The Hermetic Hour

On May Ist 2025 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a reading of his 1977-1999 landmark Magical essay:

Magick and Hypnosis. Which first appeared in Llewellyn's magazine GNOSTICA volume 5, number 9, whole number 45 in 1977 and was updated in 1999. This important article has been translated into German and French and has had wide circulation in academic circles. It is a major position paper in modern Hermetics. It is included as a appendix in our recent THE BOOK OF SOLOMON'S MAGICK, SECOND EDITION (2023)So, if you are still not quite sure about  how Hermetic Magick really works then tune in, relax and just listen to my voice.

On Thursday April 10th, 2025 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present an essay on The Laws of Old, the channeled credo of ancient Atlantis inscribed on the pillars in the Temple of the Order of the Temple Astarte. These arcane precepts were channeled by Frater Thabion during his Holy Guardian Angle Retreat in 1984 and are in Enochian which is alleged to have been the language of Old Atlantis. These ancient moral principals are all positive assertions. Thou shalts, rather than Thou shalt nots as in the Ten Commandments. They were first revealed in our film BEYOND LEMURIA (2007, published in the booklet that accompanies the film, and delivered by our own V.H. Frater Memnonides as The Master Phylos in the movie; which is still available in a 2014 Second Edition @(PokeRunyon.com) Our essay goes on to discuss the relation of The Laws to the Holy Grail tradition and their origins in Plato's Philosophy. This is the first time we have made mention of The Laws on the the Hermetic Hour so students of our work and philosophy should give this episode special attention.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the 23rd Path of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, leading from the Sphere of Hod to the Sphere of Geburah on the Pillar of Severity. This Path is attributed to the Element of Water and the Tarot Trump "The Hanged Man." Once again our texts for reference will be Gareth Knight's "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism" and John Michael Greer's "Paths of Wisdom." We will delve into the history and the mystery of the strange "Hanged Man" and give you our own unique interpretation of its meaning from Greek Mythology. So, if you want to cross stormy seas to Anath's Castle on the Edge of Forever, be sure to join us for another exciting adventure in the Land of Otz Chiim.  

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the 24th Path on the Hermetic Qabalah's Tree of Life. This is the Path attributed to Death, the right hand guardian or gate to Tiphareth, with the Devil on the left side as Path 26. These two gates are considered soul testing challenges to the central Sun, and realm of the Solar Logos represented by Tiphareth. Our texts will be Gareth Knight's Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism and John Michael Greer's Paths of Wisdom. This Path will give us an opportunity to discuss the nature and meaning of Hermetic enlightenment, the concept of individual consciousness being eternal consciousness, and what Eliphas Levi really meant when he wrote: "Death is man's way of conquering immortality." --- So, if you want to live forever, tune in and get a head start on it.  

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the Twenty-fifth Path of the Hermetic Qabalistic Tree of Life. This Path goes up the Middle Pillar from Yesod to Tiphareth and has the Tarot Trump "Temperance" attributed to it. Regardie considers it related to the Holy Guardian Angel as your guiding spirit. The astrological reference is Sagittarius and relates to an arrow shot directly upwards. The Hebrew letter is Samech and the traditional reference is "the Tentative Intelligence." Again our texts will be Gareth Knight's "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism," and John Michael Greer's "Paths of Wisdom." So if you want to keep going up the Tree with us, tune in, close your eyes, and we'll take a shot at the Sun.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon, will present another of our on-going lecture series on the Paths of the Tree of Life. This time we deal with 'The Devil', the Tarot Trump and other relevant symbolic aspects of the Path that leads from Hod, the Mercurial Sphere of the intellect, to Tiphareth, the Solar Sphere of Mystical Transformation and beauty. Once again our primary texts for reference will be Gareth Knight's "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism" and Israel Regardie's "Garden of Pomegranates" (first edition), so if you want to journey from the laboratory to the temple, and meet the devil on the way, tune in and travel with us from Darkness to Light.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon, will present a discussion on the 27th Path of the qabalistic Tree of Life leading from Hod to Netsach, This is the lowest of three cross members uniting opposite pillars on The Tree. Gareth Knight considers it "The main girder of the personality." It connects the sphere of the Intellect with the sphere of Natural Forces, so sparks are bound to fly. The Path is attributed to the planet Mars and the Tarot trump "The Blasted Tower." This prompted Gareth Knight to relate the Path to the mysterious alchemical allegory "The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz;" which he summarizes in the "Practical Guide." So tune in and we will walk the Path to "The House of God."  

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the twenty-eighth Path of the Tree of Life, which leads up from Yesod, realm of the Collective Unconscious of the microcosm, to Netsach, the realm of natural forces of the macrocosm. In the Hermetic Tradition this Path is attributed to Aquarius and the Tarot Trump "The Star," however, Aleister Crowley was moved to interchange The Star with The Emperor. We will discuss his reasons for this and its implications. This is an important symbolic path for neo-pagans and those who venerate The Goddess. So, tune in and we will try to walk this Path both ways.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the symbolism and meaning of the 29th Path of the Qabalistic Tree of Life leading from Malkuth to Netsach. This is the Path of the Moon (Tarot trump) and is a watery route up to the seventh Sphere of Netsach (Venus) which is attributed to the realm of Nature and natural philosophy. Once again our texts will be Dion Fortune's "Mystical Qabalah" and Gareth Knight's "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism." We will also summarize our own version of this Path as recorded in our special Pathworkings DVD used in our Associate Member Program. In our system the Goddess Astarte resides in the Temple of Netsach and Her divine body contains all the psychic centers (chakras) of the Lightning Flash. So, if you want to get up close and magical with Mother Nature tune in and we'll pay The Goddess a visit.

The Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the 30th Path of the Hermetic-Qabalistic Tree of Life. This is the Path of "Resh" and The Sun, called "The Collective Intelligence." It is the first Path in which we employ "Kusor's Boat," a magical device unique to the O.T.A. derived from ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian myth sources (also inspired by A. Merritt's "Ship of Ishtar"). The Boat enables us to fly over Paths already walked in the astral journeys at the base of The Tree. The Boat is shown in our Pathworking video available to Associate Members. Our text will again be Gareth Knight's "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism, Vol. 2," and "Adamson's Quest" from THE SEVENTH RAY. This Path leads from Yesod, the Lunar sphere of memory, emotion and astral foundation to Hod, the Sphere of Mercury, reason, science and positive Solar-zodiacal progress. It questions the male and female spiritual perspectives and raises the current debate between techno-industrial progress vs. environmental and eco-centered spiritual philosophies, along with collectivism vs. individualism. So, tune in and find out about star-people and earth people, and why the Hermetic soul is androgynous.