The Hermetic Hour

Latest Episodes:

Enochian Aethyrs - Facing Choronzon (re-broadcast) May 20, 2022

Show notes

As most of our active and Associate Members know we are mainly focused on Solomonic Ceremonial magick, but we also use the Aethyr System from Dee and Kelly’s Enochian corpus, which provides us with an operative alternative when the Moon is not well aspected for Goetia. The Aethyr System, originally called “Terrestrial Victory” and was a thirty-level spherical model of the Universe with the Earth in its center and the Aeythrs or Heavens (Gnostic Aeons originally) surrounding and expanding from the terrestrial center like the layers of an onion with the lowest as number 30 TEX rising on up to LIL as number one enclosing the outer limit of the circular universe. All of these levels are related to the Four Elemental Tablets, called The Watchtowers which relate to the celestial sphere and are positioned around the magic circle. Each of these Aethyrs have angelic governors whose sigils are outlined on the tablets. This is derived from Kamea Magic. The Aethyrs themselves derive from Valentinian Gnosticism, and the Book of Revelation The Magicians who explore these astral realms will activate the tablets, with Enochian Calls, and then scry into an orb on the altar within the magic circle. You can see this in our introductory video “The Rites of Magick.” We have discussed this on the Hermetic hour before but tonight we are going to go much deeper into the mysteries and paradoxes of this powerful system of magic. So, if you want to learn how to open Pinhead’s (Choronzon’s) Box tune in and chant with us: Zacar od Zamran!

The Tomb of Prester John, Chapters Six and Seven May 13, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday May 12th, 2022, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will continue with a dramatc reading of Poke's Magical adventure novel The Tomb of Prester John reading Chapters Five,Six and Seven. This sequence is one of the most exciting and revealing episodes in the story. We follow Sophie and Doc in their exploration of the eerie catacombs under the Biblical Christian Church of Thyatria in Akhisar Turkey. From the museum where they meet Graduate Anthropology student Ioanna Erzan who guides them to the catacombs. They find the Tomb of Theodas Jezebel's bishop and Sophie is entranced by his mummified body. They find a huge gallery with a skylight that floods the vault with moonlight. Doc sets up the Lamp of Truth and Sophie Draws Down the Moon and performs her sacred dance in the nude with the Lamp of Truth illuminating the chakras tattooed on her body. At the climax of her dance she collapses in Doc's arms. And they hear applause from From Khalil ibn Iblis and his terrorists who have been watching the performance. They are holding Iaonna Erzan as a hostage. But before they can capture Doc and Sophie, a Flash Bang grenade announces the arrival of Colonel Renda and Turkish Special Forces rappeling down through the skylight. Using Ioanna Erzan as a hostage shield Khalil and his men escape.But Renda says "We fed her a cookie, so they won't get far." Unfortunately Khalil detects the cookie and Ioanna is murdered. Doc and Sophie return to their hotel to spend the rest of the night under guard, where Doc has to hypnotize her to recover the secrets she learned from Channeling Jezebel. They learn the real secret of Christ's crucifixion and the origin of Prester John's treasure. And Doc discovers the Secret of the Lamp of Truth. So join us for high adventure and some amazing revelations.

Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce (re-broadcast) May 06, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday May 18th, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss "Astral Dynamics" (2009) by Robert Bruce. Robert Bruce is an Australian writer not to be confused with the Scottish "Robert the Bruce". In Astral Dynamics Bruce has delivered what may well be the best practical manual on Astral Projection (OBEs and similar phenomenon) since Ophiel's "The Art and Practice of Astral Projection" (1961). Of course I must admit that I have a special interest in this book because Bruce describes, validates and teaches methods and techniques that we use in our magical instructions and training. His description of the chakras (psychic centers) is virtually in-line with our Western Middle Pillar system and his Third Eye projection is very much like ours. He describes projecting into paintings and projecting from Lucid Dreaming states. His energy work techniques are very Bardonian and his description of the Astral Planes is in line with our experiences. All considered this is a great book and we highly recommend it. So Turn on, tune in and pop-out!

