PH2T3R The Journal of Solar Culture

After seeing Aliens - Romulus in the theater last week, it hit me. Xenomorphs are space dragons. They come from the void, and is no real sense that exist to do anything but bring death. They are matriarchal. Is a queen -- like the one in Resurrection -- a manifestation of Tiamat? And there's a Satanic connection -- Satanists love H.R. Giger who designed the xenomorphs and who also produced all kin...

In this week's live show, we'll explore the psychologies, philosophies, and methodologies behind various forms of weight training. We picked "weight training" specifically, because "weight lifting" and "strength training" can signal two different forms of training. So, with "weight training" we can talk about all of the modes of training that involve moving weight -- including body weight training...

It's not just California. There's a lot of it in Austin these days, too, and you'll find a little bit of it all over the country and throughout the Western world (such as it is). It's not a creed—it's a vibe. It's "spiritual" but never "religious." It favors Eastern, exotic, and New Age ideas but acknowledges Jesus as a groovy cat who just wanted to bring people together in peace and love, man. If...

Was Buddha a hipster? Buddha was born into the Kshatriya (warrior) caste -- a prince, likely destined to rule over a small area in Nepal. Because he saw suffering in the world, he renounced his title and wealth to pursue "enlightenment," leaving his wife and newborn son behind. Sounds like a spoiled rich kid move -- like the kids who live on the street and beg for change because they are "fighting...

What kind of relationship do you have with food? What does a good relationship with food look and feel like? To further explore "Zoological Humanism" and the Lord of the Earth archetype, we'll discuss the impact of food and diet on our lives, both positively and negatively. For this show, we will be joined by Ed Hamann -- our Vedic expert in the Order of Fire. Ed spent years studying and teaching...

If we believe that beauty is better than ugliness, it doesn't make sense to outsource the work of creating and curating beauty to men and women who may care more about shock value or destructive politics than creating beauty. Style and fashion both come from roots that imply creative agency. To fashion is to make, and style comes from a utensil used to write. However, many turn their noses up at "...

We're told that sex and gender are different, but that wasn't always the case. When did this happen? Who does that distinction benefit, and why? Should we stop making that distinction and tacitly accepting their frame? What utility does that distinction have for normal men? 🔥 This conversation was streamed live on YouTube at 7PM PST on July 18, 2024. Watch the video here 🔥 Buy PH2T3R - The Journ...

This week, Jack Donovan and C.B. Robertson discuss our relationship with violence as men, as humans, and in the context of human societies. We'll briefly discuss the concepts in " Violence is Golden " and Jack's recently released fable, " How the Tiger Opened His Third Eye ," and then move through various related discussions. ⚡Check out Violence is Golden and The Third Eye of the Tiger merch here...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 10. In Book 10 of Plato's "Republic," Socrates critiques poetry and the arts for their ability to stir emotions and mislead people from the truth. He argues that poetry appeals to the irrational parts of the soul, promoting illusion over reality. The book also addresses the immortality of the soul, sugge...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 8 and 9. In Books 8 and 9 of Plato's "Republic," Socrates examines the decline of the ideal state through four degenerate regimes: timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. Each regime emerges from the corruption of its predecessor, driven by increasing greed and power struggles. Timocracy values hon...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 7. Book 7 of Plato's Republic features the Allegory of the Cave, a profound metaphor for human ignorance and enlightenment. Plato describes prisoners in a cave, only able to see shadows on the wall, mistaking these illusions for reality. One prisoner escapes, discovering the outside world and the true fo...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 6. Socrates discusses the nature of the philosopher-king, arguing that only those who truly grasp the Forms, especially the Form of the Good, are fit to rule. He criticizes the existing political systems for being led by individuals who lack true knowledge and are instead driven by opinion and ambition....

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 3 and 4, which really capture the title of the book as Socrates and others talk about man using the metaphor of a city-state, or "republic." Republic is actually a Roman translation of Plato's title, which was "Politeia." 🔥 This conversation happened on YouTube at 7PM PST on Thursday, May 16, 2024. 🔥 B...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 5 -- the most feminist book of the Republic. Socrates suggests that women and men should both be guardians, training in and engaging in battle together. He also argues for a eugenic breeding program and communal child-rearing. But in the end, we are also returned to the original context of the discussion...

