This time we move into the second part of the nigredo or black phase of alchemy, dissolution, looking at the world of elixirs as well as spiritual dissolution technique. We discuss the alchemical symbolism of dissolution and some of the context of the famous Voynich Manuscript.

#92 Heretics Alchemy Tutorial 4 - Dissolution

According to the 2021 census, the number of people who identify with Shamanism has grown ten-fold since 2011. We talk about whether or not this is true, and its implications, as well as reviewing the state of Shamanism in the UK today.

#91 The Growth of Shamanism in the UK

Was Jesus a shaman? What is and isn't shamanic about the New Testament? In this episode we review "Jesus the Ultimate Shaman", a new book by Stephen Bull and Sally Denny.

#90 Was Jesus the Ultimate Shaman? (book review)

We continue our Heretics Alchemy Tutorial by taking a look at the first phase of the Great Work, Calcination. What is Calcination? What is its practical application in chemistry, martial arts and business? These topics and more in this episode.

#89 Heretics Alchemy Tutorial 3 - Calcination

We begin our new Heretics Alchemy Tutorial in earnest with an exploration of the Emerald Tablet, the foundational document of Alchemy. We cover concepts such as The Language of the Birds, the Seven Metals, the triumvirate of Sulphur, Mercury and Salt, the alchemical origins of the term gibberish, as well as many others. Use this unit of the tutorial to get a good understanding of basic alchemical terminology and concepts.

#88 Heretics Alchemy Tutorial 2 - The Emerald Tablet

In this episode we give a bit of background on our forthcoming "Heretics Alchemy Tutorial". We explore the origins of Alchemy in Egypt and its progression through to modern Europe, as well as giving hints at the kind of things that will be covered in the tutorial.

#87 Heretics Alchemy Tutorial - Introduction

Utnapishtam was the ancient version of Noah in the Mesopotamian flood myth that was incorporated into Genesis about 2000 years after it was first written. In this episode we compare and contrast the older Mesopotamian and newer Genesis versions of Noah, and look at some of the social reasons for the (slight) differences between them.

#86 Genesis 6-7 Noah vs Utnapishtam

We finally discuss the figure from the Heretics logo, Girolamo Savonarola, and look at why he was burned as a heretic despite being just the opposite in many ways. We also look at his role in setting the scene for Martin Luther.

#85 The Heretic Savonarola

This time the Heretics have a go at a bit of a music and video review of the track Anoana by the band Heilung.

#84 MUSIC HERETICS: Anoana by Heilung

In this episode we begin an extended look at what Yoga was like before westerners got their hands on it.

#83 The Other Yoga - part 1

Where did Stoicism start, and how was its founder different from later Stoics? What were the shamanistic aspects of early Stoicism? What is Tyrian Purple? How did Alexander the Great influence the development of Stoicism? How does the life of Zeno of Kition parallel the life of Yang Luchan?

#82 The Fall and Rise of Zeno of Kition

What ways are there to be religious, and what constitutes a religion in the first place? Is Tai Chi a better religion than Christianity? Is there any difference between the New and Old Testaments? Why do so few people understand esotericism and its purpose, and why are organised religions afraid of it? These questions and more are examined in our latest episode.

#81 Religions of the Miasma: Tai Chi vs Christianity

Following on from the recent episode on Atlantis we pick up where we left off back in episode 35 with Thales and do a rapid survey of the development of the Ancient and Classical Greek miasma through to the time of Zeno.

#80 Great Greeks!

Was Atlantis an ancient utopia or an evil empire? Why is the Atlantean Myth close to the heart of Western Civilisation? Could it really have existed? In this episode we head beneath the waves to discover the birth of the western experience with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

#79 Atlantis

In the middle to late part of the Yuan Dynasty the former Confucian ruling class came back with a vengence and started a downward spiral that would ultimately lead to the fall of the dynasty. In this episode we examine how and why this happened, which will set the context for the important events at the end of the dynasty in the next episode.

#78 Xing Yi (part 14) The Confucians Strike Back

Following on from last year's Merry Mithrasmas episode, this year we turn our attention to the early origins of word "Christmas" itself: in ancient Greek philosophy, Roman mystery religions and cannibalistic rites. Merry Yule!

#77 Merry Christ Mass

Are the hill figures of Britain really ancient? What do they mean? In this episode we look at the symbolism of these enigmatic figures that have been preserved for centuries, and, in one exceptional case, for millennia by countless generations of people.

#76 The Hill Figures

Was Aleister Crowley really the most wicked man in the world? What was the relationship between Aleister Crowley and Wicca? How did the events of his life shape the religious and spiritual traditions that he gave rise to?

#75 Wicca - part 2 - Aleister Crowley

What has Norse Mythology got to do with Shamanism? Were Odin and Thor usurpers of a more ancient tradition? Did the Vikings know they had Norse Mythology? Who were the Norns? These questions and more examined in this episode.

#74 Norse Mythology

Shuai Jiao is a popular modern Chinese martial art, but is it related to other arts and if so, which ones? In this episode we also look at the Chinese cosmological concept of Qinglong, or the Azure Dragon.

Heretics by Woven Energy

Heretics by Woven Energy

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