The Hermetic Hour

Latest Episodes:

"The Dear Departed," a Magical Romance by Ann Finnin Mar 04, 2016

Show notes

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 Feb 26, 2016

Show notes

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.

Magick and Politics (re-broadcast) Feb 19, 2016

Show notes

On Thursday the Hermetic Hour, with host Poke Runyon, will present a discussion on Magick and Politics. This is a controversial, difficult and delicate subject, but one of crucial importance that needs to explored and understood by everyone who belongs to a magical group, lodge, coven or order -- or is considering joining such an organization. We will cover the influence of Theosophy, and its distortions that influenced Nazism. The anti-occult, anti-Neo-Pagan bias that followed WW II, the danger of being tagged as a "racist" group, the problem with illegal drugs, and under-age sex in connection with occult-pagan activities. The problem with "Satanism" and the great 1990s Satanic Witch Hunt. The problem with raising children in Pagan homes. The problem of diminishing privacy and personal freedoms, especially the freedom of association. We will look beyond "Right Wing-Left Wing," "Democratic" buzz words into the reality of our diminishing freedoms under both liberal and conservative administrations -- and how we, as magicians can preserve our traditions and our practices in a "politically correct" world. Tune in and find out how to avoid what no one expects.....The Spanish Inquisition!

Curtis Shumaker - Science Fiction and Magick (re-broadcast) Feb 12, 2016

Show notes

On the Hermetic Hour, host Poke Runyon will introduce Professor Curtis Shumaker who teaches English literature at Cal State and specializes in the study of science fiction. Curtis is also an occultist and a Masonic scholar. He will discuss the recent book on occult writers in literature "The Dark Muse" (recently reviewed in The Seventh Ray) and the concept of the "Weird" as a manifestation of an incomprehensible, irrational universe, as opposed to a "supernatural" universe where everything follows the rules of magick -- which seem reasonable in their own context. We will touch on Lovecraft's scientific/magical mythology, moving on to the later writers in the Lovecraft cycle: Fritz Leiber ("Our Lady of Darkness"), Matheson, Charles Beaumont, Jack Williamson ("Darker Than You Think") and even a Jungian perspective on GD/Crowley type magick. -- So, get your note books ready to write down some books you'll want to read.

Sir Francis Younghusband - Soldier and Mystic Feb 05, 2016

Show notes

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 Jan 29, 2016

Show notes

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 Jan 22, 2016

Show notes

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 Jan 15, 2016

Show notes

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 Jan 08, 2016

Show notes

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!

The Magick of Feraferia Today With Poke and Jo (re-broadcast) Jan 01, 2016

Show notes

The Hermetic Hour for Thursday with host Poke Runyon, will focus on Feraferia, and recent DVDs, books and ceremonies in that wonderful Pagan-magical tradition. Our very special guest will be Feraferia's avatrix (that's a female avatar) Jo Carson calling in from her northern California woodland retreat where she and her Feraferians have established a beautiful, rustic Feraferian library. Jo describes "FiFi" thus: "Although a small group, Feraferia has been a founding inspiration in the resurgence of Western paganism since the 'sixties. Fred Adams and Svetlana Butryn created Feraferia to be , in their words, "a Paradisal Fellowship for the loving celebration of Wilderness Mysteries with Faerie style, courtly elegance, refinement and grace... The Great Work of Feraferia is the lyrical unification of Ecology, Artistry, Mythology and Liturgy. Feraferia offers a Poetic Liturgy and Altruistic Theurgy of Holy Wilderness" Feraferia has been featured in many books, which may seem surprising since it is such a small group. Feraferia is primarily a faerie faith, meaning the Earth, embodies as the Magic Maiden, or the Merrie Maiden - a youthful girl goddess whose time has finally come." --- So, tune in and find out how Goddess-worshiping Neo-Paganism got started in America, and how it is still going. Evoe Kore!

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