Blog post
Our castaway is Carl Abrahamsson, a writer, publisher, magico-anthropologist, filmmaker, and photographer whose decades of exploration in the occultural sphere have helped shape the modern magickal landscape. The esoteric island goes back to the source.
Blog post
We reflect on a year spent in the seventh century and in 2025. Apocalyptic themes seem to have dominated both time-frames. Here's to a sublime and less exciting 2026!
Oddcast episode
We look at the evidence for reincarnationist ideas in the early Jesus-movement and into the fourth century, starting with Simon Magus (whose mistress Helen was the First Thought of god, trapped endlessly reincarnating in fleshly bodies) and finishing with Origen of Alexandria (who, if he didn't teach reincarnation, sure convinced a whole lot of people that he did). Featuring a cameo appearance from Paul of Tarsos, the world's best-known gnostic.
Roots of Magic episode
We dive back into the world of Akkadian purification magic with Beatrice Baragli, who is working on an edition of the ritual sequence known as Bīt Rimki (`The Bathhouse'). Politics used to be very magical.
Podcast episode
We let the tape run and explore the possibility that Maximus had an esoteric doctrine of universal salvation, centring the conversation on two passages from the Ambigua, which seemingly contradict one-another. Things remain, appropriately, ambiguous, and universalist vs. anti-universalist readings of Maximus will continue to flourish. Jonathan Greig delineates what is at stake.
Podcast episode
We continue our reading of Clement's Stromateis, Book V, and continue to have our minds blown. Come for the esoteric reading methodologies, stay for the very first appearance of the actual Greek word esôterikos on the podcast!
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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