The Hermetic Hour

On Thursday October 27th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will replay our 2013 Halloween performance of Sherlock Holmes and the Necronomicon a Gilbert & Sullivan style comedy from the pages of a 2011 issue of the Seventh Ray. This is highlighted by the The song "There ain't no Necronomicon"which infuriates the guardians of the evil book: "the invisible cannibal faries". Of course Holmes and Watson prevail against the villain Sebastian Crotchley, Crotchly.And the Loc Ness Monster returns to the Deep. During a seance in the play a medium channels The Queen of Sheba played by Soror Urania who, will again channel Lady Baltis at Mot Mass, our Halloween ceremony this Saturday night here at Rivendell in Silverado. So if you catch up on some Halloween nostalgia tune in and let us be your trick-or-treat.

On Thursday May 24th, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review and commentary on the Hypnerotomachia of Poliphili (1499-1999) translated by Joscelyn Godwin. This is one of the most important esoteric books ever published and five hundred years after its debut in Renaissance Italy in 1499, written in stylistic Italian, it finally became available in a readable English translation by Joscelyn Godwin. The Hypnerotomachia of Poliphili, subtitled "The Strife of Life in a Dream" is a romantic fantasy novel which establishes a template for many similar works to emerge in the five centuries following its initial publication: The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz (1616) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1785) The Wizard of Oz (1900) The Club Dumas (1996) filmed as "The Ninth Gate" (1999) and the novel "The Rule of Four" (2004). The real secrets hidden in the book are not cryptic codes but rather allegorical and thematic. Like the one tale in the Arabian Nights that reveals occult and Magical secrets, the Chapter describing the Isle of Venus near the end of the book carries the true meaning and reveals the esoteric secrets. So if you want to learn what is really hidden in this marvelous old book tune in and we will visit Poliphili's magical dream-world.

On Thursday May 10th, 2018, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review two recent books: "Original Magic" (2017)  by Stephen E. Flowers and "Real Magic" (2018) by Dean Radin. These books don't have much in common. Original Magic deals with the ancient Persian Magi, whereas Real Magic focuses on ESP and those who have special talents and powers. Both books are of interest to Hermetic students for different reasons, The ancient Persian Magi have been largely ignored in the present occult revival and yet their beliefs and practices have had a strong influence on modern Magick. Real Magic champions the natural psychic and clairvoyant and presents the usual arguments and data to validate paranormal experience and suggest that it can be induced by shamanic techniques. Radin also deals with controversial Futurist issues such as the universal mind. Both books are subject to some philosophical and technical criticisms but both are well worth reading.

On Thursday October 6th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will chair a discussion on the recent discovery of the ancient Pagan origins of many Spirits in the Solomonic Goetia of the Lemegeton. This new research for the forthcoming Second Edition of our very popular 1997 The Book of Solomon's Magick has been undertaken by two of our senior O.T.A. magicians: Very Honored Frater Solomon, Michael Johnson, and Very Honored Frater SithMeth, Maximilian Paul. Both of whom will be calling in to discuss their findings. It is universally acknowledged that the Goetic spirits Bael and Asteroth are demonizations of the Canaanite God Baal, and his consort the Goddess Astarte. But assignment of the other deities of the Canaanite pantheon has proved difficult. Mike and Max will lift the veil and help us recover the lost companions of the Thunder God and the Queen of Heaven.

On Thursday September 29th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss our new book (magazine actually) titled Hermetic Yoga for the Golden Dawn. Which we have just published and is now available on Amazon. This document is a spin-off from our Hermetic Yoga books which are familiar to most members and regular listeners. But for newbies lets review: The O.T.A. and the Church of the Hermetic Sciences have developed (we like to say recovered) a straight-line, seven sphere Tantric Yoga chakra system similar to the Hindhu version but layed out Western style with Saturn at the top and the Moon at the bottom in Solar system order. The last survival of this was the Golden Dawn's Middle Pillar exercise for drawing down the Light into the body. We started by bringing down The Flaming Sword from the Book of Revelation and activating Da'ath the phantom sphere in the Golden Dawn's secret Eleven Sphere Tree design. Using other secrets from the old Cypher Manuscript we created a unique full seven chakra system within the Golden Dawn universe, with ancient Egyptian Gods and Rosicrucian Angels. So stay with us and we'll walk you through it.

