Shows
Mosaic ArkTrumping the MosaicOn July 13th, 2024, former President Donald J. Trump was shot while speaking at a rally for his re-election campaign in Butler County, Pennsylvania. To protect him from getting shot again, the Secret Service agents quickly tackled him to the ground. He was down for what seemed like minutes as the crowd waited anxiously to see if he was alright. Though bleeding, he was alive—the would-be assassin failed. Trump rose to his feet, blood on his face and fist defiantly in the air, and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” A photographer who was present for the rally had jumped towards the st...2024-07-202h 37
Mosaic ArkThe Mosaic PageDid you hear about those weird secret symbols embedded into the layout of the 19th-century Bomberg Talmud? Or similar layouts, symbols and coded messages found throughout a medieval Christian book called the Glossa Ordinaria? Oh come now, everyone has read Dan Brown. Those monks and rabbis were up to something. There must be a conspiracy “they” don’t want us to know about. Well, no, not really. It was just the medium used to convey the messages of those times, similar to the typical layout of almost all newspapers of today. But why were they so similar? And how does t...2024-07-132h 04
Mosaic ArkMarshall McLuhan's Mechanical BrideIn 1951, media guru and secret medievalist Marshall McLuhan published his first book, The Mechanical Bride. His purpose was to encourage his readers to contemplate the way that advertising and technology shape society, both for the advertisers and for their targets – the buying public. The ladies of the Mosaic Ark have been contemplating McLuhan’s writings for several years now and it has shaped the way we see the world and the way we write our own fictional stories. Join us as we discuss McLuhan’s early inspirations and his spookily prophetic observations. —Streamed July 6, 20242024-07-072h 14
Mosaic ArkFallen PrideThis month the ladies of the Mosaic Ark talked about the sin of pride in its various forms. As Providence would have it, our last stream on this topic occurred one day after the first US presidential debate, where two men sought to convince a nation to give one of them power. Was that debate informative or merely a display of pride? This question got us thinking of two other persons who also sought out power – Prometheus and Satan. In this week’s conclusion of our own “pride month”, we discussed the character traits of Prometheus (from the Greek myths...2024-06-292h 24
Mosaic ArkProud to Be an AmericanWhat does it mean to be proud to be an American? For that matter, what does it mean to be proud to be a German, or an Englishman? Is it pride in the homeland’s culture, language, history? And what of the bad things about its history, do those things negate pride in the nation as a whole? Also, what (and who) makes a nation? This week the ladies of the Mosaic Ark continued to discuss pride, particularly American pride and what that means in the continually expanding ethnic and social demographic of the United States. Bonus: Musical interludes! —Stre...2024-06-222h 02
Mosaic ArkReigning in Hell“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” These are the words of a proud being. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan is cast out of Heaven, and in his pride boasts that he shall be a king in Hell. The question for the modern reader might well be this: what did Satan do differently than other rebellious people? If Paradise Lost were a modern movie, would Satan be the anti-hero that everyone loves to watch? And if he were a British Colonial in early America, would he be a revolutionary that everyone wants to honor? And if he wer...2024-06-152h 04
Mosaic ArkQueen of SinsPride. It is said that this was the sin that caused Lucifer to be cast down from Heaven, and the same temptation that he offered to Eve in his attempts to destroy her and Adam’s relationship with The Almighty – “Ye shall be like God.” But how does one explain to the people of a rapidly de-Christianizing society that pride is a sin, the most deadly of seven deadly sins, and something that should be rejected? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed this challenge and why it is so difficult. We also discussed pride as the sin which all othe...2024-06-062h 07
Mosaic ArkWas Prima Nocta Real? And Other Stupid QuestionsThe Professor asked KC if she could come up with some really stupid questions about the Middle Ages. “Can I? And how!” she said. “Did people bathe more than once a year? Did sanitation exist? Did anyone live past the age of 30? What about witchcraft? Were women thought to be witches because they were folk healers? How many witches were burned at the stake? For those women not burned at the stake, how many were forced into marriage arrangements?” During this week’s Mosaic Ark, we discussed these questions and many more concerning life in the Middle Ages (and yes, inclu...2024-05-302h 01
Mosaic ArkHope for Pagan AmericaIs there hope for pagan America? What’s that? You didn’t know America was a pagan country?! If you’re like most people, you probably fall into one of two camps: you either think that America is a Christian country or that it is a secular country that practices a kind of religious pluralism, but both of those camps are wrong. John Daniel Davidson joined the ladies of the Mosaic Ark to discuss his new book, Pagan America. In his book, Davidson shows how some of the more disturbing trends in current American public life have direct correlations to the...2024-05-232h 01
Mosaic ArkMass EncampmentWhen we think of encampments, we may have militaristic visions of Crusader Kings like Baldwin IV and his thousands marching under banners and flags; we might see the Mongol empire marching behind the great Genghis Khan or perhaps Napoleon on his march through Europe. Conversely, we might see peaceful medieval tournaments with their tents and banners, religious pilgrimages or even their more modern equivalent—music festivals! Two weeks ago, there was an encampment at the University of Chicago, around which much discussion has revolved on and off campus. What kind of encampment was it: peaceful or militaristic? Was it ju...2024-05-162h 00
Mosaic ArkFlagging the UChicago Campus Encampment“I heard my momma cry / I heard her pray the night Chicago died / Brother, what a night it really was / Brother, what a fight it really was / Glory be!”This song about fights between gangs and cops in 1920s Chicago was all the rage back in the 1970s. There’s a lot of appeal to nostalgia in it. But were people nostalgic for violence, or were they longing to be in a dramatic moment—a moment that matters? Last week, the University of Chicago hosted an encampment of protestors who gathered in support of the Palestinians of Gaza and...2024-05-092h 23
