The Hermetic Hour

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will revisit the 1908 occult classic "The Kybalion" by Three Initiates and reveal just who those three initiates were. In 2008 Philip Deslippe issued the "Definitive Edition of the Kybalion" which he claimed was entirely the work of William Walter Atkinson (1862 - 1932)In the next few years Golden Dawn scholar Mary Greer did more research and discovered that Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland had written a version of the Hermetic corpus that presented the same seven principles as the Kybalion. Both Kingsford and Maitland had passed away by 1908 and Richard Smoley edited yet another Kybalion in 2018 (the centenary edition) returning the byline to the Three Initiates, declaring the authors to have been: William Walter Atkinson, Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland. We might also mention that Golden Dawn scholar Robert A. Gilbert discovered that Anna Kingsford was actually the mysterious Fraulein Sprengle who helped create the Golden Dawn. Her connection is revealed in our book: "Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cypher Manuscript" which is available from < pokerunyon.com > So let's take another closer look at the Kybalion and its recent editions.  

The Hermetic Hour with your host Poke Runyon will lead a discussion of one of the most influential modern occult classics, the mysterious, mystical "Kybalion" by "Three Initiates." This little blue book has been treasured by students of the Western Mysteries since its first publication back in 1912. Our very special guest will be Rev. Paul Clark, Steward of the Fraternity of Hidden Light (and the Master Jesus from "Beyond Lemuria") who is perhaps the best qualified scholar-teacher to explain who the original authors were, where their philosophy came from, and why the book is still very important and meaningful. I will try to explain the connections to actual Greek and Greco-Egyptian (Hermetic) philosophy in this modern classic. This is going to be an enlightening hour unveiling the secrets of an obscure and mysterious work. Tune in and get inspired and demystified. Also discussed: the need for a scholarly, annotated reissue, the book's historical context in Alexandria and Theosophy, and how these ideas surface in contemporary fiction such as The Dark Brotherhood.

The Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the secret meaning behind Abraham Merritt's classic Fantasy novel “The Moon Pool.” (1919). This Lost Race fantasy adventure story, similar to Rider Haggard's “She”was very influential on other fantasy writers, movie makers and comic book writers and artists. It was one of the major sources of the 1940s “Shaver Mystery”. Moon Pool is based on the idea that the Moon was pulled out of the Earth half a billion years ago when our young world was in a molten state, leaving a huge cavity in the area of the Central Pacific, which sealed itself over and eventually became a vast air filled cavern under the ocean. A subterranean world with its own flora, fauna and people. Its only connection to the surface world is the ancient ruined stone city of Nan Modal on Pohnpei Island in the Central Pacific Ocean. In these haunted ruins is a mysterious doorway that only opens when the Moon is full, revealing The Moon Pool from which rises a fantastic alien being that resembles an animated and illuminated kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is called “The Dweller” or “The Shining One” – a beautiful, alluring vampiric creature that stalks human prey, harvesting and feeding on their souls. The Dweller or Shining One is worshiped as a god by a faction of the Murians, who are as evil as their diety and are plotting to conquer the surface world. Into this setting come a group of adventurers from our world – so we can have a hero and a heroine to save both worlds ( love conquers all) -- and someone to tell the story. That, as the Irish say, is the gist of it. But there is a lot more behind the scenes in Moon Pool than just a good story. So If you want to learn the horrible secret of the Shining One then tune in and listen as we open the door to The Moon Pool.

Dive into the intriguing world of an alleged subterranean war involving special forces facing off against traitors and ancient demonic humanoids. Unravel the origins of the myth from historical writers like Saint-Yves to pulp fiction master Richard S. Shaver, who breathed life into eerie tales of mind-control rays and underground horrors. Explore the connections between past and modern deep underground military bases, while contemplating the eerie overlaps with contemporary conspiracies. Discover a mix of history, sci-fi, and chilling possibilities!

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the first Ancient Astronaut Theorists, before Van Daniken, Sitchen, and the rest there was Richard Shaver and Ray Palmer and the Shaver Mystery. In recent years more and more of their fantastic 1940s revelations about Ancient extra-terrestrial Aliens and their high technology and their continued influence on, and interfearence in, earthly affairs (mind control and child trafficking and madness) has been confirmed and exploited by later whistle-blowers such as Tom Delonge, Corey Good, David Wilcock and others. It seems that Shaver and Palmer wrote their History Channel documentary scripts but are never credited as the source. Are these Ancient Aliens still with us? "Our original Ancient Astronaut theorists say yes!" So tune in and let's return to the thrilling days of yesteryear and revisit The Shaver Mystery.  

