The Symbolic World
Jonathan Pageau looks at symbolism in all its forms, from its source in sacred stories and images to contemporary culture and ultimately how it shapes the world we encounter.
Episodes
May 16, 2025 • 66 mins
This is an informal roundtable discussion among friends and artists at the 2025 London ARC Conference that includes myself, Andrew Gould, Aidan Hart, Heather Pollington, Neil and Kate DeGraide from Dirt Poor Robins, Ben and Vesper Stamper, Martin Shaw, and John Heers. Amidst thousands of voices focused on policy and economics, we stepped aside to ask a deeper question: what does it mean to renew civilization through beauty?
Together...
Together...
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May 16, 2025 • 37 mins
Several years ago, I coined the phrase “watch the fool,” because in a world turned upside down, the fool can strangely point to what’s coming and in some ways play a role in restoring order —for good or for ill. For April 2025’s patron video, now opened up to the public, I reflect on how Kanye West has continued to play this role. He is not a prophet in the traditional sense, but a kind of tuning fork, embodying the contradictions ...
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May 13, 2025 • 41 mins
In this excerpt from the second lecture of the Symbolism Masterclass, I take you deeper than ever into one of the most powerful and mysterious patterns that underlies the cosmos. We explore the strange vision of Ezekiel, the meaning of the cosmic wheel, and how seemingly distant symbols—from pyramids to Christmas trees—are revealing the same fundamental structure.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/6wYPgrniyWo
Join us live for the res...
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/6wYPgrniyWo
Join us live for the res...
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May 6, 2025 • 95 mins
In this episode, Richard Rohlin and I continue our discussion of The Voyage of St. Brendan, focusing on some of the stranger episodes in the story. We look at encounters with sea creatures, a sea giantess, and the figure of a Hermit in paradise. Along the way, we reflect on what these images might reveal about death, resurrection, the role of the saints, and how the spiritual world connects to our own. It's a conversation that open...
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April 29, 2025 • 16 mins
A few weeks ago, a study came out criticizing the use of the phrase "Christ is King"—and it stirred up a lot of strong reactions, including my own. In this video, I take you through the symbolism, history, and deeper meaning behind this expression, and I share why I believe its resurgence today is both important and complicated. I’ll also reflect on how identity naturally includes and excludes—and why that's not something we should...
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April 23, 2025 • 116 mins
This is a talk I did a few years ago for the Jung Society of Montreal. In it I explore the creation story in Genesis not just as myth, but as a fractal map of how identity, being, and purpose function. In breaking down the symbolism I also make a case for why intelligence isn’t an accident, why rituals matter, and why participation of intelligent beings is foundational to reality. In the Q&A section we touch on group identity, ...
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April 16, 2025 • 57 mins
In this conversation, I sit down with Joe Allen to dig into the strange and unsettling territory where transhumanism and politics collide. We explore how politics is shaping the trajectory of technological development—and how, in turn, emerging tech like AI begins to shape us.
We talk about the deeper philosophical and spiritual undercurrents of transhumanism: the ego behind the machines, the myth of the disembodied mind, and the s...
We talk about the deeper philosophical and spiritual undercurrents of transhumanism: the ego behind the machines, the myth of the disembodied mind, and the s...
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April 7, 2025 • 50 mins
In this conversation with Mary Harrington, we explore how identity has evolved from the ancient idea of the soul to the concept of self and today how we talk and think about identity. We dive into how technology and AI shape this shift and why bringing back the soul might help us tackle modern challenges. We argue that purpose and hierarchy clarify identity in today’s mess of competing selves. We explore how swapping deep reading f...
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April 2, 2025 • 41 mins
In this episode I break down the meaning and symbolism in the 2022 show Severance starring Adam Scott. Let me know in the comments on YouTube if you want more content like this.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/4RgQ0Q4pgHA
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SYMBOLISM MASTERCLASS
Join me this April for the Symbolism Masterclass, a 6-week deep dive into the essentials of symbolic thinking. Over 18 immersive hours, I'll guide you through the framework behind everyth...
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/4RgQ0Q4pgHA
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SYMBOLISM MASTERCLASS
Join me this April for the Symbolism Masterclass, a 6-week deep dive into the essentials of symbolic thinking. Over 18 immersive hours, I'll guide you through the framework behind everyth...
Mark as Played
March 26, 2025 • 29 mins
This is my review of Disney's recent Snow White live-action remake.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gk2koS8Eomg
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With all this attention on Snow White right now, we want to make sure that we're mostly celebrating this powerful story in our culture. So to do so, we're offering for the very last time a limited edition box set of our own Snow White story, Snow White and the Widow Queen. It's a leather bound book signed by m...
