The Hermetic Hour

On Thursday June 26th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the magical aspects of Abraham Merritt's (1884 - 1943) novels and stories of exotic fantasy adventure. Merritt was a highly respected journalist who wrote his colorful tales of the occult and the bizarre for his own pleasure and not as pot-boilers for the pulps even though ARGOSY and other pulps were his main outlet. His work had the quality of literature and the mytho-folkloric erudition of a Robert Graves. Merritt had a library of over 5000 books on myth, folklore and the occult. His tales of lost cities, ancient secret cults and strange other-worldly phenomenon are unparalleled in beauty and imagination. His "People of the Pit" (1917) was a profound influence on H.P. Lovecraft and his masterpiece "The Ship of Ishtar" (1924) described Richard Shaver's inter-dimensional "Simultane" concept. (It was also the template for our path-working soul-travel boat.) His "Dwellers in the Mirage"(1932) was an inspiration for my sc-fi novel "Drell Master." Merritt was steeped in Blavatsky's Atlantis and Lemuria lore and the obscure legendary sources behind these lost civilizations. His "The Moon Pool" (1921) lured us out to the ruins of Lemuria in the Pacific (see Beyond Lemuria). So, if you want to spend an hour with the Dream-maker, tune and we'll set sail to evening Isles fantastical.

On Thursday June 19th, 2014 the Hemetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the English translation of "Secret Practices of the Sufi Freemasons" by Baron Rudolph von Sebottendorf first published in German in 1924. This is a highly controversial book by a notorious author. Sebottendorff was the founder of the Thule Society which Germinated (pun intended) into the Nazi Party. When he tried to take credit for that the Nazis kicked him out and sent him back to Turkey. How he managed to be a devout Muslim and a Nordic pagan at the same time is one of the many mysteries this book conjures up. Transcending his politics and fanaticism there is very provocative and profound occult knowledge in this book --- much of it hidden even to European students until recently. We will compare Sebottendorff's revelations with Gerard de Nerval's "Sufi" version of The Masonic Temple Legend, and P.B. Randolph's discovery of a Syrian Love Cult which may have been the original source of the O.T.O.'s 9th Degree. So, tune in and find out how the Sufis get a grip on themselves.

On Thursday June 12th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on ancient and modern Multiverse concepts in relation to Hermetic Magick, the Qabalah, astrology and Fortean phenomenon. We will examine philosophical. scientific, literary and cinematic models of the Multiverse, sometimes called the "Holographic Universe" or "Parallel Worlds." We will trace the idea through the "nesting spheres" of the geocentric age, to the heliocentric Renaissance, the invention of the telescope and the discovery of other galaxies and anti-matter, both in terms of science and the pages of science fiction. Our references will be Mary-Jane Ruberstein's "Worlds Without End," Michio Kaku's "Parallel Worlds," the science fiction of Phillip K. Dick, and Richard S. Shaver, and films such as "The Matrix," "Dark City," and "Lost Highway." Our challenge will be to reconcile ancient Hermetic philosophy with the Multiverse concept --- so, if you want to go through the looking glass or down the rabbit hole, tune in a we will tour the endless "nows" of the Simultane.

On Thursday, June 6th, 2014 The Hermetic Hour will present a reading by Poke Runyon (Fra. Thabion) of his 1976 essay "Negative vs. Positive Gnosis" from Gnostica magazine, no. 40. This is an important instructive paper dealing with the ancient and modern spiritual differences between Thelemic (libertine) Gnosticism, Hermetic neo-Platonism and ancient and modern Paganism (wiccans, druids, etc.) These differences are so deep and so misunderstood that many New-Agers involved in the Occult do not know what they profess to believe in. They participate in various groups simply because they are attracted to the style and glamor of the organization and because it provides a rebellion against the religion of the parents. The article explains the fundamental differences between  Gnosticism of the negative world view and Hermetic magick of the positive world view, comparing them to the Pagan and neo-Pagan "natural" world view. You will discover how similar Thelemic Gnosticism is to the Fundamental Christianity it rebels against, and how similar Hermetic magick is to Tantric Buddhism. This paper will be reprinted in text form and posted as an instruction on our web site. So tune in and become transcendentally demystified.

On Thursday May 28th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review the 2008 book "The Music of Pythagoras" by musicologist Kitty Ferguson. This is a wonderfully erudite and deeply meaningful book on the accomplishments, and lasting influence of the most important of the pre-Socratean philosophers, and perhaps the most important ancient avatar of the Western Esoteric Tradition. As a musicologist Ferguson is able to fully expound on the master's development of "The Music of the Spheres" from mythical Orpheus through Kepler to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (we can all whistle that one). The Pythagorean harmonious universe of music, mathematics, and geometry has been re-validated in modern times with the advent of new theories in quantum physics. It was, of course, the bed rock of Qabalah, Alchemy and Magick. We will demonstrate some applications of the Pythagorean magical scale used to activate psychic centers (chakras) and discuss the employment of these techniques in magical operations. So tune in, tune up and we'll sing along with the planets.

