Explore every episode of the podcast The Hermetic Hour

This Thursday, May 20th, the Hermetic Hour will feature the conclusion of Prince Aqhat and the Magick Bow, preceded by a brief synopsis of the story thus far, and followed by a brief commentary. We will then take calls (if any) and answer questions about Prince Aqhat, or magick in general. In the last quarter of the hour Poke Runyon will read excerpts from various articles that will appear in the new Seventh Ray, number three, "The Green Ray." That will be published some time this summer --- So, tune in (at 8:00 p.m.Thursday), turn on, and get magick!

Tune in to hear Poke Runyon read the second of three installments of his historical novelette, "Prince Aqhat and the Magick Bow."

On Thursday June 20th, 2024 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Eight and Nine of the magical adventure novel: The Tomb of Prester John. We will pick up the story in Thyatria home of the Biblical Jezebel, modern Akhisar in Turkey where Doc Roland and beautiful Sophie Eskandar have just recovered and translated the mysterious letter from Prester John. They are rescued from ibn Iblis the Terrorist by Turkish Colonel Renda and make plans with him to find Prester John's legendary Tomb and treasure. They are being stalked from satellites by a Globalist master mind who seeks the treasure for his own evil ends. This is an up to the minute Indiana Jones, James Bond high-tech magical adventure. Don't miss it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Thursday August 17 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review and discussion of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 science fiction novel Starship Troopers and the 1997 film version. Poke will be joined by Max Paul (Frater SithMeth)in the discussion of this controversial cult classic. Set in a future interstellar time period where Earth is the center of a Federation (similar to Star Trek) With a government which appears to be based on Plato's Republic. The Earth is attacked by a race of intelligent insects who control meteors as weapons of mass destruction. The Federation must fight to survive. The story of the war is told from the viewpoints of young people who join the military, serving in all branches. They come together in the climax in a final battle which turns the tide in favor of the Federation.The Federation is presented as an authoritarian state that appears superficially fascist, more so in the film than in the novel. Actually its concepts of Citizenship are more socialist than fascist. Heinlein was a liberal democrat who had come to believe that liberal democracy had failed. Like J.F.Kennedy he seemed to be saying: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country." As a former paratrooper, this is one of my favorite novels and films. I hope you enjoy our exploration of this Classic.

On Thursday January 25th, 2018 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will re-visit and review the 1950 science fiction novel “Wine of the Dreamers” by John D. MacDonald (1918-1986) This was his first science fiction novel. MacDonald went on to become one of America’s best Detective Story writers. “Wine of the Dreamers” set twenty-five years in the future (1975) the story interweaves two sets of characters on two different planets. The director of an early United States space program Bard Lane, and his staff psychiatrist Sharan Inly on Earth and Raul Kinson and his sister Leesa on the distant planet of the Dreamers. The Dreamers are the decadent descendants of the original human race. Millions of years ago they colonized Earth and two other planets in other solar systems. They maintain contact with the colony worlds, including Earth, by the use of long-range telepathic dream-machines. They call themselves “The Watchers” and they have a prime directive: To keep the colony worlds from developing space travel. And the dreamers do this by demonic possession sabotaging space programs such as the one Bard Lane and Sharan are managing in New Mexico. But the dreamers have degenerated to the point where they no longer believe that the people on the other worlds whom they possess have any real reality. They think they are creations of their dream machines for their entertainment. Very much like our video games. So the dreamers can create mayhem and chaos for amusement. However Raul Kinson is a throwback to an earlier age. He knows the truth and wants to help Bard and Sharan. The end result of this alliance of the minds between the worlds makes for a fascinating sequence of what-ifs – so if you want to find out who is watching and listening between your ears, from beyond the stars, tune in and we’ll go back to a future that never was but might yet be coming.

On November 2nd, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Biblical mystery man Melchizedek who appears in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and later in the New Testament. Melchizedek literally means King and Priest or Priest-King. He was said to have given the first communion to Abraham in the days before Joseph became a leader in Egypt. Although legendary he was said to have established an order of priesthood to rival that of Moses brother Aaron. He represented the original Canaanite god El ("the most High God") whereas Aaron's priesthood was that of Moses' Jehovah (Yahweh). After the Babylonian captivity Ezra attempted to overwrite all references to El in the Bible and make Jehovah the supreme being. The New testament declares twice that Jesus the Nazarene is a priest after the Order of Melchizedek -- We will look at this in relation to the Egyptian and Phoenician situation at the time and later Gnostic Christian writings. So if you want to do some Biblical detective work tune in and we'll solve the mystery.

