The Symbolic World

Jonathan Pageau
  • 4.8 (840)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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.

  1. 5D AGO

    428 - Why they want you to think Christmas is pagan

    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/uh6rhiTrTnk Christmas symbolism playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY9MeGP5IILeRzu62Q1NPT4C NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw In 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: Parzival and the Holy Grail. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail  Cost: $160 USD Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026 Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST 💻 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/

    20 min

  2. DEC 18

    427 - Dr. Iain McGilchrist - Artificial Intelligence, Possession, and Mental Illness

    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/DRtpKyKJcss Get 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 Savannah, GA. Full and partial scholarships are available. The deadline for priority consideration is December 18, 2025. Visit https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw In 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: Parzival and the Holy Grail. Catch the early bird sale of 15% off if you register before midnight December 19: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail  Cost: $160 USD Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026 Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST Timestamps: 00:00 Coming up 00:43 Intro music 01:07 Introduction to Ralston College and Its Mission 10:57 The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society 21:02 Intelligence and Consciousness 30:57 The Dangers of Alien Intelligence 39:17 Understanding Addiction and Mental Illness 46:04 Possession and Mental Health: A New Perspective 52:11 The Left Hemisphere and Its Malign Influence 01:03:37 AI: The Modern Sorcerer's Apprentice 01:11:11 All We Can Do 💻 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/

    1h 14m

  3. DEC 11

    426 - Andrew Gould - Monks and Pirates: Two Extremes that Explain the Rest of Us

    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: https://youtu.be/WjMadP6DScM NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw In 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: Parzival and the Holy Grail. Catch the early bird sale of 15% off if you register before midnight December 19: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail Cost: $160 USD Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026 Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST 💻 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/

    39 min

  4. DEC 8

    425 - The Cosmic Dance of Decorating a Christmas Tree

    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/9y32OFyvskg NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw In 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: Parzival and the Holy Grail. Catch the early bird sale of 15% off if you register before midnight December 19: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail  Cost: $160 USD Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026 Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau    Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/  My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    11 min

  5. DEC 4

    424 - Universal History: The American Religion - with Dcn Seraphim Rohlin

    "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 YouTube version: https://youtu.be/0_RKBPaQAyk Previous episode: https://youtu.be/o9rMy6lde0c?si=b8d-6tbkuIgAbl4K Paradiso live course details: The Symbolic World Enters Paradise Join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin in our course on Dante's Paradiso. -Course length: 5 weeks, 15 hours -Dates of live classes: Wednesdays, November 5th to December 10th, 2025 -Time: 2-5 pm Eastern Time -Cost: 190 USD (Involved patrons get 10% off, apply discount code at checkout) -Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso 💻 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/

    59 min

  6. NOV 28

    423 - Catholic Unscripted - Violence as the New Normal

    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/TeCjedp6dJA Original interview on Catholic Unscripted YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/SSn_q-HQeFg?si=K7RkdByVEFDnoP4j The Catholic Unscripted Podcast is a UK online apostolate founded by Katherine Bennett, and Mark Lambert. Subscribe at https://www.catholicunscripted.com/ BLACK FRIDAY SALE. Get 30% off courses, 20% off books, and 25% off the Tales For Once & Ever bundle. Use code: BLACKFRIDAY2025 for courses, other discounts are applied automatically. Valid through Dec 3. Don't miss out: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com Paradiso live course details: The Symbolic World Enters Paradise Join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin this November in our course on Dante's Paradiso. -Course length: 5 weeks, 15 hours -Dates of live classes: Wednesdays, November 5th to December 3rd, 2025 -Time: 2-5 pm Eastern Time -Cost: 190 USD (Involved patrons get 10% off, apply discount code at checkout) -Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso 💻 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/

    57 min

  7. NOV 18

    422 - Why Exaggeration Is Necessary in Storytelling

    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/fA2cKrvYyTk Paradiso live course details: The Symbolic World Enters Paradise Join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin this November in our course on Dante's Paradiso. -Course length: 5 weeks, 15 hours -Dates of live classes: Wednesdays, November 5th to December 3rd, 2025 -Time: 2-5 pm Eastern Time -Cost: 190 USD (Involved patrons get 10% off, apply discount code at checkout) -Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso 💻 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/

    26 min

  8. NOV 14

    421 - Deacon Seraphim (Richard) Rohlin - Recovering Our Heritage

    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/EtvIpApaSrE https://www.touchstonemag.com/ Universal History podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVX4HUUPrIY_M2uZP3yW6EEiod3fGD6FD&si=iYKlCCZJSt_ob2oi  Paradiso live course details: The Symbolic World Enters Paradise Join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin this November in our course on Dante's Paradiso. -Course length: 5 weeks, 15 hours -Dates of live classes: Wednesdays, November 5th to December 3rd, 2025 -Time: 2-5 pm Eastern Time -Cost: 190 USD (Involved patrons get 10% off, apply discount code at checkout) -Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau  🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe  Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro by Jonathan 01:15 - Intro music 01:40 - Introducing Dcn Seraphim Rohlin 03:34 - Start of talk 15:20 - Paradiso class 17:08 - Resume talk Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/  My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

    57 min
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4.8
out of 5
840 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Jonathan Pageau
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    426
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Jonathan Pageau
  • Show Website
    The Symbolic World

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