The Hermetic Hour

”The Dear Departed,” a Magical Romance by Ann Finnin

On Thursday March 3rd, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have as a special guest occultist and author Ann Finnin who will discuss her latest book, a romance novel with an occult theme called "The Dear Departed".In this case the title tells the story: A Victorian age romance novel dealing with spiritualism. Ann informs us that the story is told in Dion Fortune's style and the hero is a roguish Hermetic magician aiding the prim Victorian heroine against a Svengali-like spiritualist. cult leader. Ann Finnin is also the author of The Sorcerer of Saint Felice, a novel of magick and alchemy in medieval France. Ann is the High Priestess of the Roebuck a Celtic Wicca tradition. She is a certified hypnotist, an accomplished
astrologer and a talented harpist. She can be seen officiating as priestess in our Rites of Magick video, and as The Enochian speaking Christian charismatic in Beyond Lemuria. So, join us for an hour with Ann Finnin and The Dear Departed.
 

Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and The Holy Grail

On Thursday February 25th, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a reading and commentary on a chapter, by Fraters Thabion
and Solomon, from the forthcoming book Hermetic Yoga, Beyond the Middle
Pillar, Vol. 2, titled Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Holy Grail. This
will trace the story from Bethlehem to Camelot with some remarkable
surprises, such as Jesus was the grandson of King Herod the Great,
Jehovah was not his Father in Heaven, that he believed in equality for
women, and tolerance for the Gentiles. That he married a Phoenician
princess and sought to unite all Israel under the original Most High God
EL That his cousin Herod Antipas bribed Pontius Pilate to have him
executed, and that Mary Magdalene barely managed to escape with their
son to Southern France where they founded the Cult and the lineage of
the Sangreal -- Its all documented with the latest discoveries from
ancient archives, so tune in and we'll go beyond The D'Vinci Code.
 

Sir Francis Younghusband - Soldier and Mystic

On Thursday February 4th, 2016 The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on the fascinating military and occult career
of Lt.Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband (1863-1942) the conqueror
of Tibet (1904) and the author of several books on travel, adventure and
mystical philosophy. Colonel Younghusband was an officer in British
Special forces in India during a cold war between the British and the
Russians for control of the Central Asian highlands north of India in
the latter days of the 19th century. Their covert conflict was called
"The Great Game" and was the stage for high adventure. Rudyard Kipling
novelized "The Great Game" in Kim. In 1904 Lord Curson the Viceroy of
India sent Colonel Younghusband up into Tibet with an invading British
army to flush out the Russians whom Curson was convinced had infiltrated
the mysterious country. After slaughtering the primitive Tibetan army,
Younghusband took Lhasa but could not find a single Cossack, or even a
Russian rifle, However he did stay long enough to have a mystical
experience that transformed him from a ruthless conqueror into a
peaceful mystical philosopher. He retired to England to write books
about his adventures and his visions, which included life on other
planets, a philosophy of free love, a spiritual drama society and an
expedition to climb Mt. Everest. -- If you want to spend an hour with
the Colonel, tune in and we'll hit the trail going up.
 

Simon Magus and John the Baptist

On Thursday January 28th, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Biblical personages Simon Magus and John the Baptist. We will discuss their association, their influence on the Gnostic movement and the rise of Christianity. We will have Frater Solomon as a guest commentator. Sources will be the works of Tobias Churton "Gnostic Mysteries of Sex" and "Mysteries of John the Baptist" also G.R.S. Mead's "Simon Magus" and "The Book of Enoch" which influenced Gnostic cosmology and the Mandanean books attributed to John the Baptizer. So if you want to be demystified about the Gnosis, tune in and we'll part the veil.
 

Highlights and Call-in Night

On Thursday January 21st, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will review the highlights of the previous year and discuss some of
the more noteworthy 2015 shows. This will also be a general call in
night for you regular listeners to give us your feedback and comments --
also suggestions and criticisms (however we decapitate trolls so don't
be one) Suggest subjects in the Hermetic area that you would like us to
discuss and cover in broadcasts this coming year. Our guest call in
number is: 347 857 1830. We go on the air at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time and
sign off at 9:00 p.m. -- so let's hear from you.
 

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

On Thursday January 14th, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a commentary on and a reading of the Rubaiyat a Sufi poem
from medieval Persia by the mystic and astronomer Omar Khayyam
translated by Edward Fitzgerald and published in 1859. The Rubaiyat is
quintessentially romantic in style and content. It is said to reflect
the ancient cyrenaic hedonistic philosophy of Aristippus and extols a
libertine lifestyle in preference to piety. When I was a teenager I
needed to break away from Christian fundamentalism so I adopted the
Rubaiyat as my alternative to the Bible. I memorized the entire poem so
that I could quote seductive passages to Baptist virgins while drinking
beer on the beach at sunset. Ah! Those were the days! Or as Omar would
put it: "Alas that Spring should vanish with the rose, and youth's sweet
scented manuscript should close, the nightingale that in the branches
sang, ah whence and wither flown again who knows?" And so, if you yearn
to know "What Omar's moving finger writ, " then tune in and we will
inoculate you against excessive piety.
 

Hermetic Yoga Book now on Amazon

On Thursday January 7th, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will celebrate the New Year by announcing the release of "Hermetic Yoga,
Beyond the Middle Pillar, Volume One", on Amazon.com. Until this January
the sale of this book has been offered only to Active and Associate
Members of our Church and the O.T.A. at a special discount. Now we are
offering it to the Magical community at large. Hermetic Yoga is somewhat
controversial in its theoretical structure. It is a fully developed and
extended version of the Golden Dawn's "Middle Pillar" system which is
based on the downward progression of the Lightning Flash rather than the
planetary letter assignments on the Paths on the Tree of Life. Citing
Pythagoras, Robert Fludd, Jacob Boehme, Johann Gichtel, Rudolph von
Sebottendorff and Manly Hall, this Rosicrucian version of the Western
Interior Stars offers all the power and visionary magick of Eastern
Tantric practice to those of us here in the West. So if you'd like to
get inside yourself in a magical way and meet your Goddesses and Gods
then tune in and we'll raise your dragon for the New Year!
 

Pythagoras the Mathemagician by Karim El Koussa

On Thursday December 24th, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. PT, the Hermetic Hour with
host Poke Runyon will review and discuss the magical historical novel
"Pythagoras the Mathemagician - by our friend and distinguished author
Karim El Koussa. This is a very important book for Hermetic students
because it makes the Pythagoras contributions to our Hermetic and
Qabalistic systems come to life by by recreating the life and work of
the man to whom we owe so much. And who better than a Phoenician scholar
to give us a biographic novel of the greatest of the Phoenicians, the
father of philosophy and the original Master of the mysteries. In this
book you will learn about the Masters' Egyptian initiations (very much
like our Crata Repoa), his mystic mathematics, sacred geometry, moral
and ethical teachings, vegetarian (vegan) dietary regime and his
cosmology The Music of the Spheres. So, if you want to find out how to
painlessly acquire a knowledge of the greatest of ancient Magicians,
tune in and we'll vist Crotona.
 

Dr. Paul Clark on Paul Foster Case

On Thursday December 17th, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. PT the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have as our very special guest Dr. Paul Clark, Steward of the Fraternity of Hidden Light and author of the recent biography "Paul Foster Case" his life and works. Its Dr. Paul on Dr. Paul. Quite a fitting combination, as Paul Clark is certainly Paul
Case's successor in his Great Work in the Western Tradition. Paul Case (1884-1954) was a Golden Dawn adept who specialized in a study of the Tarot. When the Golden Dawn deteriorated in America in the 1920s Case carried on the tradition in his own school The Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.). After Case's passing in 1954 the B.O.T.A. was continued by Case's protege Ann Davies. Paul Clark joined the B.O.T.A. under her tutelege and in 1982, after Ann had passed on Paul Clark and two others
founded The Fraternity of Hidden Light which carries on Paul Case's school in an G. D. style initiatory structure. Paul's biography of his Master is a labor of love and a must read for anyone interested in the history of occultism in America. You will learn more about the Golden Dawn in New York, Philly, Chicago and California than you ever expected to see in print. This book is a treasure of occult history and lore. And no one is better qualified to write it than Maestro Paul Clark, so tune in and spend an hour with Doctor Paul on Doctor Paul.
 

