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PODCAST

The Symbolic World

Jonathan Pageau

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.

education

All Episodes

40:48

430 - JP Marceau - The Mythology of Demographic Collapse

The Symbolic World ·

2026/01/09

In this interview, I sat down with Jean-Philippe Marceau—author of Post-Reductionist Christianity, our very first theory book at Symbolic World Press—to discuss his surprising and widely praised new Symbolic World article on the emerging global demographic crisis.We discuss the falling birth rates and all its symbolic, scriptural, political, economic, and technological implications and causes. JP’s article likens today’s demographic collapse to the biblical Flood, looking at the dangers of both

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56:53

429 - Martin Shaw - Longing and Mystery: The Quest...

The Symbolic World ·

2026/01/01

In this conversation, I sit down with storyteller and mythologist Martin Shaw to explore the Holy Grail. We talk about desire and longing, failure and mercy, chivalry and the feminine, and why the Grail stories continue to be relevant across centuries.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/3qDkPUsle3MCOURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin ShawIn the dark heart of January, when the nights are long and the world draws close, Dr. Martin Shaw returns to Symbolic World Courses for an intensive

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19:32

428 - Why they want you to think Christmas is pagan

The Symbolic World ·

2025/12/24

In this video I discuss the persistence of the idea that Christmas was "stolen" by Christians from the pagans, or that it's secretly still pagan. Merry Christmas everyone. Christ is born!YouTube version: https://youtu.be/uh6rhiTrTnkChristmas symbolism playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY9MeGP5IILeRzu62Q1NPT4CNEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin ShawIn the dark heart of January, when the nights are long and the world draws close, Dr. Martin Shaw returns to

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73:36

427 - Dr. Iain McGilchrist - Artificial Intelligence,...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/12/18

In this conversation, I speak with British psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author Dr. Iain McGilchrist about intelligence, mental illness, and AI.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/DRtpKyKJcssGet Dr. McGilchrist’s books: https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/ APPLICATIONS OPEN: Ralston seeks 25 students with the curiosity and courage to find light in the darkness. Our one-year MA in the Humanities begins with two months learning Ancient and Modern Greek in Greece, before moving to beautiful

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39:13

426 - Andrew Gould - Monks and Pirates: Two Extremes...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/12/11

In this conversation filmed (by Deacon Seraphim Rohlin) in the Florida Keys, I sit down with my friend Andrew Gould to finally revisit a surprising claim he made years ago—that pirates and Orthodox monks share deep symbolic parallels. We discuss ships and treasure, costumes, death imagery, life on the edge of empire, all converging on how these two seemingly opposite extremes strangely mirror each other. Let me know if you like the format of this video.Original YouTube version:

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11:26

425 - The Cosmic Dance of Decorating a Christmas Tree

The Symbolic World ·

2025/12/08

This is a repost of a patron video I made several years ago about decorating the Christmas tree as a family. Support us for access to more video like this.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/9y32OFyvskgNEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin ShawIn the dark heart of January, when the nights are long and the world draws close, Dr. Martin Shaw returns to Symbolic World Courses for an intensive week-long journey to tell one of the greatest stories of the Medieval imagination:

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59:08

424 - Universal History: The American Religion - with...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/12/04

"Americans who think they are Christians, truly are something else; intensely religious, but devout in the American Religion."In this episode of Universal History, I sit down again with Deacon Seraphim Rohlin to explore the roots and characteristics of the true "American religion". We trace how movements in American history shaped the spiritual landscape that eventually gave rise to Mormonism, Adventism, spiritualism, and perhaps even your own journey back to traditional Christianity.Original

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56:57

423 - Catholic Unscripted - Violence as the New Normal

The Symbolic World ·

2025/11/28

This is a repost of an interview I did a few months ago on the Catholic Unscripted Podcast after the Charlie Kirk assassination. We discuss the topic of violence, the end of the World War 2 consensus, Israel, enchantment, science and technology, sex and gender, architecture, the structure of a normal vs a crumbling society, and more. Enjoy.YouTube version on my channel: https://youtu.be/TeCjedp6dJAOriginal interview on Catholic Unscripted YouTube channel:

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26:25

422 - Why Exaggeration Is Necessary in Storytelling

The Symbolic World ·

2025/11/18

Given we're still in the fall season, I watched The Conjuring and it got me thinking about how real events can become exaggerated in story form. In this video, I look at how legends are created, and that exaggeration of certain elements of an event can help amplify the meaning and purpose of why we're paying attention to it in the first place.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/fA2cKrvYyTkParadiso live course details:The Symbolic World Enters ParadiseJoin me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin this

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57:26

421 - Deacon Seraphim (Richard) Rohlin - Recovering...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/11/14

