoteric Academic', at www.sueterryacademic.comHer article, ‘The Myth of Family: Friendship and Sexual Impropriety in the Feminist Occult Grail Narratives of Mary Butts's Armed With Madness' was published in leading literary journal English Studies (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0013838X.2023.2291909). Sue's current research is centered on literary evidence for occult communication with non - human intelligences/spirits and the cultural impact of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 20th century Britain that continues today.  Sue runs Owl House Seminars (www.sueterryacademic.com/courses-events)online and in person, from weird fiction to ghosts, occultism, ley hunters, UFOs, urban high strangeness, witchcraft and practical skills in tarot and numerology. Sue welcomes invitations to speak at events and is thrilled to return to ‘Rejected Religion'.On July 7th 2025 she is co-producing The Third Florence Farr and the Magical Imagination Conference in London, with Caroline Wise, author and esoteric publisher (Starfire Books), at The College of Psychic Studies South Kensington (https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/special-events/esoteric/florence-farr-and-the-magical-imagination/?id=5551)Meeting people to talk about weird stuff is one of Sue's most favorite things. In this interview, I talked with Sue about her dissertation, “Occult Modernism and the Radical Reform of the Family: Female Empowerment in the Magical Fiction of Four Women Writers, 1890-1940" in which she writes about Florence Farr, Mary Butts, Sylvia Townsend Warner and P.L. Travers. (We didn't have enough time to cover Travers, sadly, but Sue will be coming back in the future to do so!)Sue shares some of her research findings surrounding Farr, Butts, and Townsend Warner. In doing so, Sue beautifully emphasizes the important work of each woman, and their significant contributions. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and my apologies for the delay in getting this uploaded!PROGRAM NOTESMain titles mentioned in this interview:Florence Farr, The Dancing Faun The Dancing Faun - Florence Farr - Hermetic LibraryMary Butts, Armed with Madness #15 - Armed with madness, by Mary Butts - Full View | HathiTrust Digital LibrarySylvia Townsend Warner, Lolly Willowes Lolly Willowes : Warner Townsend Sylvia : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveMusic and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Mike Fiorito. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 3 'Garden of Arcane Delights' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. My guest this month is Mike Fiorito. An Adjunct Professor of English at City Tech (CUNY), Mike is a freelance journalist and author of several books: For All We Know, Mescalito Riding His White Horse, Falling from Trees, The Hated Ones, Sleeping with Fishes, Call Me Guido, Freud's Haberdashery Habits, and Hallucinating Huxley. Mescalito Riding His White Horse received the 2024Independent Press Distinguished Favorite Award in Spirituality. Falling from Trees received the 2022 Independent Press Distinguished Favorite Award in Short Stories. For All We Know, his UFO themed science-fiction novel, published in May 2024.Mike's new book, UFO Symphonic-Journeys into Sound, was published February 1st, 2025. UFO Symphonic: Journeys into Sound explores the profound connection between music and the mysteries of existence. The book delves into music as a form of complex communication and a potential bridge to other realms. Through personal accounts and stories from experiencers, Fiorito examines the symbolic language of sound, dreams, and high strangeness. It invites readers on an extraordinary journey into the unknown, raising thought-provoking questions about the role of music in connecting past, present, and future.In this discussion, Mike and I talk about his latest book, and Mike shares several anecdotes from different people that Mike interviewed. Some highlights from this conversation include:-          the concept of “The Harmony of the Spheres” that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the cosmos and the spiritual journey of the soul; the main idea of which is that the cosmos is ordered by mathematical principles, and that planets and stars move in harmony with these principles, producing a kind of eternal music;-         How the stories Mike shared bring up a lot of ideas related to the notion of ‘tapping into' a larger system (that we might call consciousness, or cosmos; additionally, it seems to be suggesting a type of mind-universe alignment;-         Joshua Cutchin's story about creating a new narrative that combines folklore and UFO phenomena; and the connection between paranormal phenomena and death (which lines up beautifully with a book we read for our prior Patreon book club meeting -- Dr. Jeff Kripal and Whitley Strieber's book, The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained. In the Dedication, Whitley Strieber notes that his wife Anne said, after carefully reading and organizing the numerous letters that they received, that the UFO experiences all had something to do with death, too.);-         Sebastiano De Filippi's section, who also discusses similar ideas to Joshua's about music in his work as a conductor;-         Concepts such as entanglement and tulpas; and much more! PROGRAM NOTESMike Fiorito AuthorUFO Symphonic-Journeys into Sound : https://a.co/d/g1vsfHa Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. John E. Browning. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 1 ‘Gates of Argonath' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. My guest this month is Dr. John E. Browning. A professor in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, John Edgar Browning, Ph.D. has contracted or published 20 academic and popular trade books as well as over 100 shorter works on subjects that cluster around cultural studies, critical media literacy, Dracula, vampires, monstrosity, and horror. Included among his work in film and media studies is his decade-and-a-half-long ethnographic fieldwork with the human or real vampire subculture (a topic in which there are perhaps five scholars worldwide). In addition to academic venues, Browning has published on the real vampire subculture in public forums such as The Atlantic (2015) and Discover Magazine (2015 and 2018), and his unique expertise in this area has helped facilitate several public appearances as a guest scholar on, or service as a consultant for, over two dozen television and streaming networks, professional podcasts, and radio programs, including Discovery channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth's History of Horror, History channel, Disney+, Netflix, Discover Magazine's “It's Only Science” podcast, Ripley's Believe It or Not, NPR, The Howard Stern Show network, BBC Radio, RTÉ—Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and SLATE among others. In this interview, John and I discuss his research into the Real Vampire Community. He talks about his motivation to begin looking into this subculture, as well as what he's learned over the years. As this topic somewhat overlaps with my own research into the Otherkin community, I take the opportunity to ‘compare notes' so to speak, and ask questions to gain more clarity on this group. John also discusses to what degree contemporary expressions of the vampire in popular culture have influenced the real vampire community, and how his research has contributed to changing perceptions of this subculture. He talks about his term ‘defiant culture' as it relates to people who have been labeled ‘Other' or ‘deviant' and also mentions how his research has helped forensic professionals that deal with crimes that seem, on the surface, to involve people who label themselves ‘vampires'. We also touch upon the Temple of the Vampire, a group that is viewed as a religious organization, and how this group relates to the larger vampire community in the US. PROGRAM NOTESJohn Edgar Browning - Savannah College of Art and DesignForeword to The Palgrave Handbook of the Vampire (ed. Simon Bacon)"The real vampires of New Orleans and Buffalo: a research note towards comparative ethnography""Life Among the Vampires" (THE ATLANTIC, October 31, 2015)Vampire Fictions and the Conflation of Violent Criminality with Real Vampirism: A Practical OverviewJohn Edgar Browning - WikipediaAmazon.com: Dracula: A Norton Critical Edition (Norton Critical Editions): 9780393679205: Stoker, Bram, Skal, David J., Browning, John Edgar: BooksDr. John Edgar Browning (@jedgarbrowning) • Instagram photos and videosAll Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea 

Vanessa Sinclair, PsyD is a psychoanalyst in private practice, who works remotely online with people all over the world. She hosts the internationally-renowned podcast Rendering Unconscious, which was awarded the Gradiva Award for Digital Media by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP).Dr. Sinclair is the author of Things Happen (2024), Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art: The Cut in Creation (2021), The Pathways of the Heart (2021), and Switching Mirrors (2016).She is the editor of Psychoanalytic Perspectives on the Films of Ingmar Bergman: From Freud to Lacan and Beyond(2023), as well as the Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives book series.Dr. Sinclair co-edited The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (2025) with Elisabeth Punzi and Myriam Sauer, as well as Outsider Inpatient: Reflections on Art as Therapy (2021) with Elisabeth Punzi, On Psychoanalysis and Violence: Contemporary Lacanian Perspectives (2019) with Manya Steinkoler, and The Fenris Wolf vol 9 (2017) and The Fenris Wolf vol 11 (2022) with Carl Abrahamsson. She is a founding member of Das Unbehagen: A Free Association for Psychoanalysis, sits on the International Advisory Board for the journal Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, and is Editorial Advisor for Parapraxis Magazine.Vanessa and I talk about her upcoming course with Morbid Anatomy, “The Cut in Creation: Exploring the Avant-Garde, Dada, Surrealism, Modern Art, Noise Music, and Performance Art through a Psychoanalytic Lens.” This course will be taking place on Sundays, from May 25- June 15, and all classes will be recorded for those who can't make it to the live class for whatever reason.As the Morbid Anatomy website states: Drawing on the theories of a variety of psychoanalysts, including Freud, Lacan and Laplanche, the course will explore the long and rich relationship between psychoanalysis and the fine arts – from painting and music to poetry, collage, photography, film, and performance art, including the use of technology and body modification to explore aspects of identity, gender and sexuality. Through immersion in the work of these artists and psychoanalytic ideas, participants will walk away with a better understanding of the transformative process inherent of the act of creation itself, especially when used as a powerful disruption of narrative, and hopefully feel inspired themselves to create! In this discussion, Vanessa gives a sneak peek into each of the four parts of the course. Some highlights are: talking about the inspiration for the course;outlining the events that led to the creation of psychoanalysis as well as the avant-garde movement;expanding on the historical backdrop – what was happening during these years that created this paradigm shift;looking at the years leading up to WW1, and what was taking place then, focusing on psychoanalysis and the avant-garde art scenes;focusing on surrealism and later developments in experimental film, followed by some discussion on the Beat Poets, and outlining how these three are interconnected;focusing on the birth of pop art, and art as it moved from the galleries to the streets, as well as performance art that included the body as an important vehicle/tool of expression. PROGRAM NOTES:Vanessa's website (with all links): Dr Vanessa SinclairMorbid Anatomy Course:The Cut in Creation: Exploring the Avant-Garde, Dada, Surrealism, Modern Art, Noise Music, and Performance Art through a Psychoanalytic Lens, Led by Vanessa Sinclair, PsyD, Begins May 25 — Morbid AnatomySelected Works:Amazon.com: Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art (Art, Creativity, and Psychoanalysis Book Series): 9780367567262: Sinclair, Vanessa: BooksAmazon.com: The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: 9781032603827: Sinclair, Vanessa, Punzi, Elisabeth, Sauer, Myriam: BooksPodcast Rendering Unconscious:Podcast – Dr Vanessa SinclairInstagram:InstagramRobert Frank, Me and My Brother (1968)Me and My Brother (1968) - IMDbMusic, Editing and Video Production: Stephanie Shea

