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: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

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/7zzQRg0muMo

If you enjoy this kind of symbolic analysis, join me and Deacon Seraphim Rohlin as we continue through Dante’s Paradiso, starting live in November. You can get the early bird sale of 15% off if you use the code: EARLYPARADISO at checkout. Our past courses on Dante's Inferno and Purgatorio are also on a 50% sale during the month of October if you use code: DANTE50.
Courses:
-Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-inferno-the-course 
-Purgatorio:https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-purgatorio 
-Paradise (upcoming): https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso 

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-Get 15% off with the early bird sale through all of October with the code: EARLYPARADISO
-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/

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_GFpVbw

I 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 architecture to worship and storytelling, I share how Christians can remember, celebrate, and create once again—recovering beauty, meaning, and participation in the divine order. This is a moment of opportunity: to rediscover Christ as the pattern of reality and rebuild culture on that foundation.

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
-Get 15% off with the early bird sale through all of October with the code: EARLYPARADISO
-Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso

During October you can also get 50% off the Inferno and Purgatorio courses with the code: DANTE50-Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-inferno-the-course
-Purgatorio: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-purgatorio

💻 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/

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/o8BJcX61H08
Buy Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/ 

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
-Get 15% off with the early bird sale through all of October with the code: EARLYPARADISO
-Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso

During October you can also get 50% off the Inferno and Purgatorio courses with the code: DANTE50
-Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-inferno-the-course
-Purgatorio: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-purgatorio

💻 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/

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/NrDbHQurRpg

The recent interview with my brother, Matthieu, that I mention in the video: https://youtu.be/8-RWp1_lSEM?si=flnni77ae94jpuD-

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
-Get 15% off with the early bird sale through all of October with the code: EARLYPARADISO
-Register today: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-paradiso

During October you can also get 50% off the Inferno and Purgatorio courses with the code: DANTE50
-Inferno: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-inferno-the-course
-Purgatorio: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/dantes-purgatorio

💻 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/

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/o9rMy6lde0c

Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
00:37 - Intro music
01:01 - Introduction
04:54 - What is magic?
08:46 - The modern & Enlightenment ideas of superstition
11:00 - Prayers and psalms
13:30 - The Reformation's perspective
24:27 - Medieval understanding of superstition
26:53 - Example: the French "Dog-saint"
28:11 - Reformation conclusions
33:37 - You have an embarrassing illness
37:21 - Christian magic hacks
46:29 - Manifestation
52:03 - Scapegoating
54:31 - Categories of magic
56:47 - Divination
04:30 - Water witching
07:30 - Saint Porphyrios
08:51 - Finding water
09:57 - Finding other things
11:44 - Money digging
13:33 - How money digging works
17:34 - The symbolism of the New World
20:54 - Joseph Smith and Mormonism
24:18 - The human need for enchantment

💻 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/

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/1LjDeZpSviw

Buy Heidi’s book: https://www.goldberrypress.com/products/the-divided-soul-duty-and-desire-in-literature-and-life
Heidi’s Substack and podcast: https://closereads.substack.com/ 
Instagram: @heidiwhitereads 

📖 Let's take our stories back. Check out our latest book in the Tales for Now and Ever series, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/ 

Fr. Stephen De Young's Jubilees and the Nephilim course is now finished and available for purchase: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim 

Timestamps
00:00 - Coming up
01:40 - Intro music
02:04 - Introduction
02:48 - The prodigal son
05:32 - Duty and desire
07:17 - Paradise as unity
13:02 - Why the duality?
17:36 - Sins of the right hand and the left hand
20:49 - Ordering desire
27:30 - Examples
33:28 - Repentance and sacrifice
38:04 - Christ's version of this pattern
44:24 - Heidi's vision

💻 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/

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__8eVCgjCE

Please consider becoming a patron to get exclusive access to videos like this: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe

📖 Let's take our stories back. Check out our latest book in the Tales for Now and Ever series, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/

Join Fr. Stephen De Young in his Jubilees and the Nephilim course, now streaming live on The Symbolic World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim

Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ 
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

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, experimental biology, and translational work aimed at regenerative medicine. His lab also pioneers efforts in artificial intelligence and the bioengineering of novel living machines.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/iwOJ9PWcPmo
Read more about Dr. Michael Levin’s work: https://drmichaellevin.org/
X: https://x.com/drmichaellevin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drmichaellevin
John Vervaeke's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke

