Heavy Things Lightly

It's election day! That means everything is feeling a little heavy. It also means we get to introduce Uncle Seth and make this episode something light. Who is Uncle Seth you might ask? He is many things: a teacher, father, and pragmatist, but also a perfect foil to our resident podcast host John Heers. It's the election day special and episode 21 of WAWTAR! Gagimargos! Wait, what is that...

This week sees John talking about the economy. We take a close look at the Greek origins of the word: oikonomia. Is our modern economy related to this ancient understanding? Where does capitalism fit in? Or communism for that matter? It's episode 20 here on WAWTAR! Gagimargos! Wait, what is that in reference to? Learn more about the supra and it's symbolic importance here: https://thesym...

This week is a brief look at the symbology behind the mask and how people are actually dying from loneliness in some places. And the fact that we probably have all been idiots at some point. At least according to Aristotle. Welcome to episode 19 of WAWTAR! Gagimargos! Wait, what is that in reference to? Learn more about the supra and it's symbolic importance here: https://thesymbolicworld.com...

We're back from Sierra Leone and it's time for episode 18! Today Heers is examining change. What is change? To start scratching at the surface of a question as broad as this, Heers takes us back to 50's and 60's China in a case study of the Red Guard. It's a mix of old and new as change puts everything into turmoil. Links / Further Reading: Wikipedia article on the Red Gua...

That's right, this episode is coming at you live from Sierra Leone. While dropping off two new Field Workers for First Things Foundation, John took some time to sit down with a couple of locals from Freetown to talk about the different aspects of their culture. For more information on the topics covered in this episode check out episode 15 where we go more in depth. Links: Integems Environmen...

Nicholas Kotar is an author, translator (Russian / English) and teacher who's writing is inspired by Russian fairy tales. Perhaps his best known work is the Raven Son series of epic fantasy based on the Russian fairy tale Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf . He has been featured on podcasts such as Ancient Faith Radio and the Symbolic World and is a father, deacon, and home school teacher.  Join H...

Often times in the "Old World," where First Things Foundation sends its Field Directors, you will encounter magic. Be it voodoo, or Mayan rituals, or any of the myriad types they have a common flavor. As "New Worlders" it's easy for us to hear about this and scoff, yet, what happens when you come face to face with it? With something you don't understand or can't...

V. Rev. Igumen Silouan Justiniano is an iconographer and a Deputy Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite in New York. He has written for various publications around the world and is also an editor and contributor to the Orthodox Arts Journal. John and Fr. Silouan talk about icons, images, and art all from a really distinct perspective. Links: Fr. Silouan's Website On the Gif...

Toxic masculinity. What is it? How can we understand it and where does it come from? Is it a universal trait across the world and cultures? Perhaps most importantly for this podcast, how is viewed through that "Old World" lens? Join John Heers and the WAWTAR crew as we attempt to understand: toxic masculinity. Links: Is Toxic Masculinity Islamic? Learning to Be a Man Without Masculinity...

This week we are excited to bring on the show Fr. Peter Heers, Orthodox priest and author currently living in Greece. He also happens to be the brother of our host John Heers. Fr. Peter brings a lot of "Old World" into this episode from talking about life in Greek villages to Orthodox Christianity and how it pertains to culture and life. We also dive into thoughts on self esteem, history...

No but really, what's a human right? Have we always had them? Where and when did they appear on the scene? And how do they relate to what's going on all around the world? Links: Human Nature: Indian Perspective Revisited Al Islam Org Daoism: Anthropology Fr. Silouan, art If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive a...

Teenage rebellion, the most angsty of times on our way to adulthood. And it happens to all of us...or does it? Come explore what adolescence and the road to adulthood looks like for us Enlightened folk and for those Old World cultures. Links: Can teenage defiance be used for good? - New York Times The Myth of the Teen Brain - Scientific American Teenagers, Why do They Rebel - Web MD Yes Your Teen...

In this episode we explore Truth. But that's a super heavy topic so we decided to come at it from a couple of different angles including juju from Africa, what it means to "take an oath," (do we even do that anymore?), and of course what the term "fake news" hints at. Welcome to episode 8! Links: Format.com Pics of local juju doctors John Tillotson, Archbishop of Cantebury...

In this episode Heers brings on his daughters to see what their understanding of history is, what the midnight removal of the Columbus statue indicates, and how our perception, really our understanding, of history fundamentally changed after the Enlightenment. If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a review with your comments. Your support keeps this podcast alive and allows us to broad...

Kanye has been saying some very interesting things of late. Comments on Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger open the door to exploring the world view of Sanger: was she a racist as Kanye claims? Or is she something else? To answer this question we go back and take a look at her speech, "My Way To Peace" (link below), examine it and use it to explore the roots of her world view ( lig )...

Heers dives deep into an "old world" description that includes the physical aspects in addition to the cultural and philosophical bits. We also bring on a special guest, Georgia, to test out the latest and greatest in technological gadgetry: the Light-O-Meter. To take the Light-O-Meter test click here . For a deep dive into WAWTAR, register for our weekly "WAWTAR Podcourse" wit...

In this episode John takes a deeper look at the symbolic manifestations of man and woman in architecture, how it relates to the Old World understanding of marriage, and how the love match began to change all that. It's a fascinating ride from ancient Egypt, through the Victorian age with Jane Austin, up until the present where we get to all the confusion surrounding gay marriage. Further Read...

Much of today's show is culled from experiences with married folks in West Africa, Guatemala and the Caucuses. Those marriages and those people, including lovely couples who have come and shared their Hindu arranged married stories with me in an academic setting, create the fodder for today's conversation. For more on this, join us for trip to the old world. Once COVID finds its way past...

Personal race reparations using Venmo? What are the payments for and why is this happening? And where is it coming from? The head? The heart? Or somewhere else... With an "Old World" lens I'll try to make sense of contemporary phenomena. To learn more about John Heers and First Things Foundation visit first-things.org . And also, think about working for us! You might just end up fin...

Support this channel: first-things.org/donate How did we get to where we are? To make sense of the death of George Floyd and the riots and protests, I walk us back to the Enlightenment and the origins of Western Civilization. Phillip Sherrard's, Rape of Man and Nature is my guide for this episode. To learn more about John Heers and First Things Foundation visit first-things.org . And also, th...