It's a very cool category of knowledge that's underappreciated but nontheless fraught with spiritual danger

Doesn't it come from Judaism though?

Nah

Esotericism is just "inner knowledge", compared to exotericism which is "outer knowledge"

You could draw a classification between "Esoteric" and "Exoteric" Christianity but I wouldn't trust anyone who actively makes that distinction

Anyway, what I got from it is basically an end-all term to describe a degenerate and evil lifestyle, vs a good, orderly one: The Right Hand Path Vs. The Left Hand Path.

So simple, even "le skeptics" can get it.

In so far as everything that isn't Orthodoxy is evil and degenerate, yes.

I haven't actually studied much in-depth about it, except for the Sephiroth because I thought it sounded cool.

TBH

Effectively it's attempts to identify *really* abstract patterns

and comprehend metaphysical realities, aided by symbols and practise

You can do the same *type* of thing in an Orthodox context, like contemplating and meditating on the symbolism of Christ's life, Genesis, etc and drawing symbolic analogies between other things in life and seeing the patterns necessarily fold out

In so far as a purely contemplative pattern recognition and appreciation goes

But esotericism outside of that type of context is tied to some really bad juju, mostly accidentally I think

like Hinduism is a heterodox tradition filled with demon-possessed and wizards

and they'll do esoterics around the symbolism of their idols

I doubt it's accidental. Abstracts and other, possibly, wishy-washy crap like that is popular with occultists, hippies, Wiccans, the like.

If you remove God from it, you can basically use it to justify all sorts of things.

There's no shortage of esoteric-like symbolic exegesis in the biblical traditions, which is why I think it's accidental

ie the symbol of turning the waters into wine

or of walking on waters

In the paschal liturgy, there's a mention of the Theotokos saying something along the lines of "Where is my Son? Is he off turning water into wine somewhere?" while he's crucified on the cross

and the thing is, he actually *is* in a symbolic sense

Since the waters are a symbol of the circumstances you find yourself in, the passions, all the troubles the world throws at you

And the miracle of turning the waters into wine is a prefiguration of the crucifixion and resurrection - since Christ willingly accepted his Crucifixion and rose from the dead accordingly

The waters turning into wine is a symbol of amor fati

Okay, I understand none of that.

But I need to go anyway.

Sorry, but bye.

Ok, byebye

"In the paschal liturgy, there's a mention of the Theotokos saying something along the lines of "Where is my Son? Is he off turning water into wine somewhere?" while he's crucified on the cross"

Nigga, what?

I don't remember the line from memory since I heard it for the first time earlier this year

also this is dog liturgy

Cat liturgy may be different

but I distinctly remember it, since my reaction to that line being read was a feeling of sadness at the Theotokos wondering if her son was off performing a repetition of first miracle she intercessed him to perform

It was very tragic

But then it later hit me that it was a subtle hint in the liturgy towards what the symbolism is

The liturgy is so fucking good

I can't wait for next pascha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqNvEy4K4EQ