This last weekend, July 22nd through the 24th, The Ordo Hermeticus Mysteriorum held its long postponed (due to the pandemic) conclave at Mt, Shasta Resort, Mt, Shasta, California. Attending were nearly thirty officers of the Order (R.R. et A.C.) Led by worshipful Paul Clark and Gracious Lady Cindy Forbes. Guest Speakers were Right Worshipful Kevin Townley (author of 'The Cube of Space") Chic and Tabatha Cicero (noted Golden Dawn authorities) worshipful Merrick Rees Hamer (G.D. Temple Chief, C.H.S. Vice President and Phylos in BEYOND LEMURIA, which was shown on the 24th) and Carroll "Poke" Runyon (Frater Thabion, OTA Magister and President of C.H.S., writer and producer of BEYOND LEMURIA). Poke's Lecture "Hermetic Yoga" was assisted by "The Head" created by V.H. Frater SithMeth (Max Paul) which is shown above with the event coffee cup and the rose given to us by Wor. Paul Clark.           The text of the lecture follows and will be presented on the Hermetic Hour this week and then, with the power point illustrations included became a video on the Ordo Templi Astartes You Tube channel.

On Thursday June 23rd, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will reappraise and read from the Hermetic classic  "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, first published in 1533 in Latin. This master work has been the foundation study of Hermetic science, Magick and mysticism for nearly 500 years. It is divided into three sections, or books:  The Natural World, The Celestial World, and The Divine World. The first, The Natural World dealt with The Hermetic Elements, the second The influence of The Heavens, Stars and Planets upon human affairs and events and the third the Divine World, dealt with the spiritual sciences of Magick and Qabalah. Unfortunately many students get these volumes as a reference work. Agrippa intended it to be read and studied from beginning to end as one continuous and contiguous work. The Hermetic Elements of the Natural World are reflected in the Celestial World, and spiritually empowered and directed from The Divine World. We will demonstrate this with selected readings from the first Volume. We will be reading from the newly translated 1533 Latin edition from Inner Traditions translated by Eric Purdue. So if you want an old fashioned introduction to wizardry, tune and we'll start you on the path.

On Thursday October 12th the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon and special guest Frater Soun of Ubar will discuss the mythical Labours of Hercules in relation to the Hermetic tradition. We will develop the background of the myth evolving from Babylon's Gilgamesh through Melqart of Phoenician Tyre into the ancient Greek hero myth so often seen in films and television. We will look at works by Manley Hall, Albert Pike, Robert Graves, Alice Bailey and especially the French author Charles Francois Dupuis (1742-1809) who seems to be the only scholar who has sequenced the twelve labours in proper Zodiacal order. The labours of Hercules are a chart of the souls journey through a cycle of lifetimes. They represent the great wheel of birth and death and are considered one of the Keys to the mysteries. So If you want to follow the big guy with the lion skin and the club tune in and we'll go adventuring.

On Thursday October 5th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon joined by Frater Soun, Magister of Ubar Lodge in Dallas, will air a discussion on the evolution of the the Solar Hero in mythology from the Sumerian Gilgamesh who was the model for the Phoenician Melqart, who in turn inspired the Greek Heracles. Gilgamesh is a four thousand year old epic adventure story which circulated throughout the whole Middle East with copies found among the Hittites and the Canaanites. Even as Ishtar and Tammuz were translated into Astarte and Ba'al, and subsequently became Aphrodite and Adonis. Gilgamesh like Hercules slays a lion, a bull, a giant and many-headed monster. His victories and Hercules' labours are seen as representing the sun's yearly progress through the signs of the Zodiac. So tune in and we'll go back to the  days of myth and legend and make our way through "The Circle of the Beasts" as the Zodiac was originally called.