📖 Let's take our stories back. Check out our latest book in the Tales for Now and Ever series, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/

Join Fr. Stephen De Young in his Jubilees and the Nephilim course, now streaming live on The Symbolic World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim

Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
01:14 - Intro music
01:40 - Introduction
02:23 - What Michael does
06:19 - Example experiments
07:51 - Memories outside the brain
12:46 - Terminology: memory
13:59 - Communicate to biological cells
15:54 - Limitations?
17:39 - Platonic patterns
34:06 - Incarnation and constraints
39:26 - Causes
49:28 - New beings in new spaces
52:25 - What the Enlightenment dismissed
55:32 - Molecular medicine
57:36 - Subtle bodies
01:00:45 - Ethics
01:03:37 - Medical and meaning applications
01:11:42 - Frightening
01:14:31 - Against the status quo
01:19:03 - Should we dabble in this technology?

💻 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/

I’ve spoken about fractals on my channel for many years. In this talk, I explore the topic directly—showing how fractals are a fundamental structure of reality. Understanding these patterns is essential if we want to see the world symbolically and build true fellowship rooted in spirit rather than mere rules.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/S6xHkyhoN20

This talk took place at the 2025 Midwestuary conference.
Estuary Hub Link: https://www.estuaryhub.com/
https://www.southeastuary.com/

📖 Let's take our stories back. Check out our latest book in the Tales for Now and Ever series, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/

🔗Join Fr. Stephen De Young in his Jubilees and the Nephilim course, now streaming live on The Symbolic World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim

💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 
🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 

Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
00:28 - Intro music
00:51 - Introducing Jonathan
02:08 - Start of talk
04:59 - Heaven and earth
07:44 - Produce variation
13:44 - Revelation
19:18 - Resistance to embodiment
22:05 - Heaven provides influence
25:21 - A nation: embodiment
35:56 - Too close to multiplicity
38:27 - A luminous hierarchy
41:22 - What can make a hierarchy fragile

Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ 
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

I finally watched K-Pop Demon Hunters after so many of you kept asking about it. In this episode, I explore the strange mix of symbolism: demons, idols, and the way the film deals with shame, music, and attention. There are fascinating elements in the story, but also some deep problems from a symbolic and Christian perspective. Let’s dive in together.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers.

YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Rh89J2eAf7o

📖 Let's take our stories back. Check out the latest book in the Tales for Now and Ever series, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/

Latest course: Join Fr. Stephen De Young in his Jubilees and the Nephilim course, now streaming live on The Symbolic World: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/jubilees-and-the-nephilim

💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 
🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe 

Do you want to know more about symbolism and learn how to do your own analysis? Join the Symbolism Masterclass, the culmination of my life’s work on this topic. It’s both for beginners and long-time followers. Over 6 classes and more than 18 hours of content, that you can follow at your own pace, you’ll uncover the hidden structures of reality—from sacred time to the dance of opposites—and learn to live with intention in an age of distraction, confusion, and the crisis of meaning. Register here: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/symbolism-masterclass 

Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ 
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

In this conversation I’m joined by Andrew Gould and Michael Diamant to explore the importance of traditional architecture and city planning. We discuss why so much of our built environment feels alienating, how modernism abandoned human proportion and beauty, and why recovering classical forms matters for culture, community, and even our spiritual lives.

Michael shares the story of the Architecture Uprising movement across Europe, and Andrew explains how he approaches designing buildings that are rooted in tradition yet alive for today. Together we reflect on how beauty is not just a luxury—it’s essential for human flourishing.

Youtube version: https://youtu.be/uS_3FB7foVc?si=5zMFNf8ALUUAov9d

Architects, go to https://newtrad.org/
Follow Michael on X / Twitter: https://x.com/michael_diamant
Andrew Gould's website: https://newworldbyzantine.com/
Follow Andrew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.gould.1401

Buy Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://rapunzelbook.com/  

Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
00:48 - Intro music
01:13 - Introduction
06:14 - What's great about ugly architecture?
09:27 - Politics
10:51 - The Brutalist
13:03 - City planning
15:28 - Density
20:28 - What is driving the madness?
27:03 - The options for architects
30:17 - What architecture is today
34:26 - Classical beauty
40:10 - Bad classical architecture
45:52 - Defending your culture
51:05 - Andrew Gould's work
01:01:02 - Architectural fashion
01:04:58 - The film industry