Mosaic ArkMedia MedievalismOnce upon a time in the Middle Ages, in a geographic area comprised of a patchwork collection of hundreds of separate Duchies ruled over by hundreds of Dukes, a loyalty was misplaced. Doesn’t sound like a very inspiring fairy tale, does it? But you must admit that it does sound similar to the current landscape of social media. There are hundreds of different platforms within larger platforms for social, news and entertainment media, each with their own “Duke” (or Duchess) demanding trust and loyalty of their followers. Which one do you trust? Are you loyal to any of them...2024-05-021h 55
Mosaic ArkArch Popery“A little learning is a dangerous thing.” Alexander Pope wrote these words in 1711 at the tender age of 22, and thereby created one of the understatements of the millennium. At least that is what the Dragon Common Room discovered as it began writing its first epic poem, Centrism Games. Join the Ladies of the Mosaic Ark as we discuss our admiration for Pope’s skill in writing satire in iambic pentameter, how it inspired us to write Centrism Games in the same style, and how that style of writing had an almost magical ability to assist us in the focus and di...2024-04-252h 08
Mosaic ArkTruth, Beauty, and Gen Z“What is truth?” This question asked of Christ by Pilate 1,991 years ago seems to also be the question of this age. Five generations after women were granted the right to vote, every artistic endeavor (most notably in architecture) has changed for the worse and every institution has been morally compromised, nowhere more starkly than in relationships between men and women. The very foundations of our society both literally and figuratively have been degraded. But are women to blame? Are men to blame? There is confusion among the youngest adults of this fifth generation, and those not despairing are looking for...2024-04-182h 07
Mosaic ArkAfterparty of the Eclipse“It’s the end of the world as we know it…and I feel fine.” Props to Michael Stipe. Eclipse 2024 happened, the world did not end, and everyone is feeling fine. This is good news! But why might some people have thought that something big was going to happen? Why were some people looking for significance in an entirely predictable event? Have there been significant events in history that occurred during other astronomical displays? Or are people simply trying to place themselves into the ongoing story of creation; are they trying to feel some of that significance? The ladies of the M...2024-04-112h 02
Mosaic ArkCandace, the Rabbi, and the Blood Libel of AD 1144Did you hear the news? Christians of the Middle Ages hated the Jews, frequently accused them of murders they didn’t commit, and forced them to live in constant fear! Or at least, if you listened to Rabbi Michael Barclay schooling Candace Owens before she was subsequently “let go” by the Daily Wire, you would think exactly that. But in all of the rancor, and (if rumors are to be believed) damage control now being done by the Daily Wire over these allegations, did you ever stop to think if they were true? Was it a fact that Medieval Europe...2024-04-042h 44
Mosaic ArkMacris the AutarchWhat is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women? With all due respect to the mighty Conan, the women of the Mosaic Ark believe it is discussing the idea of God as a Tabletop RPG designer with the mighty Alexander Macris, who writes in Substack under the title "Contemplations on the Tree of Woe." In tonight’s stream, we discussed his lifelong obsession with RPGs, the RPG he designed and successfully launched on Kickstarter, and some of the contemplations he has had about the nature of Go...2024-03-282h 07
Mosaic ArkThe Sacredest PlaceJanuary 6, 2021—The feast of the Epiphany in the Western Christian calendar, but was it also an epiphany for the country? That was the day that Jacob Angeli Chansley, also known as Q-Shaman, entered the Senate Chamber and invoked God in a prayer for America. Moments before, a member of the Capitol’s security who had escorted him there, told him that this place was “the sacredest space.” Sacred to whom (or what?) That was the question the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed in tonight’s livestream. We reviewed the public buildings, monuments and the architecture of Washington D.C. for clu...2024-03-212h 09
Mosaic ArkDune ArkIn many ways, Dune 2 is an old-fashioned sword-and-sandals epic in the mold of Ben Hur. It has sweeping desert landscapes, costumed figures wearing robes flowing in the breeze, gladiatorial fights, and Greek-tragedy levels of dramatic exposition. In that sense, it is a real popcorn movie. But what if we told you that it was also a religious experience? This is what the Ladies of the Mosaic Ark concluded from their viewing and discussion of the second of Director Denis Villeneuve’s films interpreting Frank Herbert’s classic novel. Images and sound were the driving force of this film’s power...2024-03-142h 30
Mosaic ArkThe King's Body LanguageTwo weeks ago the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed the interview of the century between Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin. This week, we looked at the body language of both men and asked what, if anything, could be inferred from it. Was Tucker in control of that interview, or did Putin take the reins? Was Putin nervous when he took off his watch, or was there something else to it? Is Putin an Alpha male and is that even important in the age of women’s electoral power? We hope our discussion answers some of these questions and sp...2024-03-072h 02
Mosaic ArkPutins Have LayersIn February 2024, Tucker Carlson stood in front of the onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and announced his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some call Putin a brutal dictator with plans for military expansion after he invaded Ukraine. Some call Carlson a traitor for meeting with him. The two-hour long interview that aired on X included many questions and many layers of answers from ancient history to 21st century diplomacy. The format of the interview itself held many more unspoken layers. Is Putin an ogre? Or an onion? Both have layers! Take a deep dive wi...2024-02-222h 47