On Thursday September 7th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a follow-up to our previous review of "Sekret Machines" (2017) by Tom DeLonge and A.J. Hartley. In this program we will look at their major source work: "Insiders Reveal Secret Space Programs & Extraterrestrial Alliances" (2015) by Michael E. Salla, Ph.D. and his (2017) sequel "The U.S. Navy Secret Space Program & Nordic Extraterrestrial Alliance." These books and the plot of Sekret Machines are primarily based on the revelations of the age regressed whistle blower Corey Goode and other former U.S. Navy and Air Force operatives in a parallel secret advanced Space Program with alleged bases on the Moon and Mars. We will also examine Tom DeLonge and Peter Lavenda's (2017) book "Gods, Man and War" which establishes the historical and anthropological validity of the Ancient Alien and UFO connection without evoking secret space program conspiracies. So if you want to return to the absolute elsewhere for another hour, tune-in and we will have both a critical and a sympathetic look at this phenomenon.

On Thursday August 31st the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review of the recent best selling novel: "Sekret Machines - Chasing Shadows" by Tom DeLonge and A.J. Hartley. This book purports to be The Truth about "The Phenomenon" (UFOs, Ancient Aliens, the Nazi Bell et alia) presented as fiction. It is very effective as a Dean Koontz-Dan Brown style multiple-viewpoint thriller. Readers will at first believe that this is a novelized version of the "X-Files" t.v. series but the final chapter proves that the 1940s Shaver Mystery by Raymond A. Palmer and Richard S. Shaver was the real inspiration for this project. We do not say this to discredit Sekret Machines but rather to recommend it. So if you want to spend an hour in the Absolute Elsewhere, tune in and we will take the elevator down to the "deep utilities" and visit with the Deros who run The New World Order.

On Thursday June 23rd, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will reappraise and read from the Hermetic classic  "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, first published in 1533 in Latin. This master work has been the foundation study of Hermetic science, Magick and mysticism for nearly 500 years. It is divided into three sections, or books:  The Natural World, The Celestial World, and The Divine World. The first, The Natural World dealt with The Hermetic Elements, the second The influence of The Heavens, Stars and Planets upon human affairs and events and the third the Divine World, dealt with the spiritual sciences of Magick and Qabalah. Unfortunately many students get these volumes as a reference work. Agrippa intended it to be read and studied from beginning to end as one continuous and contiguous work. The Hermetic Elements of the Natural World are reflected in the Celestial World, and spiritually empowered and directed from The Divine World. We will demonstrate this with selected readings from the first Volume. We will be reading from the newly translated 1533 Latin edition from Inner Traditions translated by Eric Purdue. So if you want an old fashioned introduction to wizardry, tune and we'll start you on the path.  

On Thursday August 17th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon is honored to present a review and discussion on the new book of magical fiction "Stories of Magic and Enchantment" by William Mistele, with the author as our guest. This book is handsomely published by Falcon Books, a new publisher in the field. As regular listeners will recall, we have supported Bill Mistele from the beginning of his writing and publishing career, having had him on as a guest with his first book "Undines" (2010). This was followed by "Mermaids, Sylphs, Gnomes, and Salamanders" in 2012. As you might suppose Bill is very much into Franz Bardon's Hermetic Elemental personifications. He writes from a deep empathy for sacred nature and its spirits, encountering them in human form as magicians often do. He favors the feminine spiritual perspective. His stories are remarkably free from the usual horror and conflict we associate with supernatural fiction. We might say they are totally opposite to Lovecraft, while being lovingly crafted. Bill has a degree in philosophy and has spent years studying and meditating with Buddhist and Taoist teachers. He finally devoted himself to the Bardonian system of magic and has more books in the works. So, if you would like to meet a true magical maestro and learn about his visionary work, tune in and be enchanted.

On Thursday July 20th,2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the dramatic conclusion of Shamgar, the Purple Dragon by Poke Runyon. The first part of this Biblical adventure was aired on September 4th, 2014's Hermetic Hour and has remained unfinished until the original manuscript was rediscovered. Now we can complete this Cecil B. DeMillish Biblical epic from the Book of Judges. Shamgar's saga recounts how a Phoenician Pirate who claimed to be descended from Pagan Gods, becomes a Judge of Israel and battles the Philistines, slaying them with an ox goad years before Samson used the jawbone of ass. Shamgar almost becomes Israel's first King but his magical ox goad is passed down to a future contender at the beginning of the common era. So if you want to enjoy the Old Testament from a Canaanite perspective, tune in and join us as Shamgar rides again.  