Valentinian Origins of the Enochian Aethyr System

On Thursday December 10th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on the Valentinian Gnostic origins of the
Dee-and-Kelley Enochian 30 Aethyr system. This ancient configuration indicates that John Dee had more to do with the actual construction than previously imagined. Apparently the Aethyrs did not spring full-armed from the brow of Kelley, like Athena from the brow of Zeus. Dee was the scholar and must have discovered the Valentinian model in research, thus directing Kelley's skrying. This has prompted us to add Valentinian angelic invoications to the Aethyrs, similar to the way the Shemehamphorash angels are used in Goetia.It acts as a spiritual safety
on what is otherwise an entirely elemental process and makes Enochian visions more spiritually and psychologically digestable. So if you want to experience sactified Enochian, tune in and we will fire up the Tablets.
 

Ed Reib Interviews Merrick Rees Hamer

On Thursday December 3rd, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will rebroadcast an interview of Merrick Rees Hamer by Ed Reib (V.H Fra.
BT) the host of the esoterinerd podcast. Appropriately enough this is
number 33 in that series. Merrick talks about his Masonic and Golden
Dawn interests, but most importantly he presents a cycle of original
Seasonal poems that are beautiful and inspiring. He also discusses his
role as Master Phylos in our 2007 film Beyond Lemuria, so we invite you
to spend an hour with the Master as he delivers a memorable performance
in magical style.
 

Kether and the Supernals

On Thursday November 19th, 2015 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.
 

Astral Time Travel - from Chesed

On Thursday November 12th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon,
will present a discussion on our Astral Time travel method and its use
in connection with Hermetic Yoga. We will explain our method of
celestial consciousness projection in relation to stellar distances
(light years) and our use of the Tesseract as a sighting and measuring
device. We will also discuss the remarkable video The Star of Bethlehem
which reveals, using the Starry Night program a conjunction of Jupiter,
Venus and Regulus when the nativity was said to have taken place. We
will mention our Soma Sophia magical celestial tabliture in relation to
these phenomenon and cite the philosophy and the writings of Hermes to
back up our methods. So if you want to learn about magical time and
space travel tune in and we'll open the Star Gate.
 

Da’ath - The Sphere of Saturn

On Thursday November 5th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on the mysterious hypothetical Sephira of
Da'ath. The eleventh sphere of the Tree of Life which was an actual
sphere in the so-called Tree before the Fall. This sphere is on the
brink of the Abyss between the dimension of Briah and Yetzirah and was
originally attributed to Saturn which is the most distant planet visable
to the naked eye in ancient times, thus theorized as the beginning of
the physical universe. Da'ath means knowledge and is related to the
descent of the Fallen Angels. This sphere is vitally important to magick
and to magical yoga. Our texts will be Dion Fortune, The Seventh Ray,
Book Three, The Red Ray, Hermetic Yoga, and The Book of Enoch, so for
Halloween let us journey to Mot's domain in the mountain of darkness at
the edge of the abyss.
 

Chesed - Sphere of Dagon and Atlantis

On Thursday October 29th 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
nigtht, with the infamous Mot Mass honoring the dead.
 

Ed Reib of the G.D. Interviews Poke Runyon

On Thursday October 22nd, 2015 the Hermetic Hour will air an interview
of your host Poke Runyon (V.H. Frater D.a. L.) conducted by Ed Reib
(V.H. Frater B.T.) on his own "Esoterinerd" podcast show. Ed is a
Golden Dawn Inner Order member and the son of the late magician and
college professor John Dan Reib, who was one of Poke's close friends and
confidants. The interview is enlivened as they share memories of John's
outrageous guerrilla radio broadcasts. Poke and John both studied Franz
Bardon and were both fascinated by Richard Shaver. This interview will
take you back to the days of "Simon King of the Witches" here in the Los
Angeles area. It is both fun and informative, so if you want to return
with us to the 1970s and 80s tune in and we will tell it like it was.
 

Geburah - The Sphere of Mars

On Thursday October 15th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present another discussion in our on-going series on the Spheres or
Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. Sphere number five Geburah, the Sphere of
Mars. We will cover different concepts and attributes of this sphere. It
is traditionally ruled by Samael, the Hebrew counterpart of Satan, but
the G.D. changed the angelic attribution to Kamael, connoting a less
evil character to Geburah --or making it a "necessary evil" if you
will. This is reflected in the planetary spirits. The intelligence of
Mars is protective whereas the spirit is aggressive. We place the
Canaanite War-Goddess Anath in Geburah. Again we will refer to our texts
Dion Fortune, Gareth Knight, John Greer and our Hermetic Yoga. So, if
you want to get tough with Hermetic Qabalah, tune in and find out how to
sharpen your magical sword.
 

Tiphareth - The Sphere of Beauty

On Thursday October 8th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Sphere of Tiphareth, the sixth sephrioth on the Tree of Life. Tiphareth is called the Sphere of Beauty and is the center of the Tree just as the Sun is the center of the Solar System. It is the hub from which all the paths radiate and the downward reflection of the light from Kether. Mythologically it is the sphere of the dying gods, Osiris, Ba'al and Jesus, and thus the point of mystic transformation and enlightenment. Raphael is the presiding archangel and an agent of healing. Again our texts will be Dion Fortune, Gareth Knight and John Michael Greer. So join us for for an hour of inspiration as well get to the heart of old Adam Kadmon. Exam question: "How many kabbalists does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Tune in for the answer.
 

Netsach - The Sphere of Nature

On Thursday October 1st, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the third in our series of lectures on the Spheres of the Tree of Life, The Seventh Sphere, Netsach, the sphere of nature attributed to Venus and the home of the Goddess Astarte. Netsach has been called "The Sphere of the Mysteries" and the womb of the creative process. The Goddess Herself is the Seventh Sphere in that She contains all the spheres of the Tree within Herself and is thus the supreme Initiator. Once again we will refer to texts by Gareth Knight, Dion Fortune, John Michael Greer. and our own Hermetic Yoga, Volume One. Come join us for some deep meditations and reflections on the most intimate aspects of occultism.
 

An Hour with Karim El Koussa - Jesus the Phoenician

On Thursday September 24th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour's host Poke Runyon
will have as our special guest bestselling author Karim El Koussa, who
will discuss his factual-historical "Jesus the Phoenician" and his Dan
Brown style thriller "The Phoenician Code". Karim is in Los Angleles on
a lecture tour. He'll be speaking and book signing at Glendale Masonic
center on Sunday the 27th. We have reviewed Jesus the Phoenician on a
previous broadcast and Karim honored us by quoting our review on the
book jacket of the the hard back of "Jesus". Please join us for an hour
of surprises such as "there was no Nazareth" in Jesus' time. And
Bethlehem was really in Galilee. Most importantly Karim confirms what we
have been saying for years. Jesus was the son of El, not Jehovah. So tune
in and get the gospel Phoenician style.
 

Hod - The Sphere of Magick

On Thursday evening September 17th, 2015, The Hermetic Hour with host
Poke Runyon will present the third in our series of discussions on the
Sephiroth of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, the eighth sephira Hod which
is called Splendor and the sphere of the intellect. Hod is considered
the sphere of Magick because it is the workshop in which astral preforms
are created and sent to Yesod for eventual manifestation in Malkuth. It
is presided over by the archangel Michael (some say Raphael) and
operated by the craftsman-alchemist gods of various traditions: Thoth,
Hephaestus, Vulcan, Tubal Cain and in our Canaanite pantheon Kusor. It
is also the sphere of the Elohim (the Gods) and the Beni Elohim (sons of
the Gods) so we might say it is strongly Pagan. We consider it Kusor's
library, laboratory and workshop. Once again we will cite Dion Fortune,
John Michael Greer, and Gareth Knight and our Hermetic Yoga book. So, if
you want to get something done magically we will visit the place where
creativity flourishes.
 