Mosaic ArkMaking the ListIt's Valentine's Day, and the Queen is making a list. Will you be on it? Why do women make lists? Is this the key to their power over other women? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark are determined to describe the FSSH (if it exists), and tonight we talked about Queens and the making of lists. What is a "Queen?” Or more properly, what makes a Queen and why do the women in her social circle follow her? Why is fashion so important to women? Is it always the prettiest girl in the circle who is the Queen? And wh...2024-02-152h 03
Mosaic ArkThe Female of the SpeciesThe Ark returns to lift the lid on the Female Socio-Sexual Hierarchy (FSSH). It’s been an eventful online battle this week between the sexes, as men and women have swarmed in the chats to vehemently deny or confirm the existence of the FSSH. Many say they can’t see it. But how does it look from the perspective of women? Dragon Common Room’s K J Crilly sits down with the Professor to talk about elves, witches, queens and weaving the women’s world. —Streamed February 7, 2024 "The Female of the Species": https://fencingbearatprayer.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-female-of-species.html2024-02-082h 14
Mosaic ArkMojo Dojo Casa HostessThe Ark welcomes you to a house party. But whose house? RFB and Kilts reflect on Ken’s revolutionary takeover of Barbie’s Dreamhouse, and why the creation of the Mojo Dojo Casa House has polarised the sexes. Was Ken justified? Or was Barbie a victim of the patriarchy? We take a look at the dynamics of the Kendom, and of Lobstercide—what happens when the girls take over the boys’ game? The hostess invites you to play the game of the sexes on the Mosaic Ark. —Streamed January 31, 20242024-02-012h 00
Mosaic ArkQueen of the SSHThis is the one you’ve all been waiting for: the Ark takes on the Female Socio-Sexual Hierarchy! You’ve probably all heard of Sigma and Alpha males. But do women have the same categories? Looking at examples of female pop icons and female relationships, we look to “Heathers,” the dreaded “Mean Girls,” and of course beloved “Barbie,” and the Ark discovers what the Female SSH actually is and how to navigate it. Join the Professor and Kilts for the official breakdown of The Female SSH. —Streamed January 24, 20242024-01-252h 09
Mosaic ArkLost Books of the BibleAntiCatholic streamers are livid. Apparently Rome has been hiding books from humanity in its library, and even created its own dogma for Catholics to blindly follow in service to the Roman Pope. In this episode of the Mosaic Ark, RFB reads from three top secret books that were buried in the Vatican Secret Archives. How did she get access? Join us in discovering the hidden truth of the Vatican Secret Archives, manuscripts like The Nag Hammadi Library and The Other Bible. What influence do the lost books have on Christians? Have secret texts been purposefully hidden from Christendom, or...2024-01-182h 02
Mosaic ArkConspiracy TheoriesThe Ark unrolls the tinfoil and is ready uncover the conspiracies! Have you ever wondered why history seems so complicated? How do we know what really happened, and why is it so taboo to question the official story? Join us as we play Conspiracy Theory bingo and figure out once and for all why public crises generate enormous energy in populations; how going to the Moon helped the American Empire feel good about itself; why 9/11 was probably an inside job; why the QAnon was supporting Trump and of course, who are the aliens; and finally, what is going on...2024-01-112h 27
Mosaic ArkThe Meme DealThe Ark launches into 2024 with a meme deal, and we shuffle the electronic deck to reflect on the forces moving in the world in this Year of the Dragon. What kind of things can we expect this year, given the patterns of history? Does civilization work like a machine, or do the relationships between people make or break events? Do family feuds feel like world wars because the world wars were giant family feuds? Join us as the Professor and the Pigeon deal the memes and find the themes for the next year in the stream! —Streamed January 3, 20242024-01-042h 13
Mosaic ArkEnd of EmpireThe Ark wraps up the year of Our Lord 2023 with our Christmas stream, and we're full of fudge and predictions! What is in store for the malls and markets of the world in the current global conflict over control and access to the Red Sea shipping lane? How long will the mythology of the American Empire hold up when its Pax Americana no longer has a navy to control the seas? Are we going to see the global financial system collapse, or just the mechanism of bureaucracy that controls the debts in certain regions? Join us as we unbox...2023-12-282h 01
Mosaic ArkLuke 1:26-38The Ark is celebrating Advent season with a meditation on the reason for the season. So, is Christmas really paganism turned into a Christian holiday? The Professor reads from the third Advent homily of the Venerable Bede, the great English scholar and creator of Anglo-Saxon history. What did Bede understand about the significance of trees in the Christian world? And why did our Saviour come through a Burning Bush in Palestine, and not as a Godzilla-sized Messiah to stomp out the evil from the world? Light up your tree and join us for the Advent of the Light of...2023-12-142h 04
Mosaic ArkLord Verulam's IdolsThe Ark welcomes the Aetherczar on board again! Hans G. Schantz (scientist and author of The Wise of Heart, The Hidden Truth, and The Art & Science of Ultrawideband Antennas) joins us to discuss the Enlightened world of Sir Francis Bacon, Science and the cult of Scientism. How do our idols influence our ability to find or see truth? Is the pursuit of scientific knowledge the means and end of human life itself, and what kind of future do we face if Scientists become the managers of mankind’s existence? —Streamed December 6, 2023The Aetherczar’s Substack: https://substack.com/@a...2023-12-072h 00
Mosaic ArkThe Book of the NameProfessor Fulton Brown reads Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, in the hope of recovering the pleasure she had at being in on the mystery in graduate school, but what she learns is that things are not necessarily what they seem when someone insists the rose has no name. —Streamed November 30, 20232023-12-012h 23
Mosaic ArkMind-hacking, Magic, and MeaningThe Ark welcomes our guest Patrick Coffin aboard once more to talk about the art of direction! The DCR poets sit back to enjoy some of Patrick's mentalist card effects and the synchronicities between stories and magic. How does the structure of the story of Joseph show God's miraculous direction of history and the misdirection of Pharaoh's magicians? Can we find the theme of redemption through tragedy in Joseph’s tale of ascension in Egypt? Is the Trinity a magic trick, or is the Incarnation of God in Christ the key to unlocking the story of Creation? Join us as...2023-11-232h 26