Lucifer Princeps by Peter Grey (re-broadcast) Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday May 11th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review "Lucifer Princeps" (2015) by Peter Grey. This book is quite different in style from its predecessor "The Red Goddess" which, although well-researched, explored the background and origins of Aleister Crowley's "Babalon" in a popular style. Lucifer Princeps however is a scholarly work and might even be an academic dissertation or thesis edited for the lay reader. Being an academic work it suffers from the assumption that the reader is familiar with the material that the writer is working from. Fortunately this corpus is mostly Biblical and Apocryphal but he cross references other mythologies. Nevertheless the book is a wonderful resource and a great contribution to the Western Esoteric Tradition. He starts with Isaiah's lament and curse as the beginning of the Lucifer's Fall from Heaven story. This sets the stage for a parade of sources from ancient Sumerian and Canaanite mythology. We learn about the first ascent to Heaven by the Sumerian king Etana, and then the Canaanite god Athar who tries to sit on Baal's throne. We learn that the Yahwehists hated the pagan gods of the heavens and that the War in Heaven was actually Yahweh against El and the Elohim. Lucifer is finally revealed as our old friend Semyaza (Semhaza), the leader of the 200 Fallen Angels from the original Book of Enoch. The author concludes his work by offering us a mini-grimoire of Semhaza and his 20 officers, leaving us the job of obtaining their sigils -- which we will certainly do. So if you want get a head start on this project, tune in and give a listen.

The Tomb of Prester John, Chapters 5 and 6 Apr 22, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday April 21st, The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Five and Six of the magical adventure novel. In these chapters we will follow Doc Roland and his beautiful lady archaeologist partner Sophie Iskandar as they continue their quest for the vast treasure of of the legendary Priest King. In these episodes they visit the museum in Akhisar, modern city of biblical Thyatria, and then explore the catacombs under the ruins of Jezebel's church. With the ancient magick lantern called the Lamp of Truth, Sophie dances under the full moon to channel Jezebel's spirit -- revealing her incredible secret. In the process Doc discovers the secret of the Lamp of Truth. They return to their hotel and again meet Colonel Renda of Turkish Security forces who informs them they are involved in the gruesome murder of a female Turkish college student. This is a magical tale on the James Bond and Indiana Jones model. Join us for High Adventure.

The Red Goddess by Peter Grey (re-broadcast) Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday May 4th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss "The Red Goddess" (2007) and "Lucifer Princeps" (2015) by Thelemic magician Peter Grey. The Red Goddess is devoted to establishing the history and mystique of the Thelemic composite pagan goddess "Babalon", which he correctly derives from Ishtar and Astarte. This evolution is for the most part well-researched and well reasoned from a Thelemic perspective, although Grey is critical of Crowley and seems to think that Babylon is too good for the Beast. Most importantly he supports the Divine feminine in magical religion. In "Lucifer Princeps" he does the same for Lucifer on the male side of the magical religious pantheon. In this case he works from Isaiah back to the Book of Enoch, correctly concluding that Lucifer was originally Semyaza and of Canaanite origin. With the exception of his interest in Simon Magus Grey seems to ignore the early Christian Gnostic contributions to Magick but his books are nonetheless readable and thought provoking -- so tune in and we shall look at our magical history through a glass darkly.

Lucifer's Court by Otto Rahn, Part 2 of 2 (re-broadcast) Apr 08, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday April 2Oth, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will continue to review and discuss the modern English (2004) translation of Otto Rahn's 1937 Lucifer's Court. This was Rahn's travel journal from Southern France to Iceland when he researched his personal quest to solve the mystery of the Holy Grail as described in the Medieval romance Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach. Rahn believed that the Medieval Cathars -- the Gnostic Heretics who were wiped out by the Roman Catholic Albigensian Crusade in the 1300s, were the keepers of the Grail. In this instalment we will get into the possible Persian Manichean origin of Parzival (Aryan of course) and Rhan's fascination with Hercules and the Argonauts legends (also Aryan) We will also discuss Nigel Graddon's 2008 Bio on Rahn and his rundown on all of our favorite Nazi Spook Books influenced by Rahn's quest. So tune in and we will follow the shadow of the swastika from Southern France to Tibet and back again.

