ESOTERICA

ESOTERICA

I'm Dr. Justin Sledge and welcome to Esoterica: Where we explore the arcane in history, philosophy, and religion. This channel produces content relating to topics such as alchemy, magic, Kabbalah, mysticism, hermetic philosophy, theosophy, the occult and more using the best academic scholarship currently available. Support Esoterica with Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannel New to Esotericism? Checkout out my Study Guide - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharing Interested in Rare, Occult Books? Check out our bookstore - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Merch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/store Contact Esoterica - https://www.justinsledge.com/contact About Dr. Justin Sledge: https://www.justinsledge.com/

  1. Ancient Angel Magic - Sefer HaRazim - The Book of Secrets - Jewish Magic

    1 hr ago

    Ancient Angel Magic - Sefer HaRazim - The Book of Secrets - Jewish Magic

    The Sefer HaRazim ( Book of Secrets / Mysteries) is an ancient Jewish book of angel magic dating to the 3rd or 4th century CE. It was discovered in the Cairo Genizah in the 1960's in fragments and was edited together over the course of three years by Mordecai‏ Margalioth. In the text we find descriptions of the seven heavens, angelic military formations, and magical spells corresponding to the various heavens and angels. Sefer HaRazim is an interesting combination of both Merkabah mysticism (in which mystics 'descend' to the throne of the Divine through the palaces of G-d) and the sophisticated technologies of Greco-Egyptian magic. This episode explores the text in depth, several of the spells, angelic names and the long-standing impact of this kind of angelic magic on later traditions of magical practice.Recommended Reading:Michael Morgan - Sepher Ha-Razim: The Book of Mysteries - 978-0891306153Margalioth, Mordecai - Sepher Ha-Razim - Jerusalem: Yediot Achronot, 1966Medieval Latin Translation: https://histbest.ub.uni-leipzig.de/rsc/viewer/UBLHistBestCBU_derivate_00000077/cod_mag_40_jpg/cod_mag_40_001.jpg#angel #magic #judaism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 min
  2. Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism - 15 of 15 - The Twilight of the Merkavah

    1 hr ago

    Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism - 15 of 15 - The Twilight of the Merkavah

    Welcome to our seminar on Merkavah MysticismHundreds of years prior to the rise of the Kabbalah, shaman-like rabbinic mystics were described as having made the terrifying and awe-inspiring descent into the Divine Palaces. There they met with and bypassed fearsome angels with magical codes, gained control over angelic powers, became transformed into beings of fire, gained vast wisdom and mounted the very throne of G!d to carefully measure the vast dimensions of the divine body. These experiences and their praxes are recorded in about 50 manuscripts now known as the Hekhalot (lit. palaces) literature. Outside of specialists this late-classical form of (a)(de)scent mysticism is poorly understood and little appreciated. In this course, we will explore the foundations, social origins, myth-world, praxes and the afterlife of Merkavah Mysticism. Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Course Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URUIb_AkZGM3hXzTnPFAwQYkZf_WgL0Q9wWWqSr2ug0/edit?usp=sharingCourse Materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-93Z0g92p4xMTFRjk5KznFvh65oRjFAo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 1min
  3. Does ESOTERICA rely on AI?

    2 hr ago

    Does ESOTERICA rely on AI?

    Laying out my position on the use of AI - especially generative AI - here at Esoterica.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min
  4. Who was Asherah - Wife of Yahweh?

    2 hr ago

    Who was Asherah - Wife of Yahweh?

    Did Yahweh have a Wife? Asherah is an goddess and cultic object well, though mysteriously, attested in the Hebrew Bible - but what do we really know about Asherah? Let's explore the the history of this goddess: divine matriarch, consort and power behind the throne. From ancient Babylon, the Hittite Empire, the Canaanites, the Hebrew Bible and South Arabian texts let's see what we can learn about this goddess. Do recently discovered inscriptions even indicate that she was the lost or even suppressed Wife of Yahweh? And, how does the Kabbalah restore Asherah as the Divine Feminine? Let's explore the history and mythology of Asherah.Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelOne Time Donation Support - Paypal Donation - https://www.paypal.me/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoydhtfFSk1fZXNRnkGnneQ/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:Did God Have a Wife? - https://amzn.to/4oweMOeA Reassessment of Asherah - https://amzn.to/3Lpy3CbThe Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah - https://amzn.to/47rcM3G Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min
  5. Esotericism in Philosophy: Pythagoras and Parmenides

    3 hr ago

    Esotericism in Philosophy: Pythagoras and Parmenides

    Philosophy is taken to be the paragon of rational argumentation and logical analysis but I want to explore the esoteric and mystical aspect of ancient Greek philosophy - a dimension often ignored or unstressed . This is the first in a series that will explore this more arcane side of western philosophy from ancient Greece to contemporary analytic and continental schools.Support Esoterica on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelRecommended Readings:Kirk, Raven and Schofield - The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical History with a Selection of Texts - 978-0521274555Philosophy Before Socrates - Richard D. McKirahan - 978-1603841825Eric Dodds - The Greeks and the Irrational - 978-0520242302 Walter Burkert - Lore and Science in Ancient Pythagoreanism - 978-0674539181Charles Kahn - Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans - 978-0872205758Peter Kingsley - Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic: Empedocles and Pythagorean Tradition - 978-0198150817Parmenides - Martin Heidegger - 978-0253212146 (caveat lector!)#esotericism #presocratic #philosophy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min
  6. How Angel Magic Brought Us the Internet - The Steganographia of Trithemius