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Jeff Howard. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 3 ‘Garden of Arcane Delights' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. The Patreon page offers much more content as well, including a book club that meets 4 times per year via Zoom. If you are interested in esoteric topics, please check it out!  www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion ~ Many thanks, StephanieDr. Jeff Howard is a scholar of occulture and esotericism. He works as Associate Professor of Games and Occulture at Falmouth University in Cornwall, where he specialises in the occult and games. He is the author of two monographs Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives (now in its second edition) and Game Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice. He translates theory into practice as a core team member of Apocalypse Studios, where he consults on worldbuilding and systems design. He is also the creator of “Howard's Law of Occult Design,” published in 100 Principles of Game Design. Howard has presented on games and the occult at a variety of international conferences, including Berlin Occulture, Trans-States, and ESSWE9. In addition, he has been an invited speaker at Viktor Wynd's Last Tuesday Society, where he has spoken about folk magic and folk games. Howard studies Sabbatic Craft at the intersection of the Left Hand Path and the Typhonian current. Through his scholarship and creative practice, Howard is an ambassador for the power of play as a transformative and transcendent practice.[ Falmouth University Website]In this interview, Jeff shares his background as a “technomage” and talks about his understanding of ludomancy and the history of the concept. With regard to classic role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, he discusses the effects that the moral panic known as the ‘Satanic Panic' had on gaming and game developers, not only during the ‘peak' years but also in later years. Jeff also talks about ‘magical' or ‘occult' games that have been inspired by various forms of media, including the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre, as well as how the motivations and attitudes of players have changed over the years. On an historical level, Jeff gives some examples of games that are based on occult groups/traditions. He also talks about how he approaches his own game design with occult practices as a starting point, and gives some examples of games that people could look into, should they be interested. Lastly, Jeff expands on his concept of ‘playful occulture' as the basis for an upcoming monograph, and shares a bit about an article he co-wrote for RENSEP, titled "To Reveal the Hidden Kingdom of Eld: Andrew Chumbley, the Cultus Sabbati, and Imaginal Space in Cornwall” that can be found on the RENSEP website for members. (Just a reminder: RENSEP membership is free of charge for Tiers 3 and 4!) PROGRAM NOTESGame Magic | Putting the Magic Back in Magic Systems (website with all links)Game Magic Book | Game MagicQuests | Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives | Jeff Ho100 Principles of Game DesignArcana: A Ceremonial Magic Simulator (Updated 2021) | Game MagicJeff Howard - YouTubeLeft Hand Path of Game DesignDr Jeff HowardJeff Howard - Ludomancy: Games as Occult Practice in Between StatesJeff Howard (@gamemagicarcana) • Instagram photos and videoshomo_ludens_johan_huizinga_routledge_1949_ : Johan Huizinga : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveMaking Deep Games by Doris C Rusch | GoodreadsPassage: a Gamma256 video game by Jason RohrerKult: Divinity Lost | KULTBooks by Jack Vance (Author of The Dying Earth)Moorcography.org – Moorcography.org: The Michael Moorcock BibliographyEarthsea Cycle Series by Ursula K. Le GuinThe 9 Quantic Gamer Types - Quantic Foundryich.ioDriveThruRPG - The Largest RPG Download Store!Steam SearchCultist Simulator – Weather FactoryHome - Research Network for the Study of Esoteric PracticesTheme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea 

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Liana Saif. To access the entire episode, please consider visiting www.patreon/RejectedReligion and become a Tier 1 'The Gates of Argonath' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. The Patreon page offers much more content as well, including a book club that meets 4 times per year via Zoom. If you are interested in esoteric topics, please check it out!  ~ Many thanks, StephanieIn 2021, Liana Saif joined the Centre for the Study of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam as Assistant Professor in the History of Esotericism in the Middle Ages. Liana's work focuses on Islamic esotericism and the occult sciences, with a special interest in the exchange of esoteric and occult knowledge between the Islamic and Latin inhabited lands. Her book The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015. She is currently preparing a long-awaited critical translation from Arabic into English of the grimoire known as the Picatrix. A few of her research projects include the tenth-century secret brotherhood known as The Brethren of Purity, and the pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica. She also worked as a project curator at the British Museum, deepening her interest in the material and artistic manifestations of the occult and the esoteric.Liana is a founding member of the European Network for the Study of Islam and Esotericism (ENSIE). Editorial roles include being a board member for Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism and Brill's Islamic Translation Series, and an associate editor of the journal Early Science and Medicine.In this interview, Liana speaks at length about Islamic Esotericism. This is an area of esoteric history that I haven't yet touched upon, so I was happy that Liana agreed to share her extensive knowledge on this topic. Some highlights of our discussion include: why the views and discourse of Islam within the area of “Western” esotericism is problematic; academic debates and disagreements in this area, how Liana defines Islamic esotericism, including paradigms and social orientations; and why the relationship between the idea of an eternal truth and the Islamic law raises anxiety in how Islamic esotericism is interpreted. Liana also discusses her research that deals with the 17th century Maltese inquisition, in particular the trial of Sellem the Moor, a Muslim enslaved person who was accused of being a magician. This work is part of a larger volume called Magic in Malta, and Liana examines this trial on three interconnected levels, and is a down-to-earth, practical example of how magic was being used by people at this time. Be sure to check out the program notes for links to all of the articles discussed in this episode. I hope you enjoy! PROGRAM NOTESLiana Saif | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu"What is Islamic Esotericism", Correspondences, Vol. 7, issue 1 (2019)The Past and Future of the Study of Islamic EsotericismMagic and Divination Lost in Translation: A Cairene in a Maltese InquisitionA Preliminary Study of the Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica: Texts, Context, and DoctrinesResearch: Dr. Liana Saif - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currentsAll Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

Amy Hale is an Atlanta based writer and critic with a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA (1998). Her research interests include contemporary magical practice and history, art, culture, women and Cornwall. She has written widely on artist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun, and has been an academic advisor to the 2025 Colquhoun retrospective at Tate St. Ives and Tate Britain. She wrote the first scholarly biography of Colquhoun, Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern Loved Gully (Strange Attractor, 2020) followed by the collection Sex Magic: Diagrams of Love, (Tate Publishing, 2024), and A Walking Flame: Selected Magical Essays of Ithell Colquhoun (Strange Attractor 2025).  She is also the editor of the groundbreaking collection Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses (Palgrave 2022). She has written extensively on magic and contemporary art, and has written for Tate, Burlington Contemporary, Art UK, The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Correspondences Journal and other institutions.She is an Honorary Research Fellow with Falmouth University in Cornwall, a trustee of the UK Charity Rediscovering Art by Women (RAW) and a member of the British Art Network. Beyond the Supernatural: Magic in Contemporary Art is due to be published with Tate Publishing in 2026.In this discussion, Amy shares the inspiration for the upcoming 10-part series, “Magic in Contemporary Art,” in collaboration with Treadwells Bookstore  and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, beginning on March 30th, 2025. The current interest in magic and art is not a fad, as Amy explains. She gives us a sneak peek of the first four sessions, that cover topics such as “ecofeminist art,” the influence of Hermetic magic on art, and philosophical feminism as found in the works of Donna Haraway and Karen Barad. Amy then talks in more detail about her inspiration with the work surrounding the artist Ithell Colquhoun, including the current exhibition at the Tate St. Ives Museum in Cornwall, as well as her own writings on the life and work of Colquhoun. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about this amazing woman, and I hope you enjoy the interview! PROGRAM NOTESLinktree:        https://linktr.ee/amyhale93?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=d4c380a2-24b1-4488-af02-5eb31ced3e86         Amy Hale   https://www.instagram.com/amyhale93/     Chasing the Supersensual | Amy Hale | SubstackMagic in Contemporary Art, Ep. 1 – Lecture & Discussion | TreadwellsHome - Museum of Witchcraft and MagicBlogs - RAWIthell Colquhoun | Strange AttractorSex Magic – Abrams BooksTheme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie SheaNote: The full episode can be found at my Patreon page, www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion, and can also be purchased for a one-time fee.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

This Spotlight was scheduled to be uploaded in February 2025, but due to illness and scheduling issues, it was postponed.Conjuring Creativity: Art & the Esoteric #3 ‘Inhabiting Esoteric Ecologies'MKII, 71 - 75 Powerscroft rd., Lower Clapton, London, E5 0PT                                              15-16/3/2025In this month's Spotlight, I'm joined by guests Geraldine Hudson and Ben Jeans Houghton from the Conjuring Creativity Conference.Geraldine is an interdisciplinary artist, art educator and curator. Participating specifically at the intersections of site, ecological communion and otherness regarding the relationships between magic/folklore/myth, the female body and our more than human world.This manifests as performance, sculptural installation, short film, text, soundscapes and participatory workshops. Working alchemically with materials which are often site/time dependent such as earth/clay, ash, human hair and plant matter.She has exhibited and curated widely in Europe and beyond, whilst speaking on the relationship between magic and art at conferences such as ESSWE, Trans - States and Occulture. She is a previous board member of Fylkingen in Stockholm, founder of project space Konstapoteket and a founding member of the Magickal Aktivist Artist group NKK in Sweden. She is currently studying towards her masters in fine art at Goldsmiths, UAL.'I enact rites, actions and pilgrimages which then feed back into an exhibited practice, choosing to engage in an art making which is often cyclical, mystical or site sensitive, engaging in embodied acts of connection whilst attempting to align with cosmological time. I utilise my own esoteric practices and knowledge as a conduit between the public 'spectacle of art and reconciliation with the other, claiming magick as a technology of selfhood' . Ben Jeans Houghton is a multidisciplinary Artist and Astrologer, working in sculpture, installation, film, drawing, poetry, essay and performance. Through these media he explores magic; the art of transformation, its methodologies, technologies, agencies, implications and praxis, from astrological, animistic, gnostic and philosophical perspectives.Ben has exhibited internationally in Africa, Germany, Greece, Japan, South Korea and the USA and in the UK with organisations such as CCA - Glasgow, Workplace Gallery - Gateshead, Gymnasium Gallery - Berwick, Bloc Projects - Sheffield, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art - Gateshead, Generator Projects - Dundee, Whitstable Biennale - Whitstable, BFI - London, Circa Projects - Newcastle, NGCA - Sunderland and Channel Four - UK.Geraldine and Ben talk about the upcoming third edition of the Conjuring Creativity: Art & the Esoteric - ‘Inhabiting Esoteric Ecologies' Conference is taking place this month, in London, on the 15th and 16th of March. They give some background about themselves, and Geradling discusses what led her to organize the conference several years ago in cooperation with Dr. Per Faxneld.They also talk a bit about the lineup this year, and what some of the topics will be, as well as why events like theirs are so important for the larger community of people involved in ‘the esoteric'.It was a pleasure to talk with them about their work. Please see the Notes below for more information about the conference and the artists.PROGRAM NOTESConjuring Creativity: Art & the Esoteric #3 ‘Inhabiting Esoteric Ecologies'MKII, 71 - 75 Powerscroft rd., Lower Clapton, London, E5 0PT                                              15-16/3/2025This two day interdisciplinary conference brings together practitioners, scholars and artists who all have a shared interest in the fields of occultism and esoteric methodologies.This upcoming edition intentionally focuses on the entangled relationships between magick and the more-than-human, exploring how esoteric, occult and mystical strategies are being utilised within and alongside contemporary art to recognise, repair and re-member our innate relationships, to our earthly ecologies, spirits, pan-species kin and the unseen companions who inform and inhabit our terrestriality. * NOTE about Tickets: there are have a limited amount of weekend tickets and single day tickets available at the door in the morning.TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON A SLIDING SCALE FROM: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/conjuringcreativity  https://www.instagram.com/conjuring.creativitywww.conjuringcreativity.orgMusic: Stephanie SheaVideo Production: Stephanie Shea/ Rejected Religion