Mosaic ArkThe New AtlantisThe Ark brings the definitive guide to predicting everything that will ever happen. How did we find this secret knowledge? RFB and Kilts dust off an old fable that describes the modern world, reading from Sir Francis Bacon's recipe book for Enlightenment. What kind of world have the Merchants of Light created? Does it seem familiar? Join us to discover the Science behind Draco Alchemicus. —Streamed November 15, 20232023-11-162h 15
Mosaic ArkThe Lost ArkThe Ark finally explains the Ark! Climb aboard with Professor Fulton Brown to raid the Bible for the mystery of the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Is it really lost and waiting to be dug up by an Indiana Jones, or have we found her already? Join us to dig for treasure and find the golden throne of the LORD. —Streamed November 8, 20232023-11-092h 00
Mosaic ArkThe Devil’s ContractThe Ark brings streams for Halloween and All Saints with a spooky story for all. The Professor reads from her book Mary and the Art of Prayer the tale of Theophilus, a 6th century Christian who gets fired and then sells his soul to the Devil to get his old job back. What happens when Theophilus realises he made a big mistake? Join the Ark for a journey of penance to God, pleading with the Mother of Christ and shredding up those bad contracts. —Streamed November 1, 20232023-11-022h 00
Mosaic ArkThe Golden FleeceThe Ark lands Down Under, as Kilts attempts to bring everybody into Dreamtime and deliver a coherent history of Australia with the help of RFB who keeps us all anchored in a straight timeline. Starting in the bush where the White Man lost his ability to speak English, Kilts takes us on a tour of the Australian convicts arriving in chains, colonial struggles to claim the continent, fighting wars for Empire, striking gold, becoming White, slave trades and sugar plantations, Jewish war heroes and a formal policy of White supremacy ended by the importation of non-white Europeans. Did you think...2023-10-262h 10
Mosaic ArkThe Mosaic ArkThe Ark reflects on grammar and meaning as DCR finally rewrites the website to clarify our identity as poets and what we do. It was hard. So imagine how hard it is to describe the Incarnation of Christ. In this episode the Professor and the Pigeon invite you to enter the Mosaic Ark and experience a Medieval and mystical experience of the Scriptures: the Holy Bible as a kaleidoscope. How does the Virgin Mary completely change the way Christians see the story of Creation and the Incarnation? What does it feel like for the Bible to be experienced like the...2023-10-191h 59
Mosaic ArkKing of the JewsThe Ark returns for part two of our meditation on Jesus Christ Superstar, in the wake of the war that has broken out between Israel and Palestine. After watching confusing scenes of revellers partying at a festival on the Gaza border which was reported to have turned into massacre, we ask why is the Holy Land so important for imperial powers that this place seems eternally conflicted?Will the dance floor of the empires ever find peace? Join us as we ask what Christ was doing when He decided to go into Jerusalem for the Passion Week and let His...2023-10-122h 12
Mosaic ArkSuperstarThe professor and the pigeon meditate on the 1973 film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and like the artists who made the movie, attempt to explain Christ to the Modern world. Was it blasphemous to show the gospel through the perspective of Judas, or was it a revelation of man's response to the Gospels in the modern world? Join us as we ask exactly who is Jesus Christ and why it's so hard to say why we love Him. —Streamed October 4, 20232023-10-052h 04
Mosaic ArkOver the MountainThe professor scaled the moly mountain on an adventure in Colorado's Dividing Range, and in this episode regales the Ark with a tale of taking the high road to see our fellow drake Mel in her mountain home. But what happens when you get to the top and can't come down again? Join us for storytime, as RFB and Kilts discover why drivers on the Monarch Pass need guardrails, and why women need men in times of crisis. — Streamed September 27, 20232023-09-282h 04
Mosaic ArkMirror MirrorThe Ark hosts a vigil for Kilts’s dead roosters, who died valiantly protecting their hens from the now infamous fox. So what happens in a world without roosters guarding the flock? In this episode the Professor and her grieving Goth challenge the audience to look at the mirror image of their own understanding, starting with the Barbies who have not been 'liberated' but have in fact simply been surviving the collapse of patriarchy. We take a turn towards the early church, and how the patriarchy of Alexandria challenged the imperial dogma of Arian Christianity to see Christ as both Hu...2023-09-212h 37
Mosaic ArkConch WarsThe Ark continues its meditations from Atomic Myths to reflect on the Conch Wars of Cancel Culture. Pausing to reflect on their meeting in Milo's Telegram chat room in a Lord of the Flies frenzy over who holds the conch, RFB expands on the power of speech over group behaviour. How does rhetoric influence people to go to war for Empire, as happened in Rome? Do the stories people tell about the imperial border wars really hold up against the reality of empire? Join us to see why stories set the course for empires, and why contesting imperial myths will...2023-09-142h 39
Mosaic ArkAtomic MythsThe Professor muses on her origin story in New Mexico’s enchanted land—the isthmus between the Anglo and Hispanic and native American cultures, and the border between the Holy Virgin and Oppenheimer’s bomb. What did the atomic explosion do to the imagination of the West? Does the theory of relativity have Westerners captivated in relativism and incapable of claiming that there is only one Truth? Could the Incarnation of God in Christ be the cure to the fear that was conjured at the Trinity Site in 1945? —Streamed September 6, 20232023-09-072h 08
Mosaic Ark“What Was I Made For?”The Ark pauses to reflect on the Professor’s post-Barbie realization that the Millennials are enduring a special kind of trauma. In the Roe v Wade Western world, every baby born was approved by somebody's choice. But what does this decision mean for Millennials who grew up wondering what they were made for? How has that generation developed in the knowledge that they were created "on demand"? Join us to reflect on the Millennial Mind, and what must happen to make life again. —Streamed August 23, 20232023-08-242h 11
