Media
Universal History: The Apocalypse and the Return of the King | with Richard Rohlin
This is my second interview with Richard Rohlin, philologist and co-host of the Amon Sûl podcast. We continue to explore history through the symbolic lens, paying particular attention to the images of Christ and Antichrist. Throughout our conversation we draw on the Book of Revelation and the Sibylline Oracles, discussing Mithradates VI of Pontus, the Roman Emperor Nero and his return as an antichrist figure, the Arthurian legends and the combination of violent tyranny and decadence as manifestations of the end of a world. Richard’s work, as well as the videos and books we mentioned are all linked below.
The Mark of Cain
This is my second video trying to relate the difficult symbolism in the Book of Revelation. While my first video was about the beasts in Revelation (https://youtu.be/-wchjSeB5Oo), now we will attempt to understand the Mark of the Beast. But to understand the Mark of the Beast we must first understand what a mark is in general. In this video I discuss this very primordial symbolism, starting with its origins in Scripture and how it’s related to accounting, technology, identification, and, yes, medicine.
How We Exist Together: Re-Enchantment and Orthodoxy | with Frederica Mathewes-Green
Frederica Mathewes-Green is a well-known writer and speaker on the Eastern Orthodox faith in America. She is very involved with Ancient Faith Radio and has her own ongoing podcast, “Frederica Here and Now” that started in 2007. She’s written numerous books like “Welcome to the Orthodox Church, An Introduction to Eastern Christianity”, “The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God” and many more.
May 2021 Q&A
Patrons submit questions in advance at $10/month or more, from The Symbolic World website, Patreon and then SubscribeStar. If there is enough time in Q&As I also answer the live stream Superchats.
What Is Money? Symbolism and Bitcoin | with Robert Breedlove
I interview Robert Breedlove to talk about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. Robert is the host of the What Is Money Show podcast linked below. He has a background in finance, accounting and cryptocurrency. We discuss what money is, the uniqueness of Bitcoin as a currency, where its security comes from, the role of authority in currency, the volatility of Bitcoin and the dangers of potentiality.
The Mythical Constantinople | with Dr. Mario Baghos
I interview Dr. Mario Baghos, an Australian scholar. Dr Mario Baghos is Lecturer in Theology (Patristics) and Church History at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College (Sydney College of Divinity). Dr. Baghos has a PhD in Studies in Religion from the University of Sydney (2015). He has written a book called “From the Ancient Near East to Christian Byzantium” wherein he explores the symbolism of the foundations of Constantinople and ancient civilizations. This discussion is a continuation of my first interview with Richard Rohlin (A Universal History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N5s4n_lwB8&t=567s) where we talked about history through the more mythical, symbolic lens.
Articles
The Mark of Cain
This is the transcript of a video by the same title published a few days ago. The Mark of the Beast has been a place of much imagination,...
Perceiving the Invisible God
It is all too common in our contemporary western worldview to consider God as being absent. Even for believers, it is common to hear that the mode of presence of God has changed…
Bestiary Introduction, Pt. II: Animals on the Cosmic Mountain
In struggling to expand on my introduction to the Bestiary in an understandable, yet relatively brief fashion, I have realized that the most...
Mercy’s Triumph Over Evil: From Middle Earth To Golgotha
Introduction “What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!” Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and...
The Horse, And The Rider
Across cultures and across time, the iconic image of horse and rider is ever familiar. By such images, the wars they brought and their...
The Surprising Symbolism of 666
This is a transcript of a video from November 2019. Thanks to Heather Lee for the transcription and JP Marceau for the edition. This week, my...
Evil, Enlightenment and Easter
Happy Easter! In this article I explain how Easter makes the Christian narrative real and answers the problem of evil.
The Tripartite Symbolism of Man
One hundred men stand solemnly in a perfect circle. All eyes are focused on the single man, about 40, a tall and athletic viking of a man. He is called forward, and is blessed and anointed by the elder. In this ritual, he is to share a commitment of purpose from his soul with the circle of men. He steps towards the blazing fire and falls to his knees…
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About
Jonathan Pageau
Professional Icon Carver
Jonathan Pageau is a professional artist, writer and public speaker, giving workshops and conferences all around North America. He teaches carving, speaks on art, but mostly explores symbolic structures that underlie our experience of the world.
Through his YouTube channel and podcast, The Symbolic World, he also furthers the conversation on symbolism, meaning and patterns in everything from movies, to icons, to social trends.
Articles on the The Symbolic World are contributed by several writers engaged with Jonathan in the exploration of Symbolism across all fields.
To see the Jonathan’s art, please visit his carving website, his Patreon Art page or follow him on social media.