Yesod - Gateway to The Astral World

On Thursday September 10th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present the second in our series of discussions on the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life, Yesod, the Foundation, the treasury of Images, the ninth sphere. Yesod is considered the transition point from the Yetzirah to the Ashia dimensions, from the etheric to the astral. It is related to the Moon and is called the sphere of the emotions, of memories and dreams. It is the sexual center both physically and spiritually. It is essential to the art of magick. Again our texts will be John Michael Greer's Paths of Wisdom, Gareth Knight's A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism and Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah. So tune in and come along with us as we delve into the mysteries of Yesod and Levanah.

Malkuth - The Kingdom

On Thursday September 3rd, 2015, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the first of a series of lectures on the Spheres of the Qabalistc Tree of Life and their relation to Hermetic Magick. The texts we will refer to are: Paths of Wisdom by
John Michael Greer, The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune and A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight, and Hermetic Yoga, Beyond the Middle Pillar, Volume One, by Frater Thabion. Malkuth is the sphere where the Holy Guardian Angel(s) are contacted (there are three of them) and where we find the treasure cave of The Dragon. So, if you want to start at bottom and then follow the Dragon upward tune in and we will begin the journey.
 

Jesus - Pagan Priest King

On Thursday August 27th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the theory that the Biblical Jesus of Nazareth, grandson of King Herod the Great was in fact not only the King of the Jews but through marriage to Mary Magdalene, a Phoenician princess and priestess of the Goddess, could claim to be King of all Israel. The new Melchizedek. Frater Thabion (Poke) will again be joined by
Biblical scholar Frater Solomon (Mike) in explaining this remarkable and exciting story. We will cite The Nassaene document of Hippolytus, The Lost Gospel, by Jacobovici and Wilson, Robert Graves' King Jesus, and Joseph Raymond's Jesus the Herodian Messiah. This is the beginning of the Holy Grail mystery. Join us for an hour of amazing revelations.
 

The Samaritans, Good and Otherwise

On Thursday August 13th, 2015 The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Samaritans, and their position in Biblical and historical Palestine in relation to Magick and Qabalah. Poke will be joined by our Biblical scholar Frater Solomon. We will mention a remarkable discovery we have made in reviewing the newly translated Samaritan Torah, that tends to support our revision of the
Tetragrammaton. We will also discuss the Samaritan Book of Joshua and Budge's comments indicating that the Samaritans developed gematria before the Judeans. Also that famous, or infamous Samaritan magician Simon Magus. Did he really fly? So if you want to find out what the "cursed Cutheans" have been up to tune in and we will climb Mount Gerizim.
 

The Oldest Conspiracy for World Domination: Bread and Beer

On Thursday August 6th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a shocking new Conspiracy Theory based on archaeology,
ancient history, mythology and anthropologica and medical research. It
boils down to this log line: "Refugees from Atlantis conquered the
ancient world with bread and beer." We will be citing current books by
David Perlmutter and William Davis along with a review of what human
beings are designed to eat and what wolves are designed to eat. How
hunting and gathering humans were re-programed or genetically modified
to eat grain as slaves of the Gods, and then they turned wolves into
dogs by a similar process. This is all highly controversial but there is
good science and anthropology behind it. So if you want to free yourself
of your slave collar (that's the spare tire around your waist), then
tune in and we will start the revolution!
 

Magical Health and Diet

On Thursday July 30th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on health and diet in relation to Hermetic Magick. We will discuss various aspects of health and diet including supplements, vitamins, so-called super foods and
various diet regimes, therapies, exercises, colonics, "The five rites," energized water, and vegan advantages and problems. We will also discuss the great grain conspiracy and genetically altered food. So if you want to go on the wizard's diet, tune in and find out how to lose twenty pounds of ugly ectoplasm.
 

The Astrolabe as A Magical Device

On Thursday July 23rd, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Astrolabe as a magical device. Those of you who have seen John Carter will recall the medallion of the Holy Therns that enabled them, and Carter, to transmit themselves to other planets in the solar system. It was a magical device that required a conjuration to make it work. There is a very impressive scene inside a Thern temple with an illuminated solar system on the transparent floor that shows the vectors and the formulas. (if you can read Barsoomian.) Now this was created by an earthling screenwriter, so do we, or did we, have anything like the Thern Medallion in our magical tradition to inspire him? Yes, the Astrolabe -- a marvelous hand held
instrument from Classical times that could locate celestial objects (stars) calculate their exact altitude and position. Primarily used for navagation it was also used by astrologers and magicians. Combined with the Soma Sophia (the completely gridded celestial sphere, it also becomes a device to project consciousness (like the Thern Medallion) to other worlds. With Soma Sophia derived formulas of course. This is all Sixth Degree material but perhaps it will inspire some of you to keep climbing Mithra's ladder, So, if you are curious to know how wizards explore the heavens, tune in
and we will plot a course and set sail.
 

A Hieronymus Bosch Pathworking with Frater Solomon

On Thursday July 16th,2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon and Frater Solomon will discuss and briefly demonstrate a Pathworking to the late medieval artist Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights created and narrated by Frater Solomon. This was recently performed at Montsalvat for Inner Order members and, because of the complexity of the imagery it should be considered an advanced working. The presentation was enhanced by graphic backgrounds and sculptural figures on the altar, making it something of a "Perky Pat" layout. The spectral guide was a figure from Bosch's Revelation of St. John the Divine called "Tytinillus" a surrealistic version of a church choir procter with an insect's tail. So, if you want to open your third eye and step into fantasy-land we will tell you how it's done.
 

Cliodynamics - Predicting Socioeconomic and Political Events

On Thursday, July 9th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have a discussion on "Cliodynamics" a new "science" of socioeconomic and political trend and event prediction. Contrary to popular belief this discipline was not spawned by Issac Asimov's Foundation Series (Hari Seldon's Plan) but is very reminiscent of it.
One of the founders is Peter Truchin, a biologist at the University of Connecticut who has written a book called "War and Peace and War". In which he examines the rise and fall of empires on the cliodynamic scale. This book invites comparison to Oswald Spengler's "Decline of the West" which was avidly read by Hitler and George Bush's Neo-Cons.  It was the Machiavelli of the 19th century. Cliodynamics uses Malthusian
mathematical formulas to predict economic and political events. So if you want to know what the boys in the think tanks are reading, tune in and we'll invoke the muse of history (Clio).

The Curse of the Maskim - Planetary Demons of Babylon

On Thursday July 2nd, 2015, the Hermetic Hours host Poke Runyon will present an essay on The Curse of the Maskim, the planetary demons of ancient Babylon.
This will be an important commentary on the continuing influence of these ancient negative or demonic aspects of the seven planets upon magical theory and ritual.
The origin of the Maskim in the underworld of early Mesopotamian mythology will be explained, along with their revolt against the heavenly powers and its inf lance on
later Biblical themes of Wars in Heaven and Fallen Angels. The Maskim inf lance on Solomonic magick will be examined and Stephen Skinner's new book "Techniques
of Solomonic Magic" will be critiqued in relation to this ancient demonic influence. The concepts of Earth centered verses Cosmic oriented astrology will be compared
and explained -- This program may raise more questions than it answers but it will certainly stimulate thought, so tune in and cheer for the Lords of Chaos or
the Forces of Light.
 

Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic with Catherine Yronwode

On Thursday June 25th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have as it's guest the leading authority on the African-American folk tradition of Hoodoo magic, or "Root Work," Catherine Yronwode of the Lucky Mojo Curio company. Catherine is the author of "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic" and "Paper in My Shoe" along with several other related titles. She will explain the differences between Hoodoo, Santeria and Vodoun, and describe how this unique American folk-magic tradition arrived here
with the slaves in the old South and continued to evolve incorporating European (Solomonic) and even Native American additions to become a living magical system now practiced all over the United States. So, if you want to catch up on your American magical cross-training (sneaky pete anthropology) this is a session you need to hear.

Mesopotamian and Canaanite Mythology

On Thursday June 18th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on ancient Mesopotamian Mythology and its relation to the Canaanite myths that comprise the Seasonal ceremonies of the Order of the Temple of Astarte. As our in studio guest we will have Frater Isa from our Ubar Encampment
in Dallas, Texas. We will touch on such subjects as the Anunnaki (Elder Gods), How Man was created by the Earth Goddess as a slave of the Gods, how Oannes brought civilization to the Summerians, and the numerous parallels between Canaanite and
Mesopotamian myth and legend. Our primary text will be John Gray's Near Eastern Mythology which is cross-comparitive. If you have been curious about the similarities between Ishtar and Astarte, or Baal and Marduk, then tune in and we will try to sort out the pre-Biblical family-trees for you.

Weird Pennsylvania - with Frater Julian

On Thursday May 28th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have as its special guest Frater Julian of the Benjamin Franklin Encampment who is an expert in Pennsylvania folklore relating to witchcraft and magick. We will be discussing his paper on the mysterious Roman family in the colonial Quaker community, Johannes Kelpius "The Wizard of Wissahickon," and his Cave of Kelpius, and Apocalyptic prophecy in the 1690s. The Epherata Rosicrucian Cloister, then moving up toward modern times with Dutch pow-wow, hexcraft, the curious case of the Hexencat and its capture. The York County 1920s Hex murder case. So if you want to catch up on your American occult and witchcraft heritage be sure to tune in for Weird Pennsylvania
on the air.
 

An Hour with British Magician Jake Stratton-Kent

On Thursday May 2ist, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present an interview with British author and magician Jake Stratton-Kent. Jake Stratton-Kent is especially noted for his defense and support of the Goetic aspect of ceremonial magick and his research linking this practice to the deities and oracles of ancient Greek mythology, especially the denizens of the underworld or Tartarus ruled by Hades or Pluto. He is more partial to the Grimorium Verum than the Goetia or Lesser Key of Solomon although he stresses that both are essentially Goetic from the ancient Greek word "Goes" meaning a necromancer. So if you want to meet a master of art magical, tune in and spend an hour with maestro Jake Stratton-Kent.

High Magic’s Aid with Ed Fitch

On Thursday May 14th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present the second part of a discussion on Gerald Gardner's 1949 novel of medieval British Magick and Witchcraft High Magic's Aid. The emphasis will be on readings
of the actual rituals from the book, including "Making the Great Circle," "the Witch Cult initiation," and "The Spirit Dantalion." Poke will be joined by his long time friend and colleague Gardnerian Elder Ed Fitch as they discuss the influence of Solomonic
Magick on Gardner's original version of modern Wicca. Gardner used rituals from both the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon in High Magic's Aid, so if you want to get the feel of the way it was in the beginning then tune in and we'll conjure some old fashioned spirits for you.
 

Gerald Gardner’s High Magic’s Aid

On Thursday May 7th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss Gerald Gardner's classic novel of medieval magick and witchcraft in England "High Magic's Aid." We consider this a very important work in the Modern Hermetic
Tradition because it vividly describes the synthesis of surviving Paganism with the Solomonic school of ceremonial magick in the Middle Ages. A mix of esoteric themes that returned in the form of Gardenarian and Alexandrian Wicca in 1950s England, from which it quickly migrated to the United States. Gerald Gardner was a member of the O.T.O. and worked closely with Aleister Crowley to produce the first modern Book of Shadows. High Magic's Aid tells the story of three Saxon Solomonic magicians in the days of Robin Hood's King John 11th century, who are not able to work their magick effectively without the help of a female Witch. They rescue their priestess from the local inquisition and dig up her precious Athame and white handled knife without which they can not operate. The story is very well written and well researched. Better than Crowley's fiction although he was probably Gardner's editor. We strongly recommend this book to our neo-pagan and wiccan friends who may think that witchcraft and magick cannot co-exist. They can, and they did, and they do -- so
if you want to know where and how the wizards and the witches got together tune in and "Merry Meet!" and "Blessed Be!"
 

The Rite of Memphis and Misraim

On Thursday April 30th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the quasi-Masonic Rite of Memphis, sometimes called the Rite of Memphis and Misraim which is highly irregular in orthodox Masonic circles and is usually considered a Clandestine (unrecognized and proscribed) organization to which regular Masons cannot belong. This collection of rites or degrees (96 of them) has a long and colorful history which we will delve into consulting Mackey, Calvin C. Brut, John Yarker and Allen Greenfield. In the 1880's the Rite of Memphis infiltrated the Scottish Rites Northern Jurisdiction and went into competition with Scottish Rite itself to see which system would become an accepted Advanced (Red Lodge) along with York Rite for regular American Masons. Scottish Rite's 33 degree system won the turf war, with Albert Pike's help and the Rite of M&M disappeared into the College of defunct Masonic Rites (yes there is such an institution). The same thing had happened to it in France a hundred years earlier when the Grand Orient absorbed it and locked it up in their archives -- but the M&M is not easily suppressed. Its founder, after signing it over to the Grand Orient, sneaked it into Moldavia (one of Dracula's hang outs) and it briefly rose again. Recently Masonic mavericks Allen Greenfield and Jeff Peace have tried to resurrect it here in the United States. Jeff Peace tried to get a number of regular Masons who were interested in the esoteric involved in M&M, at their peril. So if you would like to explore a delightfully conspiratorial and deliciously controversial secret society that claims to have "All the Secrets of ancient Masonry and certainly enough of its degrees" then tune in and we'll sail up the Nile to the Pyramids. 
 

The Whispering Swarm, by Michael Moorcock

On April 16th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review the new semi-biographical novel by fantasy grandmaster Michael Moorcock "The Whispering Swarm." This remarkable book should be of special interest to magicians and Hermetic students. Moorcock is the modern heir to the mantles of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Robert E.Howard. His fiction is deeply magical and steeped in Hermetic lore. The Whispering Swarm is somewhat experimental. His protagonist is himself and he tells his life story up to his passage from adolesence into adulthood through the entrance into a secret enclave in the multiverse, inhabited by historical and fictional characters he has read about. Raised in London during and after WWll, he discovers an ancient hidden medieval village called the Alsacia, or The Sanctuary, inhabited by magical monks in an old Abbey, a tavern full of swashbuckling cavaliers, including the Musketeers from Dumas and a glamorous Hughwaywoman called Molly Midnight. He also lives in the real world, having a wife and children and a job as an editor, but is driven to escape into The Sanctuary by the tumult of Whispering voices in his head (the Swarm). Most importantly it explores Moorcock's two warring personalities in emotional spiritual and political conflict. He is a romantic at heart and an agnostic socialist in intellect -- so he fights to save King Charles from Cromwell's Ax because his cavalier heroes need his abilities to walk between the worlds. One wonders all through the book, just how much of the fantasy is real, or a metaphor for reality. So, if you want to visit an adult's Land of Oz then follow us through the London fog to the hidden gates of the Sanctuary and we'll find the Swan with Two Necks tavern for a shant of ale and an hour of High Magical Adventure.
 

