ESOTERICA

Episodet

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  Magic in Theory - The Stellar Ray Theory of Al-Kindi 11.08.2026 30min

  This episode is the first in a series focusing on theories of magic. We begin with one of the most popular medieval theories: the stellar rays of Al-Kindi. Al-Kindi, a 9th century Islamicate philosopher, who argued that the stars emits rays which trickle down to the sub-lunar world where they qualify matter. Further, all entities emit rays. Certain occult or hidden rays can be manipulated by the sage to induce apparently supernatural or magical effects though speech, powerful symbols and animal sacrifice. This idea provided a route to natural, as opposed to ritual/demonic, magic in the middle ages and underwrote much of astrological theory. The stellar ray theory would also be built into the famous book of the magic the Picatrix which would be one of the earliest books learned magic to enter Western Europe. Indeed, the argument in defense of occult forces in the universe is essential for modern physics.Recommended readings:Pormann and Peterson - The Philosophical Works of al-Kindi - 978-0199062805 Liana Saif - The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy - 978-1137399465Al-Kindi - De Radiis (pp. 139-260) - Marie-Thérèse d'Alverny and Françoise HudryArchives d'histoire doctrinale et littéraire du Moyen Age, Vol. 41, 1974 - https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40184716Al-Kindi: On the Stellar Rays - trans. Zoller and Hand - http://www.projecthindsight.com/archives/medieval%20contents/al-kindi.htmlEsmé L K Partridge - Al-Kindi's Theory of The Magical Arts: A Commentary on Al-Kindi's Treatise 'On Rays' - https://www.academia.edu/36457042/Al-Kindis_Theory_of_The_Magical_Arts_A_Commentary_on_Al-Kindis_Treatise_On_Rays#magic #astrology #alkindi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  SOLD OUT! Join @ESOTERICA and @Atun-Shei Films Tour of Esoteric New England 2026 11.08.2026 5min

  Join Andy Rakich (Atun-Shei Films) & Dr. Justin Sledge (Esoterica) for an October tour of Esoteric New England, October 9-16 2026:Purchase Tickets here - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/shop/p/esoteric-new-england-with-andy-justin-october-2026Donate to the budget of "The Alchemist" ► https://www.paypal.me/atunsheifilmsThe tour will start in rural Rhode Island visiting forgotten King Philip's War battlefields, then pass through Providence to see H.P. Lovecraft's old neighborhood. Entering Massachusetts, we'll visit New Bedford, historic center of the whaling industry, and get to see living history sites at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. We'll enjoy fireside drinks in an early 18th century haunted house, explore Walden Pond and the sites where the Revolutionary War began, and check out the headquarters of a Puritan alchemist. Finally, we'll wrap things up (where else) in Salem, center of the 1692 witchcraft delusion and the Halloween capital of America. Full itinerary will be sent upon ticket purchase.Exact times will be provided closer to the start of the tour.This tour will be primarily a fundraiser for Andy and Justin’s short “The Alchemist” with the hopes of eventually producing a feature length version. You’ll get to see scripts, our look-book, and help shape our vision for the project: an attempt to center historically accurate alchemy in film.What’s Included: A week of on-location tours, education, meals, drinks and hang-outs with Andy and Justin. What’s NOT included: Airfare, hotels, transportation, meals, drinks, site tickets. This will be a bit of gonzo tourism. Participants will have access to a private discord server to coordinate shared hotels, overland transportation to sites, etc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Magic in Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible - Divination Necromancy Amulets and the Witch of Endor 11.08.2026 39min

  Ancient Israel is one of the most studied cultures of the ancient world. Though, one understudied aspect of their society was the practice of magic. This episode of Esoteric explores what little archaeological and literary evidence remains for the study of ancient Israelite magic. Here we will look at silver amulets found in Jerusalem's tombs and dive into the Hebrew Bible to try to understand the forms of magic that are typically forbidden there. Here we will find various forms of divination and necromancy including the infamous account of the so-called "Witch of Endor." Recommended Readings:Yuval Harari - Jewish Magic before the Rise of Kabbalah - 978-0814336304Gideon Bohak - Ancient Jewish Magic - 978-0521180986Joshua Trachtenberg - Jewish Magic and Superstition - 978-1614274070 - Dated, proceed critically!#magic #bible #judaism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Re-Creating a 400 year old Alchemy Potion from Wormwood...then Trying it! 11.08.2026 44min

