The Symbolic World

I finally got around to watching You Can See Everything, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, made by Nathan Fielder. The film is a brilliant exploration of the limits of representation. Through its many layers of documentary filmmaking, acting, and manipulation, the film raises some important questions about our ability to discern representation and relity, why we tell stories, and how symbolism can reveal truths that factual accuracy alone cannot capture. **Warning: Full spoilers ahead.**YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Emp6q4PjKbEBuy Valiant Little Tailor now and get the audiobook with for free: https://talesforonceandever.com/🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

The recent rise of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader memes reveals something interesting about the breakdown of the World War II consensus and the mythology of Star Wars. I look at why people are increasingly sympathetic to the Empire, what this reversal tells us about our changing understanding of authority and power, and the dangers of simply embracing the opposite side of a story that is falling apart.Getting Sith-YouTube version: https://youtu.be/JMsAbf_FlL8Pilled on the Boomers, by Upper Canadian Cavalier: https://uppercanadiancavalier.substack.com/p/getting-sith-pilled-on-the-boomers Get Valiant Little Tailor now: https://talesforonceandever.comJoin me and others on a cruise / pilgrimage to Alaska in 2027: https://www.inspirationtravel.com/event/orthodox-christian-conference-alaska-cruise-2027🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

Part 6. In this episode of Universal History, Deacon Seraphim and I continue our reading of The Cave of Treasures, following the biblical patriarchs from Abraham to Moses. We explore ancient traditions surrounding the sacrifice of Isaac, the mysterious priesthood of Melchizedek, the founding of Jerusalem, and the strange genealogies that ultimately converge in Christ. We also look at the remarkable tradition that Moses' staff originated in Paradise and eventually became part of Christ's Cross.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/j2RBAhnjRvIWatch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLegM2eIGv3-I&si=uD375Yi9HcXAt4_jBuy GodsDog, Monk: https://godsdog.com/Buy Valiant Little Tailor: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/the-tale-of-the-valiant-little-tailorTimestamps:0:00 Intro – The Crucifixion as an eternal event1:49 Introduction to Universal History: The Cave of Treasures3:38 The priestly and royal lineage from Adam to Christ5:43 Abraham destroys his father's idols8:31 The miraculous birth of Abraham9:38 Abraham's circumcision by angels11:11 Melchizedek blesses Abraham with bread and wine14:02 Hagar, Ishmael, and the symbolism of Egypt16:43 Abraham and Sarah's family lineage17:12 Isaac's sacrifice and its connection to Golgotha18:55 Did Melchizedek tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?20:01 Abraham sees the Crucifixion of Christ22:34 Is the Crucifixion an eternal event?24:20 The incomplete revelation of the Old Testament26:30 Abraham's vision of Christ's redemption27:14 The twelve kings who founded Jerusalem31:43 Who was Melchizedek?33:28 Jonathan questions the interpretation of Hebrews35:19 Nimrod and the founding of ancient cities36:31 Melchizedek's prophecy to Rebekah37:35 The seven walls of Jericho and Ishmael's legacy38:41 Isaac's blessing of Jacob over Esau39:47 Jacob's ladder as an image of the Cross41:27 The angels of the Nativity on Jacob's ladder43:03 The Cross as the centre of the Incarnation44:49 Jacob's altar and the consecration of churches47:01 Jacob's well as an image of baptism48:30 Leah and Rachel as the two covenants48:52 How far can symbolic interpretation go?52:06 Interpreting the larger symbolic patterns54:26 Leah and Rachel: The active and contemplative lives56:27 Jacob's descendants and the twelve tribes58:09 Judah's Canaanite wife and the promised lineage58:54 The mysterious story of Judah and Tamar1:02:29 Why The Cave of Treasures leaves out certain biblical stories1:04:52 The priestly and royal genealogies of Israel1:07:51 Ruth, Lot, and the preservation of the royal line1:08:55 Why Christ's genealogy includes so many scandals1:10:54 The scattered lineages reunited in Christ1:11:49 Solomon's many wives and his descendants1:14:39 Moses' life in The Cave of Treasures1:17:15 The origin of Moses' rod in the Garden of Eden1:18:07 How Moses' rod passed down to Christ1:19:59 Moses' rod and the wood of the Crucifixion🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

