What is Astrology? (ft. Deacon Seraphim/Richard Rohlin)

Marc Aramini returns to continue our discussion of Gene Wolfe’s Latro series with a focus on the second book, The Soldier of Arete. We begin the conversation by revisiting the opening and closing scenes of Soldier of the Mist and how they are thematically connected. We then move into the Christian themes of the series and how Wolfe uses Greek mythology to express Christian ideas. We also discuss the concept of arete and how the Spartans abused it. The events of Arete take place after the siege of Sestos and conclude with Latro competing in the Pythian games. Note: The fiction of Gene Wolfe contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children. The Chapter Guide to Gene Wolfe’s Latro Novels by Michael Andre-Driussi can be found here. The physical editions of Marc’s first three books are now available on Amazon: * Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951-1986 * Beyond Time and Memory: An Exploration of the fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1987-1990 * By Sword and Spirit: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1991-2003 Marc’s YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@marcaramini9794 Marc can be found on Twitter.com at @marc_aramini ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more! Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Logo Art by Linnea Kisby This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. *************************************************************************************************************

In this episode, I am joined again by writer and Gene Wolfe expert, Marc Aramini. Marc and I have an in-depth discussion of the first book of Wolfe’s Latro series, The Soldier of the Mist. The events of the book take place in 479 B. C. shortly after the battle of the 300 Spartans (and thousands of their slaves) fighting against the Persian army at Thermopylae. Latro is a mercenary in the Persian army who suffers from a head wound that gives him amnesia. We discuss the events of the first book, the frame narrative, and the characters. The Chapter Guide to Gene Wolfe’s Latro Novels by Michael Andre-Driussi can be found here. The physical editions of Marc’s first two books are now available on Amazon: * Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951-1986 * Beyond Time and Memory: An Exploration of the fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1987-1990 Marc’s YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@marcaramini9794 Marc can be found on Twitter.com at @marc_aramini ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more! Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Logo Art by Linnea Kisby This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. *************************************************************************************************************

The Man Who Was Thursday was written by Gilbert Keith Chesterton in 1908 and is described as a metaphysical thriller. It is also one of the greatest Catholic novels of the 20th Century. Gabriel Syme, a poet detective, infiltrates a secret society of anarchists to try to foil their plans of world destruction. Gregorio Montejo returns as a guest to discuss this miraculous novel. We discuss Chesterton’s use of paradox, why the novel is called a nightmare, the color red, and so much more! Follow Gregorio on Twitter.com @KtistecP Do yourself a favor and subscribe to Gregorio’s substack Past Masters and read his essay on Chesterton here: ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more! Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Logo Art by Linnea Kisby This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. *************************************************************************************************************

Independent Tolkien scholar, Ian Gunn, joins the show to discuss an article he wrote titled, “Tolkien’s Invasion of Dragons”, which was published in Mythlore in 2025. Have the dragons disappeared from the world or are they still lurking about? What do we even do with one if we stumble across one in our garden? Ian and I discuss Tolkien’s belief that tales of heroic myths and legends can revivify society and restore the “memory of the high and the perilous.” We don’t want to be invaded by dragons, but sometimes that is exactly what we need. “Tolkien’s Invasion of Dragons” (Mythlore 2025): https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3375&context=mythlore Joie de Vivre Journal: https://www.jdvjournal.com/ Ian Gunn can be found on Substact: Thoughts on Tolkien Ian Gunn can be found on Twitter.com @tolkienthoughts ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more! Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Logo Art by Linnea Kisby This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. *************************************************************************************************************

What are the mysterious beings known as fairies? Can they be defined? How have fairy encounters in Europe changed over the centuries? Dr. Francis Young returns to the show to discuss his new book, Fairies: A History, by Polity Books (2026). Dr. Young traces fairies and fairy encounters from pagan Europe all the way to the 21st Century. He argues that it is not useful to think of fairies as beings that can be proved and documented scientifically, but experienced through a type of perception. Have we moderns lost this type of perception? What does Tolkien’s conception of Faerie have to do with all of this? How did the Reformation and the Enlightenment impact fairy belief? We discuss all of this and more in this episode of IMBIF. Fairies: A History: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=fairies-a-history--9781509566778 Dr. Young can be found on Twitter.com @DrFrancisYoung His substack is Francis Young ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe to my Substack - for updates on the show, essays, and more! Donate to my Patreon - I Might Believe in Faeries https://www.patreon.com/imightbelieveinfaeries Like my Facebook page - I Might Believe in Faeries Battle Of The Creek by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Logo Art by Linnea Kisby This podcast and its content may not be used for training and developing A.I. systems without permission. *************************************************************************************************************