On Thursday May 26th, 2022 The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon and guest Maximilian Paul will review and discuss Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s tour-d-force horror novel “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward” written in 1927 and published posthumously in 1941. This macabre epic has influenced the works of Stephen King and Clive Barker and has inspired two film versions, which we will also review and discuss. The Charles Dexter Ward story deals primarily with traditional supernatural themes: Alchemy, Necromancy, Medieval black magic, vampirism and demonic possession. The central character Charles Dexter Ward is a young scholar in Providence Rhode Island in the 1920s who becomes fascinated with the history of his notorious 17th century ancestor Joseph Curwen. The wizard Curwen had moved from Salem to Providence to avoid the witchcraft trails in 1699. He was an alchemist fascinated with a necromantic version of palinogenesis; raising the dead from their cremated remains. He with two equally sinister European sorcerers began grave robbing; collecting the remains of dead sages and scientists to learn their secrets. They also discovered secrets of immortality. This worked against Curwen in Providence where he showed no signs of age for forty years. He did manage to marry so as to leave a bloodline so that he could return – which he did in1928 when he possessed his great-great grandson Charles Dexter Ward through a strange portrait in his old house which young Ward had moved into. Young Ward is possessed by Curwen and eventually finds his grave and brings him back to life. But Old Curwen then murders young Charles and usurps his modern identity. However the Ward family physician Dr. Willet, and Ward’s father have Curwen (believing him to be Ward) committed to an Insane asylum. And that is where the story begins. So stay with us for all the inner secrets of what many consider to have been Lovecraft’s best horror novel.

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!

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.

On Thursday June 6th,2024 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss the new expanded Second Edition of "Celebrate Wildness, Magic, Myth and Love on the Feraferian Path" with author Jo Carson, president of Feraferia, Inc. America's first and still foremost nature and goddess venerating Neo-Pagan tradition. Lady Jo will be our call-in guest. The beautifully illustrated book is now on sale at < pokerunyon.com > for $45.00 free-shipping in U.S. Lady Jo is an award-winning film maker and creator of the Feraferian documentary video: "Dancing with Gaia" which is also carried in our bookstore. The book and the video can be bought together for $55.00. The late Frederick Adams has been called the American William Blake. He was a wonderful artist and magician. Join us and celebrate the goddess. Evoe! Kore!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On Thursday March 10th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of Chapters Four and Five of his magical adventure novel The Tomb of Prester John. This will be of particular interest to those seeking to understand the origins of the Gnostic Mass and its roots in Valentinian and Simonic Gnostic traditions. Doc Roland's Lady archaeologist partner, a belly dancing former Scarlet Woman, channels both the spirits of Jesus's Mary Magdalene and Simon's Helen in their quest to find the Tomb of the medieval warrior priest king, while being stalked by her former lover Khalil Ibn Iblis, the Gnostic priest turned terrorist assassin. The Tomb of Prester John is a novel that delivers magical secrets in fiction form. In this episode you will discover that Gurdjieff's enneagram is the entrance to the Ninth Gate, that Jehovah is Popeye, and that The Gnostic Mass was originally Christian. So come with us on a quest for the Tomb of Prester John.

On Thursday March 16th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss Joseph P. Farrell's 2014 book "Thrice Greatest Hermetica and the Janus Age".This is a confusing title for a sometimes confusing book, but it is still worth our attention. Basically it outlines an historical conspiracy theory that goes this way: The Medieval Knights Templar (the first military industrial and international banking conglomerate) in collusion with the Republic of Venice launch a Roman Catholic Crusade allegedly aimed at Palestine but deflected to Constantinople to destroy and loot the Byzantine Greek Orthodox half of the old Roman Empire. The Templars are okay with this but when the greedy Pope sicks them on the Gnostic Christians (Cathars) in their own home turf, Southern France, they back out. The Cathars are destroyed. The Pope's buddy the King of France asks a loan from the Templars, they refuse him, so he and the Pope turn on them and destroy them in France. But they survive in Scotland, England and elsewhere. and they are still allied with wealthy Venice. They are an underground network, Meanwhile the Roman Church allies with Genoa, Florance and Spain. The Venetians and the Templars make it to America before Columbus (a Genoavian-Spanish agent) but Columbus plants the Spanish flag. The Templars and Venetians infiltrate England with a culture war -- infusing the English (Dee, Fludd and Shakespeare) with Hermeticism and the proxy war for the New World is on. Drake, Morgan et allia against the Spanish. What a plot! Sounds crazy but Joe has a PhD from Oxford in Medieval Church history so he is worth reading on subjects like this. Tune in and we'll check it out.

