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

54 episodes

William Gallois on the Amuletic Qayrawān in the Colonial Era
2026/05/22 | 50 mins.
William Gallois was looking through hundreds of photographs of the city of Qayrawān, in modern-day Tunisia, from the period of French colonial occupation. He started to notice strange paintings in the backgrounds of these pictures ...
Krista Muratore on the Countercultural Antichrist
2026/05/06 | 1h 2 mins.
In this episode we discuss the figure of the Antichrist as he appears in a number of countercultural movements, notably the Christianities of Böhme and Blake. Krista Muratore is our guide to this troublous figure (who cannot figure out which side he's on) and his long career as a harbinger of the end of troubles. Come for the ancient apocalyptic literature, stay for the B-movies and AI-tycoons.
Crossing Over to the Unseen: Yousef Casewit on Ibn Barrajān
2026/04/24 | 1h 1 mins.
We are joined by Yousef Casewit to discuss one of the lesser-known spiritual masters of the Andalusian tradition, Ibn Barrajān. We explore his life, times, and writings, his extraordinary spiritual practice of ‘crossing over’ into the unseen, and his disquietingly-accurate prediction of the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem.
Coming Back for More, Part VI: The Roots of Christian Reincarnationism
2025/11/30 | 38 mins.
We set the stage for a detailed consideration of the evidence for early Christian reincarnationism. Featuring the Bible.
Jason Ānanda Josephson-Storm on James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, and Western Esotericism
2025/11/12 | 50 mins.
Jason Josephson-Storm returns to the SHWEP to discuss one of the most influential thinkers on modern western esoteric movements – Sir James George Frazer, author of The Golden Bough – and where, precisely, J.G.F. might fit within western esotericism itself.