Nathan Betz is a research fellow at the University of Regensburg. In this conversation, we talk about how the early fathers saw the heavenly Jerusalem not as a mansion in the sky, but as the point of everything. We discuss why the earliest apse mosaics in Rome stack paradise beneath the heavenly city, how churches came to be built after Revelation instead of just the old temple, and why the texts we have today are only small window into a much richer life.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/xTitW-sKcnwhttps://www.nathanbetz.com/📖 Get 35% off Nathan's book:Title: City of Gods: The New Jerusalem of John’s Revelation in Early Christianity by Nathan BetzDiscount Code (35%): DGBCONF4 (discount will be applied after clicking “checkout")Purchase Website: https://brill.com/display/title/65150 Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:55 Introducing Nathan Betz3:32 How a library visit became a career5:59 Paradise and the city: the bookends of Scripture7:32 "You will be gods in the city of God"8:22 Not a mansion in the sky9:43 Not just eschatology, but teleology10:12 Apophatic theology and the language of symbol12:33 The heavenly Jerusalem in early church art13:53 Paradise and the city in Roman apse mosaics15:56 The liturgy as the heavenly Jerusalem16:25 Is the church an image of the heavenly Jerusalem?17:14 Origen's Russian nesting dolls18:46 The jeweled cross20:27 The missing creative briefs22:25 How the garden is nested in the city24:03 Methodius's Symposium: from paradise to Zion25:34 Monasteries as little New Jerusalems26:30 Sinai, Ezekiel, and the heavenly pattern29:29 Are churches modeled on the heavenly Jerusalem?31:18 The earliest evidence: Zeno of Verona and Eusebius34:48 Hymns of the heavenly city37:36 Revelation in the East39:18 How the imagery survived without Revelation41:32 Texts are traces, not sources43:56 The life of the church as an eternal instant44:57 How this research shaped Nathan's faith48:18 Why everyone is talking about theosis now52:08 Closing🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

~ Full spoilers throughout! ~ Last year, several of you pointed me to Over the Garden Wall, Patrick McHale's 2014 Cartoon Network series. It's ten short episodes about two brothers lost in a dark wood on Halloween. It turns out to be one of the most complete explorations of the in-between I've seen in pop culture, closer to the first canto of Dante than you'd expect from a cartoon. In this video I discuss the symbolism in the show.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/VDYYV9xizZs-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