  It's often forgotten that Alchemy was central for revolutions in Medicine, especially pharmacology. Following the theories of Paracelsus, I'm re-creating a 400 year old curative potion from Wormwood. How was alchemical medicine made? How did they think it worked? And, what does it taste like and what does it do? Let's re-create some authentic alchemy medicine from 400 years ago!Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:Linden - The Alchemy Readerhttps://amzn.to/3VUhamtPrincipe - The Secrets of Alchemyhttps://amzn.to/3vSUOqyNewman - Newton the Alchemisthttps://amzn.to/3VK513lRampling - The Experimental Fire: Inventing English Alchemy, 1300–1700https://amzn.to/3VTzlZuZuber - Spiritual Alchemyhttps://amzn.to/43Qfmg7Weeks - Paracelsus: Speculative Theory & the Crisis of the Early Reformationhttps://amzn.to/3PVbyEGParacelsus: Essential Readingshttps://amzn.to/43QUSUuAbraham - A Dictionary of Alchemical Imageryhttps://amzn.to/3xt3Xqx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Five Myths Surrounding Alchemy 11.08.2026 24min

  Alchemy is one of the most misrepresented and poorly understood aspects of Western Esotericism. This video takes a look at five misconceptions from both the scientific dismissal of alchemy to the purely spiritual/psychological interpretation of its processes and symbolism.Support Esoterica: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelRecommended Reading:Linden, Stanton J. (ed.) The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton. 978-0521796620. Nicely edited collection of alchemical primary texts.Principe, Lawrence. The Secrets of Alchemy. 978-0226103792. An up-to-date history of alchemy.Newman, William. Newton the Alchemist: Science, Enigma, and the Quest for Nature's "Secret Fire" 978-0691174877. Cutting edge research on alchemy in the 17th century. An amazing wok of scholarship.Roob, Alexander(ed.) Alchemy & Mysticism. 978-3836549363. A collection of alchemical imagery and symbolism, also a nice coffee table book!Spiritual / Psychology School of InterpretationAtwood, Mary Anne. A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery….(many re-print editions). The first text to introduce the ‘spiritual interpretation” of alchemy.Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy. 978-0226203904. Religious-philosophical interpretation of alchemy.von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology. 978-0919123045. An introduction to the Jungian psychological interpretation of alchemy.#alchemy #hermeticism #mysticism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Does ESOTERICA rely on AI? 11.08.2026 19min

  Laying out my position on the use of AI - especially generative AI - here at Esoterica.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Egyptian Alchemy : Decoding the Greek - Egyptian Alchemy - The Formula of the Crab / Scorpion 11.08.2026 23min

  Alchemy is, perhaps, best known for it's elaborate symbolism but just how far back into history can we trace these allegories, secret codes, and hidden meanings? In this episode of Esoterica we investigate what is likely one of the earliest encoded alchemical texts: "the Formula of the Crab" or "the Formula of the Scorpion." Found in a 10th century Greek manuscript, this formula contain a Greco-Egyptian alchemical process for producing a gold-like alloy of copper, silver, and lead. As we explore the formula we will also discuss how Greco-Egyptian alchemy differed from later theories under the influence of the mercury-sulfur theory of the metals. What will discover is an emphasis on the ability to control the color of metals as opposed to metallic transmutation reflecting the religious vocation of the earliest Egyptian metallurgists.Recommended Reading: M. Berthelot - Collection des anciens alchimistes grecs - https://archive.org/details/collectiondesanc23bert/mode/2upS. Linden - The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton - 978-0521796620S. Grimes - Becoming Gold: Zosimos of Panopolis and the Alchemical Arts in Roman Egypt - 978-0473407759#alchemy #egypt #hermeticism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Was Lilith a Joke? How Bad Translation and Parody Created a Demon 11.08.2026 30min

