In this season finale of the Burning Phoenix we'll be looking at how Contemplation can be the key to rebalancing your outlook and re-connect with the Transcendent, and we'll see how this is suggested both by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle and in Dante's Paradiso.

And a big thanks to all our listeners for the great questions and inputs in this season!

Wishing you a peaceful and contemplative Christmas, and all the best for a happy and prosperous beginning of 2024!

Enjoy!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

Today it's a bit different episode where we'll be sharing a discussion of the Sphere of Venus with Prof. Robert-Louis Abrahamson from our Dante's Divine Comedy Podcast.

The conversation is about the main topics in the Third Sphere in Paradiso, and we'll explore the themes of spiritual growth, different forms of love, how self-management of your soul can shape reality, your relationships, and transform your perception of the world - and how living according to your own Nature is essential for your happiness!

Time stamps:

00:05 - Introduction

01:50 - The Conversation w/Prof. Abrahamson

Thanks for listening!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

Today we'll be discussing a question from Adam in St. Louis, Missouri, about ways to think about the bigger overall life choices, especially in your early 20s.

And the Topic of the Week is the 4 Primary/Cardinal Virtues, how they can provide a great map for orientation and for navigating life, and how they are ultimately oriented towards seeking the Truth and the morally Good - originating in the Ancient Greeks.

Time stamps:

01:40 - Listener Question from Adam, Missouri

08:15 - The 4 Primary Virtues

And the two ongoing listener questions we'd love to hear your thoughts on are:

1. What is your favorite discovery/learning moment that you've had from reading medieval/classical literature? Is there a specific moment that changed your life or the trajectory of your life?

2. What is the biggest conundrum/dilemma you're trying to solve in your life at the moment? Then we'll try to connect this to the timeless wisdom from the old Traditions.

Please send us your thoughts on burningphoenix.substack.com, or by email at burningphoenix (at) substack.com!

Thanks for listening!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

Today we'll be discussing a question from Steven in Cumbria, England, and look at Dante's compelling argument about the unlikelihood of complete "randomness" in the Cosmos, and its consequences.

And we're launching a new field of study today: Bigpicturelogy! The inquiry and knowledge about the Big Picture of Being and the World.

Time stamps:

00:40 - Listener Question

13:15 - The "Crafted Cosmos Argument" from Paradiso Canto VIII

The two listener questions we're asking everyone are:

1. What is your favorite discovery/learning moment that you've had from reading medieval/classical literature? Is there a specific moment that changed your life or the trajectory of your life?

2. What is the biggest conundrum/dilemma you're trying to solve in your life at the moment? Then we'll try to connect this to the timeless wisdom from the old Traditions.

Just send us your thoughts on burningphoenix.substack.com, or by email at burningphoenix (at) substack.com, we'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for listening!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

Today we'll look at Del Noce's "The Idea of Modernity", talk about a listener question from Chris in Georgia, US, and ponder how looking at Venus in the early morning can connect us to the experience of Ancient Peoples.

2:00 - Listener Question from Chris, Georgia US

11:00 - Del Noce about Modernity

Enjoy!

Today we're having a listener comment from Sean in Dallas, TX, and we'll look at how Dante suggests Humanity as a whole needs to realign with Transcendent Realities eventually - both in the Earthly and the Spiritual Realms.

And our two questions for you is an ongoing open conversation:

1. What is your favorite discovery/learning moment that you've had from reading medieval/classical literature? Is there a specific moment that changed your life or the trajectory of your life?

2. What is the biggest conundrum/dilemma you're trying to solve in your life at the moment? Then we'll try to connect this to the timeless wisdom from the old Traditions.

Send us your inputs at burningphoenix (at) substack.com, or comment on burningphoenix.substack.com.

Thanks for listening!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

In this episode we'll go through two great examples from our listeners about how reading old texts have transformed their lives and their future outlook.

We'll also do a brief recap about Imperial History with Emperor Constantine's rise to sole Emperor after his first appointment to Ruler by his father's army in York, in 306 AD.

And we have a little plug for a conversation we did earlier this week with Robert-Louis Abrahamson, a Professor in English for the European Division of the University of Maryland, and also a Podcaster about Dante. The conversation is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mY0dlQTiCT7uGy2lCOjqC

Thanks for listening!

Music: "Piano Sway", by OurMusicBox

Welcome to Season 2 of the Burning Phoenix!

Today we're talking about the "Beyond" or Transcendent as the long term stable Big Picture for our thinking - partly as Dante describes it in the Divine Comedy, after a long speech from Beatrice.

And we have two questions for you:

1. What is your favorite discovery/learning moment that you've had from reading medieval/classical literature? Is there a specific moment that changed your life or the trajectory of your life?

2. What is the biggest conundrum/dilemma you're trying to solve in your life at the moment? Then we'll try to connect this to the timeless wisdom from the old Traditions!

Send us an email at burningphoenix (at) substack.com, or leave a comment on burningphoenix.substack.com.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy!