On Thursday May 22nd, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review on a very important recent book on the Hermetic Tradition by Dutch author Jacob Slavenburg titled: "The Hermetic Link." Reviewing this book will be a team effort between the host and our esteemed guest Frater Ophis (Freeman Presson) who beat us to the punch and reviewed Slavenburg's book on his website two years ago. How did we miss it? No excuse because it should not have been missed. Certainly there have been other surveys of the Hermetic Tradition, usually combined with other related elements such as Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, magick, etc. but this is the best and most complete tracing of the great Hermetic Gnosis from ancient Egypt, through Alexandria, Harran, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the so-called "Enlightenment" and the present modern age. Slavenburg takes us from Zosimus to the Kybalion in a sympathetic, very thoughtful and comfortably philosophical style. He quotes Peter Kingsley ("Reality") frequently and does as good a job as Kingsley in getting across the deepest meaning of the Hermetic Mystery (the Great I AM) - perhaps he does it better in that he uses excerpts from Hermes to reveal the treasure we ardent Hermetic devotees hold so dear, whereas Kingsley in Reality depended on pre-Hermetic Parmenides and Empedocles. If all this is Greek to you, it shouldn't be and Slavenburg goes a long way toward establishing the true and enduring magnificence of our venerable Tradition. Tune in and get yourself Hermetically sealed. (Preserved for the next incarnation.)

On Thursday May 15th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the re-release of our science fiction epic Beyond Lemuria (Second Edition) which is presently available on Amazon in DVD. As our guests we will have Beyond Lemuria's director Gregory Jednack, who also plays the villain Zoltan Nodesque in the film, and Ed Fitch who has the dual role of Colonel Rich and Reverend Bobby-John. Our main topic will be the new format with our Dero Princess on the cover this time and our new booklet that explains the Shaver Mystery aspects of the film. This is an important addition to help viewers understand the complex and esoteric meaning of the film. Our Intragravatron machine opens a vortex between dimensions that is very similar to one described in a novel by Richard Shaver. He postulates an endless "Multiverse" of dimensions he calls "The Simultane" which is compatible with ancient Hermetic philosophy and the latest theories of quantum physics. That we live different lives in different "Nows" both by choice and by accident is our occult interpretation of the Shaver Mystery, and the key concept in Beyond Lemuria. So tune in and find out what lies beyond the vortex.

On Thursday May 8th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the mysterious origins, myths and magick of the Polynesian islanders of the Pacific. Having just returned from a vacation on the island of Maui we are still under the spell of the islands and inspired to share experiences and insights. We visited a fascinating custom jewelry shop in Honolulu called "Sacred Jewels of Mu" where we met Crystal Tones guru Lupito and acquired a singing bowl made of stellar Moldavite, then on to Maui and a visit to the vast crater of the sacred volocano. We searched the jungle for ancient petroglyphs and encountered the "original Hawaiians." All this led to a speculation about the prehistoric Polynesian diaspora from and later return to "Lemuria." Based on legends, archaeology and intuition. So, if you want to share in the adventure and ponder the mystery, tune in and catch the wave.

On Thursday April 17th, 2014 The Hermetic Hour will celebrate its four year anniversary with special guest Frater Osiris, Wor. Michael Downs, Magister of the O.T.A.'s Atlanta Lodge, who will lead us through 500 years of Symbolism, History and Practice of "Transforming the Unpronouncable Tetragrammaton into a Speakable Magickal Logos, the Pentagrammaton," and reveal the relevant practices for achieving Adepthood that this Arcanum encodes and points to: We will learn about the open-secret practice of Divine Theurgy called "Soliliquea" that is intimately tied to "Pronouncing" the Pentagrammaton, better known to us in our time - but identical in essence --as the "Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" which leads to our 3rd Degree. We will reveal how the Ubiquitous Pentagram of our most fundamental Rite - when understood in its fullness - is the Key in plain site to this August Operation. Osiris will cover the origin and use of the Classical Name YHShUH - an Hermetic Jesus - by which YHVH was Transformed when Cabala was first added to our Tradition by Christian Hermeticists in the Renaissance, and what becomes a proper NEW WORD or Magickal Logos of Transmutation, for our Hermetically purified Tetragrammaton AMShT...This is a visual and diagram intensive exercise, so Frater Osiris has put up some follow-along resources for this talk at < http://wwww.MagicalMason.info > which will become active just before the show -- just click on the Dove of Astarte on the Top of the Monk's head ...So tune in for an Hermetic-Cabalistic meditation on the creative and liberating consequences of the O.T.A.'s swap from the traditional Jewish Godname of YHVH to the Hermetically 'purified' formulation AMShT as its Elemental Tetragrammaton.

On Thursday April 10th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on different interpretations and conceptions of Qabalah. This is a subject we have covered before, however, that was years ago before we started climbing The Tree in our weekly lectures. Now that we have arrived at The Abyss and and are venturing onto The Eleven Sphere "Tree Before the Fall", it is appropriate for us to review our Hermetic Qabalistic structure and establish the philosophical, mythological and metaphysical differences between the various Kabbalahs, and the particular innovations we have made in our modern Hermetic version of the ancient system. On next week's show Frater Osiris, Magister of our Atlanta, Georgia Lodge will be giving a lecture on this subject with some insights of his own, so our talk can be considered a preliminary to his program. Tune in and we'll play Monopoly on the greatest board game in the universe.