  Since the romantic rehabilitation of Lilith from child-murderer and nocturnal seducer of men to symbol of feminine power and defiance, Lilith has become one of the most recognizable of modern demons. But her origin, first in ancient Mesopotamia and then in the early medieval Jewish literature are marked by curious historical accidents. Curiously enough, Lilith may have emerged as a linguistic mistake and a text meant to parody rabbinic legends. Let’s explore the historical vicissitudes of She of the Night, Lilith.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Lilith 1 - https://youtu.be/n1EKccz4fS0Lilith 2 - https://youtu.be/U-jIScgb7NcMirror of Lilith - https://youtu.be/uNfcdZ0UCc4Lilith & Incantation Bowls - https://youtu.be/wyI9m50ODB4New Incantation Bowls feat. Lilith - https://youtu.be/0YIZhuIpkPAESOTERICA sales for the holidays!Lilith Incantation Bowls back in limited stock - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/shop/p/handcraft-aramaic-incantation-bowl-limited-edition20% off any purchase at our Rare Book Store - code HOLIDAY at checkout - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/New Necromantic Mirror of Floron shirt and 15% off all merch with code HOLIDAY at checkout - https://my-store-d6a943.creator-spring.com/Looking to buy books on western esotericism check out my study guide - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRecommended Readings:Patai - The Hebrew GoddessBlair - De-demonising the Old TestamentMcDonald - In Possession of the Night: Lilith as Goddess, Demon, VampireChavalas - Women in the Ancient Near EastNaveh, Shaked - Amulets and Magic BowlsMontgomery - Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Who was Asherah - Wife of Yahweh? 11.08.2026 51min

  Did Yahweh have a Wife? Asherah is an goddess and cultic object well, though mysteriously, attested in the Hebrew Bible - but what do we really know about Asherah? Let's explore the the history of this goddess: divine matriarch, consort and power behind the throne. From ancient Babylon, the Hittite Empire, the Canaanites, the Hebrew Bible and South Arabian texts let's see what we can learn about this goddess. Do recently discovered inscriptions even indicate that she was the lost or even suppressed Wife of Yahweh? And, how does the Kabbalah restore Asherah as the Divine Feminine? Let's explore the history and mythology of Asherah.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:Did God Have a Wife? - https://amzn.to/4oweMOeA Reassessment of Asherah - https://amzn.to/3Lpy3CbThe Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah - https://amzn.to/47rcM3G Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Corpus Hermeticum - Introduction to Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetic Philosophy 11.08.2026 25min

  The Corpus Hermeticum are the texts and teachings ascribed to the legendary Egyptian sage, priest, and philosopher Hermes Trismegistus. When translated and published by Ficino in 1471 these texts were heralded as the very source of pure, perennial wisdom. In the subsequent years, these ideas went on to have a massive impact upon what is now called western esotericism. Just what are these teaching? What is the history of the text? How did this pagan wisdom survive into modernity? In this episode of Esoterica we introduce the Corpus Hermeticum, Hermes Trismegistus & Hermetic Philosophy.Reccomended Reading:Dillion - The Middle Platonists: 80 B.C. to A.D. 220 - 978-0801483165Copenhaver - Hermetica - 978-0521425438Litwa - Hermetica II - 978-1107182530Salaman, van Oyen, Wharto, Mahe - The Way of Hermes - 978-0892811861van Bladel - The Arabic Hermes - 978-0195376135Fowden - The Egyptian Hermes - 978-0691024981Festugière - La révélation d'Hermès Trismégiste - 978-2251326740 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What is the Ring and Seal of Solomon - The Key to Magic? 10.08.2026 35min

  Solomon became universally recognized as a power sorcerer by the turn of the common era. But, where did he get his power? Many legends have grown up around the Ring and Seal of Solomon but what do our earliest sources reveal about this legendary magical ring? From books of magic, pilgrims' tales, Islamic lore and medieval necromancy let's explore the Ring and Seal of Solomon!Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition - https://amzn.to/47JhA4ZSolomonic Magic: Methodology, Texts, and Histories - https://amzn.to/4nEuyppSolomon the Esoteric King: From King to Magus, Development of a Tradition - https://amzn.to/48hGbxWThe Testament of Solomon online - http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/testamen.htmMccown Critical Edition - https://archive.org/details/cu31924028957400/mode/2up15th century Harley MS 5596 - http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Harley_MS_5596 Charlesworth - The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha - 978-1598564891Johnson - The Testament of Solomon: Recension C - 978-1907881947Demonological Spreadsheet of the Testament - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TLrUUNdQPv9ExCDJ6KE_aJVF7R1ErEavZNFHsA9tIrQ/edit#gid=1286187935 - Courtesy of Patrick M. DeyThe Magical Treatise of Solomon, or Hygromanteia - https://amzn.to/4ntcvSW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism - 15 of 15 - The Twilight of the Merkavah 10.08.2026 1h 1min

