Rejected Religion Podcast

As the Rejected Religion platform is concerned with what is known as 'occulture,' or how the occult is represented and portrayed in popular culture, this video highlights some of the occult references found in two recent Netflix series, Archive 81 and Stranger Things. Please see the 'References' section below for more detailed information concerning these topics.

 Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. 

 


REFERENCES 

1. Celestial/astronomical magic 

- Ninian Nijhuis (99+) Western Sidereal Astrology: From Ancient Babylonia to the Modern West | Ninian L Nijhuis - Academia.edu

 - Nicholas Campion Astrology | 67 | The Occult World | Nicholas Campion | Taylor & Franci (taylorfrancis.com)

 - Wouter Hanegraaff (see in particular pp.392-395) New Age Religion and Western Culture – Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought | Brill

 2. Witchcraft
Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements - Oxford Handbooks

 3. Spiritualism 

- Egil Asprem (99+) The Society for Psychical Research (Chapter 24, The Occult World) | Egil Asprem - Academia.edu 
- Cathy Gutierrez The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Catherine Albanese A Republic of Mind and Spirit (yale.edu)

 HBO No One Dies in Lily Dale - No One Dies in Lily Dale (2011) - IMDb

 4. Spirit Art 
5. Spirit Photography 

- Tessel Bauduin (99+) The Occult and the Visual Arts | Tessel M . Bauduin, PhD - Academia.edu

- The Spiritual in Art The Spiritual in Art, Maurice Tuchman | 9780896596696 | Boeken | bol.com

Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future | The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation

welcome - Georgiana Houghton

 6. Theosophical Society 
- Olav Hammer The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Catherine Albanese A Republic of Mind and Spirit (yale.edu)

- Wouter Hanegraaff New Age Religion and Western Culture – Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought | Brill

 7. Ritual Magic(k) 
Golden Dawn: 
-Francisco Santos Silva William Wynn Westcott | 24 | The Occult World | Francisco Santos Silva (taylorfrancis.com)

Samuel Liddell Mathers | 26 | The Occult World | Francisco Santos Silv (taylorfrancis.com)

- Robert Gilbert The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

 Ordo Templi Orientis & 
8. Agape Lodge No. 2: 

- Christian Giudice The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Nicolas Goodrick-Clarke The Occult Roots Of Nazism : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

- Nicolas Campion The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Manon Hedenborg White (99+) From Chorazin to Carcosa. Fiction-Based Esotericism in the Black Pilgrimage of Jack Parsons and Cameron | Manon Hedenborg White - Academia.edu

Amazon.com: The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism): 9780190065027: Hedenborg White, Manon: Books

- Hugh Urban (99+) Magia Sexualis | Hugh Urban - Academia.edu

9. Mankind United
Mankind, Unite! | Lapham’s Quarterly (laphamsquarterly.org)

Mankind United Index (sacred-texts.com)

California cult : the story of "Mankind United" : Dohrman, H. T : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 10. Satanic Panic 

- Philip Jenkins (pp.221-241) in  Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements - Oxford Handbooks

 - Jesper Aagaard Petersen The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Jeffrey Victor The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Christopher Partridge The Occult World (routledgehandbooks.com)

- Joseph P. Laycock Dangerous Games by Joseph P. Laycock - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)

- Peter Bebergal Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll: Bebergal, Peter: 9780399174964: Amazon.com: Books

 Theme music: Stephanie Shea

Ninian Nijhuis holds a Research Master in Religious Studies (University of Amsterdam); a BA in Law and an LL.M. in International Public Law (University of Utrecht). Her main focus is on Western Esotericism and her key fields of interest are Jungian psychology, sidereal astrology, mysticism, spirituality and its connections to science. Additionally, she is Head of Social Media at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP Centre) and the University of Amsterdam, and currently works as a sidereal astrologer and coach.  

