Parallax

Max Borders, writer and instructor exploring America’s meaning. Owen Cox, historian and policy commentator linking Europe and political ideas. They debate America as ideal and danger. Conversations jump from meritocracy, finance and institutional capture to religion, demographics, and geopolitics. Moments consider empire, cultural revival, and the risks of modern power.

Andrew and Tom pay their respect.

A Parallax conversation on The Meaning of America, celebrating Max Borders’ upcoming course and exploring America as ideal, shadow, empire, and future. With Andrew Sweeny, Max Borders, and Owen Cox, this discussion moves through revolution, liberty, collectivism, Europe, myth, and the strange paradox of America as both promise and danger.Join Max Borders’ course, The Meaning of America, on April 12.https://www.parallax-media.com/courses/the-meaning-of-america-with-max-borders

Learn more about the course and register here:https://www.parallax-media.com/courses/integral-tarotAndrew Sweeny speaks with Tarot teacher Marianne Costa about the upcoming Integral Tarot course at Parallax.This is the third Tarot course Marianne Costa has offered with Parallax. In this conversation, she introduces the structure and ideas behind the new course, which explores the Tarot de Marseille as a complete symbolic system, integrating the Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and Court cards into a coherent practice of reading and interpretation.Previous Parallax courses with Marianne Costa:Tarot, The Real Deal – A Journey Through the Major Arcanahttps://www.parallax-media.com/past-courses/tarot-the-real-dealCracking the Code of the Minor Arcana – Part 1https://www.parallax-media.com/past-courses/cracking-the-code-of-the-minor-arcana-part-1

Raven Connolly and Owen Cox join the Parallax View to talk about the issues of Europe and it´s underlying themes

A sweeping conversation about the nature of the sacred, from intimacy and eros to how story and music shape reality. They probe whether value is intrinsic or projected and explore attention, gratitude, and the sanctity of the Earth. Technology, AI, and the risk to joint attention come up alongside calls to repair the world and revive lived, embodied value.

A wide-ranging conversation about Europe's perceived decline and the idea that decay can open space for transformation. They explore culture, myth, ritual and the loss of shared narratives. Discussions touch on endurance as a creative strategy, the role of images and craft against superficiality, and plans for collaborative projects in Paris centered on renewal.

January 14th 2026 Tom and Andrew discuss Camille Paglia´ Sexual Personae

Marc Gafni, a spiritual teacher and philosopher, shares his insights on transcending tragedy in life. He discusses the importance of the pre-tragic, tragic, and post-tragic frameworks, highlighting how clarity in love can shift to disillusionment. The conversation dives into societal issues like youth nihilism and identity crises, illustrating how these concepts manifest in modern culture. Gafni also emphasizes the significance of finding meaning after pain, bringing in examples from artists like Leonard Cohen, who embody a post-tragic embrace of brokenness.

Marc Gafni, a contemporary philosopher and expert in integral thought, dives into his framework of pre-tragic, tragic, and post-tragic stages of human experience. He discusses how these states reflect our journeys in love, desire, and intimacy. Gafni highlights the complexities of desire as a core drive, and how relationships oscillate through clarity and rupture. He emphasizes the value of navigating suffering and evolving consciousness, and introduces the idea of 'second innocence' for a deeper, more ethical understanding of life.