Ayesha Adamo is an academic, performing artist, and filmmaker currently working towards a PhD in Religion at Rice University under Jeffrey J. Kripal. Her dissertation project explores fluid cosmological ideas, both historically and in current quantum mechanics. She holds an MA in Religious Studies from Universiteit van Amsterdam's Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophy & Related Currents and is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, with a degree in music. Rumor has it she was once in an Asian pop band on EMI Records. Her most recent articles can be found in Anthropology of Consciousness and Religious Studies Review. She is also an ordained Hierophant and Grand Chief of Temple of Thelema.In this discussion, we first look at Georges Bataille and his interpretation of the Acéphale. Bataille (1897-1962) was a philosopher and intellectual, interested in surrealism, and anti- fascist, who, in 1937 founded two groups with the goal of exploring how combinations of power and ‘the sacred' were at play in society. The first group was called the College of Sociology that gave lectures (exoteric group); the second group was Acéphale, an esoteric ‘secret society.' Additionally, a public review by the same name, whose emblem was a headless man, was published in 1936. Ayesha talks a bit about this Acéphale emblem and what this represents, including remarks about the connections to Aleister Crowley's concept of The Abyss; the notion of receptivity, and the difference between the ‘magical' and ‘mystical' currents. Moving from Bataille to George Balanchine, the famous choreographer who co-founded the New York City Ballet Company in 1948; Balanchine is probably most known for his plotless ballets and minimalism, and has a famous quote, “Don't think Dear, just do!' Ayesha shares how are she is linking these two figures and the concept of the Acéphale. She is currently thinking about how the meditative state is the artist's state as well.Ayesha then expands on her 2023 article, “The League of Endarkenment: Hakim Bey and the Way of Disappearance into Nature” talking about “Endarkenment” and how this fits into this same area of headlessness, the mandrake, and disappearance.Lastly, taken from her paper abstract, Ayesha talks more about what she means by “the open fluidity of no-mind”  and “the performance of headless meditation.”*Note 1: I mistakenly say ‘Endarkment' instead of ‘Endarkenment' (my apologies!); plus, around the 29:00 minute mark, the name ‘D.T. Suzuki' is unfortunately cut off due to audio issues. Please find more information about Suzuki in the program notes below.*Note 2 (Not Ignoring the Elephant in the Room): Peter Lamborn Wilson, who wrote under the name ‘Hakim Bey,' was a controversial figure, and unfortunately, rumors have arisen surrounding some of his writings regarding NAMBLA. Accusations were made by a particular website (run by one person, a fellow anarchist) against Wilson, and due to the nature of the internet, damaging assumptions were made. This article A Tribute to Peter Lamborn Wilson - The Brooklyn Rail is a collection of testimonials, and discusses this matter in more detail, giving much needed context.PROGRAM NOTES:Ayesha Adamo | Student | The People of Rice | Rice UniversityAyesha Adamo | Rice University - Academia.eduInstagramAyesha Adamohttps://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/programs-and-centers/program-evolution-spirituality#:~:text=The%20Program%20for%20the%20Evolution%20of%20Spirituality%20%28PES%29,also%20prepares%20students%20for%20ministry%20in%20these%20mov (More information forthcoming regarding this program and how to join remotely!)It Takes a Lunatic | Officiële Netflix-websiteORGCHAOSMIK - GUSTAF BROMSD. T. Suzuki: A Biographical Summary - Association for Asian StudiesWhat are Superfluids and Why Are They Important?Is 'Perpetual Motion' Possible with Superfluids?Ayesha's article in The Fenris Wolf (#13) is forthcoming; I will post a link (on Patreon) when it becomes available.Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

This is the 'Free Content' version of this interview, the full episode can be found at my Patreon: www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion My guests this month are Dr. Sarah Perez and Dr. Cavan McLaughlin.Sarah is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern. While her previous research focused on early modern pamphlet about deathbed visions, she is currently working on contemporary spirituality with a focus on eco- and online-spirituality as well as youth culture.Cavan McLaughlin is a Senior Lecturer in Media Production at the University of the West of England (UWE), with research interests related to the role and function of occulture. Editor of the volume Trans- States: The Art of Crossing Over (2019), Cavan has also published on Crowley, esotericism and narrativity, open-source occultism, and contemporary occulture. Having recently defended a practice-based PhD entitled ‘Occultural Production as Re-Vision and Weird Worlding, they remain a practicing filmmaker, artist, and all-around creative media practitioner. As a media professional of over twenty years, Cavan has been involved in almost all aspects of audiovisual production, specializing in video art, music videos, and visual poetry. Cavan is the founder and Chair of Trans- States (trans-states.org); co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Monad: Journal of Occultural Studies (monadjournal.com); and, a trustee of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (www.rensep.org). Cavan has a profound affection for cows, fungi, and rainbows. This is a discussion that I have wanted to have since the last ESSWE 9 Conference in 2023. In the session “Creativity and Occultural Production” I attended, Cavan and Sarah presented some very interesting papers. I also presented on another day about my research regarding tulpas and Otherkin, and as Cavan and Sarah's topics were in this general area as well, I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be if we could get together and talk about all of this in more detail.We each take turns talking a bit about our own projects, and from there, the discussion leads into sharing our insights and the interconnectivity of our individual research, and how underrepresented this is within academia. Some key concepts that came forward were: imagination, mind/consciousness, Cavan's term ‘alienated agency', power dynamics, new materialisms (inspired by Donna Haraway and Karen Barad), and serious play. We also discuss how other-than-human cultures overlap with neurodivergence and gender, as well as the importance of being ethically responsible (as researchers) and being cognizant of this very normal diversity in expression.   Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Sheahttps://www.relwi.unibe.ch/about_us/personen/dr_des_perez_sarah/index_eng.html#pane1299843https://westengland.academia.edu/CavanMcLaughlinhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfb_AmzPZw4  [Cavan McLaughlin - ‘Another Girl, Another Planet' (Occulture Conference 2023)]https://uva.academia.edu/StephanieShea 

Matt Marble is an artist, author, audio producer and director of the American Museum of Paramusicology. Both creatively and through historical research, his work explores the inspired intersections of art and metaphysics and the intuitive disciplines they mutually employ. Matt is the author of Buddhist Bubblegum: Esotericism in the Creative Process of Arthur Russell, and the producer/host of Secret Sound, a podcast exploring the metaphysical biopics of American musicians, and The Hidden Present, an audio interview series exploring intuitive discipline and spiritual imagination. Additional works have been featured by the California Festival, Warp Records, and the Philosophical Research Society. His writing, research, media production, and personal archive constitute the American Museum of Paramusicology (AMP), through which he also publishes the monthly AMP Journal.The term “paramusicology” was first coined in 1993 by author Melvyn Willin to address psychic and pagan histories of music. Musicology being the study of music, paramusicology is the study of paranormal music experience. Though the term has struggled to find solid footing, the paranormal generally refers us to that which is "beyond" or “outside” the normal—to experiences or phenomena which cannot be explained by scientific reasoning, objective perception, or causal agency. This points our awareness to what may be called the numinous* in human experience. Due to its abstract nature, to even convey the numinous requires active imagination and symbolic communication. The AMP explores how the numinous informs human listening. And it unpacks the esoteric philosophies and intuitive disciplines which facilitate and draw from our spiritual and auditory imagination.In this discussion, Matt shares a bit about his background, as well as his inspiration for creating his platform. He talks about his visual art project known as Wondering Stars, a mixture of music and physical visual works, and how this came out of his dreamwork.He also talks about his podcast, The Secret Sound, and his 7-part series called The Hidden Present, and we even go into a short discussion about musical modes (as used in Western music  - (*thanks to my brother Dan for making that distinction) and their ‘moods', as well as how these can be useful tools for creativity.We then move to talk about the AMP Journal, and focus on Issue 16 from last August called “Spirit Invocations.” In this issues, Matt wrote about the film Longlegs and how sound (not ‘song', as I misspoke in the introduction) is key to this film, including the role of folk music and rock and roll and the esoteric aspects of these, along with how Marc Bolan served as inspiration and perhaps as blueprint of sorts for the main character. He also discusses the concept of the Fohat ( taken from the Theosophical Society) and how this may have inspired the ideas behind the metal balls that Longlegs placed inside the doll heads in the film.PROGRAM NOTEShttps://www.mattmarble.net/matt-marble (all links at the top of the page)https://www.mattmarble.net/buddhist-bubblegumhttps://www.mattmarble.net/amp-longlegshttps://mattmarble.bandcamp.com/https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanMuseumofParamusicologyhttps://www.instagram.com/americanmuseumofparamusicology/Full episode can be found at https://www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion, or purchased for a one-time fee. Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

David B. Metcalfe, Windbridge Institute Scholar in Virtual Residence, is a researcher, writer, and multimedia specialist focusing on areas where creativity, culture, and consciousness collide. In 2011 he established the Liminal Analytics: Applied Research Collaborative to focus on building multidisciplinary lines of communication through applied scholarship, digital media, and social network development. David's work has appeared in Oxford University Press and other peer reviewed anthologies. He was a research assistant for the University of Chicago under Dr. Hussein Ali Agama focusing on archival research, and he is currently the Editor-in-Chief for the Windbridge Research Center's Threshold: Journal of Interdisciplinary Consciousness Studies.I originally had asked both Dr. Diana Pasulka and David to join me for this episode, but due to scheduling conflicts, Diana had to decline. (I am eager to talk with Diana at another time, however!) In this episode, David talks a bit about his background and his interest in the broader topic of ‘anomalous phenomena,' and how this led him to meet Dr. Diana Pasulka and become involved in planning the course “Beyond the Stars” with her. This groundbreaking course explores the history of UFO/UAP phenomena, specific case studies, the main research traditions, and also how religion and esotericism are linked to this phenomena. The course also delves into the related areas of consciousness studies and theories of synchronicity/coincidence. David also shares his reflections/takeaways regarding the course and the participants, the gradual shift in attitudes surrounding this type of phenomena, and what he thinks is ‘the bigger picture' regarding anomalous experiences. We also go on a few related tangents regarding memory, false memory syndrome, owls, and how popular culture absorbs and transmits ideas about high strangeness. Everything is connected. PROGRAM NOTESDavid Metcalfe:https://davidmetcalfe.wordpress.com/ https://uga.academia.edu/DavidMetcalfe/Papers https://www.academia.edu/92502645/Knowing_Others_The_New_UFO_Esotericism_of_D_W_Pasulkas_American_Cosmic_ Dr. Diana Pasulka:https://dwpasulka.com/ https://www.academia.edu/89404115/Introduction_Believing_in_Bits_Digital_Media_and_the_Supernatural_ “Beyond the Stars” Course Information:https://dwpasulka.com/courses/ Other References:https://www.societyforuapstudies.org/ https://www.dukeupress.edu/in-and-out-of-this-world https://impossiblearchives.rice.edu/ https://impossiblearchives.rice.edu/ufo-and-impossible (It seems the registration is closed for this conference as the attendee limit has been reached.)https://thesolfoundation.org/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzlWCeD3J0zVb4KSeaeDNdw Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