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the lost and forgotten magical fantasy novel by the infamous science fiction hoaxer Richard S. Shaver. Actually Shaver's editor Ray Palmer was the hoaxer; Shaver believed he was writing "the truth' about the survivors of ancient extraterrestrials still living in caverns below and plaguing surface people with mind-control ray machines. This dubious expose was called "The Shaver Mystery" and dominated the pages of AMAZING STORIES, America's most popular sci-fi mag in the 1940s. Shaver's weird tales of the subterranean "Dero World" are enjoying a modest revival in reprinted editions. We were among the first 21st century Shaver revivalists with our 2007 film BEYOND LEMURIA. In our new version of "The Shaver Mystery" we placed the Cavern World of the Deros in another dimension, a parallel world very close to our own. However Shaver himself always insisted that his underground Deros were in this physical dimension --whereas his editor Palmer insisted they were "disembodied spirits." Shaver was an empathic receiver, a rue mystic. He revealed what might be the real secret of his Cavern World in a marvelously crafted fantasy novel that never has had a title of its own. It appeared in three separate issues of AMAZING and FANTASTIC from 1947 through 1949. The first part was "The Tale of The Red Dwarf," next came the third part "Daughter of the Night," followed by the second part two years later called "Erdis Cliff." Shaver precedes Moorcock's fictional Multiverse, and even M-Theory by decades. -- So, if you want to discover a new dimension, tune in and we'll slide down the worm hole.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the second half of his screen story "The King of Fear," a Narrative Treatment for a Motion Picture. This is the story on which the movie is based. It is written first person present tense. The Camera is telling the story and in this case the author is the camera. The story begins in ancient times with Alexander the Great trying to find a secret pass through the Himalayas into India, and jumps ahead to the 1880s when archaeologists uncover the remains of one his Macedonian soldiers. A discovery that launches an intrigue and conflict between British and Russian intelligence agents. Chief of which is the sinister immortal Mongolian Lama known as "The King of Fear." A pawn in this chess game is the beautiful Russian psychic Lana Varushka and the dashing hero is a Sufi yoga master Hajji Mahmoud Hassan (actually Captain Alan Vaughan of British army intelligence.)This is Great Game story in the manner of Kipling's Kim, and The Man who would be King. The story and the characters are all based on real events and real people. Although greatly fictionalized. Lana Varushka is to this story what Monty Python's "Brian" is to the New Testament. She's not the Avatrix of the New Age; she's just a very naughty girl. When this tale is complete we will offer it as an E-book on PokeRunyon.com.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the first half of his screen story "The King of Fear," a Narrative Treatment for a Motion Picture. This is the story on which the movie is based. It is written first person present tense. The Camera is telling the story and in this case the author is the camera. The story begins in ancient times with Alexander the Great trying to find a secret pass through the Himalayas into India, and jumps ahead to the 1880s when archaeologists uncover the remains of one his Macedonian soldiers. A discovery that launches an intrigue and conflict between British and Russian intelligence agents. Chief of which is the sinister immortal Mongolian Lama known as "The King of Fear." A pawn in this chess game is the beautiful Russian psychic Lana Varushka and the dashing hero is a Sufi yoga master Hajji Mahmoud Hassan (actually Captain Alan Vaughan of British army intelligence.)This is Great Game story in the manner of Kipling's Kim, and The Man who would be King. The story and the characters are all based on real events and real people. Although greatly fictionalized. Lana Varushka is to this story what Monty Python's "Brian" is to the New Testament. She's not the Avatrix of the New Age; she's just a very naughty girl. When this tale is complete we will offer it as an E-book on PokeRunyon.com.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the final discussion on the Tree of Life -- Kether and the Supernals. In our series on the Tree we have worked from the bottom up, and now we will have to shift into reverse and start down from above. We will outline the theory of four dimensions on the tree and how each dimension contains its own Tree. Kether of Malkuth being the heaven with God on his throne (if that's what you want) We will also deal with the two higher dimensions Atziluth and Briah and the Chokmah-Binah yin-yang effect, Our main text will be Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah which is the main source for both Gareth Knight and John Michael Greer's works on the the subject. There will be some surprises in store, so tune in and we will take heaven by storm.  

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Fourth Sphere of the Qabalistic Tree of Life Chesed or Gedulah the sphere attributed to Jupiter the King of the planets, and the physical locus of the Third Eye. We consider Chesed the home of Dagon, Capricorn, the amphibian god of ancient Canaan, who is related to Poseidon the patron deity of ancient Atlantis which we also place in the Jovian sphere. Once again our texts will be Dion Fortune, Gareth Knight, Michael Greer, and our own Hermetic Yoga, Volume One. So if you want to visit the sphere of prosperity (and we could all use some of that) join us for an eye opener (Third eye that is).And those of you here in Southern California don't forget our Halloween Party Saturday night, with the infamous Mot Mass honoring the dead.