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gk2koS8Eomg
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With all this attention on Snow White right now, we want to make sure that we're mostly celebrating this powerful story in our culture. So to do so, we're offering for the very last time a limited edition box set of our own Snow White story, Snow White and the Widow Queen. It's a leather bound book signed by m...
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March 22, 2025 • 66 mins
In this conversation I interview Peter Leithart, an American author, minister, and theologian, who serves as president of Theopolis Institute for Biblical, Liturgical, & Cultural Studies in Birmingham, Alabama. We discuss the origins, mission, and theological insights of Theopolis Institute and the influence of James B. Jordan, who wrote the influential book titled “Through New Eyes”. We further discuss the significance of bibl...
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March 15, 2025 • 100 mins
I recently had the privilege to visit Ralston College where I had a wonderful discussion with Gregg Hurwitz about meaning, art, and the future of culture. We also gave advice to the young students at Ralston College about navigating the life of an artist.
RALSTON COLLEGE: A revival and reinvention of the traditional university. A fellowship for anyone, anywhere who seeks the truth with courage.
While the review of applications for th...
RALSTON COLLEGE: A revival and reinvention of the traditional university. A fellowship for anyone, anywhere who seeks the truth with courage.
While the review of applications for th...
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March 9, 2025 • 74 mins
In this conversation with John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro we discuss their collaborative work on the 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis' project, exploring the dynamics of their partnership, the impact of their ideas on contemporary discourse, and the challenges of making complex concepts accessible. They delve into the importance of narrative in understanding philosophical ideas, the role of dialogical reasoning in writ...
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March 6, 2025 • 35 mins
The world is changing rapidly, and the transformation we’re witnessing—especially within the Church—has been astonishing. Across America, Orthodox churches are growing at an unprecedented rate, and cultural shifts that once seemed impossible are now unfolding before our eyes.
For this week's video, we revisit my very first public event with Jordan Peterson, at The Resurrection of Logos event, which took place at the University of ...
For this week's video, we revisit my very first public event with Jordan Peterson, at The Resurrection of Logos event, which took place at the University of ...
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March 2, 2025 • 64 mins
I had a wonderful discussion with James Orr. Dr Orr is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. He was also one of the panel members for the Daily Wire Plus Exodus and Gospels seminars, which we discuss in this video. We also talk about our difference approaches and perspectives on Scripture, the current cultural shift and Christianity becoming more mainstream, the ris...
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February 26, 2025 • 28 mins
This is a repost of the patron video for January 2025. Given the recent announcement about project Stargate I delved into modernity's quest for forbidden knowledge and how it relates to today's obsession with UFOs, AI, psychedelics, and even transgenderism.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/h79SINKwmjA
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NEW COURSE: The Symbolic World Goes to Middle-Earth
Join us for an in-depth study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium, where we...
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/h79SINKwmjA
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NEW COURSE: The Symbolic World Goes to Middle-Earth
Join us for an in-depth study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium, where we...
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February 20, 2025 • 19 mins
For the past few decades we have heard from the new atheists just how horrible religion is, that religion is responsible for all these terrible things like the inquisition and witch burnings - but what if I told you that there are patterns or structures behind this kind of behaviour that are simply human, and are not unique to religious people, nor to your ideological or political opponents, but exist fundamentally in all identitie...
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February 7, 2025 • 48 mins
In this episode Richard Rohlin goes solo to give us an introduction about JRR Tolkien's vision for Universal History. Later this month he will be teaching a course on this topic.
Register now for the Tolkien and Universal History course by Richard Rohlin on The Symbolic World website: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/tolkien-and-universal-history
Cost: $150
Discount: 10% off for all Symbolic World patrons at the Involved tier ...
Register now for the Tolkien and Universal History course by Richard Rohlin on The Symbolic World website: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/tolkien-and-universal-history
Cost: $150
Discount: 10% off for all Symbolic World patrons at the Involved tier ...
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February 7, 2025 • 50 mins
In this conversation, Jonathan Pageau and Annie Crawford delve into C.S. Lewis's work, particularly focusing on 'Till We Have Faces.' They explore the significance of this book in understanding Lewis's thought, its mythic elements, and the interplay between paganism and Christian themes. The discussion also touches on the evolution of Lewis's writing style, the role of myth and fairy tales, and the complex themes of mimetic desire ...
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January 19, 2025 • 73 mins
Fr. Stephen De Young is back on the podcast to discuss his latest book, St. Paul the Pharisee. St. Paul is at the core of many modern misunderstandings about Christianity; Fr. Stephen presents how we can understand St. Paul’s writings within the context of who he was, when he lived, and who he was addressing in his epistles, ultimately bringing us closer to the vision Christ Himself gave us.
-Buy Fr. Stephen’s book on the Ancient Fa...
-Buy Fr. Stephen’s book on the Ancient Fa...
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