Mosaic ArkHe’s Kenough!The Ark wants to party like Barbie again, this time with Ken! Our second part of this movie analysis takes the Professor and the Pigeon into the layers of the sexual roles depicted in the film. We talk sexual tension and competition in the Kendom, the hidden Theosophy of Barbieland, the failed relationship between Ken and Barbie, and how Lego proved the difference between how boys and girls play with their toys. Could it be that Ken wasn't Kenough and the film totally failed the Kens? Let's play! —Streamed August 16, 20232023-08-172h 12
Mosaic ArkHere Be BarbiesThe Ark turns pink for Girls Nite as the Professor and Pigeon review the billion dollar doll that has everybody talking about her. Is this film another piece of Hollywood feminist propaganda, or has Greta Gerwig and her crew achieved a masterful subversion in storytelling made for women who have grown up in the post-Boomer Barbie World? Join us to find out what Barbie is really all about. Are you ready, Ken? Let's party! —Streamed August 9, 20232023-08-102h 06
Mosaic ArkA Story for Little BearsSeason Two of the Mosaic Ark begins, and the Professor and the Pigeon are thinking about gemstones. We begin the stream by reflecting on the role of mining in the nations of the Anglosphere, and how identity was formed in the search for precious stones. We think about the identification of lifeforms by Charles Darwin on his journey across the seas to find the mystery of our origins. What kind of origin story are we all referring to in the modern West? And can storytelling help us see more clearly than other forms of perception? We celebrate the launch...2023-08-032h 17
Mosaic ArkWhat Women Really Want—Bitmoji EditionThe Mosaic Ark wraps up its first season and after a full year of streaming we still want to discover What Women Really Want. Have we been truly honest as women about our desires and fears, and if not, what are our great expectations as women? Take a ride through Bitmoji Joy and help us to figure out What Women Really Want. —Streamed July 26, 20232023-07-272h 01
Mosaic ArkNormans in ParisFrance was on fire last week, and Kilts wrote an article about the rioting and the internet commentators declaring that France is now in a Race War. But what if France isn't in a race war? What if France is having an identity crisis? Join us as we look the France of Alexander Dumas, pick up the sword pf the Holy Roman African Saint Maurice, and ask ourselves what do we do about Normans in Paris?—Streamed July 19, 2023 —Kilts Khalfan, "Normans in Paris" https://news.gab.com/2023/07/normans-in-paris/2023-07-202h 07
Mosaic ArkWhat Women Really WantWhat do women want? The Ark returns to break down the complex desires of the female sex. We draw inspiration from Simone de Beauvoir, Rosie the Riveter, The Addams Family, and ask ourselves if women are totally Clueless. Are women really out for equality and sovereignty over men, or do women want something else? And if they know what they want, why is it so hard for them to just admit it? —Streamed July 12, 20232023-07-132h 28
Mosaic ArkThe Four Senses of StorytellingHow do you read stories like Dante? The Pigeon and the Professor discuss why works like The Divine Comedy seem so difficult for modern readers to enjoy. There has been a collapse of reading ability in European culture, so what are we missing? If you want to read the great works of your own folk cultures, join us for a lesson in Medieval vision. You might already be doing it. —Streamed June 28, 2023The Four Senses of Draco Alchemicus: https://fencingbearatprayer.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-four-senses-of-draco-alchemicus.html2023-06-292h 04
Mosaic ArkSelling the DragonThe Professor and the Pigeon reflect on their marathon Monday night stream, and share what we've learned with other aspiring storytellers who wish to launch creative projects into the sea of stories. Have you got a pen? Join us and compare notes with the Mosaic Ark! —Streamed June 21, 20232023-06-221h 54
Mosaic ArkThe Magic of Storytelling Monday Night MarathonThe Ark hosts its first-ever marathon stream with guests aboard! Join us for a 6-hour odyssey on the art of storytelling, starring comic book legend Chuck Dixon (creator of Bane), physics wizard and author Hans G. Schantz (recently featured on Fox News for his Kickstarter controversy), BasedCon creator and based fiction author Rob Kroese, and the tricky card magic of the notoriously Hopeful Catholic, Patrick Coffin. Pour a drink and enjoy the party! Our guests: The Legend Chuck Dixon: https://www.arkhaven/com; Twitter: @Dixonverse Rob Kroese: https://basedcon.com; Twitter:@robkroese 2023-06-215h 52
Mosaic ArkYou Best Start Believing in Faerie StoriesMirror, mirror on the wall, does Modernity understand itself at all? In this episode RFB lays down the Faërie lore, and the Ark sees itself sailing in the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. What kind of power do these stories have on the human heart and on entire nations of people? Join us as we rediscover knowledge of the ancient tales that have been loomed into the modern retellings, as we resurrect our love of the great fairytale of history. —Streamed June 14, 20232023-06-152h 47
Mosaic ArkCaptain Zodiac and the PlanetsIn this special episode, RFB and Kilts welcome our first guest pirate aboard the Ark! Captain Zodiac walks us through the science and art of Astrology, describing the influences of the heavenly bodies on our own. We talk star charts like Magi to see if the characters in Draco Alchemicus stick true to their planetary models. What does it mean to hear the Dragon offering you star milk? Join us as we chart their star course! —Streamed June 7, 20232023-06-082h 06
Mosaic ArkWhat Men Really WantIn this episode, RFB reads from The Oxford Book of English Verse to find the secrets men have left behind, revealing in shocking detail what they think about and desire. Men's poetry suggests that what they truly want is very different from the clichéd desires of the advertising world, that has created caricatures of men without hearts, brains, or beauty. Do men really want love? That and more... —Streamed May 31, 20232023-06-012h 05
Mosaic ArkArt WarWhat if we told you that “Star Wars” is the basis of Western Civilization? The Professor explains the origin story of DRACO ALCHEMICUS, as the Pigeon weaves in and out of various themes getting lost in fairyland. How did George Lucas come up with the idea for an intergalactic war of empires? Could it be that Edmund Spenser was the muse for our civilization all along? —Streamed May 24, 20232023-05-252h 17