In this interview, Ninian and I discuss sidereal astrology, and how it differs from tropical astrology (the system that most people in the West are familiar with). Ninian shares the history of astrology and of these two systems; why these systems became separated (with tropical astrology the most popular form in the West, and sidereal astrology in the East); and how sidereal astrology made a 'comeback' in the West via Cyril Fagan and others.  

Ninian also shares her personal journey and views with regard to astrology, her research interest on an academic level, and how she uses sidereal astrology together with Jungian psychology in her own work.


RESOURCES

You can find Ninian at https://niniansiderealastrology.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niniannijhuis/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninian.nijhuis

Academia.edu: https://uva.academia.edu/NinianNijhuis

Ninian's article about Western sidereal astrology: https://www.academia.edu/50008714/Western_Sidereal_Astrology_From_Ancient_Babylonia_to_the_Modern_West

From her website:https://niniansiderealastrology.com/2021/11/19/what-is-western-sidereal-astrology/

If you are interested in the academic study of Western Esotericism, and would like to be kept up-to-date on current lectures, courses, conferences, books, podcasts, etc., please check out -

https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamhermetica/

or https://www.amsterdamhermetica.nl/

or https://www.facebook.com/amsterdamhermetica

Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part Two, Dylan begins by discussing why the gnostic system of thought was considered heretical by Christians. We then talk about the fascinating gnostic text 'The Secret Book of John', and how this creation story is quite different from the one in the Book of Genesis. Eve is not a villian in this tale, but the representative of consciousness and the reminder to Adam of the real heavenly world. In closing, we discuss how popular culture manifests and represents this topic. 

Dr. Dylan Burns is Assistant Professor of the History of Western Esotericism in Late Antiquity at the University of Amsterdam.

REFERENCES
Dr. Dylan Burns - 

Did God Care? Providence, Dualism and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy : Did God Care? – Providence, Dualism, and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy | Brill

Co-editor: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Online (brill.com)

AncientEsotericism.org :: Network for the Study of Esotericism in Antiquity | A Thematic Network of ESSWE

HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Academia.edu page: (99+) Dylan Burns | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Selected Articles:
(99+) Apocalypses amongst Gnostics and Manichaeans | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Providence, Creation, and Gnosticism According to the Gnostics | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Weren’t the Christians Up Against a Gnostic Religion? G.R.S. Mead at the Dawn ‎of the Modern Study of Gnosticism‎ | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
Ancient Esoteric Traditions: Mystery, Revelation, Gnosis | Dylan M. Bu (taylorfrancis.com)


Other Resources:

The Secret Book of John (Apocryphon of John) (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments - Bruce Codex (gnosis.org)
Nag Hammadi Library (gnosis.org)
The Dead Sea Scrolls
(99+) The gnostic bible | Constantin Gherghinoiu - Academia.edu


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Photo Credit Dylan Burns: Jeff Berlin Green
 

Dr. Dylan Burns is Assistant Professor of the History of Western Esotericism in Late Antiquity at the University of Amsterdam.

In Part One, Dylan begins by sharing the Gnostic story or revelatory myth that takes place in four acts, so to speak, and the evidence of this story found in texts such as the Nag Hammadi codices. We then move the discussion to the definitions of the terms 'gnostic', 'gnosticism', and 'gnosis' and why these terms are somewhat controversial in the academic realm. 

REFERENCES
Dr. Dylan Burns - 

Did God Care? Providence, Dualism and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy : Did God Care? – Providence, Dualism, and Will in Later Greek and Early Christian Philosophy | Brill

Co-editor: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Online (brill.com)

AncientEsotericism.org :: Network for the Study of Esotericism in Antiquity | A Thematic Network of ESSWE

HHP | History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents (amsterdamhermetica.nl)