    3 hr ago

    How Angel Magic Brought Us the Internet - The Steganographia of Trithemius

    Did Angel Magic give us the Internet? In around 1499 Johann Trithemius began combining alchemical theory, astrology, the combatory arts and angel magic into a vast occult system by which to rapidly transmit information, acquire languages, induce prophecy and illuminate the soul. He called this occult science the Ars Steganographia and he was condemned for it. Despite rumors that he was a vile necromancer, Trithemius would continue his studies: founding arcane modern cryptology, tutoring Agrippa as he developed the Occult Philosophy, inspiring the development of the Lesser Key of Solomon, uncovering the astral cycles of history and much more. Let's explore the Ars Steganographia!Consider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/Recommended Readings:Bran, Trithemius and Magical Theology - https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/Trithemius-and-Magical-TheologyDO NOT BUY this book from Amazon. They use a POD service and the book will just fall apart.Skinner & Clark, Steganographia - https://amzn.to/3PocHarDan Harms on the Skinner Steganographia - https://medium.com/@danharms_29771/steganographia-a-review-5b26849f45c7Gamer - Die Polygraphia des Johannes Trithemius - https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9789004507753/html?lang=enFrater Acher - https://scarletimprint.com/publications/p/black-abbot-white-magicShumaker - Renaissance Curiosa - Johannes Trithemius and Cryptography The Art Theurgia Goetia - https://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/theurgia.htmSteganographia 1606 - https://books.google.com/books?id=yqRNAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=falseSteganographia 1608 - https://archive.org/details/SteganographiaBSB1608/mode/1upSteganographis Vindicated 1721 - https://books.google.it/books?id=wYFZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q&f=falseJohn Dee's Manuscript copy - https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/manuscripts/early-modern-period/steganographia/De Septem Secundeis - https://esotericarchives.com/tritheim/tritem.htmhttps://www.google.com/books/edition/De_septem_secundeis_id_est_intelligentii/ij48AAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1De Septem Secundeis 1522 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/De_septem_secunda_Deis_id_est_intelligen/EaRRAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1De Septem Secundeis 1545 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/De_septem_secundeis_id_est_intelligentii/ij48AAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1Polygraphiae 1613 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Libri_polygraphiae_VI/aN-uEaXeZN0C?hl=en&gbpv=1Liber octo quaestionum 1534 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Liber_octo_quaestionum_quas_illi_dissolv/vhI8AAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1"" - https://www.esotericarchives.com/tritheim/8quest.htmThe infamous Bovillus Epistle p. 172 - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Opuscula_Liber_de_intellectu/jtyJxrDZvsoC?hl=en&gbpv=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 38min
  7. How to Explore the Occult and Western Esotericism

    4 hr ago

    How to Explore the Occult and Western Esotericism

    Studying Western Esotericism can be a daunting task. How to even begin? I prepared a self-study guide for getting access to the most reliable and accessible literature on topics in Esotericism up to around 1650, updated for 2026. In this episode I want to walk you through my methodology, the study guide itself and how you can use it to bring yourself up to date on the scholarship. Let's build a library of the occult and the esoteric together!You can find the study guide here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingConsider Supporting Esoterica!Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelMerch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/storeNew to Studying Esotericism? Check out my Reading Guide here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharingRare Occult Books - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  8. Mystical Language - Hildegard of Bingen's Lingua Ignota (Unknown Language) - Early Invented Tongue

    4 hr ago

    Mystical Language - Hildegard of Bingen's Lingua Ignota (Unknown Language) - Early Invented Tongue

    The first in a series here at Esoterica exploring esoteric languages and symbol systems! This video takes a look at the Lingua Ignota (Unknown Language) of the 12th century mystic and polymath Hildegard of Bingen.Support Esoterica on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannelO Orzchis Ecclesia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGCAOf9gjBMRecommended Readings:Sarah Higley - Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition, Translation, and Discussion - ISBN-13: 978-1403976734Hildegard's Music on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hildegard+musicHildegard - Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias - ISBN-13: 978-0809131303Selected Writings: Hildegard of Bingen - ISBN-13: 978-0140436044Fiona Maddocks - Hildegard of Bingen - ISBN-13: 978-0571302437Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen - Matthew Fox - ISBN-13: 978-1879181977#hildegard #ignota #conlang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min
See All (19)

About

I'm Dr. Justin Sledge and welcome to Esoterica: Where we explore the arcane in history, philosophy, and religion. This channel produces content relating to topics such as alchemy, magic, Kabbalah, mysticism, hermetic philosophy, theosophy, the occult and more using the best academic scholarship currently available. Support Esoterica with Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannel New to Esotericism? Checkout out my Study Guide - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?usp=sharing Interested in Rare, Occult Books? Check out our bookstore - https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/ Merch - https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel/store Contact Esoterica - https://www.justinsledge.com/contact About Dr. Justin Sledge: https://www.justinsledge.com/

Information

  • Creator
    ESOTERICA
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Provider

You Might Also Like