Mosaic ArkOnce and Future CharlesThe Professor and the Pigeon invite you to a royalist stream as the Ark considers King Charles III’s coronation. Did England just waste an enormous amount of taxpayer money on useless pomp, or did this event have a value for the British peoples, especially those in the modern world that desire dragons? — Streamed May 17, 20232023-05-182h 26
Mosaic ArkBehind the ScenesThe Ark prepares to launch the Dragon Common Room Kickstarter for the upcoming work DRACO ALCHEMICUS. Walking you through the new DCR website, the Professor and her pigeon describe their vision of the Electric Mosaic: DCR's multimedia resurrection of an integrated Medieval sub-creation culture, where the archaic becomes new in our own space and time through Art. You wanna learn to scan? Join the stream! —Streamed May 10, 20232023-05-112h 21
Mosaic ArkCourting the DragonThe Ark gets ready to launch the Dragon Common Room Kickstarter by taking inspiration from Edmund Spenser’s own fund-raising efforts in the Elizabethan court. The professor explains how training in English Iambic Pentameter is so important and why learning to scan is a top priority for speakers of the magical tongue of England. Can you scan? — Streamed May 3, 20232023-05-042h 05
Mosaic ArkThe Internet Eats Its OwnThe Pigeon returns to the Ark this week, after flying around to find some dry land, and the Professor reflects on the perilous seas of the Internet and Tucker Carlson’s termination from Fox News. Taking note of Tucker's last public speech on the effect of lying and telling the truth, RFB and Kilts muse on how our technology is affecting our public relations. How much does Truth require from us, and are we willing to sacrifice our status in the court of public opinion to let Truth do its work? —Streamed April 26, 20232023-04-272h 04
Mosaic ArkSauron's MicThe Professor takes the Ark on a solo cruise through the treacherous waters of 20th century media to discover the source of Sauron’s power. Can you hear the tribal drums of the acoustic surround-sound of the radio? Track the monsters to their source in the vernacular tongue of the archaic village—made global by the electric amplification of society’s psyche. Sounds mystical? You bet your Marshall McLuhan! —Streamed April 19, 20232023-04-202h 02
Mosaic ArkThe Hunt for Judeo-ChristianityThe Ark sails into the murky waters of Christian Nationalism and defining what is this thing called Judeo-Christian civilization. RFB and Kilts explain the Western Medieval and Coptic connections that link both in the ancient story of the Hebrews, celebrating liturgy through the Temple tradition of the early Christians. Kilts describes the Copts who refer to themselves in the context of the Solomonic roots of their faith, and the fulfilment of Israel's hope in Christ. Are Westerners Judeo-Christian, or are we too scared to ask? —Streamed April 12, 20232023-04-132h 14
Mosaic ArkGethsemaneThe Ark observes Holy Week (on the Roman calendar) and RFB invites us to experience John Henry Newman's meditation on Christ's passion in the Garden of Gethsemane, as illustrated by Zé Nuno Fraga. Looking at our collective role in the crucifixion of Christ and our individual participation in this collective murder, we ask: can we stop the scapegoating without the Divine Scapegoat?Zé Nuno Fraga’s Catholicomics: [https://catholicomics.wordpress.com/7-st-john-henry-newman/]2023-04-062h 00
Mosaic ArkPossessedThe Ark holds a kind of vigil for the Tennessee shooting victims this week, as RFB explains a personal connection to the tragedy. We continue with our meditations on how Girardian Mimetic Rivalry drives violence in culture, and the myths that mask our collective murders and scapegoating to salve our psyches, taking inspiration from the story of Christ exorcising the demoniac who lived amongst the tombs. What if we are all in the story that we are so often commenting on as outsiders? And what if we ourselves are part of the crowd that cried "Crucify Him"? —Streamed March 29, 20232023-03-302h 08
Mosaic ArkA Desire for DragonsAre you ready to see behind the green curtain? RFB takes the Ark into the realm of Faërie, as we continue to discern the difference between the Girardian pair of Aztec human sacrifice and the Catholic Mass. Are Catholics simply doing some kind of magic trick or a version of voodoo? Tolkien attempted to unveil the mystery of joy and sorrow hidden from the Anglosphere in his writing of fairy stories. We desire dragons, but are we ready to come face to face with them again? —Streamed March 22, 20232023-03-242h 09
Mosaic ArkMimetic Monsters In the beginning there was... murder? RFB steers the Ark through Girardian Mimetic Rivalry, exploring the dynamics driving human Scapegoating. Flowing across themes from George Floyd to COVID to Cain and Abel to opioid addiction, we unpack the murderous mythology that lays the foundation for civilization. Why do certain events resonate so strongly in the crowd, and is Christ just another human sacrifice like all the others? —Streamed March 15, 20232023-03-162h 03
Mosaic ArkHumans v MonstersThe Ark flips into the upside down, as we uncover the mechanism of René Girard's Mimetic Desire in driving the polarity of mob formation and culture wars. Have you ever wondered if you had a long lost evil twin somewhere? What would you do if you discovered that you were the monster? —Streamed March 8, 2023.2023-03-122h 14
Mosaic ArkDemons of the IntersandsWhat are you doing in the digital world without your flesh? RFB takes us with her to train in virtue, as we look at the internet conflict that feels at times like doing battle with demons. The professor and the pigeon talk about being women online, banning women from being online, the social rules of the sexes as they play out in the electric space, and the importance of martial art in our digital warfare. Wanna bout? Salute your opponent! —Streamed March 1, 2023.2023-03-122h 08
Mosaic ArkOne and Only QueenThe Ark heard that Professor Fulton Brown's contribution to the now infamous Trinity Intervention was completely forgotten by all the men, and so now liberated from needing to care at all what men think about us, we present an overview of the women in the Bible and their role in the story of mankind's salvation. How did the Ark of the Covenant come to guide the destiny of the children of Israel, and what power did it generate? Or rather, who was generated by the Ark?The Intervention (April 2021), with E. Michael Jones, Patrick Coffin, Rachel Fulton...2023-03-112h 05