Dean Radin is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), Associated Distinguished Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and cofounder and chairman of the biotech company, Cognigenics. He earned an MS (electrical engineering) and a PhD (psychology) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and in 2022 was awarded an Honorary DSc (doctor of science) from the Swami Vivekananda University in Bangalore, India.Before joining the IONS research staff in 2001, Radin worked at AT&T Bell Labs, Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, and SRI International. He has given over 750 talks and interviews worldwide, and he is author or coauthor of some 7 patents, 300 scientific and popular articles, four dozen book chapters, and nine books, four of which have been translated into 15 foreign languages: The Conscious Universe (1997), Entangled Minds (2006), Supernormal (2013), and Real Magic (2018).  In this interview, Dean opens the conversation by talking about why the scientific community is slow to emerge with theoretical explanations as to why anomalous phenomena occur, even with the empirical evidence. He then explains how the three main classes of magickal practice (Divination, Enchantment, and Theurgy) coincide with the three main of psychic phenomena that have been studied over the years by scientists (Clairvoyance, Psychokinesis, and Survival after death). First explaining the three most notable types of tests that have been developed over the years (tossed dice, random number generator outputs, and photon interference), Dean then explains in more detail the last test and the mystery of the ‘wave-particle duality' that ‘violates the commonsense doctrine of realism, which assumes that the physical world is completely independent of observation.' We then move on to the SIGIL (scientific investigation of gazing with intention/intuition at light) experiment that Dean performed with the funding of the Bial Foundation and RENSEP, involving practicing magicians and mediators, and the results of this experiment. Dean talks a bit about further experiments that could be created on the foundation of the SIGIL experiment, and also how all of this ties into the larger discussions about the nature of consciousness and interconnectedness.  https://www.deanradin.com/https://www.cognigenics.io/https://noetic.org/https://www.youtube.com/@InstituteofNoeticScienceshttps://www.rensep.org/https://www.youtube.com/@rensephttps://www.instagram.com/ionsonline/ https://www.instagram.com/rensep_official/Photo Credit: Jordan Engle @ Lens & SoulTheme Music & Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie SheaThe full episode can be found at my Patreon page; it can also be purchased for a one-time fee: www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion 

Dr. Tara B. M. Smith is an early career interdisciplinary academic that works in the fields of science fiction, literature, religion and popular culture. Tara is currently a research affiliate at the University of Sydney. In 2024 Tara was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at the Harvard Divinity School, Boston, writing on religious ideas and experiences of people that paint and play within the science fiction “grimdark” universe of Warhammer 40,000. Tara is a passionate educator who holds a Graduate Certificate of Higher Education and has taught in academic settings for over 5 years across a variety of units including media studies, religious studies, writing skills and composition. When Tara is not studying, she spends time with her two cats Thomas and Momo and her fiancé Luke in Sydney, Australia.While most people who talk and think about the story of Dune focus on the political and religious aspects of the series [for example, the Bene Geserit with their genetic breeding program and the Kwisatz Haderach, or the Butlerian Jihad -the war against thinking machines = technology and AI], Tara's article, “The Anthropocene in Frank Herbert's Dune Series” from 2021 takes a different approach and explores the ecological/philosophical aspects of the story. As she notes, Frank Herbert was warning his readers about their anthropocentric tendencies and urging people instead to think about ecological conservation, or at least he appears to be planting a seed in the minds of the readers to be more aware of their place or role on the Earth.Poem mentioned in this interview:“I drove my feet through a desertWhose mirage fluttered like a host.Voracious for glory, greedy for danger,I roamed the horizons of al-Kulab,Watching time level mountainsIn its search and its hunger for me.And I saw the sparrows swiftly approach,Bolder than the onrushing wolf.They spread in the tree of my youth.I heard the flock in my branchesAnd was caught on their beaks and claws!”– from Arrakis Awakening by the Princess Irulan (Herbert 1978, 228)Dr. Tara Smith:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-b-m-smith-phd-fhea-306418192/“The Anthropocene in Frank Herbert's Dune Series”, Foundation 140, 50.3 (2021): 62-74. The_Anthropocene_in_Frank_Herberts_Dune.docTheme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie SheaThe full episode can be heard at my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion, or can be purchased for a one-time fee. 

Happy New Year to you all! For those who may not be following me on Patreon or social media, I have some important announcements for 2025.   The first being that I'm offering a special 75% discount on the first month's membership for all Patreon tiers! This offer lasts until the end of February. Use the code RRDINER75 for the discount. And on the topic of the RR Diner, there's also news about a change to my Patreon Tiers 3 and 4:  The content of Tiers 3 and 4 has merged, and Tier 4 is now the RR Diner Book Club! The Club will meet 4 times per year (February, May, August & November) and the price for Tier 4 has been lowered to $17.50 as of January 1st. This price includes all the content from Tiers 1-3 plus the Live Zoom meetings for the Book Club. I've already announced the first book over at my Patreon, which is The Super Natural:  A New Vision of the Unexplained by Whitley Strieber and Dr. Jeff Kripal!!Plus, I'm overjoyed to announce that both authors have agreed to join me for the Live Zoom Meet in February!! We are in the process of finding three potential dates that will be listed via a poll on the Patreon page for Tier 4 members to vote on. That information will be following soon. For now, you can start reading! Additionally, you can view two free content videos – one about Sidereal Astrology & How to Understand Natal Charts, the other about a new book called _Void Machines_ by Dr. Christian Greer and Dr. Michelle Oing. This art collage book is about 'Talismanic Frequencies of Peak Experiences.' Those videos are free to watch at my Patreon page, my website or my Vimeo channel.   I'm also excited to announce that I will be collaborating with the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices, otherwise known RENSEP. I will be hosting and moderating some very special conversations between scholars and practitioners throughout the year, called “Spotlight with RENSEP -- Esoteric Crossroads: Scholars Meet Practitioners.”  This content will be available for everyone, and we hope this will promote engagement between the two platforms, as well as offering new topics and opportunities for learning and discussion.Stay tuned for the announcement of the first Scholar-Practitioner Conversation in early 2025! Lastly, the new content for January has been delayed due to unexpected internet stability issues that are preventing me from recording interviews. However, I'm hoping to have things fixed well enough so I can get back to work at the end of this week, and start posting again soon.  Thanks for your patience!I'm looking forward to an excellent new year!  www.rejectedreligion.com www.patreon.com/RejectedReligionDiscount code:  RRDINER75https://vimeo.com/user220298192Music: Daniel P. Shea 

This month's guest on the Rejected Religion Podcast is Brennan Kettelle. Brennan returns for Part 2 of our discussion on Monster Theory, this time looking at the applications of Monster Theory, as well as a more in-depth look at how Brennan is using this theory, along with other related concepts and theories. Brennan is a PhD researcher at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP), University of Amsterdam. Brennan holds an MA in Gender and Cultural studies (2016) and a research MA in Religious Studies, specializing in Western esotericism (2021). She is currenting writing her doctoral dissertation, investigating historical associations between the religiomythic demoness Lilith and queerness within artistic, literary, and occult discourses. Brennan also teaches an 8-week online course on Lilith - focusing on Lilith's origins and cultural receptions within Western esotericism - for the Brooklyn-based organization Morbid Anatomy. Utilizing monster theory and queer theory in her research, Brennan is more broadly interested in investigating themes of the ‘monstrous-queer' within esoteric literature, orders, and figures, as well as esoteric themes within queer subcultures, politics, and histories.Some highlights:Brennan's areas of exploration are primarily located in Gender Studies, Queer Theory, Religious Studies, Horror Theory, and Esotericism. In addition, as Monster Theory has a foundation in psychoanalysis and postmodern theories, Brennan expands on this in greater detail. This leads us into a conversation about the recent film, The Substance, as well as theories found in Foucault's works. Shifting the focus to Religious Studies, Brennan notes how monsters are most often aligned with evil; however, there are exceptions to this when it comes to werewolves in the Bible, for example. [Note: the text that I am reading from regarding werewolves in the Bible as well as the Werewolf Renaissance is taken from my own Research Master thesis.] Religion and Horror Studies intersect in films such as Longlegs, where we can see themes such as “monstrous infection” or a returning sickness.As Brennan states, “the monster is the illumination of everything a society oppresses or represses.”Speaking on the working term of ‘stigmatized alignment,'  Brennan uses the examples of poet Renee Vivien, and “The Witch of Kings Cross” Rosaleen Norton to explain this concept in more detail. In closing, Brennan touches upon the adjacent theory of Hauntology, where past ‘monsters' linger in the present and haunt us. Time, in this instance, could be seen as a monster as well. This is the Free Content version of Episode 33; you can find the full episode at my Patreon page: https://patreon.com/RejectedReligion?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkThis episode is also available for a one-time purchase.PROGRAM NOTESFind Brennan:https://uva.academia.edu/SBrennanKettellehttps://www.instagram.com/_restingwitchface/ Monster Theory Resources:https://ieas-szeged.hu/downtherabbithole/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Barbara-Creed-The-Monstrous-Feminine-2007.pdfhttps://archive.org/details/monstersincloset0000benshttps://www.amazon.com/Celluloid-Closet-Arthur-Laurents/dp/B001NI5C6Uhttps://archive.org/details/religionitsmonst0000bealhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203361894/philosophy-horror-noel-carrollhttps://revisesociology.com/2016/09/21/foucault-surveillance-crime-control/https://medium.com/deterritorialization/jacques-derridas-specter-s-of-marx-and-the-concept-of-hauntology-reflections-on-deconstruction-2eb687322a69https://academic.oup.com/fs/article/59/3/373/638853 Films and Shows Mentioned (Selection):https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17526714/ The Substancehttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt23468450/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt  Longlegshttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt14966898/ Late Night with the Devilhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/  Stranger Things https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5040012/ Nosferatu 2024Renee Vivien:https://allpoetry.com/Renee-Vivien https://youtu.be/3dUc17ut3as?si=KJ9ZDCBFct00eQuj Spotlight with Brennan Kettelle 2021Rosaleen Norton:https://www.witchofkingscross.com/about-new/ Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