Part 5. In this episode, Deacon Seraphim Rohlin and I continue the Syriac text of the Cave of Treasures into the fourth age of the world. The text traces the origins of idolatry back to a lack of hope in the resurrection. It tells of a “flood of wind” that buried the idols in mounds, and it puts the origin of sorcery in a child sacrifice to a golden image. We also look at how the text explains Persian fire worship and why it makes Nimrod the same person as Zoroaster. Along the way we talk about the difference between an icon and an idol.Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/JLLlb-QqLBkWatch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLegM2eIGv3-I&si=uD375Yi9HcXAt4_j-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------The Book of the Cave of Treasures: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Cave-Treasures-Patriarchs-Crucifixion/dp/1911405659Timestamps: 0:00 Coming up1:26 Intro1:40 Preamble3:42 The Cave of Treasures & the Seven Ages of the World5:30 Tolkien's Middle-earth as Universal History6:11 The Oxford Summit & Tolkien's Grave8:41 King Arthur, Dragon Hill & the Blood Spot12:09 The Fourth Age: Egypt, Sheba, Ophir & India14:43 How Idolatry Began15:17 No Hope of Resurrection: Images on the Grave17:02 The Flood of Wind & the Burial Mounds18:55 Satan Enters the Golden Image21:01 Child Sacrifice, Moloch & Carthage22:41 What's the Difference Between an Icon and an Idol?25:58 Opening the Mouth of the Idol27:25 Idols As a Tool28:38 Same Rituals, Different Direction29:38 Idolatry vs. the Hope of Resurrection30:31 A Mound Full of Devils32:57 Nimrod Worships the Fire from the Earth33:43 Nimrod & the Wisdom of Noah's Son34:47 Abraham the True Astrologer35:10 Divination in the Old Testament: Urim, Thummim & the Ephod37:37 The Fire Priest's Dark Initiation40:34 How Paganism Emerges41:17 The Origins of Astrology42:56 Nimrod Is Zoroaster?44:11 Zoroaster, the Magi & the Star of Christ45:05 Nimrod, Zoroaster & Balaam: The Same Person?48:21 The Legend of Balaam's Talking Donkey49:06 Hidden Monotheism in the Ancient World51:21 Universal History as a Lens on the Present52:12 Why Zoroastrians Don't Bury Their Dead53:29 Armenia's Hayk & the Death of Nimrod🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

This is a patron video we decided to make public. I look at the difference between Renaissance art and the symbolic language of early Christianity, especially through the mosaics of Saint John Lateran. Saint John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and the pope’s actual seat as Bishop of Rome.This episode will be easier to understand on YouTube since it's based on visual art: https://youtu.be/TvsDGsKlIiQ-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

Why do Christians venerate the relics of saints, and how can these objects perform miracles? I explore the biblical and symbolic meaning of relics, from the bones of Elisha to the incorrupt bodies of saints, and what they reveal about the body, holiness, and the resurrection.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/YnopjkmE6Nk-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

This talk is a repost from the archive. It was given in Feb. 2017 at the Climacus Conference in Louisville Kentucky. Looking at the story of the life of Moses as described by St. Gregory of Nyssa, I use the pattern found there to trace a map of the cosmos which can be used to interpret other stories and images.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/hUWZllivScwThis is the second part of a talk. The first part is here: https://youtu.be/S1y-jEYNRNcThe original audio was taken from Ancient Faith Radio: https://www.ancientfaith.com/-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

The patterns in stories appear as their underlying order and also as a mode of human consciousness. We can encounter the Divine Logos in ancient stories and see how these patterns culminate in the story of Christ.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/S1y-jEYNRNcThis talk is a repost from the archive. It was given in Feb. 2017 at the Climacus Conference in Louisville Kentucky. The original audio was taken from Ancient Faith Radio: https://www.ancientfaith.com/-------------------------------GodsDog: Monk is now officially in stock! You can also get volumes 1 and 2 on sale during October! Visit: https://godsdog.com/-------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 – The world is made of stories01:23 – How the invisible holds the visible together03:49 – What makes something a story?06:15 – Ad starts: God's Dog 307:10 – Ad ends: The universal pattern of stories09:01 – How biblical stories hold the world together10:37 – Moses and the pattern of the Tabernacle13:13 – Christ as the Tabernacle encompassing the universe15:22 – Patterns within patterns18:03 – How the Old Testament points to Christ19:50 – Cain and Abel as patterns of Christ22:13 – The Eucharist reconciles opposing sacrifices24:35 – Christ as the fulfilment of all stories25:47 – The universal pattern of descent into the underworld28:08 – Why similar myths don't disprove Christianity30:33 – The Harrowing of Hades32:50 – How Christ transforms the ancient pattern35:29 – Seeing ancient myths through Christ36:17 – How we encounter God in stories37:51 – The danger of reducing Christ to our preferences38:46 – Letting go of our limited image of Christ40:13 – Encountering divine truth in unexpected places🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe💻 Website, blog, courses: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com📚 Store: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/