We'll look at three videos in this episode - about Ancient Japanese "Forest Bathing" with Shinto, some key points about the current right brain deficit in our current culture, and how the Ancient Greeks described much of the nature of the Right Brain with the idea and concept of the "Nous".

Timestamps

Forest bathing: 0:45

Right Brain Deficits: 2:30

Ancient Thought, The Nous: 8:05

Dante, on Learning: 13:00

Shinto Trailer, by Mythos & Logos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ya39a4AJac

Right Brain Deficits, by Tom LA Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5981pRcF0I

The Nous, by Bishop Maximus and Dr. Vervaeke (from c. 24 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRyVK0OEUH4

All of which points to a balanced brain, and solutions to re-finding the "Renaissance Mind".

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at what the poet and father of Humanism, Francesco Petrarch, wrote about Dante in a letter to Boccaccio. Dante and Petrarch in many ways represent the two main reactions to the corruption of the Church and the negative anthropology that developed after the Schism: Dante regenerates a positive comprehensive cosmology, while Petrarch limits the focus to the human context and dismisses that which lies beyond.

But it is still an open question, as to why Petrarch refused to see how Dante introduces a positive form of Humanism in the Divine Comedy, and elevates the Classical Tradition and Greek Mythology, while still unifying this within something bigger.

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at two books in this episode: “More than Allegory” by Philosopher & Scientist Bernardo Kastrup, and “The Age of Utopia” by Historian and College Professor John Strickland.

Our video talk with Tom LA Books is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01AUovOS3Bo

And our GoodReads page is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21804137.Richard_Emerson

Thanks for listening!

We'll briefly look at a recent conversation with Tom Holland, Stephen Meyer and Douglas Murray, and recommend some of their books. The full conversation is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2u54a1FL28

And we'll also be on the lookout for Young Renaissance Minds and Artists in the coming months; starting with this little video about life, the joy of exploration and the big mysteries in the world, by Ryan Trahan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYnVf9XnDLI

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at how CS Lewis had a precise intuitive understanding of the nature of the brain hemispheres, and how the story of Orpheus turning back and losing Eurydice as they are trying to leave the Underworld, contains deep insight into how a left brain overreach dissolves the deeper wisdom and meaning.

The Free Hillsdale Course is here:

https://online.hillsdale.edu/landing/an-introduction-to-c-s-lewis

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at the century/milliennia picture and consider new factors that might contribute to a much bigger regeneration of culture, as well as goals and aims for this process of Rebirth and Renaissance. And we'll close with a vision of beauty and inspiration, that could provide a bright mental picture to apprehend and gradually move towards.

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at Tom LA Books' videos, a Hillsdale course on CS Lewis, Jordan Peterson's last episode on the first half of Exodus, and some overall thoughts on the big picture for 2023 and the coming decade or two.

The emerging good things and the earliest stages for rebalancing the culture in the hemispheric sense, might seem to be starting to manifest themselves.

Thanks for listening!

We're having the first guest on the show: Tom LA Books is here to talk about his new 100 episodes Youtube series about Dante's Divine Comedy in Italian:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpiUReQm8Y8YbRuhXc2r0j9lL5WwbrCzk

We'll also briefly talk about the videos by Iain McGilchrist and Alex Gomez-Marin where they are walking through the whole "The Matter with Things" Opus chapter by chapter. The first video from Part III of the book is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAZ2a-vawMk

And the trailer for the new Dante Movie is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKgn_n_DgOQ

Thanks for listening!

We'll have a quick review of four of the excellent courses from Hillsdale College, some thoughts on Jordan Peterson's speech on the Logos at the Ancient Greek temple of Ephesus (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) - and a little "Tercet Meditation" from Dante, as inspiration for 2023.

The courses are here:

https://online.hillsdale.edu/course-list

And join the conversation at:

https://burningphoenix.substack.com

Thanks for tuning in, and Happy New Year!

We'll look at the Hillsdale College's course on Dante's Divine Comedy, and the new videos from Tommaso Todesca on Dante's Comedy in Italian.

We'll also reflect on a couple of excerpts from Dante about the conseqences of your own moral choices in life, and about not judging things or people too quickly.

Hillsdale's free courses are here:

https://online.hillsdale.edu/course-list

And Tommaso's Booktube Channel is here:

https://www.youtube.com/@tomlabooks3263

Thanks for tuning in,

and wishing you a peaceful and merry Christmas!

We'll look at a couple of highlights from Episode 5 in Dr. Jordan Peterson's Exodus Series, and see how the idea of morals as consequences of virtues and vices has been expressed in both Ancient Greek and Late Medieval Times.

Thanks for listening!

We'll look at Nietzsche's argument for the "Will to Power" in light of Left Brain Hemisphere domination, and also the effect of the more modern ideas of fragmented moments of happiness vs. the Ancient Greek concept of overall life happiness: Eudaimonia.

Both as reflections on the latest book from John Strickland, “The Age of Nihilism”.