This month's Patreon Tier 2 guest is Peg Aloi. Peg is a freelance film and TV critic, a former professor of media studies, and co-editor (with Hannah Sanders) of The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture (Routledge) and Carnivale and the American Grotesque: Critical Essays on the HBO Series (Macfarland). With Hannah she also co-organized two scholarly conferences at Harvard University on paganism, witchcraft and media. Peg's forthcoming book The Witching Hour: How Witches Enchanted the World is a cultural analysis of the witch in contemporary media. Peg was also one of the co-founders of The Witches' Voice and wrote about film and TV for the site for over a decade. Her long-running blog "The Witching Hour" can now be found on Substack. This conversation was inspired by a lecture in April of 2024 by Peg for The Last Tuesday Society called “The Satanic Panic: Its Roots and Branches,” that explored a number of disparate but often-related elements that converged to create the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 90s, including Satanic-themed horror films. In this discussion, we pick up were Peg left off and explore how viewpoints surrounding Witchcraft and ‘The Occult' have changed since that time until our present day. Peg talks about various instances within popular culture that have shown a shift in the ‘negative' paradigm. This conversation spans several different areas, ranging from politics and society, education and scholarship, entertainment media, films and series, to magic and other ‘occult' practices.I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!You can find the Full Episode with Peg Aloi at my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion The episode is also available for a one-time purchase. PROGRAM NOTESMentioned by Peg:Documentary Hail, Satan? https://youtu.be/27RtJp-rhHk?si=1IEizfm8d4xCVvV5 (trailer)Agatha, All Along https://youtu.be/R9pXbNz6Vbw?si=WDEc8Q3Lb-92pNlB (trailer)AHS: Coven  https://youtu.be/ra8aQ-CfKVw?si=J9W74jUct4dNJcPm (trailer)Film Realm of Satan https://youtu.be/7ANZCk97F7Y?si=L7rC4VStmYo_NkrL (trailer)Find Peg Aloi here:https://x.com/themediawitchhttps://themediawitch.substack.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lfIuXsQmI (Podcast)Works:https://www.amazon.com/New-Generation-Witches-Witchcraft-Contemporary/dp/0754657841https://www.amazon.com/Carnivale-American-Grotesque-Critical-Essays/dp/0786448164The Witching Hour: How Witches Enchanted the World (forthcoming)Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

My guests this month are Dr. Bernd-Christian Otto and Andrea Centore, co-founders of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices, otherwise known as RENSEP. In this discussion, Bernd and Andrea talk about how this network came to be, why it was created, and the exciting work that they are doing. As the name suggests, RENESP is focused on working with practitioners in all areas of esotericism, and fostering the relationships between academic research and real-life practitioners. RENSEP is still in its early stages, having officially launched in 2023, and is a unique resource for both researchers and those outside of academia who are interested to interact with scholars, as well as to help educate the public about esoteric practices. Bernd-Christian Otto (b. 1976) is a scholar of religion. After gaining his PhD in 2009 at the university of Heidelberg (Germany) with an extensive study on the conceptual history of magic, Otto pursued his academic career at various universities, among them Heidelberg, Erfurt, Bochum, Leipzig, Erlangen (Germany) and Bergen (Norway). Otto is co-founder and permanent fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies ‘Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective' at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (www.cas-e.de); he is a board member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (www.esswe.org); and he is co-founder, trustee and scientific director of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (www.rensep.org). Otto's research focuses on magic and esotericism, where he combines different methodologies such as conceptual history, discourse analysis, social theory, ritual studies, qualitative interviews, participant observation, and practitioner-scholarship. His book publications include "Defining Magic: A Reader" (Routledge 2013), co-edited with Michael Stausberg; the duograph "Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe: The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections" (Palgrave MacMillan 2017), co-authored with Daniel Bellingradt; and the anthology "Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination" (Brill 2021), co-edited with Dirk Johannsen. Andrea Centore holds a master's degree in Translation Studies from the University of Mons-Hainaut (Belgium), and a master's degree in Religious Studies from the University of Amsterdam. His research explores the intersection of Jewish and Islamic esotericism through the perspectives of intellectual and global history, with a particular focus on Kabbalah and Sufi lettrism. In addition, Andrea has engaged with texts from a wide range of esoteric traditions including Islamicate occultism, strands of Western esotericism, and Nāth Tantric Yoga. He is the co-founder and managing director of the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (RENSEP), where one of his key aims is to foster a more systematic dialogue between the academic community and esoteric practitioners. Andrea is also an entrepreneur in the professional services sector.  We take a look at the website, and the different options available to the members. Not only are there blog posts and research updates available, but members can also take part in study groups and take part in livestreams with scholars and practitioners alike (titled “ask a scholar” and “ask a practitioner”). Another great opportunity is the ability to meet new people, forming connections with other members to foster communication and learning, growing one's own network of contacts in the process. RENSEP has also just launched an open-access, peer-review journal, too, called Praxis-Knowledge! RENSEP is a fantastic place to share and learn with other people with similar interests, and is one-of-a-kind with regard to online communities that offer grounded, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed research and a wonderful platform for practitioners to engage with scholars and others who share the same interests. Bernd and Andrea have also very generously offered a 50% discount on membership for all viewers/listeners of Rejected Religion! Use the promo code RR50 when signing up at www.rensep.org! Patreon members also receive special discounts -- Tiers 1& 2 get 70% off on membership, and Tiers 3 & 4 get a FREE membership!This is a fabulous opportunity to join and start learning about esoteric practices, with access to information and resources that usually only are available to those within academia! Members can find their promo codes on the Patreon page. Rejected Religion | Illuminating the Obscure | Patreon My thanks to RENSEP for making this possible!  Theme music & video production: Stephanie Shea of Rejected Religion

Hi Friends!As promised, here is the impromptu discussion I just had with Dr. Christian Greer and Brennan Kettelle RMA about the new online winter school course, offered by the University of Amsterdam, called Forbidden Knowledge: Introduction to Esotericism.Christian and Brennan talk a bit about the changes that have been made in the summer and winter intensives, and how the desire for 'Forbidden Knowledge' has been in the works for some time. They both explain their vision for this course, how it's set up, who will be teaching, and most importantly, the fact that anyone who's passionate about esotericism is welcome to join.They both stress the opinion that esotericism studies is entering a new 'era,' so to speak, and that alongside the traditional historical and empirical approaches, they aim to branch out to include interdisciplinary approaches, together with a focus on art, music, film, and other media. The goal is to create new discussions and paths for those who are interested in this exciting field of study.For those who are interested to join, please follow this link for all information and how to register: https://www.uva.nl/en/programmes/winter-courses/introduction-to-western-esotericism/introduction-to-western-esotericism.htmlThe deadline to apply is 8 December 2024.Theme music and outro music: Daniel P. SheaEnd production: Stephanie Shea

You can find the full episode at: Patreon Tier 3 - Dr. Jonathon O'Donnell Research Updates – Modern Demonology, Spiritual Warfare & Politics, Technology & the EnvironmentMy guest this month is Dr. Jonathon O'Donnell.  Jonathon is a Visiting Scholar in the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen's University Belfast. They are the author of Passing Orders: Demonology and Sovereignty in American Spiritual Warfare (Fordham University Press, 2021). Their research focuses on the intersections of sociopolitical demonisation and religious demonologies in contemporary America, with specific attention paid to Islamophobia, antiblackness, queerphobic and transphobic ideologies. Their latest publication, in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion (JAAR), explores the relationship between contemporary evangelical demonologies of the Nephilim and their connection to wider Christian nationalist, anti-Black, and anti-Palestinian politics. Links to their research and contact details can be found at their website, www.drsjodonnell.com.PROGRAM NOTESS. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD (drsjodonnell.com)Publications – S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD (drsjodonnell.com)(99+) S. Jonathon O'Donnell | University College Dublin - Academia.eduModern demonology: the discernment of spirits in the theatre of colonial modernity: Journal of Contemporary Religion: Vol 38 , No 3 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)Nova Religio - University of Pennsylvania Press (pennpress.org)Damned Ecologies | Environmental Humanities | Duke University Press (dukeupress.edu)Biosoteriology and the Postsecular (In)Human: The Religio-Racializing Assemblages of Evangelical Nephilim Demonology | Journal of the American Academy of Religion | Oxford Academic (oup.com)Previous appearances on Rejected Religion:https://rejected-religion-introductory-episode-1-what-do-i-mean-by.simplecast.com/episodes/spotlight-midnight-mass-discussion-panel(Roundtable discussion about the Netflix show Midnight Mass)https://rejected-religion-introductory-episode-1-what-do-i-mean-by.simplecast.com/episodes/rr-pod-e13-p1-dr-s-jonathon-odonnell-demons-the-demonized-power-and-spiritual-warfare-in-the-usa (Podcast Episode 13 P1)https://rejected-religion-introductory-episode-1-what-do-i-mean-by.simplecast.com/episodes/rr-pod-e13-p2-dr-s-jonathon-odonnell-demons-the-demonized-power-spiritual-warfare-in-the-usa (E13 P2)Social MediaJonathon O'Donnell (@demonologian) • Instagram photos and videosFacebookS. Jonathon O'Donnell; demonologian on

My guest this month is Dell Rose. Dell is working on a project for his PhD dissertation on Charles Augustus Tulk and the role that Swedenborgianism played in the reforming societies of 19th century Britain. Though Tulk is often only known as the artistic patron of William Blake, he was also one of the earliest advocates of "public science" and his quest to show the spiritual nature of the material world based on Swedenborg's revelations would be widely acclaimed during the period.In addition to his PhD work, Dell is currently researching the medical theory and physicalism of Franz von Baader. Baader was one of the most important thinkers of 19th century Germany and was instrumental in establishing academic interest in the theosophy of Jakob Boehme, a very important figure in Esotericism.Dell has a lifelong interest in Christian theosophy, and millenarianism; he is interested as well in understanding the role and influence that national mythologies have played in Western esotericism, as well as esoteric currents in Germany during WW1; and also the inter-religious dialogue between Protestantism and Jewish sectarianism.This discussion, however, concerns 'ornamental' hermits. We explore this in the context of cultural history and significance of the garden and the esoteric influences that were built around this idea. The hermit and the hermitage were seen as a 'living experiment" of both esoteric wisdom with regard to the significance of plants and also the atmosphere that they created.As you will hear, this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we consider an array of influences that might have played a part in the obscure phenomenon known as 'eremitism.'PROGRAM NOTESDell Rose Research: Dell J. Rose - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)Dell Joseph Rose – Swedenborg SocietyThe curious phenomenon of the ornamental hermit (youtube.com)The Hermit in the Garden: From Imperial Rome to Ornamental Gnome: Amazon.co.uk: Campbell, Gordon: 9780199696994: BooksGordon Campbell. The Hermit in the Garden: From Imperial Rome to Ornamental Gnome - Lore - HermitaryFrancis of Assisi's "Rule for Hermitages" - Articles - HermitaryBefore the Garden Gnome, the Ornamental Hermit: A Real Person Paid to Dress like a Druid - Atlas Obscura(99+) RENAISSANCE GARDEN (symbolism, culture, philosophy and phenomenology of Garden) | Lorna McNeur - Academia.eduThe Story | Mother Shipton's CaveDell's former visit to Rejected Religion: RR Pod E27 Dell Rose - Cultural Receptions of Emanuel Swedenborg (youtube.com)Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