The Illuminati Revisited -- ”The Secret School of Wisdom”

On Thursday April 2nd, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss the newly published book "The Secret School of Wisdom" Authentic rituals and doctrines of the Illuminati edited by Joseph Wages, Rienhard Markner and translated by Jeva Singh Anand. Host Poke Runyon (Marion Roland) will be joined by his fellow Beyond Lemuria stars Merrick Rees Hamer (Master Phylos) and Frater Solomon (Samyaza) in our discussion of the various aspects of the Bavarian Illuminati: their Masonic infiltration, Christian-based socialist ideology, and conspiratorial agenda. We will discuss Adam Weishaupt's mysticism and contradict some previously held opinions about his atheism. We will discuss his relation with Baron von Knigge and some of the later individuals and organizations influenced by the Illuminati -- so If you want to immanenitize the eschaton (whatever that means) tune in and be illuminated.

The Universal Master Key by Franz Bardon

On Thursday March 26th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a review of the new book:
"The Universal Master Key" alleged to be a newly discovered manuscript
by the late Franz Bardon. This book is actually a reconstructed series
of lectures by Bardon to his students on mastering and balancing the
four Hermetic elements in the personality as set forth in the first
section of his book Initiation into Hermetics. The texts of the lectures
are rewritten from a collection of class notes by the students and
rendered in Bardon's writing style by his publisher and editor Dieter
Ruggeberg. The book is published by Faulks Books which mistakenly
represents it on the internet as taken from a "newly discovered
manuscript by Franz Bardon." However it does not appear to be entirely a
hoax. If Dieter wrote the entire book, he has at least mastered Bardon's
style and philosophic attitudes. The book is certainly worth a place in
a Magician's Bardon collection. It is very moralistic and sermonizing in
tone with a strong emphasis on ethics and spiritual integrity. It has
its short-comings. It was supossed to be organized according to the
qualities of each element but he seems to go off the track into a
general discussion on how to live and die well in this and higher worlds
-- so if want to revisit the Bardonian internal tetragrammaton process,
tune in and we will go to Hermetic Sunday school with Reverand Franz.
Next week we revisit the Bavarian Illuminati.
 

Dr. Claire Fitzpatrick Interviews Poke Runyon

On Thursday March 19th, 2015 Dr. Claire Fitzpatrick, a distinguished
Hermetic healer and broadcaster of her own magically related podcasts,
also an associate member of the Church of the Hermetic Sciences since
2011, will share with us her recent interview with the Hermetic Hour
host Poke Runyon. This interview is very similar to last week's
biographical interview we did with Merrick Rees Hamer. Poke told Dr.
Claire that she got him to remember things that he thought he had
forgotten, we will preface the interview with a short biographical
introduction to Claire and her work and her equally distinguished
life partner and colleague, Masonic scholar and Alchemist Ariel Malachi
Sirocco, also an associate member of CHS. So tune in and find out what
our East Coast folks are doing and enjoy the secrets she managed to coax
out of old Frater Thabion.
 

Merrick Rees Hamer The Magical Mason

On Thursday March 12th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon,
will have as its honored guest Merrick Rees Hamer a leading Masonic
ritualist and lecturer in California, a master story-teller, talented
musician, and a leader in the Golden Dawn Rosicrucian Magical
tradition. Merrick is also a classical actor having portrayed "The
Master Phylos" and his evil counterpart "Magister Abaddon" in the Church
of the Hermetic Sciences Production of "Beyond Lemuria" filmed at Mt.
Shasta in 2006 and recently re-released in a second edition. He is also
a leading officer in the Church and in its magical fraternal order the
O.T.A. Merrick will give us a history of his creative and esoteric
interests and accomplishments. So if you would like to spend an hour or
so with a modern master of traditional magick and the arts related to
it: music, drama, and poetic expression, then join us and be inspired.
 

The Multiverse and Chaosphere from Michael Moorcock

On Thursday March 5th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
have a discussion on the magical heroic fantasy fiction of British
literary lion Michael Moorcock. Moorcock. Although Moorcock did not coin
the term Multiverse he did much to popularize it in his Elric of
Melnibone series. H.G. Wells used it in Men like Gods, and Richard
Shaver's Red Dwarf called it the "Simultane." Parallel Worlds is perhaps
the best description of it. What Moorcock did coin was the "Chaosphere"
that mace-like symbol of the black ball with eight spearheads emerging
that was adopted by Peter Carroll as the symbol for their Chaos Magick
system. Moorcock's literary concept of the Chaos world is presented as
an ocean of swirling colors and energies dashing against the cliffs of
his fantasy world -- and periodically invading and claiming lands ruled
by the Lords of Law. The Lords of Chaos, one of which is Elric's patron,
play a constant game with men as the pawns. Moorcock was perhaps
influanced by Vance's Cudgel, to create his anti-hero The Albino
ex-emperor Elric of Melnibone, who struggles to overcome the sociopathic
heritage of his race and finally secumbs to it under the influence of
his black-magick sword which is a vampiric weapon with a evil mind of
its own. This was a perfect fictional character for the darkness that
followed the era of the flower children, a presage of the current goth
and black metal fads. Moorcock describes himself as an anarchist and is
a controversial literary figure in Britain. He is presently writing a
Dr. Who novel, his first using someone else's character. So if you want
to discover the magick of Michael Moorcock tune in and we'll navigate
the multiverse.
 

An Hour with Magus & Folksinger Lon Milo DuQuette

On Thursday February 26th, 2015 our very special guest will be philosopher, author, Magus, songwriter, and folksinger Lon Milo DuQuette. Lon will discuss his latest books "Homemade Magick" from Llewellyn, and as editor: "Horror and the Occult" from Weiser. He will also invite us all to hear him in concert at the MTG recording
studio in Mission Viejo, California this Saturday night. So if you want to catch up on the latest doings and offerings from one of America's most creative and talented magicians, be sure to listen in.
 

Hieronymus Bosch vs. The Spanish Inquisition

On Thursday February February 12th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host
Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the late medieval Dutch
surrealist painter Hieronymus Bosch whose remarkable works have not yet
become the secret code behind a Dan Brown novel (hint Bro. Dan) but
would certainly provide a great background for such a story. His most
famous work "The Garden of Earthly Delights" is a phantasmagoria a of
bizarre and nightmarish symbolism. Which scholars relate to the Gonostic
sect of the Adamites -- a cult of mystic nudists who were trying to
recreate the Garden of Eden. Super Catholic Spain had taken over the
Netherlands in those days and the Inquisition was burning the Dutch
Adamites as fast as Bosch could paint them but the King of Spain was
Bosch's biggest fan, which probably kept Bosch alive.So you can look at
some great Bosch graphics on your computer while you listen to us
recount the tale of the Devil's painter.
 

Dan Brown’s ”Inferno” and Transhumanism

On Thursday February 5th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on the recent Dan Brown novel "Inferno" and
the the cult of Transhumanism that it seems to advocate. This is a
highly controversial subject and deals with issues that are deeply
challenging from a moral and ethical position. We will also go back to
an earlier novel by H.G. Wells "Men like Gods" which deals with the same
issues and projects a genetically perfected future utopia that seems to
be the goal of the transhumanists. We will compare this form of human
elitism with the process of Hermetic self development and ask ourselves
which way we would rather follow to become "more than human?" So tune in
and find out what's coming in the next 100 years.
 

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha - Melchizedek & Solomon

On Thursday January 29th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion and review on a newly published collection of
Old Testament pseudepigrapha (apocryphal works) edited by Bauckham,
Davila and Panayotov from Erdmans. What makes this 800 page doorstopper
of particular interest to us is "The Legend of Melchizedek" and
Solomon's Hygromancy which is very similar to the medieval Greater Key
of Solomon and may be a later version of the Key's original source. Poke
will be joined by Biblical scholar Frater Solomon who first discovered
this very interesting publication and brought it to our attention. So if
you want to hear about some strange old magical manuscripts that have
just come to light, tune in and we'll delve into this collection.
 

