Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP)

Latest Episodes:

Daniel Harris-McCoy on the Oneirocritica of Artemidorus Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

With an expert guide, we enter the labyrinth of second-century divinatory dream-interpretation. Artemidorus' Oneirocritica is the west's earliest surviving manual of dream-interpretation, and it's amazing.

Gil Renberg on Incubation Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

In antiquity the gods sometimes communicated with mortals through dreams. But sometimes the gods can be fickle; in cases like this, you need to head to the sanctuary and go see the god at home. You need ritualised dreaming, or incubation.

Plutarch’s Myths of Cosmic Ascent Sep 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we look at three different homemade myths found in Plutarch's writings. All of them deal with the fate of the soul after death, all of them put the land of the dead in the sky, and all of them are exceedingly difficult to interpret. We have seen Plutarch interpret a myth esoterically; now we see him making his own esoteric myths.

Plutarch’s On Isis and Osiris Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

We look at Plutarch's tour de force of esoteric hermeneutics, the On Isis and Osiris. Egyptian myth meets Greek esoteric Platonism, and something new is born.

An Erudite Esotericist: Introducing Plutarch of Chæronea Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

We introduce Plutarch of Chæronea: first-century man-of-letters, pioneering biographer, and transmitter of ancient esoteric Platonism to the western tradition.

Astrology, Politics, and Platonism in the Early Empire: The Case of Thrasyllus Jul 31, 2019

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We look at the fascinating figure of Thrasyllus: astrologer, power-player in the imperial Roman court of Tiberius, philosopher … and editor of the works of Plato.

Graeme Miles on Apollonius of Tyana Jul 16, 2019

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Apollonius of Tyana was a first-century wandering philosopher-sage, famous in later tradition as a great Pythagorean and wonder-working holy man. We look at the man himself and at his powerful myth.

The Enigma of Early Christianity Jun 09, 2019

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We introduce Christianity. Just how did this movement get started in the first place? The crazy thing is, no one knows.

Dylan Burns on the ‘Underworld of Platonism’ Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

Building on our previous episode, where we introduced 'Middle Platonism', in this interview we investigate the middle Platonist 'Underworld', religio-philosophical texts of antiquity which became mainstays of later western esoteric traditions: the Chaldæan Oracles, the Hermetica, and the Gnostic tractates.

John Dillon on Middle Platonism Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Under the expert guidance of Professor John Dillon, we begin our exploration of what may be antiquity’s single most crucial current for the development of western esotericism: Middle Platonism.