  Welcome to our seminar on Merkavah MysticismHundreds of years prior to the rise of the Kabbalah, shaman-like rabbinic mystics were described as having made the terrifying and awe-inspiring descent into the Divine Palaces. There they met with and bypassed fearsome angels with magical codes, gained control over angelic powers, became transformed into beings of fire, gained vast wisdom and mounted the very throne of G!d to carefully measure the vast dimensions of the divine body. These experiences and their praxes are recorded in about 50 manuscripts now known as the Hekhalot (lit. palaces) literature. Outside of specialists this late-classical form of (a)(de)scent mysticism is poorly understood and little appreciated. In this course, we will explore the foundations, social origins, myth-world, praxes and the afterlife of Merkavah Mysticism. Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Course Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URUIb_AkZGM3hXzTnPFAwQYkZf_WgL0Q9wWWqSr2ug0/edit?usp=sharingCourse Materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-93Z0g92p4xMTFRjk5KznFvh65oRjFAo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Win a 439 year old book of Alchemy by Paracelsus! 10.08.2026 11min

  Win this wonderful book of alchemy! Learn more in the video.Esoterica Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/esotericaoccultbooks/Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Explore the Occult and Western Esotericism 10.08.2026 31min

  Studying Western Esotericism can be a daunting task. How to even begin? I prepared a self-study guide for getting access to the most reliable and accessible literature on topics in Esotericism up to around 1650, updated for 2026. In this episode I want to walk you through my methodology, the study guide itself and how you can use it to bring yourself up to date on the scholarship. Let's build a library of the occult and the esoteric together!You can find the study guide here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingConsider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Frankenstein and the Occult - How Victor Made the Monster 10.08.2026 33min

  One of the outstanding mysteries of Frankenstein is just how did Victor bring the Monster to life? We are given some clues that he had long studied famed authors of the Occult - Albertus Magnus, Cornelius Agrippa and Paracelsus - so what might we learn about making and animating monsters and the dead from these authors? From Necromancy, animating corpses with demons, the Kabbalistic Golem and the Homunculus let's explore how to make a Monster!This video is a collaboration with @AtunSheiFilms - make sure to check out his amazing, feature length video essay on Frankenstein here - https://youtu.be/CY3LkkAgePg?si=9WjgOo1YVqR8PzEdConsider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  A Primer on Western Esotericism 10.08.2026 16min

  An introduction to the relatively new field of western esotericism focusing on the scope of field including magic, mysticism, alchemy, theosophy, and more; several of the dominant academic approaches to the field; where to study western esotericism at the university levelSupport Esoterica on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelRecommended Readings:Antoine Faivre - Western Esotericism: A Concise History - ISBN-13: 978-1438433783Arthur Versluis - Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esoteric Traditions - ISBN-13: 978-0742558366Kocku Von Stuckrad - Western Esotericism - A Brief History of Secret Knowledge - ISBN-13: 978-1844657476Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke - The Western Esoteric Traditions: A Historical Introduction - ISBN-13: 978-0195320992Wouter J. Hanegraaff - Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed - ISBN-13: 978-1441136466#esotericism #occultism #hermeticism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism - 8 of 15 - Who is Able to See it? 10.08.2026 1h 24min

  Welcome to our seminar on Merkavah MysticismHundreds of years prior to the rise of the Kabbalah, shaman-like rabbinic mystics were described as having made the terrifying and awe-inspiring descent into the Divine Palaces. There they met with and bypassed fearsome angels with magical codes, gained control over angelic powers, became transformed into beings of fire, gained vast wisdom and mounted the very throne of G!d to carefully measure the vast dimensions of the divine body. These experiences and their praxes are recorded in about 50 manuscripts now known as the Hekhalot (lit. palaces) literature. Outside of specialists this late-classical form of (a)(de)scent mysticism is poorly understood and little appreciated. In this course, we will explore the foundations, social origins, myth-world, praxes and the afterlife of Merkavah Mysticism. Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Course Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URUIb_AkZGM3hXzTnPFAwQYkZf_WgL0Q9wWWqSr2ug0/edit?usp=sharingCourse Materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-93Z0g92p4xMTFRjk5KznFvh65oRjFAo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What are the Mayan Mysteries of the Oldest American Manuscript? 10.08.2026 35min