Hermetic Magical Ethics

On Thursday January 22nd, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on Hermetic Magical Ethics. This will be
somewhat controversial in that we will examine the ethical aspects of
Hermetic philosophy in comparison to Christianity and other Gnostic
variations including Crowley's Thelema and Golden Dawn Rosicrucianism.
We will also question the merits of egalitarian collectivism compared to
the American/Masonic work ethic and personal responsibility standards.
We will review our newly adopted Code of Conduct for members of our
magical lodges and explain some of the reasons for establishing these
guidelines. So if you want to know how well-behaved and nice to each
other magicians ought to be, tune in and we will give you our Golden Rules.
 

Action Adventure Novels and Stories by Poke Runyon

On Thursday January 15th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a review and reprise of the host's own writing career as a
novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. After three years in the
Army most in Special Forces, Poke started off in 1965 with Night Jump -
Cuba 1965 followed by Commando X in 1967 and a series of underwater
adventure stories in ARGOSY magazine, on to Hollywood and a short stint
as a screenwriter before getting a real job as a designer and technical
illustrator for Shelby American and on to a career as an industrial artist.
Eventually publishing his own fiction with Drell Master 2001 and From
the Tower of Darkness in 2002 So if you enjoy macho action adventure
stories or ever did, tune in and find out what old Frater Thabion writes
about other than magick.
 

Parzival, The Hermetic Grail Romance

On January 8th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a reprise of the 1977 article in the old Seventh Ray number
nineteen by author Janine Renee titled: Parzival and the Hermetic
Grail. The author researched and wrote this at our request. It forms an
important element in our reconstructed linkage of ancient Phoenician
rituals to early Valentinean Christian Gnosticism and to medieval Grail
lore. The major source for Janine's article is the 1965 "The Krater and
the Grail: Hermetic Sources of the Parzival by Henry and Renee Kahane.
Modern neo-pagans have never lost their fascination for the Holy Grail
quest. The idea that the Grail was originally pagan (The Hermetic
Krater) goes along with the recent revelations of Jesus and Mary
Magdalen and the paganizing of Christianity. So if you want to start on
your own Grail Quest tune in and we will give you directions to to the
Grail Castle Montsalvat.

Canaanite Mythology in Magick

On New Years Day 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a discussion on the importance of Canaanite/Phoenician mythology
in Magick and magical Qabalah and in Solomonic ceremonial magick. We
will explore how it can relate to Alchemy, astrology, and Hermetic
Solarism. We will discuss the Alchemical symbolism of our Cannanite
Seasonal rites and the relation of Canaanite Gods and Goddesses to the
Sumerian and classical Greek Pantheons. So if you want to explore what
lies behind the myth of Solomon being the Master Magician, tune in and
we'll introduce you to the real "oldest religion".

Books and Films that Inspired the O.T.A.

On Christmas night December 25th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke
Runyon will present a special program in which Frater Thabion, your host
and the founder of the Order of the Temple of Astarte, will trace the
books and films that influenced and inspired him to create and develop
his unique American system of Magick. I grew out of the Oz books and
graduated to the Mars books (John Carter) then into a teenage
fascination with Richard Shaver's hi-tech Lemurian survivor stories. I
will go to my 1950s early college days watching films such as Jean
Cocteau's Orpheus, and Orson Welles Black Magic (on Cagliostro and
Mesmer) and move on through to a study of Voodoo in line with my
Caribbean adventurer-fiction writer persona. The Saragossa Manuscript
for Kabbalah and mirror magick, Graves The White Goddess. Then my
illness which I tried to cure with self-hypnosis. This led to a serious
study of hypnosis along with Tibetan Tantra (Evans-Wentz) and finally
Western Magick. Mastering the Goetia with the mirror method led to
Jungian psycho-philosophy and the study of anthropology culminating in a
Master's Degree in the subject from California State University. During
this program I created the modern Hermetically oriented Neo-Canaanite
Seasonal ceremonies for our magical order The Temple of Astarte, The
main purpose of our Goetia was to bring up and reestablish the Secret
Goddess of old King Solomon himself. We use the 1770 Hermetic-Masonic rite of Crata Repoa as a structure for our system and I will discuss the sources behind this. Perhaps some of these books and teachings will help others to understand our perspective on the Western Tradition and what we expect to
accomplish by what we call The Great Work.

The CHS/OTA Mission Statement

On Thursday December 18th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Mission Statement of the Church of the Hermetic Sciences and the Ordo Templi Astartes. This is one of the topics that was discussed at our last Board of Director's Meeting as especially important with our membership increasing and new lodges begin opening around the country. In the magical community we are known as the folks that know how to make ritual magick work, but that in itself is not enough of a reason for people to join us unless they simply want to learn our techniques and methods to use for their own purposes. Frankly, that is not what we are here for and we are not teaching magick so that it can be misused. We consider magick to be a system of mental and spiritual development that leads to what we refer to as enlightenment -- which we define as a close personal relationship with God. We follow a pattern of hermetic mytho-philosophy born in Alexandria in the first century and perfected by the Renaissance neo-platonic/hermetic magi in 14th-15th-16th century Europe culminating in the Rosicrucian tradition. We combine paganisn, Qabalah, astrology and alchemy in line with Jungian psychology in a neo-romantic Quest for the Holy Grail based on a linage of eternal goddesses and dying gods from the time of Melchizedek to the beginnings of Christianity. So, if you have wondered just why we do what we do and where we are going with it, tune in and be enlightened.
 

The Lost Gospel, by Jacobivici and Wilson

On Thursday December 4th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon
will review and discuss the latest controversial book attempting to prove a marriage between Jesus and Mary the Magdalene: "The Lost Gospel" by Simcha Jacobovici and Barrie Wilson. This is basically a reinterpretation of an ancient text, the elaborated story of Joseph and Aseneth from Genesis seen as a coded allegory for Jesus and Mary the Magdalene being married and having a family. They make some very good arguments for this interpretation. Apparently this is not a new idea but this "Lost Gospel" has been speculated as a coded text for hundreds of years. We find it particularly important because it lines up with the
Nassaene Hippolytus document behind our conception of the secret Holy Grail history suggested in From Ritual to Romance. Frater Solomon discovered a link from The Lost Gospel to the Crata Repoa that I find is quite significant. It also seems that Mary the Magdalene (Mary the Lady of the Tower) may have been known to the original Rosicrucians. So if you want to get a Hermetic view on "The Lost Gospel" tune in and we will start decoding.
 

Listener’s Night - Let’s Hear from You

This Thursday November 20th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will have a call-in night for our regular listeners. We are on the air from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm pacific time. Our call in number is: 347 857 1830 so give us a ring and ask about anything we've covered on the air or suggest new topics for us to present. We have been putting out a great deal of interesting magical and occult material latley and we need to know what you think about it. So let's hear from you. We'll try to have our regular guests on also that's Fraters Osiris and Heracles. So it will be a sort of Hermetic chat room.

The Chakras and The Book of Revelation

On Thursday November 13th the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a discussion on the relationship between the mystic roses or chakras of yoga with the Seven Seals of the Book of Revelation in the Bible. This is of special interest to Rosicrucians and the Rosicrucian tradition in our own Inner Order the O.R.C. We will follow the order of the Seven branch candlestick as does the Golden Dawn but we will mention other arrangements, such as suggested by James Pryce (1910) in Apocalypse Unsealed and his current immitator: Zachary Landsdowne, author of "The Revelation of Saint John" (2006). Revelation has been the cornerstone of Christian mystical texts since the first century of the common era. So if you want to discover what those Seven Seals are hiding then tune in
and let's open them up.
 