Mosaic ArkA-IdolatryThe Mosaic Ark enters chat bot mode to solve the problem of A.I - and idolatry. From the Silicon Nile Valley to the low-tech desert of Sinai, the Ark sails to understand the prohibition of graven images after the Exodus. From the alphabet to chat bots, how are our relationships to our machines changing our relationships to each other, and what does God have to say about our idols? —Streamed February 15, 2023.2023-03-112h 01
Mosaic ArkSnakes and LaddersThe professor and the pigeon flip roles in this stream, and talk about the drama of status inversion. Following a very serpentine route through high school drama in "The Breakfast Club," the lottery of being born rich or poor in "Trading Places," and the swashbuckling inversions of the Pirates world, the Ark sails onwards towards Shakespearean comedy to decipher the ultimate drama: taming the shrews who would ruin the fun of the gamers amongst us. Let's play snakes and ladders! —Streamed February 8, 2023.2023-03-112h 53
Mosaic ArkArk EtiquetteDoes Capitalism rely on shame to function? RFB takes us on a shocking journey through Christian Etiquette and the aristocratic advice of De La Salle, Adam Smith and the art scandals of the 19th Century. Does Western culture have problem of being shamelessly unChristlike, or rather a problem of not wanting to be shamed like Christ? And can art save us from shame... — Streamed February 1, 2023.2023-03-112h 55
Mosaic ArkManners in MinecraftThe internet feels like the Wild West, and RFB wants to teach us some manners! In this episode, the Ark sails through the etiquette of the game world, the chivalric code of conduct in feudal Medieval Europe, how we're behaving in the e-Duchies of social media and the booger trolls. Are we only a stone's throw from barbarism at any moment, or are we being called to cast away our stones for Royal Community Guidelines? —Streamed January 25, 2023.2023-03-112h 30
Mosaic ArkBlood EnglishThey say diamonds are forever, but what about our Mother Tongue? The professor and the pigeon have crawled out of their Week of Doom, and set sail on a journey through the poetry of TS Eliot. Can our global identity crisis as English speakers in Globohomo "Western culture" be remedied, and can we find an identity that will last forever? —Streamed January 18, 2023.2023-03-112h 02
Mosaic ArkCourting the DoomRFB and Kilts enter a doom spiral as the blackpills finally get to them. They talk through the post-crisis fog that seems to occlude our vision of good and evil, heroes and villains. Are we in conflict fatigue, or are we really craving conflict that we cannot bring onto the courts of our culture? —Streamed January 11, 2023.2023-03-112h 26
Mosaic ArkThe Hays Code HustleRFB spent a week in bed with a cold with only chocolates and Rom Coms to keep her entertained. In this episode, the Ark follows her deep dive into the Hays Code era films. Looking at the storylines of post WWII Hollywood, RFB eats Bonbons and discovers something amiss in the narrative. Have Western audiences really been missing trad romance all along? Kilts suggests alternate viewing. —Streamed January 4, 2023.2023-03-112h 00
Mosaic ArkWhat's the Fuss?Have you been arguing with a Scrooge this Christmas? RFB and Kilts take a deep dive into the Antichristmas controversies that turn our December Holy Day into a battle over dates and pagan rites. Are we blindly celebrating cleverly devised fables or has Saint Nick brought us a present to remember the Greatest Gift of All Time? Streamed December 28, 2022.2023-03-111h 46
Mosaic ArkThe Mask of SinWhat happens when our focus turns from God to idols? In this stream RFB and Kilts pivot their attention to the many masks we wear and our relationship to sin and forgiveness in this Grudge Culture. Are autists disordered, or are they seeing patterns everyone else is blind to?Spoiler alert: The sound gremlins grabbled Kilts's audio. We have added subtitles in the YouTube videos taken from this episode. —Streamed December 14, 2022.2023-03-111h 38
Mosaic ArkScrolls and TrollsWho wrote the Bible? RFB and Kilts go on a journey to the beginnings of the Holy Book. They find their way through the Medieval Christian manuscript culture that allowed the oral tradition to merge with postal correspondence, finally emerging in the medium of the Mediterranean world. This is history as the Apostles knew it: surround sound and red letter. —Streamed December 7, 2022.2023-03-112h 16
Mosaic ArkGaslighting 101RFB and Kilts plunge into the turbulent seas of Gaslighting with no images to guide their way. Charting a course from individual examples to the collective Gaslighting of modern history (aka "the Enlightenment"), the Mosaic Ark finds itself wondering where we are now in the Narrative of Western Identity. Could it be that our fear of hate speech and taboo breakers is a fear of looking at our own bad contracts? Time to repent and punch the OG Gaslighter in the face! —Streamed November 30, 20222023-03-112h 32
Mosaic ArkReal PresenceYe is breaking the internet this week, and the border between performance art and reality is as ambiguous as time in an airport lounge. RFB and Kilts go on a journey to find the Real Presence, tracking the professor’s recent pilgrimage to Fatima. How does the world of High Fashion reflect Catholic devotion? —Streamed November 23, 2022.2023-03-112h 19
Mosaic ArkFan ArtThe artists are making the world, but in whose image? In this special stream from the opposite shores of the Atlantic, RFB and Kilts talk poetics and the desire to create fan art for God, and each other. This episode is dedicated to Cecilia Giménez, for her love of Our Lord Jesus Christ and her desire to restore His image in art. —Streamed November 17, 2022.2023-03-112h 15
Mosaic ArkYe Holy FoolsGo down, Kanye? In this episode the Professor and the Pigeon unpack the now globally infamous moment Ye decided to declare DeathCon3 on Jews, and the mythological foolishness of Ye’s statements since. Invoking Ari Shaffir’s take on the saga, RFB and Kilts go on a journey to figure out what Davidic frame we are all using when we talk about “Jews”. —Streamed November 9, 2022.2023-03-112h 22
Mosaic ArkThe Corona FilesHistory is a meme war, and we’re now debating whether it is better to declare amnesty and forgive and forget the events of the past few years. But what do we actually remember happened since 2019? RFB and Kilts trawl through the 2020 memes and talk about our very long two weeks to flatten the curve, and what it meant for the people involved in the flattening.“One COVID to Rule Them All,” a.k.a. “I told you so”: https://fencingbearatprayer.blogspot.com/2020/05/one-covid-to-rule-them-all.html—Streamed November 2, 2022.2023-03-112h 08