On Thursday April 19th, 2018, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review a book titled LeMulgeton, Goetia and the Stellar Tradition by Leo Holmes (2013) a Brazilian author who has examined the 72 Spirits of the Goetia in relation to the earliest Zodiacal and fixed-star arrangement that we have, the Mul.Apin of the Babylonians, hence his title “Le Mul ge ton.” Holmes has also included references to the Egyptians, the Magi, the Yazidis, the Tarot, Lovecraft and Kenneth Grant. He has a complete sequence of sigils for the Behemian stars. Which is a valuable asset to any magician’s handbook. He agrees with us that Bael and Ashtaroth are Ba’al and Astarte and advances his zodiacal circle from the Age of Taurus to the age of Aries, as we have in our Master Mandala and he has also declared that Zagan (number 61) is the Canaanite God Dagon, which we will certainly consider. This is a small quarto book in limited edition published by The Fall of Man Press. Our copy, provided by Frater Damuzi, is number 260 of 300, so if you Goetic magicians want the book you should order it soon.

On Thursday March 22nd, 2018 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the second part of the Legenda of the O.T.A.'s Second Crata Repoa Degree, Neocoris. The Legenda is essentially the same as the degree script with a few secrets deleted. It is the story of the degree. This was the first O.T.A. degree back in the early 1970s and was moved up to second when we began to do all seven of the Crata Repoa system. Last week we covered the reception, testing, and the ordeals, in Section One. Tonight we move through the obligation and on to the knowledge lectures in Section Two. Our instructions in Solomon's magick are delivered in a biblical style like Mather's used in some of his G.D. lectures. So if you want to experience a magical initiation, tune in and we'll give you a word picture of the process.

On Thursday March 15th, 2018 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the first of a two part presentation on the Legenda of the O.T.A.'s Second Degree, Neocoris in the Crata Repoa System. This initiation was originally inspired by the French version of Crata Repoa from Paul Christian's 1870 History and Practice of Magic, called the Mysteries of the Pyramids. It has been performed here in Southern California since 1970 and is a very dramatic and challenging experience. A rite of passage one never forgets. A Legenda is the story of an initiation. It reveals the deeper meaning of the ritual while keeping things such as passwords, symbols and formulas secret. The Legenda gives you the meaning, so if you'd like to know about one of the oldest magical initiatory rituals, tune in and we will share it with you.

On Thursday February 22nd, 2018 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the life and career of the 18th century magician and alchemical adept who called himself  Count Alessandro Cagliostro. He was perhaps the most colorful and adventurous character in our Hermetic tradition. Vilified as a rogue, a scoundrel, and a charlatan by the academy and the Church in Europe he was loved by the common people for his healing touch and alchemical medicines which he administered freely to the poor, and dearly to the rich. He claimed to be able to create gold to support his charity work and lavish life style. He and his glamorous wife Lorenza founded an androgynous  quasi-Masonic Egyptian rite which allegedly involved nudity and sex magick. Cagliostro was featured as an anti-hero in a series of novels by Alexander Dumas, and depicted on film by Orson Welles in the (1949 ) movie classic BLACK MAGIC. We will consult Sax Rhomer's ROMANCE of SORCERY ( 1914 ) for a more accurate version of the Count's adventures than Dumas' novels and the screenplay offer -- so if you'd like to meet the real Count Cagliostro, tune in and we'll follow him on his journey as he invented himself.

On February 8th, 2018 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the Legenda of the first Degree of Crata Repoa Reformado. Which we call the Fellowship of the Grail. A Legenda is the scenario of a esoteric degree. It describes the degree delivering most of the essential knowledge and symbolism but leaves out certain "secrets" such as grips, secret words and procedures. Crata Repoa is the oldest system of Magical degrees and is based on first century Alexandrian Hermetic writings and rituals. We will briefly outline the original 18th century system and explain some of our modern additions and inclusions. So if you'd like to find out what really goes on in a Magical Initiation tune in and be illuminated.