The O.T.A. does SOMA in Austin and 4th Degrees in Atlanta

On Thursday November 6th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will report on our visit to Austin Texas' Avalon Lodge and participation
in the recent S.O.M.A. magical conference there along with initiations
and our Mot Mass.  The next week we were off to visit Atlantis Lodge
in Atlanta Georgia there to deliver a lecture at the Atlanta Masonic
Center, do another Mot Mass (our Halloween cermony honoring our
ancestors) and confer fourth degree Ordo Rosae Crucis initiations on
our Texas and Georgia Lodge Masters. Very. Honored. Fraters Heracles
Avalon and Osiris Atlantis will both be our call-in guests. Their
hospitality in Texas and Georgia was wonderful and for V.H. Sor. Zandria
and myself it was more like an extended vacation than a fraternal
business trip although we all worked hard to make all these events
successful and rewarding. Members came from all over the United States
to help and participate. We thank you all and consider ourselves honored
by your support. It was a magical adventure we will remember always, so
if you want to catch up on our nation-wide progress be sure to tune in
and be informed.

Hermetic Yoga - Beyond the Middle Pillar

On Thursday October 16th the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present an advance review on his forthcoming book Hermetic Yoga Beyond
the Middle Pillar this is a new offering from CHS/OTA that has been a
long-time in the works. The yoga system described and brought to life in
this book has been practiced by the O.T.A. since 1975 and is an
extension of Israel Regardie's Golden Dawn Middle Pillar exercise
following the Lightning flash going down the spheres from Kether to
Malkuth forming a complete straight line chakra system similar to the
Hidhu system of Laya Yoga, In this case the Spheres of the Tree of Life
are the planets within. this system traces its origin to two German
Rosicrucian mystics Jacob Bohme and Johann Gitchel. The late Frederick
Adams of Feraferia was also working on a similar system and an essay of
his is included Adams also provided the beautiful cover art depicting a
Goddess in the stars. Also included is an essy by Frater Osiris (Michael
S. Downs) linking Hermetic Yoga to The Chemical wedding of Christian
Rosencrutz via Johann Gitchel' s spiral path of the planets in his
natural man drawing which is one of the keys to the Hermetic Yoga
conception. The book will be followed with a deck of Yoga cards which
will enable the practitioner to carry the system in his pocket for
meditation and study. This is going to be a great aid to magick and
spiritual development and provides a vital resource that Western
magicians have needed for centuries. Now we can call on the Gods within
and exercise all of the powers that our oriental colleagues have called
upon for centuries. So if you want to get a head start on the latest
magical tools of empowerment tune in and we'll start warming up for the
session.
 

The Mysterious Naassene Document from Hippolytus

On Thursday October 9th 2014 the hermetic hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the mysterious Naassene document featured in Hippolytus's influential refutation of all brassieres. Everybody loves a secret document especially if it is ancient and reveals secrets, and the good bishop Hippolytus had a real doozie in his purported Naassene Gnostic sermon, which forms chapter five of his marvelous refutation of all heresies which before Nag Hammadi yielded much of our knowledge of what the Gnostics were actually preaching. This Naassene Gnostic sect is according to the good bishop venerating the cosmic serpent hydra draco et all there are several. but they are mainly trying to do is equate the Christian passion and resurrection with a series of ancient dying gods from Osiris Persephone to Adonis Phoenician and Attis Anatolian and establish Jesus as the last of the year kings or green men of antiquity. Fortunately Hippolytus provides us with a full transcript of his copy like Beowulf his original has suffered rewrite by both Jewish and Christian editors in attempts like making Grendal a descendant of Cain to add Old testament prophecy and New Testament symbolism into the otherwise pagan dying god theme.The Naassene document has influenced many modern occult writers For us in the O.T.A. the main inspiration for our seasonal ceremonies besides the Ras Shamrah tablets was Jessie Weston's From Ritual to Romance (1920) which owes much to the Naassenes. So if you want to find out where the Holy Grail's first holy blood came from tune in and we'll open the old bishop's secret book.

Salome’s Dance of the Seven Veils - an Ancient Ritual

On Thursday October 2nd, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on Princess Salome's Dance of the Seven Veils.
which was actually the Phoenician version of Babylonian Ishtar's
descent into the underworld to resurrect the Dying God; in her case
Tammuz, in our case Ba'al Hadad We have used this obviously fact-based
legend to reconstruct Anath's vanquishing the Lord of Death at Autumn
Equinox to revive Prince Ba'al the rain and vegetation god of ancient
Canaan. If you are wondering about where the head of John the Baptist
comes into this, we will solve that mystery also. Our special guest for
this program will be Frater Heracles of our Austin, Texas lodge who just
presented a spectacular Festival of Seven Gates and will give us his
first hand impressions of this revived ancient rite and how it is done
in the 21st century. So, if you want to know where the Dance of the
Seven Veils started -- and is still going -- tune in and chant: "Down
and down the path we go, to the caverns far below!"
 

The Orphic Hymns - Magick’s Oldest Liturgy

On Thursday September 25th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion of The Orphic Hymns which are the Western
Esoteric Tradition's oldest liturgy. These hymns to the planets, the gods and goddesses, the stars and all aspects of ancient Greek mythology were used by the Orphic sect before the Golden Age of Greece, in the days of Pythagoras, to guide the dead souls on their spiritual journey up through the celestial spheres and into the realm of the zodiac and beyond. This was a special and separate aspect of Greek mysticism which had its influence on Pythagoras`, the Gnostics, the Mythraites, and the Italian Renaissance Hermetics. Most rectently Christopher Warnock has included the hymns in his "Planetary Magick." We will concentrate on the 18th century Thomas Taylor translation -- which we use -- and read a Robert Graves poem combining a number of Orphic memorials into a
connected instruction which may have played some part in the Elusinian
Mysteries. So. if you want to know what that strange stuff they sing to harp music accompaniment at the beginning of Seasonals, then tune in and we'll take you back three thousand years.
 

Gnostic Christian Marcus - the First Rosicrucian?

On Thursday September 18th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on the career and contributions of Marcus the Valentinian (died 175 a.d.). Marcus was as much a Hermetic as he was a
Gnostic Christian. The Church Fathers accused him of being more Pythagorean than Christian. He was the developer of the Soma Sophia system of celestial Greek qabalah which we have decoded and perfected (see The Seventh Ray, Book III ) and, according to Kiren Barry Marcus had an influence of the creation of the later Sepher Yetzirah. Marcus developed some of the basic concepts of what became the qabalah. Marcus was a Phonecian, influenced by the earlier Samaritan Simon Magus. Like Simon Marcus had a Priestess whom he venerated as an equal. He gave communion with his priestess by his side and turned water into wine at the altar. The early Church Fathers considered this blasphemous.
Marcus's cult spread from the Middle East to Southern France in the days
before Constantine force-reformed Christianity. So, if you want to explore the most ancient origins of what we call "The Western Tradition," then tune in and we will spend an hour with a man who may have been the first Rosicrucian.

The Chemistry of Alchemy by Cobb, Fetterolf, and Goldwhite

On Thursday September 11th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will review the new book "The Chemistry of Alchemy" by three chemists Cathy Cobb, Monty Fetterolf and Harold Godwhite. The authors are all chemists and chemistry teachers, but they have a fond affection for Alchemy and reveal the Art as their hobby. This is a one-of-a-kind book: an introduction to practical laboratory Alchemy through history from a scientific perspective so that the student learns what alchemical terms really mean ( for instance Mercury can mean any metal in liquid or molten form, and Sulfur is any sulfide) and what the old alchemists were
trying to do and how they actually tried to do it -- and in some cases did it. The book is filled with fascinating experiments that the apprentice can try in his or her kitchen laboratory with the professional chemists' emphasis on safety and with safer substitutes for dangerous materials such as real mercury. They even have a recipe for making what some alchemists thought was The Philosopher's Stone. You will also learn how to make "alchemical gold" good enough to have gotten
you buried alive or burned at the stake in the Middle Ages. Although the authors retain their scientific perspective they have profound respect for the genuine accomplishments of The Art and its venerable adepts. This book is a must-have for anyone who aspires to be a modern alchemist. -- So tune in and we will spend an hour in the laboratory with modern masters of the ancient Art.
 

