Dr. Justin Sledge is producing remarkable content over on his YouTube and Patreon channels. Any time there for the interested party will not be wasted!
Let’s start with his self-introduction:
I’m Dr. Justin Sledge and this is Esoterica where we explore the arcane side of history, philosophy, and religion.
As you probably know, topics in esotericism such as magic, alchemy, mysticism, and theosophy remain some of the most interesting but under-represented topics in contemporary scholarship and the quality of the information available online is….let’s call it uneven.
Esoterica aims to provide content on these topics in short videos informed by the best modern scholarship. I hope to use the tools and knowledge I developed while studying Esotericism at the University of Amsterdam to create thoughtful content on subjects that have been maligned, ignored, misrepresented, and even today are difficult to study in a scholarly context.
I hope you will consider supporting my work in exploring the arcane, the mysterious, and the esoteric.
JJS – Esoterica
Please note: YourTurn and Esoterica are not affiliated.
Why should you care?
Because without proper historical context and clear understanding of a tradition we cannot properly utilize it in our own training!
The YourTurn Approach begins with the premise that all teachings/lessons/practices are true for the people who create them. This means that each tradition, be that in the hard sciences or in the most new age metaphysics from ancient to today, is addressing a particular human need. If we do not understand the need that is being addressed, and the evolution of ideas over time, then we cannot understand how to properly relate to the lessons.
This is not to say that we can’t reinvent the traditions according to a different understanding; only that if we want to use something effectively we must understand it well enough to apply it properly.
Accessible, scholarly work like Dr. Justin Sledge’s is an absolute treasure. Especially in an area as misunderstood and misrepresented (often intentionally) as the Western Mystery traditions.