This week, we continue our series on Plato's Republic by discussing the topics covered in Book 2. The examination of Justice continues with a discussion about the social contract and whether people behave justly on their own accord or simply to avoid punishment. The Ring of Gyges is introduced—a ring that grants invisibility and, therefore, freedom from punishment. The Ring of Gyges influenced J....

Last week CB Robertson and Jack Donovan fielded a bunch of questions from readers and followers and ended up having some fantastic discussions about a wide range of topics. This conversation was recorded live on YouTube at 7 PM PST on April 25, 2024. 🔥 Buy PH2T3R - The Journal of Solar Culture Vol. 01 on Amazon. https://a.co/d/fAce4Ti Or order direct through the Order of Fire store. https://order...

This week we begin our series on Plato's Republic. Beginning with Book 1, we'll briefly revisit last week's discussion about aging and then delve into the primary question at hand: "What is Justice?"  @ChristopherRobertson  has done a few podcasts on Plato already for anyone who is interested. What is Plato's Republic About? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2-iAb2w7LE Caffeine Stream 41:...

Humans gossip. It's part of our nature. Men tend to want to minimize gossip and the importance of gossip in public life, and gossip is often regarded as trashy and vulgar. Today, people tend to prefer gossip to substance. Is there a place for gossip in a better society? Is an ad hominem attack always wrong? What would Washington do? In this week's show, C. B. Robertson and Jack Donovan discuss how...

Dragons EXIST. Heroes -- Strikers -- become what they are to fight dragons. Dragons and serpents are found in mythologies all around the world. Occasionally, especially in the far east and sometimes in the Americas, dragons are seen as "lucky," protective, or benevolent, and serpents are even harnessed by the forces of righteousness in some Western lore. However, Dragons are most often seen as the...

How do we reach an escape velocity that allows us to surpass cynicism and the dragon's wink and nod? How do we convince men that creation is part of the work of men -- as it has been discouraged and regarded as effeminate and communistic for decades? CB Robertson issues a creative challenge for men to engage with our time and find the beauty and inspiration in it. This show aired on YouTube at 7PM...

What is the appeal of ritual? And...what is the point? As The Order of Fire begins gathering to hike out into the mountains to perform our Spring Equinox Fire Ritual, we thought we'd sit down to talk about what we're doing, why we do it, and the point and process of ritual itself. C.B. Robertson and I were joined again by Dustin Lindsey. 🔥 This show aired LIVE on YouTube at 7PM PST on March 14....

Isn't freedom just another word for nothing left to lose? How much freedom is enough? How much is too much? Solar Idealism holds that freedom is better than servitude, but where are the lines? 🔥 This conversation happened LIVE on YouTube at 7PM PST on March 21. 🔥C. B. Robertson, author of The Hero and the Man, Holy Nihilism, and Letter to Anwei, shares insights his blog, Caffeine and Philosophy....

What is the solar path out of postmodernism? Co-host C.B. Robertson synthesized a new perspective in his tour-de-force essay "Descending Odin's Throne" written for the PH2T3R print journal, which is now finally available. We'll be discussing his essay and the rest of the contents of the book during this week's live show. 🔥 This conversation happened on YouTube at 7PM PST on March 28. 🔥 Buy PH2T3...

What is the difference between optimism and foolishness? What are the benefits of optimism over pessimism? How can we avoid "dooming" -- while being realistic and making choices based on the world as it is and not as we would like to pretend it is? How do we avoid walking into traps if we are TOO optimistic? 🔥C. B. Robertson, author of The Hero and the Man, Holy Nihilism, and Letter to Anwei, sha...

What does it mean to be “authentic?” It’s a question with many layers and aspects, and it seems to mean different things to different people. Is it merely a consistency between your public and private personae? Harmony between words and deeds? Even the word persona suggests a mask. How much of who we are is a performance for others? Is that “wrong,” or is that simply normal to our species as socia...