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 Bro. Billy and Wor. Bro. Gabriel for letting us rebroadcast it. 

On Thursday February 24, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with Host Poke Runyon will continue reading his magical adventure novel "The Tomb of Prester John". Thus far we have followed archaeologists Doc Roland and Sophie Iskandar, working for the CIA think tank Myth Tech searching for the legendary Tomb of Prester John and the fabulous treasure it holds. In these new episodes they fly to Berlin to discover the coded secrets in Prester John's letter to Frederick Barbarossa. Then off to Turkey where they team up with Nuri Renda an agent of the Turkish MIT and are stalked by Sophie's sinister terrorist boyfriend Khlil ibn Iblis. So tune in for cloak and dagger thrills.

On Thursday February 17th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will discuss and review the current trend in Fantasy novels involving themes and characters from The Arabian Nights mainly the Jinn which King Solomon imprisoned in his sealed jars. A few weeks ago Poke had been putting together a show dealing with The CITY of BRASS from Burton's version of the Nights, citing it as an inspiration for many classic fantasy adventure stories. But then he discovered that an American Lady author, Shannon Chakraborty,  had in fact published a magical novel called The City of Brass in 2017. So he decided to postpone the show until he had read her book. He then discovered another British author Jonathan Stroud who had a series of Jinn fantasies called The Bartimaeus Triology launched in 2003 which he needed to catch up on.  And while we are at it we might as well throw in the old Victorian classic Vatheck by William Beckford (1893). So, if you would like to take a ride on a magic carpet, tune in and we'll be off.

On Thursday March 9th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar Winning 1976 motion picture Network. Network is a scathing satire on the intellectual and moral corruption of American Television networks, especially their News Departments. Much of the corruption Network presents was just beginning to come about in 1976, but was fully in place by the 1980s according to Dave Itzkoff in his book “Mad as Hell” 2014, and is presently erupting in the Network News Media's efforts to actually support the overthrow of the elected government of the United States of America. The focus of the 1976 film is t.v. Anchorman Howard Beale who is about to be fired for low ratings. Depression and alcohol have driven Beale to madness and he becomes The Mad Prophet of the Airwaves preaching his mantra chant: “I'm Mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!” This drives his ratings sky high until the Network entertains a bid from a Saudi Arabian conglomerate. Beale urges his viewers to protest the Arab deal to the White House and is successful in delaying the procedure. The head of the Network's corporation Arthur Jensen confronts Beale and convinces him that the New World Order has made populist democracy obsolete. So Beale goes back on the air trying to sell the Globalist agenda. Telling his followers that democracy is obsolete and that they should accept dehumanization. Of course his ratings drop to the cellar. But Jensen won't let the Network fire him, so the executives convince the radicals of their documentary Mao Tse Tung hour to machine-gun Beale in the studio as he comes on stage for his show. This will up their ratings and pay for Beale's deficit. It's all a business. That's the gist of it but stay with us and we'll dig deeper into this masterpiece of American prophetic cinema.

On Thursday February 3rd , 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a dramatic reading of the first two chapters of his magical adventure novel “The Tomb of Prester John.” This is the second broadcast of the novel, presenting the second chapter but also a re-written version of chapter one, so if you missed the first broadcast you will still be caught-up with the story. Prester John was a legendary Asian Christian Priest King with a vast treasure. He sent a letter to European leaders during the Crusades which Doc Roland and his beautiful lady archaeologist partner think is a code leading to his tomb and the treasure. But their quest is imperiled by terrorists and traitors within their own sponsoring organization. The Tomb of Prester John is a combination of Indiana Jones and James Bond, so if you like romantic adventure with an occult twist, tune in and enjoy high adventure.