Lucifer's Court by Otto Rahn, Part 1 of 2 (re-broadcast) Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday April 13th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss the modern English (2004) translation of Otto Rahn's 1937 Lucifer's Court. This was Rahn's travel journal from Southern France to Iceland when he researched his personal quest to solve the mystery of the Holy Grail as described in the Medieval romance Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach. Rahn believed that the Medieval Cathars -- the Gnostic Heretics who were wiped out by the Roman Catholic Albigensian Crusade in the 1300s -- were the keepers of the Grail and that they were devotees of Lucifer. He was very favorable to Nazi Aryan race theories and was invited to join Himmler's SS. Rahn's veneration of Lucifer as the God of the Medieval French and German heretics may be the main source of what has been called Nazi Satanism. Lucifer was actually another name for Semyaza, the leader of the Fallen Angels in the Book of Enoch. We will try to sort out the errors in Otto Rahn's work and give him credit where credit is due. In spite of his political incorrectness he was an intrepid anthropologist and folklorist and his book is a fascinating read for those interested in the occult history of Europe. So tune in and we will explore the castles and caverns of the lost land of the Troubadours in search of the Holy Grail.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail (re-broadcast) Mar 25, 2022

Show notes

On Thursday March 30th the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon (or Roygnon) will review and discuss the 1982 Bestseller "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. This is the book that generated "The Da Vinci Code" and is the first mainstream modern speculation on Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene and possibly having heirs who become The Grail Family and, according to the author's become the magical, holy bloodline of the Legendary Merovingian dynasty of French Kings in the days of King Arthur. This bloodline is perpetuated and protected by a medieval secret society that still exists in modern France, The Priory of Sion (Zion). The book is a door-stopper and not very well organized. They try to make it read like a detective story rather than a straight forward documentary presentation. Unless you are fascinated by the subject you may get bogged down with all the mystery before you reach the solution -- but if you stick with it the overall effect is convincing. And to devout Christians perhaps shocking. There are some problems, not with the idea of the Grail family. That is very well presented, but with the authenticity of the Priory of Sion itself. Yes there was one back in medieval times -- but is today's fraternity and its family leadership directly connected to the early medieval Merovingians? In any case the book is a great introduction to this fascinating subject. It certainly got me to looking into my old French antecedents. I discovered the Merovingian "golden bees" on the Roygnon family crest and began to wonder if I had a little of this magical blood? I recall Hamlet said: "To bee or not to bee." I wonder if he was Merovingian. Tune in and we'll explore the mystery of the Grail Family.

The Fort Worth Masons Interview Poke Runyon Mar 18, 2022

Show notes

On February 27th, 2022 The Host of the Hermetic Hour was the call-in guest of Masonic brothers At the Fort Worth, Texas Masonic Lodge's weekly Pod cast. Poke was interviewed by the Master, Worshipful brother Gabriel, who was very knowledgeable on esoteric subjects and asked me some very provocative questions. We covered everything from my childhood, through, spearfishing, scuba diving, special forces, Novel and screen writing and the illness that got me into magick -- through self-hypnosis -- and on then into anthropology, while doing the Golden Dawn and witchcraft, writing my Master's Thesis on Magick -- after which I did The entire Masonic program. Master Gabriel asked me: "After all those other traditions how did Masonry affect You?" -- "I'll be honest with with you, I Told him, I thought these Muggels couldn't show me anything; but they totally blew me away! The Third degree was awesome." I realized that I had been hit with the full force of a Three Hundred year old Egregore (collective spirit)Master Gabriel came in at that point for a Fuller more philosophical explanation of the term. We continued discussing magick,the nature of spirits,the Golden Dawn, astrology, Kabbalah and even reincarnation -- all in all it was a very enjoyable hour and a half with a lot of very stimulating conversation. I'll be responsible for what I said and nothing I said reflects official Masonic teaching or doctrine. Thanks to Bros. Billy and Wor. Bro. Gabriel for letting us rebroadcast it.

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