152 - February Q&A

📖 RAPUNZEL AND THE EVIL WITCH IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE: https://rapunzelbook.com/Heather Pollington and I are thrilled to share our brand-new storybook with you, 'Rapunzel and the Evil Witch'! Following 'Snow White and the Widow Queen' and 'Jack and the Fallen Giants', this third fairy tale feels like the culmination of our work so far. With this book you’ll begin to notice the different threads connecting across the series. Heather has created stunning illustrations that weave medieval and Byzantine influences into a style perfectly suited to the fairy tale world. In this episode, we walk through the process behind the book, the symbolism of Rapunzel’s story, and what's unique about our version of the story. We show many of the book's illustrations. I can't wait to hear what you think!YouTube version: https://youtu.be/aEWgHif0NS8Timestamps:00:00 - Announcement and opening01:36 - Intro music02:02 - Introduction03:41 - Heather's journey to Rapunzel06:40 - Critiques of fairy tales07:46 - Tangled10:12 - Exploring Rapunzel imagery10:24 - Early sketches12:14 - Iconography and Palekh fairy tale tradition15:54 - Frontispiece17:51 - Green flowers20:12 - The witch's garden22:59 - The dark exchange25:48 - The circle of protection28:55 - A sense of freedom30:43 - The moon tower35:04 - The haunting melody37:40 - Love in the tower41:47 - The dream43:27 - Flax into gold46:02 - Rain from heaven53:43 - The wooden throne56:28 - Order💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours- Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025- Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.- The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase. - Price: 180 USD, Involved patrons qualify for 10% discount.Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

29 Aug 20251h 1min

In this episode, I explore the symbolism of World War II through the imagery of the Axis and the Allies. Beyond politics, these symbols reveal a deeper story about unity and multiplicity—the tension between the “one” and the “many.” I look at how the propaganda and narratives of that time shaped the post-war consensus we still live in today, and why those stories are now reaching their limits. My hope is to help you see how these patterns influence our culture and why finding balance is so important.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vLpEDlgElegVisit https://www.rapunzelbook.com to pre-order our new fairy tale story, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours- Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025- Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.- The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase. - Price: 180 USD, Involved patrons qualify for 10% discount.Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.💻 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: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

19 Aug 202521min

In this episode, Father Josiah Trenham returns to the podcast for us to talk about the profound meaning and cosmic significance of marriage. We explore why marriage is a crucial civilizational cornerstone rooted in divine order, not only from a Christian perspective, but universally in all flourishing societies. We discuss how it compares to and co-exists with monasticism and the meaning of marriage and the wedding ceremony not just as a gate to self-fulfillment and a joyful experience, but also as self-sacrifice. We also discuss how rediscovering the beauty of marriage can help restore sanity in our fragmented secular world.This conversation is also a preview of the upcoming Marriage Conference in Riverside, CA (Oct. 10–12), where I’ll be speaking alongside Father Josiah, Archbishop Cordileone, Dr. Brad Wilcox, and others. Learn more at https://www.themarriageconference.com/ Subscribe to Fr. Josiah's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PatristicNectarFilms—NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young- Catch the early bird special of 15% off with code: EARLYJUBILEES, valid until 11:59 pm EST (midnight) of August 8th.- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours- Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025- Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.- The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase. - Price: 180 USDStep into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.—Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:00 - Intro music01:24 - Introduction04:01 - Marriage, monasticism, and St. John the Baptist09:16 - The symbiosis between monasticism and marriage12:32 - Why marriage fails16:14 - The fruits of abandoning marriage21:37 - Contract24:15 - Acknowledge the ideal27:53 - The nuclear and extended family29:40 - The crowns34:23 - A new independent union38:03 - Aspects of marriage43:19 - Refined love45:42 - Pagan monogamy50:39 - Marrying young55:18 - 50s Housewife vs boss babe57:01 - Having children01:00:39 - Hopes