Mosaic ArkHere Be PyratesRFB confesses her pirate ancestry, which takes us on a journey to Elizabethan England and the origins of the British Empire. Kilts moans about being convict trash and then the Professor and the Pigeon unpack the entire mythology behind "Pirates of the Caribbean." Do you believe in ghost stories? You best believe in them, you’re in one! —Streamed October 26, 2022.2023-03-112h 16
Mosaic ArkThe Game of TrumpsPick a card! The Professor flies solo through the history of the Tarot, from fifteenth-century playing cards to mediations on the triumph of Our Lord. Why do people find card games so appealing? What does modern science have to do with fortune telling? And where is the deck is the brazen serpent lifted up?Visconti-Sforza Tarot deck at the Morgan Library: https://www.themorgan.org/collection/tarot-cards—Streamed October 19, 2022.2023-03-112h 24
Mosaic ArkThe Celestial RaveDo you want to trip the light fantastic? RFB and Kilts decide to induce flashbacks to their time in the hippy era, which bled into the raver era, which bled into the All Time Era of the Internet. How is the journey towards Light influencing our rituals and worship, and what are we seeking in the rave of civilization? Don’t look now, but there are angels behind that door. —Streamed October 12, 2022.2023-03-112h 00
Mosaic ArkMagic and the Burning ManWe live in a magical world. From occult symbolism, the desire to cast spells and divine the future, and the innovation and incantations of technology, it seems that mankind is fundamentally a magical creature. Like electric Magi, RFB and Kilts go on a long journey to discover the root of our desire for magical powers. Along the way, they unpack symbolism and ritual, memes, medieval magical practices, the Tarot, and rave parties like Burning Man. The Professor and the Pigeon consider some of the most powerful acts of magic in human experience, and in particular, one preceded by the...2023-03-112h 25
Mosaic ArkAnglonationalismThe internet is buzzing with the fear of a Mussolini in heels, as Italy has elected a radical woman who likes family. What did family mean to ancient Romans and how does the Modern World define the tribe, clan, and nation? In this episode RFB reveals the hidden nations of the United States of America, and Kilts learns about Scottish kilts while wearing Tonto makeup. She couldn't find a dead bird.Read the books! David Hackett Fischer, Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America https://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-cultural/dp/0195069056/ Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of...2023-03-112h 18
Mosaic ArkThe Architecture of MemoryWhat does it mean to remember your history as a nation? In the wake of the Queen's passing this week, we discuss the pageantry and architecture of our civilization and what role the Church has in the mythology of the world. Or rather, what role does the World have in the history of the Church? —Streamed September 21, 2022.2023-03-112h 00
Mosaic ArkGaladriel's JourneyWhy is Galadriel in Armor so repulsive? RFB and Kilts talk about smashing the patriarchy with Tolkien and uncover some surprising similarities between the Feminist Heroine's Journey in "The Rings of Power" and Saint Joan of Arc. —Streamed September 14, 2022.2023-03-112h 03
Mosaic ArkVending Machine People Part TwoThe Professor returns from her mother's basement with tales of the road. We ride the rivers of the US Interstates to their source in the mythhistory of the Nile and discover the wizardry on which the Empire of the English has depended. Drinks all round, if you know where to find the recipe! Don't look now, but that man behind the curtain is selling something.Recipe for Old Kola-Coca: https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/locals-say-coca-cola-originated-in-aielo-de-malferit-in-spain-a-915371.html—Streamed September 7, 2022.2023-03-112h 06
Mosaic ArkVending Machine PeopleThe Professor decided that she needed the lived experience of being a streamer in her mom’s basement, and she and Kilts begin the journey to unpack Vending Machine People. They break the Internet when highlighting the Western obsession with obelisks and why the phenomenon of Rachel Dolezal is connected to the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt. There were tech glitches. Part Two to come. —Streamed August 31, 2022.2023-03-111h 12
Mosaic ArkHow to Pray the RosaryWhy is everyone so afraid of the Rosary? Why do beads have everybody spooked? In this episode of the Mosaic Ark, Professor Brown talks about her scandalous decision to study Christianity from the “lived experience” of the medieval people and culture she spent her career researching. Why is the lived experience of Medieval Christians so terrifying to the Modern World? Join us to discover the history and practice of ancient Christian devotion, where we dare to Hail Mary with the Art of Prayer. —Streamed August 24, 2022.2023-03-111h 59
Mosaic ArkChrist the Lover-Knight and the Chivalry of SalvationOnce upon a time, there was a knight who betrothed himself to a beautiful princess. Before they could be married, however, she was captured and imprisoned by a thief. Who was this knight, and how did he rescue his bride? And what happens when the bride herself puts on the armor? Spoiler alert: you won’t want to miss Kilts’s internet gender reveal! Fully illustrated. —Streamed August 19, 2022.2023-03-112h 02
Mosaic ArkThe Ark of the LordHello? Hello? Is this thing on? Our sound test takes us on a perilous quest through the Scriptures, looking for traces of Our Lady. We scour the cosmopolitan wilderness of the ancient world and visit Solomon with the Queen of Sheba. Who is the Woman of Apocalypse 12, and what does she have to do with the Ark of the Tabernacle? —Streamed August 16, 20222023-03-111h 37
Mosaic ArkSound Test with HabacucThe Pirate and the Pigeon raid the stream to test their sound and light. The first lesson is from the book of Habacuc—the Lord has beams in his hands! We may have talked about how Christians abandoned the academic frontlines when they should have been reading the Scriptures, and how not paying enough attention to the Lord of the psalms renders us unpoetical and boring. Still working on getting our sound just right. —Streamed August 12, 20222023-03-1133 min
Mosaic ArkThe Grammar of the InternetKilts Khalfan flies in as an electric pigeon to translate Professorspeak into the grammar of the Internet. We do a deep dive into Marshall McLuhan's arguments about the power of the media and demonstrate through poetry how liturgy keeps Christians anchored in space and time. Sing with the Angel of Silesia of the Crystal Incarnate that glows with the light of the Word! —Streamed August 10, 20222023-03-102h 01