Full Episode NotesMy guest this month is Dr. Joel Bordeaux.Joel is a specialist in South Asian religions with a PhD from Columbia University (2015). He has published on East Indian Śākta traditions, early modern Hindu statecraft, Nath Yogi literature from Bengal, and Tibetan Buddhism in Anglophone popular culture. He is a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden, The Netherlands,  and a member of the research group Body and Embodiment in the Middle Bengali Imaginary based at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.As Zeena Schreck, the famous daughter of Anton LaVey of the Church of Satan, was recently interviewed by Jordan Peterson, I immediately thought of Joel and a presentation he gave three years ago about Zeena and her then-husband Nikolas as they relate to Tibetan Buddhism, Tantra and Left-Hand Path practices. I asked Joel if he'd like to re-visit this topic and to flesh it out, further expanding on this, in light of the recent media attention that Zeena has had. He graciously agreed.In this discussion, Joel first gives a background of Anton LaVey & the environment of the Church of Satan wherein Zeena grew up, leading to Zeena taking the role of spokesperson for the Church during the Satanic Panic years, and then the circumstances that led to Zeena leaving the Church to forge her own path.This takes us to other projects that Zeena and Nikolas were involved in, such as Radio Werewolf and the Temple of Set, their break from that group to form their own group called the Sethian Liberation Movement or ‘The Storm'.  Joel discusses in more detail the concepts of tantra and left-hand path traditions that are used in their practices and beliefs. Another important factor that is discussed is the role of Traditionalism within all of Zeena's work.In closing we discuss our takeaways from Zeena's interview with Jordan Peterson. I hope you enjoy this conversation!This content is educational in nature. 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.PROGRAM NOTESJoel Bordeaux | Instagram, Facebook | LinktreeTaking the Left Hand Path to Tibet, by Dr. Joel Bordeaux || HHP Student Association (youtube.com)Spotlight Dr. Joel Bordeaux - Batman, Buddhism & Bricolage: Grant Morrison & The Dark Knight (youtube.com)(99+) Joel Bordeaux | Utrecht University - Academia.edu(99+) From Bauddha Deśa to Śākta Pīṭha: Re/Locating the Hindu Goddess Tārā | Joel Bordeaux - Academia.eduA Cultural History of Hinduism: Volumes 1-6: The Cultural Histories Series Karen Pechilis Bloomsbury Academic- Volume 4: A Cultural History of Hinduism in the Age of EmpiresEdited by Valerie Stoker, Wright State University, USA--Politics and Power in the Age of Empires, Joel Bordeaux (Leiden University, The Netherlands)Unmasking Buddhism | WileyFull Interview: Zeena Schreck Interviewed by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Podcast EP471 (youtube.com)All Music and first edit: Daniel P. SheaEnd Production: Stephanie Shea

Due to scheduling issues, this episode is coming to you later than planned; my apologies for the delay. My guest this month is Brennan Kettelle.Brennan is a PhD researcher at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP), University of Amsterdam. Brennan holds an MA in Gender and Cultural studies (2016) and a research MA in Religious Studies, specializing in Western esotericism (2021). She is currently writing her doctoral dissertation, investigating historical associations between the religiomythic demoness Lilith and queerness within artistic, literary, and occult discourses. Brennan also teaches an 8-week online course on Lilith - focusing on Lilith's origins and cultural receptions within Western esotericism - for the Brooklyn-based organization Morbid Anatomy. Utilizing monster theory and queer theory in her research, Brennan is more broadly interested in investigating themes of the ‘monstrous-queer' within esoteric literature, orders, and figures, as well as esoteric themes within queer subcultures, politics, and histories.This episode is Part 1 of 2; the second part is planned for December of this year.Brennan starts this conversation by explaining her motivations for delving into monster theory as part of her larger research into the figure of Lilith. Monster theory looks at what a group fears as well as how marginalized populations or individuals align with ‘the monstrous,' what she's calling (at this time) ‘stigmatized alignment.' Monster theory is used here as the methodological axis upon which the larger research revolves.Brennan also talks about the background of this new area of study, its postmodern critical analysis of the monster and how this has switched to looking at the monster from the monster's perspective, how the monster is used by people, and examining which groups become monstrous themselves. We talk a bit about this process in the figure of the vampire as well as Lilith. Brennan also talks more about how she is using the figure of Lilith as ‘an esoteric example that shows the enduring historical entanglement between queerness and monstrosity.'PROGRAM NOTES (Full Episode)(99+) S. Brennan Kettelle | University of Amsterdam - Academia.eduResearch: Brennan Kettelle - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)The monsters and the critics, and other essays : Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveMonster theory : reading culture : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveAmazon.com: The Occult Imagination in Britain, 1875-1947 (Among the Victorians and Modernists): 9780367885069: Ferguson, Christine, Radford, Andrew: BooksThe Monster Theory Reader: Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew: 9781517905255: Amazon.com: BooksTime Binds: Queer Temporalities, Queer Histories (Perverse Modernities: A Series Edited by Jack Halberstam and Lisa Lowe): Freeman, Elizabeth: 9780822348047: Amazon.com: BooksThe Well of Loneliness (penguin.co.uk)Feeling Backward: Loss and the Politics of Queer History: Love, Heather: 9780674032392: Amazon.com: BooksThe Celluloid Closet (youtube.com)All Music: Daniel P. Shea

Note: This audio upload is a selection of clips taken from the full-length Patreon interview with Dr. Aaron French. To hear the full interview, please visit my Patreon page; you could consider joining to have access to more content like this, or have the option for a one-time purchase of the full episode (visit the 'shop' link for more information about pricing).PROGRAM NOTES (FULL EPISODE): My guest this month is Dr. Aaron French. Aaron received his doctorate in the study of religion, including an emphasis in science and technology studies, from the University of California, Davis. His monograph Max Weber, Rudolf Steiner, and Modern Western Esotericism: A Transcultural Approach will be published by Routledge in late 2024 in the “Asia, Europe, and Global Connections: Culture, History, and Trans-Area Studies“ book series. Aaron has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in academic journals and regularly gives lectures and presentations at international conferences. He currently teaches in the international Religious Studies Masters program at the University of Erfurt in Germany and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Freie Universität Berlin.In our conversation, Aaron talks about new areas of research that he's been exploring regarding the field of ufology, and its connections with esotericism, technology and religion. He's currently editing a forthcoming interdisciplinary academic collaborative work about this, called Religion and the UFO Phenomenon: Methodological Challenges, that asks the questions, “how best should scholars of the humanities and social sciences approach the UFO phenomenon as an object of study? Why are otherworldly experiences intertwined with new forms of religiosity?”Aaron also gives a re-cap of the recent developments in the U.S. with regard to the UAP, or Unidentified Arial Phenomena, in Senate hearings and discusses the issues surrounding disclosure, with the largely failed attempt to establish a committee that would force the US government to declassify and release all information on UFOs. He then moves on to discuss his own developing research into the connections between ufology and esotericism, and how religion is being transformed, with some in academia speaking now of a new religiosity forming around these experiences. Aaron's work is looking at this modern esotericism that keeps popping up in this new ‘hybrid technoscientific religiosity' as he terms it. Ideas of evolution and training for humans who are interested in future realities in space are also discussed in terms of ritual initiation or Hero's Journey that is likened to the Jedi training of the Star Wars story.In closing, we also explore occulture and the cultural impact on all of this a bit, specifically how these ideas are played out in shows like X-Files and of course, my favorite, Twin Peaks.NOTE: Around the 1 hour 13 minute mark, I mistakenly say "accelerators" instead of "accumulators" when talking about Wilhelm Reich's orgone accumulators. My apologies.Alongside this work, Aaron has recently co-edited the volume Modernity and the Construction of Sacred Space, which is available in open access on the De Gruyter website. You can find his latest article on Rudolf Steiner "Esotericism against Capitalism? Rudolf Steiner's Reform Pedagogy as a Site of Resistance" in volume 14 (no. 2) of the journal Approaching Religion, which is also published open access.Rejected Religion | Illuminating the Obscure | PatreonTo access my previous discussion with Aaron about UFOs, Steiner and Hynek PLUS more relevant links to the topic, please follow these links:https://rejected-religion-introductory-episode-1-what-do-i-mean-by.simplecast.com/episodes/rr-podcast-e24-p1-dr-aaron-french-us-from-the-future-magic-technology-rosicrucians-steiner-new-age-ufoshttps://rejected-religion-introductory-episode-1-what-do-i-mean-by.simplecast.com/episodes/rr-pod-e24-p2-dr-aaron-french-us-from-the-future-magic-technology-rosicrucians-steiner-new-age-ufosDr. Aaron French(99+) Aaron French | Universität Erfurt - Academia.eduAaron J. French (uni-erfurt.de)(99+) Modernity and the Construction of Sacred Space | Aaron French - Academia.edu(99+) Esotericism against Capitalism? Rudolf Steiner's Reform Pedagogy as a Site of Resistance | Aaron French - Academia.eduDavid Grusch Congressional Testimony videos: Bing VideosUAP Task Force AARO: AARO HomeDr. Diana PasulkaAmazon.com: Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences: 9781250879561: Pasulka, D. W.: BooksAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology: Pasulka, D.W.: 9780190692889: Amazon.com: BooksDr. Jeffrey KripalAmazon.com: How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else: 9780226833682: Kripal, Jeffrey J.: BooksSpacekind Foundation: SPACEKIND.ORG"Overview Effect": The Overview Effect: It will transform how you think forever (youtube.com)Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Full Title: Are We Living in A Simulation? Testing Tom Campbell's Consciousness-Based Simulation TheoryThis hour-long audio clip is a collection of excerpts from a three-hour long conversation with guest Eliott Edge that can be found on my Patreon page. A new option of a one-time purchase is now available as well, if you'd like to listen to the whole episode! Please visit my Patreon to learn more: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rr-patreon-tier-111609568 As listed on Eliott's website bio, he "is a critically-acclaimed author, artist, and international speaker. Eliott has published and presented through The Institute of Ethics and Emerging Technologies, The University of Melbourne, Stevens Institute of Technology, Anthology Film Archives, The C.G. Jung Center, The Fenris Wolf, The Museum of Computer Arts, VRTO, Block Seoul, and Disinformation. His work has been included in university curricula as well as cited in Masters' theses and Doctoral dissertations. Edge's interests include cyborg anthropology, simulation theory, media theory, consciousness and psi research, liminality, psychoanalysis, psychedelics, western occultism, contemporary folklore, as well as AI, culture and film criticism. Edge is a member of Das Unbehagen: Free Association for Psychoanalysis, and a Media & Arts Advisory Board member for The Lifeboat Foundation."In this discussion, Eliott shares his insights and views surrounding the work of Thomas Campbell, a former NASA physicist who specialized in technology development and complex-system risk analysis for both government and industry. In addition, for more than 50 years, he conducted scientific, drug-free research into altered states of consciousness. Out of this work came My Big TOE, or Theory of Everything,  a scientific model of reality based on the insight that consciousness is fundamental to all existence.  Eliott is currently working on his own book that discusses Campbell's simulation theory, which posits that our idea of reality is actually a virtual simulation. According to Campbell, consciousness is the fundamental basis of what we consider reality, and the physical universe is a virtual construct created by this consciousness.In our discussion, Eliott talks as well about another simulation theory called the ‘ancestor simulation hypothesis' and the problems associated with this. We also talk about how paranormal, or supernatural experiences such as out-of-body experiences, remote viewing, ghosts, UFOs, etc., play into this concept. As Eliott is not only interested in the scientific side of the story, he also talks about how occult practitioners, such as those found in ritual magick and chaos magick, as well as religious practitioners from any path can also benefit from learning about Campbell's work. He explains everything in a down-to-earth manner so that anyone from any walk of life can understand the principles.Eliott Edgewriting | EliottedgeOddEdges - YouTubeEliott Edge and Tom Campbell in Conversation Part 1 of 2 (youtube.com)Eliott Edge and Tom Campbell in Conversation Part 2 of 2 (youtube.com)Home | Testing the Simulation Hypothesis (testingthehypothesis.com)My Big TOE (my-big-toe.com)Tom Campbell - My Big TOE (my-big-toe.com)My Big TOE Trilogy : Thomas Campbell : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveExperiential Expanded Consciousness Meditation Programs and Research – The Monroe InstituteThe Monroe Explorer Tapes - YouTubeExplorer Series: Compiled Audio Files (1-32) : The Monroe Institute : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveTheme Music: Daniel P. Shea  