Academia.edu page: (99+) Dylan Burns | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Selected Articles:
(99+) Apocalypses amongst Gnostics and Manichaeans | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Providence, Creation, and Gnosticism According to the Gnostics | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
(99+) Weren’t the Christians Up Against a Gnostic Religion? G.R.S. Mead at the Dawn ‎of the Modern Study of Gnosticism‎ | Dylan Burns - Academia.edu
Ancient Esoteric Traditions: Mystery, Revelation, Gnosis | Dylan M. Bu (taylorfrancis.com)


Other Resources:

The Secret Book of John (Apocryphon of John) (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments (gnosis.org)
Gnostic Society Library: Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments - Bruce Codex (gnosis.org)
Nag Hammadi Library (gnosis.org)
The Dead Sea Scrolls
(99+) The gnostic bible | Constantin Gherghinoiu - Academia.edu


Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea

Photo Credit Dylan Burns: Jeff Berlin Green
 

Korshi Dosoo is the leader of the junior research group project 'The Coptic Magical Papyri: Vernacular Religion in Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt' at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg. Formerly ATER (lecturer) at the University of Strasbourg and post-doctoral researcher on the Labex RESMED project Les mots de la paix. His PhD thesis, 'Rituals of Apparition on the Theban Magical Library' was completed in 2015 at Macquarie University, Australia. His research focuses on magic and lived religion in Egypt from the Ptolemaic to Mamluk periods as revealed by papyrological and epigraphic sources. 

In this interview, Korshi begins by explaining what magical papyri are, where they came from, how they were used, and how people would obtain these texts. He also discusses his views about the concept of magic, and whether ancient people thought differently about 'magic' than contemporary people do. Our conversation then moves to modern occult practices and ritual magic, in particular, the use of a text taken from the Theban Magical Library Codex that is now known as 'The Headless God' or 'The Bornless Rite.' Korshi also shares his experience as 'impromptu' translator of a mysterious copper plate, thought by authorities to be written in Coptic, that was originally believed to be linked to an unsolved murder case from 1970, and his involvement in the podcast dedicated to this case, 'The WVU Coed Murders.' While some might think that the scholary study of ancient languages and texts to be far removed from everyday life, this example shows the importance of academic research for real-world issues. 

Korshi is also part of a team that produces 'The Coptic Magical Papyri Podcast,' where interested people can learn more about this special area of research. 

REFERENCES 

Dr. Korshi Dosoo:(99+) Korshi Dosoo | University of Würzburg - Academia.edu

Coptic Magical Papyri Website (podcast link available there): Coptic Magical Papyri (uni-wuerzburg.de)

Facebook page: Coptic Magical Papyri | Facebook

Podcast Episode - Appalachian Mysteria: Mared and Karen: The Magical Plate Decoded: Appalachian Mysteria: Mared and Karen: The Magical Plate Decoded on Apple Podcasts

About Mared & Karen: About Mared & Karen | WVU Coed Murders

Books and Scholars Mentioned: 

Dr. Bernd Christian Otto (magic): (99+) Bernd-Christian Otto | Universität Erfurt - Academia.edu

Damon Zacharias Lycourinos (magic): (99+) Damon Zacharias Lycourinos - Academia.edu

Zora Neale Hurston (anthropology): Zora Neale Hurston

Michael Cecchetelli: The Book of Abrasax: Cecchetelli, Michael: 9780990568728: Amazon.com: Books

Jake Stratton-Kent: The Headless One — HADEAN PRESS (hadeanpress-eu.com)

Hans Deiter Betz: (99+) The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, including the Demotic Spells | Roy Kotansky - Academia.edu

Charles Wycliffe Goodwin: (PDF) Fragment Of A Graeco Egyptian Work Upon Magic Download eBOOK (bookarchive.net)

Sir James Frazer: goldenbough.pdf (templeofearth.com)

Allen Greenfield: The Complete Secret Cipher of the Ufonauts by Allen Greenfield (goodreads.com)

 Music: Stephanie Shea

This month's episode is the first in a 2-part series about chaos magic. Dr. Christian Greer talks about the history of modern magical groups and how these earlier groups led to the birth of the chaos magic current. Christian begins by talking about why the topic of magic (in all its forms) is relevant as an area of research and study. He then gives a brief history of modern and contemporary ritual magic groups, and how these, along with other influential movements of the time, informed the major figures associated with chaos magic. We then move the discussion to talk about the larger chaos magic current in more detail. 

PROGRAM NOTES

Christian's  academia.edu page: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu
Instagram: @angelheadedhipstersarchive • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Alex Owen's The Place of Enchantment: The Place of Enchantment: British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern, Owen (uchicago.edu)

Marco Pasi's 'The Modernity of Occultism': (99+) The Modernity of Occultism: Reflections on Some Crucial Aspects | Marco Pasi - Academia.edu

Christopher Partridge's 'Occulture is Ordinary' + handbook: Occulture is Ordinary (Chapter 6) - Contemporary Esotericism (cambridge.org)

Theodor Adorno's 'Theses Against Occultism': Ralph Dumain: "The Autodidact Project": T.W. Adorno's "Theses Against Occultism"

John Carter, Sex and Rockets  (Jack Parsons): Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons: Carter, John, Wilson, Robert Anton: 9780922915972: Amazon.com: Books

Adam Gorightly, The Prankster and the Conspiracy (Kerry Thornley): The Prankster and the Conspiracy: The Story of Kerry Thornley and How He Met Oswald and Inspired the Counterculture: Gorightly, Adam, Robert Anton Wilson: 9781931044660: Amazon.com: Books

Kenneth Grant 'Typhonian Trilogies Series': Typhonian Trilogies Series by Kenneth Grant (goodreads.com)

Austin Osman Spare at Hermetic Library: Austin Osman Spare - Hermetic Library

Thee Temple of Psychick Youth (TOPY), Thee Psychick Bible : THEE PSYCHICK BIBLE (archive.org)

Christopher Partridge (editor), The Occult World: The Occult World - 1st Edition - Christopher Partridge - Routledge Bo

Other scholars mentioned in this episode - 

(Theosophy) (99+) Mriganka Mukhopadhyay | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

(Thelema) (99+) Manon Hedenborg White | Karlstad University - Academia.edu

(Kenneth Grant) (99+) Henrik Bogdan | University of Gothenburg - Academia.edu

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other music: Stephanie Shea





 

Guests: Dr. Jonathon O'Donnell; Brennan Kettelle, MA (res); Tommy Cowan, MA (res) 

In this special Spotlight episode, my guests and I discuss Netflix's Midnight Mass from various perspectives. We start out with our 'first impressions' of the show, then move to discuss our own talking points based upon each of our own research interests and specialties - religion and demonology in U.S. politics, monster theory, queer-coding of vampires, the nature of angels and demons, vampire history, religion and society, intertextuality, (religious) identity - these topics and more are covered in this panel! 

Find these great people on social media - 

Twitter:
S. Jonathon O'Donnell, PhD 😈🏳️‍🌈 (@demonologian) / Twitter
Tommy P Cowan (@TommyPCowan) / Twitter

 Instagram: 

Jonathon O'Donnell (@demonologian) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Brennan Kettelle (@_restingwitchface) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
@the_art_of_distraction • Instagram-foto's en -video's

 Facebook: 

Jonathon O'Donnell | Facebook
Brennan Kettelle | Facebook
Tommy Cowan | Facebook

 Academia.edu: 

S. Jonathon O'Donnell | University College Dublin - Academia.edu
S. Brennan Kettelle | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Tommy P Cowan | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu

 Theme Music: Stephanie Shea

This episode is a special 'listener response' to episode 17's 'esoteric in art,' with guest Michael Carter. Michael is an artist and teacher living in Los Angeles, CA. He holds an MFA from Claremont Graduate University in CA, shows his work in live performances, gives lectures, and and exhibited works in both the U.S. and Europe.  

