The Hermetic Hour

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.

The Hermetic Hour, with host Poke Runyon, will present our interpreted and explained version of The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1614). The Chemical Wedding is the third of the mysterious Rosicrucian documents that appeared in Central Europe in the early 17th century. It is an alchemical fantasy that might even be called "Science Fiction." Occultists have tried to unravel it's secrets for the last four hundred years and we will offer our interpretation tonight as we accompany old Christian Rosenkreutz on his visit to the mysterious castle and his participation in the alchemical operation to resurrect the King and Queen. The solving of its riddles has been just as exciting an adventure as the story itself. So tune in and come with us to the Castle of the Rosicrucians.

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.

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 Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review two recent books: "Original Magic" (2017)  by Stephen E. Flowers and "Real Magic" (2018) by Dean Radin. These books don't have much in common. Original Magic deals with the ancient Persian Magi, whereas Real Magic focuses on ESP and those who have special talents and powers. Both books are of interest to Hermetic students for different reasons, The ancient Persian Magi have been largely ignored in the present occult revival and yet their beliefs and practices have had a strong influence on modern Magick. Real Magic champions the natural psychic and clairvoyant and presents the usual arguments and data to validate paranormal experience and suggest that it can be induced by shamanic techniques. Radin also deals with controversial Futurist issues such as the universal mind. Both books are subject to some philosophical and technical criticisms but both are well worth reading.