In this special Spotlight interview focusing on an important milestone in academia, Drs. Marco Pasi and Wouter Hanegraaff share their thoughts and opinions as they reflect back on 25 years of work at the Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophies and Related Currents, otherwise known as the HHP Centre, at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The Centre was established in 1999, and has had an enormous impact on the development of the study of esotericism in the academy.Former director Prof. Dr. Wouter Hanegraaff opens by giving a background of the Centre - what led to its foundation, who founded it, the inspiration for it, and his role in the Centre. Current director Dr. Marco Pasi continues by sharing his own history with the Centre and the present-day activities, and both share their insights regarding the achievements and challenges the Centre has experienced in the past 25 years.Congratulations to all those involved in the formation of and contribution to this esteemed group!Many thanks to both gentlemen for their time and collaboration.This video was produced by Stephanie Shea of Rejected Religion in collaboration with the HHP Centre. For more information about the Centre and its activities, please visit the website - https://www.amsterdamhermetica.nl/.Theme music: Stephanie SheaCopyright September 2024

Tommy Cowan is currently a PhD student in the Literature, Media, and Culture program at Florida State University. His primary interest is the confluence between literature and esotericism, including how literatures/texts are conceptualized as esoteric ritual, and the reception/transmission of literary esotericism as an intellectual tradition. He received his MA in Religious Studies from University of Amsterdam (2019), graduating Cum Laude. His 2019 master's thesis centers around spirituality and esotericism in the works of American author William S. Burroughs. He is also an Associate Editor for Correspondences: Journal for the Study of Esotericism.As this discussion was centered on research updates, we cover a range of topics- but highlighting a few here:  We start with Tommy's research on Burroughs that grew out of Tommy's work with Florida State University's archive complied by Professor Bucher. Just a head's up – our discussion is mature in nature, so listener discretion is advised, as they say. We cover two of Tommy's papers- one that deals with sexual hanging as something that Burroughs was trying to read in an esoteric sense; the other deals with the tension between Burroughs' misogyny and his ‘feminine' coded texts,  which leads into a related topic of  transgenderism and alchemy, and circling back to sexual metaphors with brief tangents into Wilhelm Reich's orgone energy and David Lynch's atomic bomb scene in Twin Peaks: The Return. After all that, we move on to the concept of ‘normative esotericism,' as Tommy is looking at ways in which esoteric philosophies and thought reinforce hegemonic normative culture. Lastly, Tommy talks about his new research into how animals enter into symbiotic relationships with plant and fungi substances, plus how we can analyze our own relationship to entheogens.Check out my Patreon page for the full interview! Rejected Religion | Illuminating the Obscure | PatreonTheme Music: Daniel P. Shea

My guest this month is Charlotte Rogers. Charlotte is an artist, author, practicing witch and magician. She recently was artist-in-residence at the Magickal Women Conference 2024.Charlotte and I met in 2022 at the Visionary Medium Conference in Copenhagen. I was intrigued by her presentation there and was eager to talk with her more. Although it's been two years since we last spoke, I am happy to offer this interview for you now.  Some highlights:With regard to Charlotte's 'process,' she explains that she is hyperaware of everything happening around her, and is trying to make sense of things as well as trying to see patterns that could help her operate in reality (or realities). However, with her art, she "switches off everything" although her brain is working on an unconscious level while she is creating. She then has to decipher what the meaning is afterwards. As she calls herself an 'intellectual packrat' she finds inspiration in culture of all forms, as well as in nature.  Referencing her sculptures known as 'spirit houses,' she states, "in terms of spirit, ...things of spirit want nothing more than to be recognized." The objects Charlotte creates act as a place of recognition, as well as a place for the spirits to play, or rest, for example.  Speaking about her recent work as artist-in-residence, Charlotte shares how her earlier work that focused on the 'dance' of magick and art developed into new explorations into animism and memory, the latter being the place of life force, in her opinion. Acknowledging memory is part of her artistic process.In closing, Charlotte shares how her work as a writer differs from that as an artist, and also shares her ideas of how 'the liminal' plays a role in her process in general.   You can find Charlotte at the following links:Website: Charlotte Rodgers (squarespace.com)Instagram:  Charlotte Rodgers (@charlottejrodgers) • Instagram photos and videosFacebook:  FacebookMusic: Stephanie Shea

This is an excerpt of my recent upload on Patreon Tier 2 'Groves of Orpheus.' If you are interested to hear more, please consider checking out my Patreon page:  https://www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion. You can find this full interview plus more to come!My guest this month is Bob Cluness. Bob was a guest on the podcast (E28) in December of 2023, and I asked him to come back for a deep dive into many of the things we only just scratched the surface of in the podcast interview.For those who may be new, Bob is a PhD candidate and researcher in the cultural studies program at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. He graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in film studies on accelerationist aesthetics and action cinema, and 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.Bob is a powerhouse and a fantastic source of knowledge, as you will hear in this discussion. We get more into the CCRU, and especially Nick Land and his story; we talk at length about accelerationism, traditionalism and chaos magick - and how this all plays into politics, economics, culture, music, gender – basically every aspect of our lives.This discussion is a long one - over three hours! :)My apologies for the poor sound quality of this audio. I had last-minute, unexpected, technical issues so I had to improvise without my professional recording equipment. Hope it's still acceptable, and I hope you will enjoy this discussion.

This month's guest is Dr. Phil Legard. Phil is senior lecturer in music production at Leeds Beckett University. His research interests lie at the intersection of esotericism, music, and politics. His doctoral work explored autoethnography as a research method for esotericism studies, from which he developed a theory of ‘creative seekership'. With Dr. Alexander Cummins, he is co-author of An Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke (Scarlet Imprint 2020), which transcribes and analyses the 16th-century grimoire and magical record of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He is also the author of various popular and academic articles on esotericism, magick, and creativity. He is one-half of the musical duo Hawthonn, who currently have two LP releases on Brooklyn's Ba Da Bing records.In this interview, Phil talks about the tricky area of methodology when it comes to scholars who are also magickal practitioners, and the reasons why he chose autoethnography as his primary research method. He also explains the background of the term and how the method has developed from a narrative-only approach to one where analysis is also utilized. Phil then talks about some important points and insights that arose while he was doing field recordings, and more about his developmental process as a magickal practitioner throughout the years as a “creative seeker”, which relates to how paths of practice develop as a consequence of experience and appraisals of those experiences. This also includes identity construction and performance, and how experiences shape one's sense of identity.Note: The full interview with Phil is available on Patreon, with a 7-day free trial, should you be interested. If you enjoy my content and would like to support my work, please consider checking out my Patreon page (as there is much more content to come over there) and consider subscribing. Rejected Religion | Illuminating the Obscure | PatreonPROGRAM NOTESDr. Phil LegardThe Occultural Orpheus: Exploring Creative Seekership through Analytic Autoethnography (leedsbeckett.ac.uk)(99+) Phil Legard | Leeds Beckett University - Academia.edu(99+) Imaginative Listening and Porous Practices: Expanding the Boundaries of Esoteric Musicology | Phil Legard - Academia.edu(99+) Inner-Sense and Experience: Drone Music, Esotericism and the Hieroeidetic Field | Phil Legard - Academia.edu(99+) The Bright Sound Behind the Sound: Real-World Music, Symbolic Discourse and the Foregrounding of Imagination | Phil Legard - Academia.eduMusic | Hawthonn (bandcamp.com)

Rejected Religion is launching soon on Patreon! As the platform is now celebrating its 5th year anniversary, I thought it would be a perfect time to expand and go in some new directions. I'm really looking forward to providing new content, and hope you'll choose to join me! Thanks as always for your support and I hope to see you soon on Patreon! Image &  Music by Stephanie Shea

Episode release date: May 12, 2024Dr. Tara Smith is an interdisciplinary academic that works in the fields of science fiction, literature, and popular culture. Currently, she is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School, writing on religious ideas and experiences of people who paint and play within the science fiction 'grim dark' universe of Warhammer 40,000. She is currently visiting Amsterdam's HHP Centre at the University of Amsterdam in her Fellowship role.   In this interview, Tara discusses how there is a lacuna in the area of Religious Studies when it comes to researching the relationship between religion and tabletop games. Her work demonstrates that Warhammer 40k encourages players to talk and think about religion. We discuss the game and its influences, as well as the role of 'play' in Tara's research, which suggests that there is more imagination and interactional thought about religion than was previously presumed. As this is a work in progress, Tara also discusses her different approaches and her interests in broadening her research scope.  NOTE: Two corrections in this interview --At 0:22:06, Tara says that the Emperor is keeping the Warp open and this is how he dies. This is incorrect. The Emperor does not die while keeping the Warp open; instead, he is mortally wounded while fighting his son Horus. Later on, in his "in between" state, he helps to keep the Warp pathways navigable while on the Golden Throne.At 0:49:15, Tara mentions there are 7 books in the Horus Heresy Series, but what was meant is the Siege of Terra which is a subsection of the overarching series. The Siege of Terra has 8 books (with the last book split into 3 volumes); the entire Horus Heresy has 64 books. Find Tara at:https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/people/tara-smithhttps://hds.academia.edu/TaraSmith Theme music: Stephanie Shea 

