447 - Annie Crawford - The Cosmic Alchemy of That Hideous Strength

In this conversation with Annie Crawford, we explore the role of alchemy in C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. While alchemy is often dismissed as occult or irrelevant, Lewis uses its symbolism in a precise and meaningful way. We look at how the novel presents two forms of transformation: one rooted in control, technology, and disembodied power, and the other in sacrifice, order, and participation in the divine. This distinction speaks directly to how we understand modern technology, including AI. The discussion also touches on story structure, the nature of symbolic thinking, and how transformation is embedded in narrative itself. YouTube version: Join us at the Symbolic World Summit | May 14-16 | Ohio | Keynote speakers: Jonathan Pageau, Fr. Josiah Trenham, Mary Harrington, Dcn. Seraphim Rohlin, Kale Zelden, Annie Crawford, and Heather Pollington Buy your tickets: ===== 🔓 Become a patron to support us and unlock exclusive monthly symbolism content: 💻 Website and blog: 🔗 Linktree: 🎧 Please review The Symbolic World podcast: -Spotify: -Apple podcasts: Our website designers: My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson:

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447 - Annie Crawford - The Cosmic Alchemy of That Hideous Strength is an episode from The Symbolic World by Jonathan Pageau.

This episode is 29:49 long.

This episode was published on Apr 21, 2026.

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