Shamgar, the Phoenician Judge of Israel

On Thursday September 4th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a discussion on Shamgar, son of the Canaanite War Goddess Anath "who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad and saved Israel "(over a hundred years before Samson) and became a Judge (ruler of all the tribes) of Israel. Shamgar's story is briefly told in the Biblical Book of Judges. Beyond that lies the realm of myth and legend in which it is suggested that Shamgar was a Phoenician pirate called "Tekheleth Tholi." The Purple Dragon based in Tyre and sent by King Abi Milki to aid the Israeites against the Philistines. He joins the host of the Hebrew Judge Ehud, and marries his daughter Jael, who eventually tries to kill him. His ox goad is said to have been a magical weapon forged by
the blacksmith Tubal Cain. The legend is perpetuated in the Gnostic Christian tradition of Marcus from whom we get the Greek Qabalah. Shamgar's exploits should be considered symbolic rather than historic, like the story of Hiram Abiff in Masonry or the Labors of Hercules in Phoenician and Greek astrological lore. If you want to return to the days when Gods and Giants walked the earth, tune in and we'll evoke the shade of Shamgar.
 

Maitreya McClendon Wexler -Avatrix of the Universal Goddess

On Thursday August 28th, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. the Hermetic Hour with host
Poke Runyon will present an interview with one of the New Age's most
enchanting and inspiring spiritual personalities Maitreya McClendon
Wexler. Maitreya was a famous model on the fashion scene, cover girl and
glamorous diva who married a man of great power and influence in the
entertainment industry. With the resources to support her world-wide
quest for spiritual truth from a feminist perspective she traveled from
the Far East to the Amazon seeking the wisdom of the masters to support
her vision of the Divine Feminine -- not the feminine of the anti-female
feminists here at home, but the true power and beauty of the Eternal
Female archetype. Those of us involved with Feraferia can easily
understand this and will relate to Maitreya's vision of the Goddess. She
has collected a marvelous film record of her spiritual adventures which
we can view, and has written and published several books on her vision.
She has established resource centers where like-minded and hearted souls
can come together to study and meditate with her. So, if you would like
to meet her and share an hour with her discussing her experiences and
her offerings to us, tune in and be enchanted.
 

When an Esoteric Society Becomes a Cult

On Thursday August 21st, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time the Hermetic
Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the historical
development of "cultism" in esoteric societies, staring with Baron von Hund's Masonic Strict Observance in the mid 1700s, which in turn influenced Wisehaupt's Illuminati, Blavatsky's Theosophy and even The Golden Dawn with their "Secret Chiefs" and more modern groups we will tactfully leave unmentioned.This is an important issue because the paradigm that began with Strict Observance and was adapted by Blavatsky has since been applied to any esoteric group that has an initiatory structure. So if you want to find out what was and what is behind esoteric cultism, tune in and we will lift the veil.

The Traveling Temple - Initiations on The Road

On Thursday August 14th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon
will present a report on our East Coast initiations and how two officers can, with preparation on both ends, actually confer, rather than communicate, both First and even Second Degree initiations upon qualified candidates in other States. This subject is particularly important in light of our recent growth and the inquiries we receive regarding active membership from people in other States and Canada. So if you want to learn how to invite the traveling Temple to your home, tune in and we'll give you a preview.
 

Feraferian Lammas Celebration with Jo Carson

On Thursday, August 7th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour, with host Poke Runyon, will present a report on the August 2nd Feraferian Lugnasad (Lammas) ceremony that Soror Zandria and Frater Thabion attended as guests of Lady Jo Carson, Avatrix of Feraferia, and her husband John presented at their woodland-surrounded home north of San Francisco, California. The Lugnasad ceremony is described in Fred Adams' "Nine Royal Passions of the Year" as: "The Festival of Fruiting and Beginning of Harvest. The meanderings of the Honeymoon as fruits in scented groves ripen, the breasts of the Goddess swell." Our special guest will be Lady Jo herself who will give us a more profound and intimate description of the event in its idyllic forest setting. Feraferia is the oldest, most elegant and sublime expression of American Neo-Pagan, Goddess centered nature religion. If you are new to this tradition, or if you are already attuned to its enchantment, be sure to join us. 
 

The Magick of the O.T.A. from Gnostica 1977

On Thursday July 24th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a reading of his 1977 article in Gnostica No. 44, "The Magick of
the O.T.A." This article described the philosophy, structure and activities of the Order thirty-seven years ago. You may be surprised to discover how long some of our advanced programs have been operative, such as our unique Hermetic Yoga system, our Celestial Magick Vault and our Magical journal The Seventh Ray. The article is short enough for the author to informally update the information given out at that time. So, if you want to learn where we were and what we did back then, and how we have evolved in the intervening years, tune in and be enlightened.
 

The O.T.A. Method of Astral Time Travel

On Thursday Juky 17th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a discussion on the Order of the Temple of Astarte's unique method of Astral Time Travel. We first conceived and developed this method back in the early 1970s as an outgrowth of our Pathworking program. It has much in common with remote viewing in that a "target area" and, in our case, a time in the past, is selected and mapped. Then a celestial reference point and distance in light years is selected. This data is absorbed and studied. For example: if we want to visit ancient Alexandria (one of our favorite tours) we consult archaeological books with accurate graphic recreations to set the general environment at the time. We can use the overhead mirror or the Soul Door as our launch portal. We can use Kusor's Boat if we are launching through the Soul Door. In either case we will use a constellation rather than a Tattwa for a concentration point on the mirror. This is a second degree practice because previous Pathworking experience is required for it to be effective. It is a deep trance activity and can produce significant results. The more precise, well documented and prepared these operations are, the more impressive they will be. So if you want to read lost books in the Great library you
should at least know what ancient Greek looks like. Tune in and we'll take you on a very long journey. 

The Chemical Wedding, Alchemy, and Hermetic Yoga

On Thursday July 10th, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
continue our discussion of the Western psychic center (chakra) arrangement established by Boehme and Gitchel based on the Qabalah in relation to the Eastern (an adopted Western) sequence based on Alchemy. Again our guest will be Frater Osiris. We will look at the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkrutz and conjecture what the secret "Key" to its symbolism might be. We will examine David Goddard's "Tower of Alchemy" in relation to these themes and attempt to reconcile the practice of both systems. This will be an exploratory symposium which may generate as many questions as it answers, but we at least promise to
stimulate your mind -- so tune in and we will at least try to define the mysteries even if we cannot solve them.
 

Jacob Boehme, Johann Gitchel, and the Western Chakras

On Thursday July 3rd, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will
present a discussion and readings by the host from his forthcoming book
"Hermetic Yoga, Beyond the Middle Pillar." This will be an important
advance preview in our series on modern Hermetic practical magick. We
will trace the concept and the development of this tantric yoga of the
West from its origins in Ancient Alexandria starting with the
Orphic-Pythagorean "Music of the Spheres" through the astrological Soma
Sophia and the Alchemical "Ladder of Metals." We will show how the
blending of the Hebrew Kabbalah, with its Tree of Life and Adam Kadmon
concepts, into the Rosicrucian Hermetic expression led German mystics
Jacob Boehme and his follower Johann Gitchel to conceive of a Western
chakra arrangement similar to that used in the East. A short version of
this technique survived as the Golden Dawn's "Middle Pillar" ritual. Now
we can reconstruct and operate the full system. So if you want to bring
power down the Lightning Flash and activate all your mystic roses in the
Western manner, tune in and we'll raise the Dragon.
 

Abraham Merritt, the Grand Master of Magical Fantasy

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.
 

Secrets of Sufi Freemasonry

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.
 

The Magical Multiverse

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.
 

Negative vs. Positive Gnosis - from Gnostica no. 40, 1976

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.
 

The Music of Pythagoras by Musicologist Kitty Ferguson

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.
 

The Hermetic Link by Jacob Slavenburg

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.)
 

Beyond Lemuria, Second Edition - The Simultane

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.