5 Aug 20251h 7min

Fr. Stephen De Young returns to the channel to explore how we should approach extra-Biblical literature—looking especially at the Book of Jubilees in anticipation of his upcoming Symbolic World course: Jubilees and the Nephilim. We discuss a different, more ancient way of doing theology—through story, ritual, poetry, and image rather than flat modern academic argument. If you’ve ever wondered how texts like Jubilees, Enoch, or the Lives of Adam and Eve connect to Christian theology, this conversation is for you.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/poAELqTQTo0NEW COURSE: Jubilees and the Nephilim, by Fr. Stephen De Young- Catch the early bird special of 15% off with code: EARLYJUBILEES, valid until 11:59 pm EST (midnight) of August 8th.- Price: 180 USD (Discounted to 158 USD)- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim - Course Length: 6 Weeks, 12 Hours- Dates: Live classes are on Tuesday at 7 - 9 pm Central Time, starting August 19th through September 23rd, 2025- Participants will be given access to lesson recordings.- The course is hosted on the Symbolic World Circle Community platform. Sign up as a free member before making your purchase. Step into the strange and revelatory world of the Book of Jubilees, an ancient retelling of Genesis that shaped ancient Jewish thought and still echoes through Christian tradition. In this course, Fr. Stephen De Young guides students through the book’s expansion of biblical history, unveiling the significance of the fall of the angels, the rise of the Nephilim, and the heavenly origins of the feasts of the Old and New Testaments. Along the way, he'll explore how Jubilees reinterprets creation, demonology, and the prophetic structure of time, and why these themes mattered not only to Second Temple Judaism, but to later Christian understandings of the unseen world.Timestamps00:00 - Coming up00:55 - Intro music01:20 - Introduction02:11 - Jubilees05:08 - A different way of doing theology15:23 - Why do we have peripheral stories?22:34 - The twelfth apostle24:16 - Blood libel27:09 - Adam's skull31:19 - Sacred geography34:09 - The sacramental reality39:01 - The modern trade41:52 - UFOs, psychedelics, and materialism44:43 - Reading extra-biblical texts and Jubilees47:53 - What can extra-biblical traditions offer us?💻 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: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

31 Jul 202552min

In this episode I reflect on the symbolism behind Superman as a figure rooted in American mythology and post-WWII identity. I also discuss the new Superman movie by James Gunn, which actually has an interesting twist that can help us understand not just the superhero archetype, but also the crucial and relevant question of the immigrant or convert.https://youtu.be/RByli5eMoP8Rapunzel and the Evil Witch is coming in August—and you can pre-order it now. If you missed the first 1,000 copies (which sold out in 26 hours!), here’s your chance next to get it. Pre-orders come with the audiobook I recorded and a companion worksheet to explore the story with your family. Go to https://www.rapunzelbook.com/ and get ready—this is where the fairy tales start to weave together.💻 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: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

25 Jul 202524min

In this episode of Universal History, I sit down with Deacon Seraphim (Richard Rohlin) on the 4th of July to explore the topic of fairies and titular spirits, especially as it relates to the US. We discuss America’s founding, the myth of Oedipus, heroes and monsters, boundaries of identity, stories of water spirits and crossing into territories, all to ask the question of whether fairies can be saved. As always, we’re weaving together myth, symbolism, and cultural insight to help reveal the patterns behind the stories that shape our world.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/htXHJ1WRSAgPre-order our new fairy tale story book, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/rapunzel-and-the-evil-witchCOURSE: Scripture: The Key to Reality, presented by Seraphim HamiltonThis course is designed to help students appreciate the unique role the Bible plays in helping us step into the world as it truly is: a symbolic revelation of the Infinite God. Scripture is symbolic because it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the Archetype of the World. In a way, then, Scripture enfolds within itself the totality of the world, guiding its hearers to see an icon of Christ in each of God’s creatures: from trees to beasts to priests.- Live classes are on Tuesday at 2 - 4 pm Eastern Time, starting June 10th through July 22nd, 2025- Class Length: 5 sessions, 10 hours total- Cost: 120 USD (108 USD for Involved patrons)- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/scripture-the-key-to-reality💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:45 - Intro music02:12 - Introduction04:22 - Titular spirits10:03 - Oedipus: From the Bronze age16:47 - A daemon / titular spirit18:40 - Heroes becoming spirits19:54 - The encounter with the Sphinx21:46 - Killing a monsters26:41 - Purification and the furies31:43 - Understanding: Christ the Key39:37 - America46:23 - What are fairies53:15 - Artifacts58:08 - Magic01:00:38 - 3 Stories about faeries01:01:31 - Story 101:06:30 - Tying it in with St. Christopher01:07:25 - Story 201:11:32 - Commentary01:18:02 - Story 301:27:08 - American aboriginalsOur website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