  900 years ago, a set of Mayan scribes composed what is now the oldest American book. But it remains mysterious. On its pages various deities seem to menace, capture and behead victims, attack sacred temples and threaten the world order all on specific dates in the religious 260 days Mayan Calendar. What scholars have revealed is a complex astrological almanac detailing specific dates in the four phases of the planet Venus and the doom that came with them. Let's explore the Códice Maya de México and the foreboding doom brought by the planet Venus.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Mayan Bloodletting Mysticism - https://youtu.be/qqsTx0JutsAThe Mesoamerican Calendar - https://youtu.be/t9E_eXE33JE?si=k1aJkBFUkWRnrLlCRecommended Reading:Códice Maya de México - https://amzn.to/4qAJSoUhttps://archive.org/details/maya-codex-mexico/MCM%20Page.1.jpgSchele, etc., - Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art - https://amzn.to/3ZrFRHcTedlock - Popol Vuh - https://amzn.to/4r4ZMHECoe - The Maya - https://amzn.to/4qAdfYtCoe, Stone - Reading the Maya Glyphs - https://amzn.to/49Lm9efMontgomery - Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs - https://amzn.to/49KARCh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Primer on Alchemy (FIA Lecture) 10.08.2026 1h 23min

  This is a lecture I gave last year at the Flint Institute of Art on the history, theory, and symbolism of alchemy. It's going to serve as an introduction to alchemy until I make a series for the channel.Support Esoterica: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelSupport Adam McLean's art and research: https://www.alchemywebsite.com/bookshop/index.htmlSupport the Flint Institute of Arts: https://flintarts.org/join-and-give/ways-to-giveRecommended Readings:Linden, Stanton J. (ed.) The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton. 978-0521796620. Nicely edited collection of alchemical primary texts.Principe, Lawrence. The Secrets of Alchemy. 978-0226103792. An up-to-date history of alchemy.Newman, William. Newton the Alchemist: Science, Enigma, and the Quest for Nature's "Secret Fire" 978-0691174877. Cutting edge research on alchemy in the 17th century. An amazing wok of scholarship.Roob, Alexander(ed.) Alchemy & Mysticism. 978-3836549363. A collection of alchemical imagery and symbolism, also a nice coffee table book!Spiritual / Psychology School of Interpretation Atwood, Mary Anne. A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery….(many re-print editions). The first text to introduce the ‘spiritual interpretation” of alchemy.Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy. 978-0226203904. Religious-philosophical interpretation of alchemy.von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology. 978-0919123045. An introduction to the Jungian psychological interpretation of alchemy.#alchemy #transmutation #hermeticism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What is the Hermetic God and Demiurge? 10.08.2026 49min

  The concept of the Demiurge is often associated with the demonic cosmos creator of the Gnostics. But, what do we know about the ancient Hermetic Demiurge? Emerging from the world of Greco-Egyptian religion and philosophy, Hermeticism was a powerfully optimistic means of reuniting one's high consciousness (Nous) with the Divine Parental Light after exorcising one's body of fatalistic daimonic infestation. But, the Hermetic Spiritual Philosophy is ambivalent about the place of any Demiurge in it's cosmology and means of salvation. Yet, some texts do speak of a magnificent Solar Demiurge as the conduit and cosmic artisan. Just what is the place of the Demiurge in Hermeticism?Demiurge 1 - https://youtu.be/mTnQ__VSQzcDemiurge 2 - https://youtu.be/GWHLuZgixHIDemiurge 3 - https://youtu.be/xfG0w4k6EA8Demiurge 4 - https://youtu.be/kq-CoIFf8l0Thumbnail art from Zdzisław Beksiński Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination - https://amzn.to/4r7cRRBHermetica I: The Corpus Hermeticum, Asclepius, and Nag Hammadi Hermetica Ordered as a Path of Initiation - https://amzn.to/47P4kvfDr. David Litwa's YT channel - @m.davidlitwa The Demiurge in Ancient Thought: Secondary Gods and Divine Mediators - https://amzn.to/49tSc3Z Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices