I'm Dr. Justin Sledge and welcome to Esoterica: Where we explore the arcane in history, philosophy, and religion.
This channel produces content relating to topics such as alchemy, magic, Kabbalah, mysticism, hermetic philosophy, theosophy, the occult and more using the best academic scholarship currently available.
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The Egyptian Book of Thoth - Real Ancient Egyptian Initiation Ritual - Hermetic Philosophy
Thoth was the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom, magic and writing and the legendary revealer of the Hermetic philosophy in the form of Hermes Trismegistus. Preserved in around 30 Demotic fragments is the ritual by which a priest-scribe became initiated into the service of Thoth to serve in the House of Life or an Egyptian Temple. In this episode of Esoterica, we explore this complex and ancient text describing the inner sanctum of the "Chamber of Darkness," the complex mystical exams the initiate undergoes, travels to the Sun and the Netherworld, and more. I also explore the connections between this text and the ancient Greek Religious-Philosophical text of the Corpus Hermeticum and Hermetic Philosophy.Uploaded 12-02-21Recommended Reading:Jasnow and Zauzich - Conversations in the House of Life - 978-3447101165Teeter - Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt - 978-0521613002Lichtheim - Ancient Egyptian Literature (3 vol) - 978-0520248427Wilkinson - Writings from Ancient Egypt - 978-0141395951#thoth #hermetic #egyptian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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10 Oct 2026
Introduction to Merkavah Mysticism and Hekhalot Literature Seminar Announcement
Hundreds of years prior to the rise of the Kabbalah, shaman-like rabbinic mystics were described as having made the terrifying and awe-inspiring descent into the Divine Palaces. There they met with and bypassed fearsome angels with magical codes, gained control over angelic powers, became transformed into beings of fire, gained vast wisdom and mounted the very throne of G!d to carefully measure the vast dimensions of the divine body, join in the heavenly liturgy or be transformed into beings of fire. These experiences and their praxes are recorded in about 50 manuscripts now known as the Hekhalot (lit. palaces) literature. Outside of specialists this late-classical form of (a)(de)scent mysticism is poorly understood and little appreciated. In this course, we will explore the foundations, social origins, myth-world, praxes and the afterlife of Merkavah Mysticism over the course of 12-14 weeks starting *Sunday July 20th at 2pm EST* a bit like the Agrippa seminar last year.Uploaded 27-06-25Course Syllabus - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1URUIb_AkZGM3hXzTnPFAwQYkZf_WgL0Q9wWWqSr2ug0/edit?usp=sharingCourse Materials and Readings - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-93Z0g92p4xMTFRjk5KznFvh65oRjFAo?usp=sharingYour Support makes the course possible. Consider a 1 time $54 Patreon support - https://www.patreon.com/c/esotericachannel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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9 Oct 2026
Kabbalah + Alchemy + Magic - The Refiner's Fire - אש מצרף - Transmutation and Jewish Mystical Theurgy
Alchemy and Kabbalah are a match made in heaven. In this episode we explore a text which combines alchemy, kabbalah and magic into a united theory of both mystical theurgy and the transformation of nature - the Esh M'tzaref or The Refiner's Fire ( אש מצרף ). Here we find gematria, magic squares and an amazing combination of alchemical theory and practice along with synthesized with the sefirot of the Kabbalah and just a dash of magic!Uploaded 05-02-21Recommending Readings:Patai - The Jewish Alchemists - 9780691006420Kabbalah Denudata - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Kabbala_denudata_seu_Doctrina_Hebraeorum/yIlOquc5yOUC?hl=en&gbpv=0Linden, Stanton J. (ed.) The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton. 978-0521796620. Nicely edited collection of alchemical primary texts.Principe, Lawrence. The Secrets of Alchemy. 978-0226103792. An up-to-date history of alchemy.Newman, William. Newton the Alchemist: Science, Enigma, and the Quest for Nature's "Secret Fire" 978-0691174877. Cutting edge research on alchemy in the 17th century. Roob, Alexander(ed.) Alchemy and Mysticism. 978-3836549363. A collection of alchemical imagery and symbolism, also a nice coffee table book!Spiritual / Psychology School of Interpretation Atwood, Mary Anne. A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery….(many re-print editions). The first text to introduce the ‘spiritual interpretation” of alchemy.Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy. 978-0226203904. Religious-philosophical interpretation of alchemy.von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology. 978-0919123045. An introduction to the Jungian psychological interpretation of alchemy.#alchemy #kabbalah #magic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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