Guest: Mike Marinacci, author of Psychedelic Cults and Outlaw Churches: LSD, Cannabis, and Spiritual Sacraments in Underground AmericaMike is an independent expert on psychedelic spiritual groups and nontraditional American religious sects. He is also the author of California Jesus and Mysterious California, and coauthor of the bestselling Weird California. And he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA.In this very engaging conversation, Mike starts by talking about what inspired him to write this book, and then we jump into discussing several of the major psychedelic groups he discusses in his book. A few highlights of our interview: The Native American Church and their struggle to receive legal permission from the United States government to use peyote in their rituals; how non-indigenous people also tried to gain this legal permission for their own churches; the highly eventful life of Timothy Leary and his engagement with LSD, and his later League for Spiritual Discovery; the forerunner to satirical groups such as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Neo-American Church; the introduction of ‘crisis response' help with the use of LSD by the Church of Naturalism; the switch to the use of legal drugs by the Church of the Tree of Life; the success of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church with the Rastafarians, and the downfall of the Church after the group became too highly involved in drug trafficking; and the complicated efforts to profit commercially from the use of entheogens by the present-day Ayahuasca Healings group.PROGRAM NOTESWorks by/ co-authored by Mike Mariancci:Psychedelic Cults and Outlaw Churches: LSD, Cannabis, and Spiritual Sacraments in Underground America: Marinacci, Mike: 9781644117071: Amazon.com: BooksEerie California: Strange Places and Odd Phenomena in the Golden State: Marinacci, Mike: 9781579512514: Amazon.com: BooksCalifornia Jesus: A (Slightly) Irreverent Guide to the Golden State's Christian Sects, Evangelists and Latter-Day Prophets - Kindle edition by Marinacci, Mike. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.Weird California: You Travel Guide to California's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Volume 7): Bishop, Greg, Oesterle, Joe, Marinacci, Mike, Moran, Mark, Sceurman, Mark, Sceurman, Mark: 9781402766831: Amazon.com: BooksEmail Mike Marinacci: psychedelic.cults@gmail.comInstagram: Mike Marinacci (@psychedeliccults) • Instagram-foto's en -video'sOTHER LINKSGod on High: Religion, Cannabis, and the Quest for Legitimacy: Cozad, Laurie: 9781498504041: Amazon.com: BooksPsychedelic Intersections: Cross-cultural Manifestations of the Sacred Conference 2024, February 17, 2024 | Center for the Study of World Religions (harvard.edu)YouTube Channel: (12) HDS Center for the Study of World Religions - YouTubeTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther Music: Stephanie Shea 

This interview was recorded December 7, 2023. Dr. Randall Hall is professor of music at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, as well as a performing saxophonist and composer. He's also writing a book about 'speculative' and 'weird' music as it relates to the Sacred and ritual experiences. In this special Spotlight interview, Randall shares his process of creating music that attempts to re-create a modern theurgic repertoire. (Theurgy is the practice that refers to the ascent of one's soul to the divine.) In the first part of our interview, Randall talks about his first 'encounter' with the concept of 'the harmony of the spheres' and his search to find it, and then explains the concepts of 'speculative' music that reach back to the Pythagorian-Platonic tradition. He also briefly traces a history of the development of musical ideas about consonance and dissonance, and how musical theory has changed with regard to the idea of 'Divine' music. Speaking about 'weird' music, Randall shares how the Divine is not always 'beautiful' but oftentimes terrifying to behold. Following the writings of Porphyry, when one sees or experiences something 'weird,' this is our indicator that we should pay attention to it, and that it signifies an opportunity for higher learning. Esotericism became the key for Randall to begin digging into these strange mysteries. He discusses his ideas about how music and esotericism are intertwined, and yet how there's not much discussion about musical practice in conjunction with ritual. Randall is trying to create a hermeneutical crisis in the listener, through set and setting, to allow the imagination to 'kick in' and allow the 'weird' to speak. There's much more that Randall shares in this interview that can't be summarized here! Clips used in this video, from the album Oracle, Voces Mysticae and Mithras Liturgy, are used with kind permission from Dr. Randall Hall. PROGRAM NOTESRandall Hall - HomeMusic | Randall Hall (bandcamp.com)Randall Hall | SpotifyFacebookTheme music: Stephanie Shea 

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 NOTESSue Terry Esoteric Academic (sueterryacademic.com)Sue Terry (@suemetro) • Instagram-foto's en -video'sFacebookOwlhouseSeminars (@OwlhouseSeminar) / X (twitter.com)Magickal Women ConferenceMaking Magic Happen — Magickal Women ConferenceJeffrey 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 NOTESBob 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.eduSocial media:Facebook Simulacra and Simulation (The Body, In Theory: Histories of Cultural Materialism): Jean Baudrillard, Sheila Faria Glaser: 9780472065219: Amazon.com: BooksSelected articles about philosophers mentioned in E28:Gilles Deleuze (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Félix Guattari - WikipediaJean 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.orgSlender 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) - WikipediaWatch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (HBO) | TV Shows | HBO MaxNOTE 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. SheaOther 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 NOTESBob 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.eduSocial media:Facebook Simulacra and Simulation (The Body, In Theory: Histories of Cultural Materialism): Jean Baudrillard, Sheila Faria Glaser: 9780472065219: Amazon.com: BooksSelected articles about philosophers mentioned in E28:Gilles Deleuze (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Félix Guattari - WikipediaJean 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.orgSlender 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) - WikipediaWatch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (HBO) | TV Shows | HBO MaxNOTE 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. SheaOther 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 NOTESDell J. Rose: Research: Dell J. Rose - HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)Dell Joseph Rose – Swedenborg SocietySelected 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 SwedenborgKarl 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 ArchiveAlfred 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 ProjectCharles Augustus Tulk 1786 - 1849 | Sue Young HistoriesTheme music: Daniel P. SheaOther 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 NOTESWouter'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 PressHermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination: Altered States of Knowledge in Late Antiquity: Hanegraaff, Wouter J.: 9781009123068: Amazon.com: BooksCorpus Hermeticum: The Corpus Hermeticum & Hermetic Tradition -- The Gnostic Society Library (gnosis.org)Poimandres: Poimandres—Corpus Hermeticum I | The Matheson TrustThe Asclepius: The Perfect Sermon, or The Asclepius I - The Corpus Hermeticum - Sacred Texts - Hermetic LibraryPlato: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 GadamerHans-Georg Gadamer (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Gadamer, Hans-Georg | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu)Hermeneutics: Gadamer's Hermeneutics - Northwestern University PressJacques DerridaJacques 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. SheaOther 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 NOTESDr. Luke Walker:academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.eduTwitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / TwitterSelected 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.eduWilliam Blake Archive: The William Blake ArchiveAllen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTubeMike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.eduAllen 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) - YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES:patti smith: official siteHome - Kae TempestJohn Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLFTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther 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 NOTESDr. Luke Walker:academia.edu page: (99+) Luke Walker | Home - Academia.eduTwitter: Luke Walker (@DrLukeWalker) / TwitterSelected 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.eduWilliam Blake Archive: The William Blake ArchiveAllen Ginsberg sings William Blake's 'The Nurse's Song': Allen Ginsberg sings William Blake's "The Nurse's Song" - YouTubeMike Goode, 'Blakespotting': (99+) Blakespotting | Mike Goode - Academia.eduAllen 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) - YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES:patti smith: official siteHome - Kae TempestJohn Higgs – Author of Love And Let Die, William Blake Vs The World, Watling Street and The KLFTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther 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 - YouTubeKeynote Alan Moore: Alan Moore - (Keynote) Trans- States conference 2016 - YouTubeWebsite: About Trans- States | Trans- StatesFacebook: Trans- States | FacebookInstagram: Trans- states (@trans_states) Twitter: Trans- States (@Trans_States) / TwitterCavan McLaughlin: Academia.edu: (99+) Cavan McLaughlin | University of the West of England - Academia.eduMonad 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 NOTESAaron'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/featuredDr 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.eduemail: aaron.french@uni-erfurt.deAaron 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_-qYAllen Greenfield: Amazon.com: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: 9781718645356: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: BooksJ. 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: BooksMark 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: BooksNew 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 VaultHellier Experiments Information: 'Estes Method': The Estes Method: How the Groundbreaking SB7 Spirit Box Experiment is Changing Paranormal Investigation (weekinweird.com)'God Helmet': God helmet - WikipediaTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaAdditional 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 NOTESAaron'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/featuredDr 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.eduemail: aaron.french@uni-erfurt.deAaron 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_-qYAllen Greenfield: Amazon.com: The Complete SECRET CIPHER Of the UfOnauts: 9781718645356: Greenfield, Allen H., Phillips, Olav: BooksJ. 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: BooksMark 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: BooksNew 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 VaultHellier Experiments Information: 'Estes Method': The Estes Method: How the Groundbreaking SB7 Spirit Box Experiment is Changing Paranormal Investigation (weekinweird.com)'God Helmet': God helmet - WikipediaTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaAdditional 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: rwgm@outlook.com 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 NOTESKumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots - Amazon.com: Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots: J. Christian Greer, Michelle K. Oing, J. Christian Greer: 9798985917307: Amazon.com: BooksEbay: Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots | eBay Dr. Michelle K. Oing -Academia.edu: (99+) Michelle Oing | Stanford University - Academia.eduInstagram: ~*unofficial histories*~ (@speculativearchaeology) • Instagram-foto's en -video'sDr. J. Christian Greer -Academia.edu: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Stanford University - Academia.eduInstagram: Dr. JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video'sWebsite: dr. J. Christian Greer (jchristiangreer.com)Artwork: J. Christian GreerTheme music: Daniel P. SheaOther 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 NOTESAndrea Franchetto -Andrea Franchetto - Stockholm University (su.se)(1) Andrea Franchetto | Stockholm University - Academia.edu(1) Andrea Franchetto | FacebookAndrea (@andrewcrnf) • Instagram-foto's en -video'sResearch 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.eduPatterns 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.eduGrimoires -Liber Juratus Honorii, or the Sworn Book of Honorius (esotericarchives.com)The Sworn Book of Honorius and the Christian Reception of Angel Magic* - DocestSpeculum Astronomiae | Detailed PediaArs Notoria: the Notory Art of Solomon (esotericarchives.com)Picatrix (The Aim of the Sage) of pseudo-Majriti (summary) (esotericarchives.com)Theme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther 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 NOTESSelected Bibliography Ralph Tegtmeier/ Frater U:.D:. (provided  by Mr. Tegtmeier):Amazon.com: High Magic: Theory & Practice: 9780738704715: U.:D.:, Frater: BooksMoney Magic by Frater UD – Draconis Arcanum (draconisbooks.com)(99+) Practical Sigil Magic - Frater U.D | EmMa Cold-Hag - Academia.eduSex Magic by Frater UD – Draconis Arcanum (draconisbooks.com)The Magical Shield, by Frater UD by Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD. - IssuuWhere 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: BooksDark 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: BooksSelected 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 | FacebookTheme music: Daniel P. SheaOther music: Stephanie Shea