On Thursday February 23rd, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the the modern yoga ritual version of the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz. This is the fully developed Rosicrucian version of Hermetic Yoga Beyond the Middle Pillar as presented in volume one of Hermetic Yoga, Beyond the Middle Pillar. This advanced version, draws upon The Naassene Document, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Mary, the Chemical Wedding itself, and the works of Jacob Boehme and Johann Gichtel. This reveals that the Ninth Degree of the O.T.O. and the Great Rite of the Gardnerians are both derived from original Valentinian Gnostic Christian sources. So if you want to experience some R-rated Rosicrucian yoga, tune in and we'll take you into the mirrored chamber of the Sacred Marriage.

On Thursday February 9th, 2017 The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present the second part of The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz by Valentin Andreae 1616, followed by an interpretation of the symbolism in relation to internal alchemy, the extended Middle Pillar chakra system and Valentinian Gnostic Christianity. We will describe the Sacred Marriage within the adept him/or/herself as an analog to the operations on the Sixth Day in the Tower of Olympus. We will refer to works by Jacob Boehme, The creation of the Magical Child, Johann Gichtel and the mysteries of the Spiral and the Lightning Flash. And the Homunculus of Paracelsus. This is the lost Key to Rosicrucian Sex Magick and the ultimate secret of the Hieros Gamos. Tune in and be enlightened.

On Thursday January 13th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review "Aleister Crowley in England" (2021) by Tobias Churton. This is the final part of Churton's serialized biography of The Great Beast, following on "The Beast in Berlin," "Crowley in America," and "Crowley in India." The compendium will be the most complete and best documented life of Crowley yet presented. This particular volume will present a side of A.C. his other biographers have not explored: Crowley the Gourmet Chef! Cook what Thou wilt shall be the Whole of the Menu! In the 1930s the Beast was considered the Sultan of exotic curry dishes and hosted the Lords and Ladies of London society at his festive board. We will give you a summary of his bill of fare, so tune in and bon appétit!

On January 6th 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review all our  live broadcasts in 2021,starting with "The Lost Pillars of Enoch" from January 7th and summarizing all 19 new shows with "The Pagan Myth of Christmas" on December 23rd. So keep your pencils handy to jot down the one's you missed that you will want to search the archives for. And we had  some very good shows in this sad year.We are already planning a great line-up for 2022. Starting with "Crowley in England" next week.

On Thursday December 23rd,2021 the Hermetic Hour’s host Poke Runyon, will read his essay entitled The Pagan Myth of Christmas. As most of us know December 25th is a date selected to represent Winter Solstice, and thus correspond to the seasonal return of the Sun, making Jesus a Pagan Sun God. This is just one of the many Pagan myth themes adopted by Christianity in the formative years of the religion. The Cross of Crucifixion became the Cross of the Four Seasons, Churches were built on the sites of Pagan Temples. But what is not widely known is the connection between Paganism, Gnosticism, and Christianity. Jesus was a Pagan God modeled on Osiris and when we match him with the Canaanite Baal he becomes The Once and Future King of Israel the last of the Pagan Dying Gods. The Gnostic Christians believed there had been a succession of these redeemers represented by ancient Gods and Goddesses. So if you want to celebrate the mystery of Christmas, tune in and we’ll deck the halls.

On Thursday January 19th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss the 1934 horror classic "Creep Shadow, Creep" by Fantasy Grand Master Abraham Merritt. This forgotten tale has influenced such modern films and t.v. shows as Dark Shadows and recently "Outlander." It deals with a family feud that carries on for thousands of years between reincarnating ancestors of two ancient Breton Celtic clans. The lord of Carnac and the Royal family of the legendary sunken city of Ys. In their present (1930s) incarnations an anthropologist, specializing in the occult (like Indian Jones) and a psychiatrist specializing in hypnotic age-regression with a beautiful daughter who was and is a reincarnating evil soul-stealing witch. This story was the second in a series of such tales by Merritt, being the sequel to "Burn Witch, Burn" (1934) which was made into a film with Lionel Barrymore and influenced both Twilight Zone and the "Chucky" series. So if you want to discover the roots of ancient evil surviving in the deep mind, tune in and we will explore the dark world of the creeping shadows. 