💻 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/

📖 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/aEWgHif0NS8

Timestamps:
00:00 - Announcement and opening
01:36 - Intro music
02:02 - Introduction
03:41 - Heather's journey to Rapunzel
06:40 - Critiques of fairy tales
07:46 - Tangled
10:12 - Exploring Rapunzel imagery
10:24 - Early sketches
12:14 - Iconography and Palekh fairy tale tradition
15:54 - Frontispiece
17:51 - Green flowers
20:12 - The witch's garden
22:59 - The dark exchange
25:48 - The circle of protection
28:55 - A sense of freedom
30:43 - The moon tower
35:04 - The haunting melody
37:40 - Love in the tower
41:47 - The dream
43:27 - Flax into gold
46:02 - Rain from heaven
53:43 - The wooden throne
56:28 - 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/

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/vLpEDlgEleg

Visit 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/

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 USD
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.

—
Timestamps:
00:00 - Coming up
01:00 - Intro music
01:24 - Introduction
04:01 - Marriage, monasticism, and St. John the Baptist
09:16 - The symbiosis between monasticism and marriage
12:32 - Why marriage fails
16:14 - The fruits of abandoning marriage
21:37 - Contract
24:15 - Acknowledge the ideal
27:53 - The nuclear and extended family
29:40 - The crowns
34:23 - A new independent union
38:03 - Aspects of marriage
43:19 - Refined love
45:42 - Pagan monogamy
50:39 - Marrying young
55:18 - 50s Housewife vs boss babe
57:01 - Having children
01:00:39 - Hopes

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/poAELqTQTo0

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.
- 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.

Timestamps
00:00 - Coming up
00:55 - Intro music
01:20 - Introduction
02:11 - Jubilees
05:08 - A different way of doing theology
15:23 - Why do we have peripheral stories?
22:34 - The twelfth apostle
24:16 - Blood libel
27:09 - Adam's skull
31:19 - Sacred geography
34:09 - The sacramental reality
39:01 - The modern trade
41:52 - UFOs, psychedelics, and materialism
44:43 - Reading extra-biblical texts and Jubilees
47:53 - 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/

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/RByli5eMoP8

Rapunzel 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/

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/htXHJ1WRSAg

Pre-order our new fairy tale story book, Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: https://store.thesymbolicworld.com/products/rapunzel-and-the-evil-witch

COURSE: Scripture: The Key to Reality, presented by Seraphim Hamilton
This 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 up
01:45 - Intro music
02:12 - Introduction
04:22 - Titular spirits
10:03 - Oedipus: From the Bronze age
16:47 - A daemon / titular spirit
18:40 - Heroes becoming spirits
19:54 - The encounter with the Sphinx
21:46 - Killing a monsters
26:41 - Purification and the furies
31:43 - Understanding: Christ the Key
39:37 - America
46:23 - What are fairies
53:15 - Artifacts
58:08 - Magic
01:00:38 - 3 Stories about faeries
01:01:31 - Story 1
01:06:30 - Tying it in with St. Christopher
01:07:25 - Story 2
01:11:32 - Commentary
01:18:02 - Story 3
01:27:08 - American aboriginals

Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ 
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

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/7Q4LBLmeeMw

COURSE: Scripture: The Key to Reality, presented by Seraphim Hamilton

This 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

Get 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 up
01:30 - Intro music
01:56 - Introduction by Jonathan
03:34 - Introduction: The virtuous rebel
06:10 - Who does Robin Hood resemble?
09:40 - Green
14:25 - A trickster for God
16:39 - David
25:41 - He loses at the edge
39:24 - The Green man: Merlin
45:25 - Q&A starts: St. Christopher
46:39 - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
48:55 - Maid Marian and the Virgin Mary
49:53 - Difference between giants and monsters
51:20 - Intention
53:01 - Robin Hood in politics
54:10 - Marksmanship
55:54 - Does the end justify the means
57:42 - Is Robin Hood religious?
59:06 - Locations and history
01:01:38 - Humor in Christianity
01:03:20 - Trickery
01:06:46 - What goes around comes around
01:08:15 - Downstream from the Gospel
01:11:44 - Christ vs Robin Hood in history

Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ 
My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

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-meditation

Original 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/