RADIO - Jesse Waugh

jessewaugh.com Centuries after the brutal slaughter of the Cathars by papally endorsed Northern French forces,and their suppression by the Inquisiton the medieval Cathars continue to exert a powerful influence on both popular culture and spiritual seekers. Yet few people know anything of the beliefs of the Cathars beyond vague notions that they believed in reincarnation, were vegetarians, were somehow Gnostic, and had some relation to Mary Magdalene. The Lost Teachings of the Cathars explores the history of this Christian dualist movement between the 12th and 14th centuries, offering a sympathetic yet critical examination of its beliefs and practices. As well as investigating the origin of the Cathars, their relationship to the ancient Gnostics of the early centuries AD and the possibility that they survived the Inquisition in some way, the author also addresses recent renewed interest in Catharism. Eccentric esotericists initiated a neo-Cathar revival in the Languedoc which inspired the philosopher Simone Weil. The German Otto Rahn, who has been called the real-life Indiana Jones, believed that the Cathars were protectors of the Holy Grail and received support from Heinrich Himmler. Arthur Guirdham, a psychiatrist from the West of England, became convinced that he and a circle of patients had all been Cathars in previous lives. Tourists flock to the Languedoc to visit Cathar country. Bestsellers such as Kate Mosse's timeslip novel Labyrinth continue to fascinate readers. But what did the Cathars really believe and practice?

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jim Thomsen attended UCLA - studying mathematics and philosophy. His interest in mountaineering led him to start an outdoor company in 1972: Wilderness Experience. The company grew rapidly and completed a public stock offering in 1980. After owning two mountaineering retail stores and being a partner in a sales representation organization, in 1994 Jim took a corporate job with JanSport, part of the VF Corporation. In 2000 Jim and his wife Katie moved to Belgium to head up an international division of VF that included JanSport, Eastpak and Kipling. Jim retired in 2005, and he and Katie purchased a sailboat in the Netherlands. For the next 10 years they sailed the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Caribbean, thru the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to Tahiti, Tonga, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. During this time they sailed 50,000 miles and visited 50 countries. Their favorite country was Vanuatu and especially the island of Tanna. After a month long visit in 2011 they returned the following year for another month. It was during these visits that they got to know the chief and some of the members of the John Frum Movement. Currently their sailboat, Tenaya, is in Venice, Italy and they are spending the winter in Mammoth Lakes, California. Hour 1: Jim’s background; John Frum deity; the end of cannibalism; Tanna volcano - flying rocks; possible colonization of South America and Easter Island; clothing; technological limitations; authenticity of rituals performed by natives; diet and agriculture; Hawaii versus Vanuatu Melanesian peoples Hour 2: John Frum Messianic Millenarianism; cargo cult purpose; is John Frum a cargo cult?; Summary of Jim Thomsen’s book “ Searching for John Frum: Quest for the True Story of the John Frum Movement: Is it really a Cargo Cult?”; kava drinking; relationship between the genders in Tanna / Vanuatu; Kastom; magic; British / French / American / Western colonization; Tanna Port Resolution Bay lagoon; happiness levels of Oceanic peoples; racial categories; sand drawing; scuba diving shipwreck; magical elements of Melanesian culture; control of weather; medicine men / shamans; ritual dance; altars; magic stone; economy; Tanna movie

Garry W. Trompf is Emeritus Professor in the History of Ideas in the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney, where he previously held a personal chair for ten years. He was educated at the universities of Melbourne, Monash, Oxford and the Australian National University and has written over fifteen books, which embody early Christianity, the religions of Melanesia and the history of ideas, among a myriad other fields. Garry is known as the chaser of grand ideas of European history. In Melanesia, he went from village to village, mapping traditions. Garry has a great fascination for diversity and an ability to see cultural phenomena in their infinite complexity. Hour 1: Millenarianist aspects of various world religions Hour 2: The Origin of Religion; John Frum; What are conspiracy theories; Cargo cults

From jessewaugh.com D Jason Cooper wrestled professionally twice and lost both times. He was born in Canada, grew up in the United States, and now lives in Australia. He has seven books to his credit, two of which are still available. These are Mithras: Mysteries and Initiation Rediscovered - which is discussed in this episode - and which is available on Amazon; and the other book is Slums of Paradise in which in the 23rd century the Pope tries to change the resurrection of a vampire with holy relics - available from Twilight Times Books. He lives with his two children, Shadra and Darius (and also Shadra's fiance, James).

Tiara Budiendra is a Javanese fine artist and illustrator who employs color to great success. She recently completed a Masters degree in fine art at the University of Brighton in England - a course in which I was also enrolled. We begin discussing the Symbolism which is present in many of Tiara’s works.

Brief Announcement 2016-01-01 Hello and Greetings Fellow Travellers! This first episode of 2016 is just a brief announcement that we at the The Great Work will now be attempting to produce a weekly broadcast which should be available every Friday. We are also introducing a ‘Members only’ section which will feature the second hour of each Great Work episode. Members can sign up for only $5 a month and cancel at any time. Although it may seem to be a simple process, extensive work goes into the production of podcasts and online radio programs such as The Great Work — including researching topics, finding suitable guests, contacting them, scheduling interview times, conducting interviews, editing episodes (this step can take quite a while), maintaining the website, and promoting the show on social media and elsewhere — It is no simple task! So the introduction of a ‘Members’ section’ can facilitate our ongoing dedication to the production of quality content on a regular basis — Without your help this would not be possible! Thanks very much - we look forward to a productive year ahead. Happy Winter Solstice and Happy New Year!

Tezcatlipoca: Trickster and Supreme Deity University Press of Colorado Buy on Amazon Dr Elizabeth Baquedano is a world-renowned expert on Aztec culture and iconography, as well as a lecturer at University College London. She holds a PhD in Archaeology, has appeared on numerous programmes and documentaries, and recently won the highly prestigious Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico, which is bestowed upon distinguished Mexicans working outside of Mexico.In this, our first interview with Elizabeth, we explore wide-ranging subjects including that of her newest book about the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca - who Elizabeth states is the true supreme deity of Aztec religion.