I’m excited to share this powerful talk by Deacon Seraphim Rohlin, my collaborator at the Symbolic World Press and co-host of the Universal History Podcast. In this talk from the 2025 Touchstone Conference, he explores how we can recover our heritage and live an enchanted Christian life. The title of his talk originally was "The Deep Pattern: Re-Enchanting Time through Medieval Universal History".YouTube version: https://youtu.be/EtvIpApaSrEhttps://www.touchstonemag.com/Universal History podcast:

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19:08

420 - How Free Will Actually Works

The Symbolic World ·

2025/11/06

This was September 2025's patron video that we decided to make public. Thank you to my supporters.I explore the question of free will, drawing on the insights of St. Maximus the Confessor. While thinkers like Sam Harris argue that free will is an illusion and always contingent on material circumstances, I show how the Christian understanding reframes freedom—not as arbitrary choice, but as submission to the good. True freedom is not transgression, but moving toward higher and higher goods, where

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23:51

419 - Trick or Treat: Halloween Symbolism in Little...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/31

Pre-order Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf now and get a free audiobook read by me, as well as an exclusive Q&A: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/the-tale-of-little-red-riding-hood-and-the-big-bad-wolf💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson:

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30:13

418 - The Symbolism of the Entire Divine Comedy in...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/29

In this video, I read and reflect on the first canto of Dante’s Divine Comedy — the opening of Inferno. This incredible canto puts the entire poem in perspective, serving as a microcosm for Dante's journey through inferno, purgatory, and into paradise. I discuss in detail, line by line, the rich symbolism and meaning Dante conveys.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/7zzQRg0muMoIf you enjoy this kind of symbolic analysis, join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin as we continue through Dante’s Paradiso,

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49:02

417 - Three Things Christians Must Do to Rebuild...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/25

This talk took place at the 2025 Touchstone conference, Great and Wonderful Days: Rediscovering the Christian Life in a Post-Christian Age. The title of my talk was “This is the Day”. https://www.touchstonemag.com/Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/cnMk_GFpVbwI explore how our modern world—built on endless disruption and self-expression—has reached its breaking point. We’re witnessing the collapse of a culture that forgot its source, but that’s also at the beginnings of renewal. From art and

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21:33

416 - Tangled: The Triumph of Self-Realization

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/17

I explore how Disney’s Tangled reimagines the classic Rapunzel story and what these changes reveal about our modern world. Tangled captures a pivotal moment in Disney’s storytelling where there was a shift from the traditional fairy tale’s emphasis on a marriage union, to a more modern emphasis on personal self-realization. I also reflect on how these themes connect to our own retelling, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/o8BJcX61H08Buy Rapunzel and the Evil Witch:

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24:45

415 - Charlie Kirk's Assassination: We have gone...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/10

Huge changes are happening in the political landscape. In this video, I reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and how this moment has deeply affected me toward recognizing how broken our unity has become. Drawing on symbolic insights, I explore the danger of turning opposition into real enmity and the need to return to truth, forgiveness, and higher purpose.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/NrDbHQurRpgThe recent interview with my brother, Matthieu, that I mention in the video:

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89:19

414 - Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin (Universal History) -...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/10/03

Enchantment never truly disappeared from the modern world.In this episode of Universal History Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I explore the world of magic and folk superstition in American Christianity.What is magic? Where’s the line between prayer and magic? Why did Protestant reformers ban holy water but keep belief in the devil? How did treasure-hunting rituals lead to the rise of Mormonism?YouTube version: https://youtu.be/o9rMy6lde0cTimestamps:00:00 - Coming up00:37 - Intro music01:01 -

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47:50

413 - Heidi White - The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/09/25

In this conversation, I sit down with author and educator Heidi White to discuss her new book, The Divided Soul. We explore the story of the prodigal son, the tension between duty and desire, and how these themes echo through literature, culture, and our own lives. Heidi shares insights from the Bible, classical works, and pop culture, showing that many stories reflect this deep human struggle.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/1LjDeZpSviwBuy Heidi’s book:

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27:03

412 - The Age of Self-Esteem

The Symbolic World ·

2025/09/22

This is August's patron video that I decided to make public. In it I explore the modern idea of self-esteem—where it came from, how it shapes our culture, and why it so often leads us into confusion and disorder. I contrast this with the Christian vision of humility, which offers a path to true freedom and joy. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/e__8eVCgjCEPlease consider becoming a patron to get exclusive access to videos like this: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe📖 Let's take our stories

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84:15

411 - Dr. Michael Levin & Dr. John Vervaeke - Brave...

The Symbolic World ·

2025/09/20

Dr. Michael Levin is a professor in the Department of Biology at Tufts University and an associate faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard. He directs the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, where his team integrates biophysics, computational modeling, and behavioral science to study how cellular collectives make decisions during embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer.Levin’s research centers on diverse forms of intelligence and unconventional embodied minds, bridging conceptual theory,

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428 results

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