Recently posted

Podcast episode

Members only: Storytime: Reading the Book of Wisdom of Apollonios of Tyana

We explore the East Roman folk-astrological and angel-magic traditions through the book known as The Book of Wisdom and of the Science of Talismans of Apollonios of Tyana. Featuring a cameo appearance from Adam, the father of mankind.

Podcast episode

Members only: The Play’s the Thing: Matthew Vadnais on (Ancient) Theatre, Initiation, and the Esotericism of Public Performance

We follow hints from Professor Seaford from the realm of mystery-cult onto the stage of the Athenian Dionysian festival. Matthew Vadnais is our guide into what's esoteric about the theatre.

Podcast episode

Members only: Storytime: Reading the Hermetic Kyranides, Part II

We try to explore the Kyranides at large, but end up digging into section ēta of Book I for an hour. We had no choice: there was a hoopoe.

Podcast episode

Members only: Storytime: Reading the Hermetic Kyranides, Part I

We dive into the very complicated layering of texts which makes up the Kyranides, and explore the prologue, written by the unnamed East Roman compiler, which tells us a lot about the `authors' he compiled, and about why their work is esoteric. Featuring Hermes Trismegistos by way of Mesopotamia.

Roots of Magic episode

Sofie Schiødt on Studying Magical Spaces in Ancient Egypt

We speak with Egyptologist Sofie Schiødt about her work-in-progress at Würzburg, exploring the evidence for ancient Egyptian magic in situ. How did the ancient Egyptians relate to the spaces in which they performed rituals? How did the spaces relate to them? She plans to find out. 

Oddcast episode

William Gallois on the Amuletic Qayrawān in the Colonial Era

William Gallois was looking through hundreds of photographs of the city of Qayrawān, in modern-day Tunisia, from the period of French colonial occupation. He started to notice strange paintings in the backgrounds of these pictures ...

Listen to the Introduction

An introduction to the podcast, discussing briefly what we mean by ‘western esotericism’. This episode also answers the burning question, ‘What’s so “secret” about The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast?’ and features a short quiz to test your knowledge of western esoteric history.

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