Michael's personal interest in Theosophy plays a large role in his own research into the spiritual dimensions of abstract art.  

This discussion includes Michael's personal opinions and research about the history of spiritual movements as they relate to the category of modern abstract art, as well as his own personal background as an artist and spiritual 'seeker.' We also discuss his essay regarding metaphysical art, where he explains his ideas about the two cateogories of art, and his own work with a pendulum. We also talk about Jack Burnham's ideas about kinetic art, then move to a discussion about the condition of the Theosophical movement today, including his own opinions about whether or not today's artists feel comfortable expressing their own spiritual questioning as it is reflected in their art. Plus much more!

PROGRAM NOTES

Michael Carter -

website: HOME - Michael Carter Studio
Twitter: Michael Carter (@MichaelKCarter) / Twitter
Instagram: Michael Carter (@michaelcarter.studio) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
Essay "Form Following Spirit: An Investigation of Recent and Near-Recent Metaphysical Art" in Speculative Arts Research,  Issue Four, November 2021: SAR.04.pdf (speculativeartsresearch.com)

The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985: The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985 by Maurice Tuchman (goodreads.com)

Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint: Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint :: Zeitgeist Films

Website Lita Alberqerque: Lita Albuquerque

Joseph Beuys: ‘Honey is Flowing in All Directions’, Joseph Beuys, 1976 | Tate

Jack Burnham -
All Systems Go: Recovering Jack Burnham’s ‘Systems Aesthetics’ – Tate Papers | Tate
Ritual Aesthetics: Salt Flat and Systems – In Focus | Tate
Jack Burnham (1931–2019) - Artforum International
Dissolve into Comprehension | The MIT Press

Theme Music: Daniel P. Shea

Other Music: Stephanie Shea
 

Interview Highlights: 
Brennan begins by talking about the figure of Lilith as she has been portrayed in historical myths and legends; and then moves to more modern interpretations of Lilith as a 'dark feminine' archetype, and as a feminist. Our discussion then shifts to how Lilith can be linked to queerness, and how the poet Renee Vivien used Lilith as a muse in her work (even more so than the figure of Satan/Lucifer who was extremely popular in turn-of-the-century France, where Vivien lived and worked). 

Find Brennan at: S. Brennan Kettelle | University of Amsterdam - Academia.edu
Instagram: Brennan Kettelle (@_restingwitchface) • Instagram-foto's en -video's

Music: Stephanie Shea

Karen Swartz (Åbo Academy University) 

Interview Highlights: 

Karen shares some of her preliminary research findings regarding four women - Marie Steiner von-Sivers, Ita Wegman, Edith Maryon, and Judith von Halle (not three as I mistakenly mention in the interview) - all deeply involved within the Anthroposophical Society over the past decades and in the present day. While doing research for her PhD, Karen found that narratives surrounding these influential women were often curiously different in nature than those surrounding men. Additionally, their efforts were often not mentioned, or if they were, they were downplayed, as if to suggest the women involved did not play a pivotal, leading role in the work of the Society. She has now started a new project to explore this new area in greater detail. 

Karen notes how the status of the women who were involved in personal relationships with Rudolf Steiner also declined when they were no longer "favored" by him. Dr. Manon Hedenborg White's term "proximal authority" is referred to in this case, and Karen explains how she sees this perspective playing out in her case study. We also discuss how Judith von Halle's claims to Steiner's authority has caused upset within the Society, and the problematic response of the group to her attempts to forge her own autonomous path (that differed from how the group responded to men making similar claims). 

This discussion highlights an important issue of how women's roles/efforts/works are often marginalized and minimized as compared to men's, and how this case study can open up further important discussions. For example, why are these women spoken about as if they aren't fully autonomous, capable adult women as their male counterparts are (with reference to the women being referred to as 'helping angels'). What are the larger implications of this case study with regard to gender and authority? 

Theme music: Stephanie Shea