On Thursday February 17th, 2022 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will discuss and review the current trend in Fantasy novels involving themes and characters from The Arabian Nights mainly the Jinn which King Solomon imprisoned in his sealed jars. A few weeks ago Poke had been putting together a show dealing with The CITY of BRASS from Burton's version of the Nights, citing it as an inspiration for many classic fantasy adventure stories. But then he discovered that an American Lady author, Shannon Chakraborty,  had in fact published a magical novel called The City of Brass in 2017. So he decided to postpone the show until he had read her book. He then discovered another British author Jonathan Stroud who had a series of Jinn fantasies called The Bartimaeus Triology launched in 2003 which he needed to catch up on.  And while we are at it we might as well throw in the old Victorian classic Vatheck by William Beckford (1893). So, if you would like to take a ride on a magic carpet, tune in and we'll be off.

On Thursday December 29th, 2016 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review and discussion on "Technocracy Rising" by Patrick M. Woods 2015. This book documents the 1930's origin and rise of an American totalitarian socio-political and economic system derived from Plato's Republic that flourished after the 1929 crash and during the prewar years of the Great Depression. In Technocracy scientists and academics will manage the government of the country. Our Constitutional Republic and its Capitalistic economy would be replaced by a dictatorship. Technocracy's connection to the Eugenics movement and to Nazism put it into eclipse until the 1970s -- When Technocracy reemerged with David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission and began to infiltrate the U.S. government beginning with The Jimmy Carter administration in the 1970s. Technocracy subverted the United Nations which soon became its agent for a Technocratic World government. Like their cousins the communists, the Technocrats claim to be democratic. They seek to replace our currency based economic system with a cashless, energy credit system. They have hijacked General System Theory to justify environmental regulations to control energy. Of course the big problem for the people under this system is loss of Freedom, loss of property, loss of representation in government, and loss of what we consider basic human rights. Even the socialist philosopher Bertrand Russell, when examining Plato's Government of the philosopher kings, was forced to say that only true democracy could protect basic human rights. So if you want to know what the technocrats have in store for you when they get back in office, tune in and we'll have a look.

will review the 2014 book by Tobias Churton "Aleister Crowley The Beast in Berlin". This is apparently an expansion and compilation of outcuts from the author's biography of Crowley and should perhaps be considered an appendix to that work. Unless you are an ardent Crowley aficionado it is a hard read. The book is primarily made up of excerpts from A.C.'s. diaries and his correspondence mostly during his 1930s Berlin sojourn as a struggling artist in the decadent twilight days of the Weimar Republic. Along with a running account of the Beast's metaphysical politics, sexual magick and artistic endeavors, Churton manages to give us an in-depth look at the decadent sub-culture of the Weimar Berliners and an appreciation of Crowley's talents as an artist. So if you'd like to accompany the Beast to the Cabaret, tune in and enjoy the show.

On Thursday December 1st, 2016, the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review the recently published compendium of manuscript translations dealing with the Homunculus, compiled and edited by Joseph Uncello from Four Hands Press, Viatorium and Ouroboros Press. This is one of the most remarkable books on alchemy and magick to have appeared since the release of Picatrix. We now have Paracelsus's own detailed accounts of the Homunculus operation.The creation of a humanoid being, using male sperm in an artificial female womb. This is followed by other Renaissance period authors elaborating on the process and presenting eyewitness accounts of successful Homunculi experiments. We are treated to works that seem to be the source material for The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencrutz, the Tyrol experiment cited by W. Somerset Maugham in his 1908 novel "The Magician," and the little King and Queen created by Dr. Pretorious in the 1934 horror film "The Bride of Frankenstein." For comic relief we have an Arabic version of the operation using a sheep and a cow (without their consent) and for cultural diversity we are treated to a poetic Taoist perspective on the process, and for redeeming social value. We have a Valentinean Christian approach to making a Magical Child by the German philosopher Jacob Bohme, which may well have been the inspiration for Aleister Crowley's "Moon Child" -- So, If you want to delve into the dark secrets of creation, join us and we will open up the forbidden book: Codex Homunculi.