19 Jul 20251h 36min

I was invited to give this talk on Robin Hood in Nottingham—just a stone’s throw from Sherwood Forest—on the feast of Pentecost. What began as a reflection on a beloved folk hero opened into something deeper: a meditation on rebellion, trickery, legitimacy, and the strange holiness that's possible for jesters and outlaws. In this talk, I explore how Robin Hood, the Green Man, King David, and even figures from Islamic tradition and Arthurian legend, all point toward a surprising truth—that the margins of society can conceal servants of the true King. I hope you enjoy it.Original YouTube version: https://youtu.be/7Q4LBLmeeMwCOURSE: Scripture: The Key to Reality, presented by Seraphim HamiltonThis course is designed to help students appreciate the unique role the Bible plays in helping us step into the world as it truly is: a symbolic revelation of the Infinite God. Scripture is symbolic because it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the Archetype of the World. In a way, then, Scripture enfolds within itself the totality of the world, guiding its hearers to see an icon of Christ in each of God’s creatures: from trees to beasts to priests.- Live classes are on Tuesday at 2 - 4 pm Eastern Time, starting June 10th through July 22nd, 2025- Class Length: 5 sessions, 10 hours total- Cost: 120 USD (108 USD for Involved patrons)- Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/scripture-the-key-to-realityGet early access to Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/rapunzel-and-the-evil-witch💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up01:30 - Intro music01:56 - Introduction by Jonathan03:34 - Introduction: The virtuous rebel06:10 - Who does Robin Hood resemble?09:40 - Green14:25 - A trickster for God16:39 - David25:41 - He loses at the edge39:24 - The Green man: Merlin45:25 - Q&A starts: St. Christopher46:39 - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight48:55 - Maid Marian and the Virgin Mary49:53 - Difference between giants and monsters51:20 - Intention53:01 - Robin Hood in politics54:10 - Marksmanship55:54 - Does the end justify the means57:42 - Is Robin Hood religious?59:06 - Locations and history01:01:38 - Humor in Christianity01:03:20 - Trickery01:06:46 - What goes around comes around01:08:15 - Downstream from the Gospel01:11:44 - Christ vs Robin Hood in historyOur website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

8 Jul 20251h 15min

I had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Josh David Jordan about his new movie El Tonto Por Cristo. It’s a black-and-white art film set in a Texas monastery — poetic, strange, and deeply moving. What struck me most is how the film weaves together powerful Orthodox imagery, the mystery of the holy fool, all with a totally unique visual language. This isn’t just a message movie — it’s real cinema.Check out the Kickstarter and be part of bringing this movie to theaters. This is a rare and important project. El Tonto Por Cristo: A Cinematic Meditation. An Orthodox film set in a Texas monastery. Help bring this black-and-white story of beauty, holiness, & mystery to theaters worldwide.https://www.eltontoporcristo.com/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/748841722/el-tonto-por-cristo-a-cinematic-meditationOriginal YouTube version: https://youtu.be/pbM5VN9YvCE💻 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: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

30 Jun 202536min