Monks and Pirates: Two Extremes that Explain the Rest of Us

Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

In this conversation filmed (by Deacon Seraphim Rohlin) in the Florida Keys, I sit down with my friend Andrew Gould to finally revisit a surprising claim he made years ago—that pirates and Orthodox monks share deep symbolic parallels. We discuss ships and treasure, costumes, death imagery, life on the edge of empire, all converging on how these two seemingly opposite extremes strangely mirror each other. Let me know if you like the format of this video.

NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw
In the dark heart of January, when the nights are long and the world draws close, Dr. Martin Shaw returns to Symbolic World Courses for an intensive week-long journey to tell one of the greatest stories of the Medieval imagination: Parzival and the Holy Grail.
Catch the early bird sale of 15% off if you register before midnight December 19: thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail
Cost: $160 USD
Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026
Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST

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My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: matthewwilkinson.net

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$Genesis: Symbolism in the Creation Story This is a talk I did a few years ago for the Jung Society of Montreal. In it I explore the creation story in Genesis not just as myth, but as a fractal map of how identity, being, and purpose function. In breaking down the symbolism I also make a case for why intelligence isn’t an accident, why rituals matter, and why participation of intelligent beings is foundational to reality. In the Q&A section we touch on group identity, exclusion, dreams, and the meaning of the Last Judgment among other topics. I hope this lecture gives you a sense of the tone and depth of our upcoming Symbolism Masterclass. If you want to learn more, register today. https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/symbolism-masterclass SYMBOLISM MASTERCLASS Join me this April for the Symbolism Masterclass, a 6-week deep dive into the essentials of symbolic thinking. Over 18 immersive hours, Ill guide you through the framework behind everything Ive explored in 500+ videos—from heaven and earth to dragons, fairies, kings, conspiracies, Darwin, the Bible, and beyond. Register now: https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/symbolism-masterclass 🗓 Dates: Live classes every Wednesday at 1-4 PM Central / 2-5 PM Eastern time: 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28 ⏰ Class Length: 3 hours each session 💰 Cost: $175 (Patrons at the Involved tier or higher qualify for 10% off) Join us for the ORTHODOX ARTS FESTIVAL, learn more here: https://www.orthodoxartsfestivaldfw.com/ Original video published by Jordan Peterson: https://youtu.be/ZQ43i5nKuZk?si=XB-bgj9VMc0NxBdT Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 02:01 - Intro music 02:26 - Observing the observer 08:06 - Ritual and a return to ancient thinking 13:58 - Ritual in groups 21:34 - The argument 27:49 - The start of Genesis 36:39 - And God said 42:06 - Vegetation 44:30 - The sun, moon, and stars 45:49 - Creatures of the sea 49:32 - Animals 51:57 - The creation of man 56:28 - Genesis 2 59:43 - The center of the world 06:42 - Iconographic examples 12:39 - Questions from JBP 18:22 - Q: Elaborate on what you mean with above and below 20:15 - Q: Are people who try to tame wild animals violating the pattern you pointed out? 21:51 - Q: How sure are you of the heaven and earth distinction? 25:36 - Q: Whats the meaning of when God says man is very good and everything else good? 30:03 - Comment about Jung 31:24 - Q: How did Darwin bring Plato back? 37:03 - Q: How would you work with exclusion / inclusion patterns in these times? 48:51 - Q: Whats the intelligence of dreams? 51:45 - Q: If the teleological patterns of being constitute heaven, what is the abode of the human soul? 💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau 🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/$

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