On the upcoming episode of The Hermetic Hour for July 29th, 2010, host Poke Runyon will discuss the background behind the 2007 cult film "Beyond Lemuria" which he wrote and produced for C.H.S. Productions. Beyond Lemuria is a feature length science fiction/occult drama that was filmed in the ancient ruins of Nan Madol in the Pacific, inside an O.T.A. temple in Pasadena, high on the slopes of Mt. Shasta, and deep in the lava caverns under America's holy mountain. The film features leading occult figures in the roles of the Mt. Shasta Avatars. Lon Milo DuQuette takes the role of Hermes Trismegistus, Paul Clark is the Master Jesus, Merrick Hamer is Phylos of Atlantis, and Frater Solomon is Samyaza, the Fallen Angel from "The Book of Enoch." The dark side of the drama involves "The Shaver Mystery," a 1940s revelation of a secret underground realm of Atlantean-Lemurian survivors who possess the super-scientific weapons of the ancients. These evil "Deros" offer their secrets to the black magicians in the film, while the white magicians (played by the same actors) seek the wisdom of the ancients up on the Holy Mountain. Beyond Lemuria is available on DVD from Amazon, and is occasionally shown to select audiences; most recently at Hop Louie's bar and restaurant in L.A.'s Chinatown for a group of college art students. Tune in and get a "behind the scenes" run down on a controversial cult classic.

At eight p.m this Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 the Hermetic Hour's host Poke Runyon will answer your call-in questions on our last show about European magus Franz Bardon. In between calls we will discuss the oldest, most famous (or infamous) of magical grimoires, "The Aim of the Sage", more popularly known as Picatrix" (Picatrix, not pick-up-sticks, and other books of dirty tricks!) This once forbidden tome ( at least in English ) is now available, translated from both the Arabic and the Latin medieval texts. We will discuss the Harranian Sabian contribution, and the Spanish connection--and if this sounds like Greek, it's that too. So tune in and find out how to get scorpions to sting themselves, and how to grow smart plants from human skulls, along with some profound Hermetic philosophy, and astrology that fights back.

At 8:00 p.m. on Thursday July 15th, 2010 Hermetic Hour host Poke Runyon will present a lecture on the magick of Franz Bardon, the 20th century European alchemist and magician. Bardon was the author of three books on magick, and one semi-autobiographical novel. His Eastern style methods of training, owing much to raja and tantric yoga, have had a considerable influence on modern Western practice. We will discuss each of his three books in sequence; where his information came from, and what his philosophy was. You will learn about "fluid condensers," "volts," "elementals," magnetic and electric fluids, and magick mirrors. His debt to P. B. Randolph will be mentioned. We will discuss the origins of his myriads of spirits, the way he derived his sigils, his unique concept of Kabbalah. Bardon's background as a professional hypnotist, alchemist and healer will be compared to his mundane life and problems. The Master was an over-weight chain-smoker who died after eating a bacon sandwich---but he was still "The Master," and we should appreciate him all the more for the faults that made him human. Tune in find out why Simon, King of the Witches kept saying "Magnetic-Electric," while having fun with the D.A.'s daughter.

On July 1st, 2010, Hermetic Hour host Poke Runyon will present a lecture on "The Hermetic Qabalah." First we will define what Qabalah, or Kabbalah, or Cabala, or "Q.B.L.," is, and then we will present a very simplified version of the basic principles -- sort of a "Qabalah for Dummies." Then we will move on into what we can do with it (that's the fun part). I once said that "hypnosis is the tactic of the magician, and qabalah is his strategy." We can define it as a software program, an operating system, or a schematic for the mind which enables the left brain (the rational part) to access and control the right brain (the intuitive part). We will get down to the magical nuts-and-bolts. We'll define the four dimensions, the Tree of Life, the Cube of Space, what the astrological connection is, where the angels and demons live, and how we use the qabalah to communicate with them. Tune in and let us gently bend your mind.

This Thursday, June 24th, 2010, on the Hermetic Hour, host Poke Runyon will present a lecture on Hermetic Yoga. Poke will discuss the chakras in the etheric-plane Hindu tantric system, and the variations in Tibetan tantra. The kundalini in Hindu, Tibetan and Taoist procedures will be discussed. We will then differentiate between the etheric Hindu system, and our astral arrangement that follows the "lightning Flash" on the Western Tree of Life. The philosophical importance of the Western arrangement will be compared to the Eastern system's alchemical correspondences. We will discuss the origin of our system, from the Golden Dawn's Middle Pillar exercise, to its full development now used by the O.T.A. in its magical operations. The mantras and affirmations will be demonstrated and explained. Tune in and we'll meditate our way from Omega up to Tau, and beyond.

On June 17th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. the Hermetic Hour will present a lecture on the 1770 Crata Repoa system of magical initiation. I will briefly describe this 18th century German (and later French) recreation of an ancient Alexandrian mystery tradition on a Masonic initiatory model. The Crata Repoa was a structural outline for a magical order that precedes both the O.T.O. and the Golden Dawn's Cypher Manuscript by 100 years. We will discuss the original authors, what they were trying to accomplish, and the considerable influence their creation had on subsequent magical traditions. I will recount how I literally stumbled into a French version of the system in 1963, and adapted it to the fledgling O.T.A. in 1969 --- Carrying the story on into the 70s, 80s and 90s as we found out more about the system and expanded our program along the lines laid out in Crata Repoa. Tune in and we'll explore this baroque version of the secrets of the ancients.

On Thursday evening, June 10th, 2010, The Hermetic Hour will present an introductory lecture on Enochian magick. Your host, Poke Runyon, has been practicing this system for forty years and has some personal insights into its effectiveness, how it works, and what one can expect from it. We will begin with a brief history from John Dee and Edward Kelley in Elizabethan times, through the Golden Dawn's amplifications, Crowley's contributions, and the present day developments, including the work of Lon Milo DuQuette. We will discuss Terrestrial Victory, and how it became the modern system of the Thirty Aethyrs. We will recount some Enochian visions, and even deliver an Enochian Call --- You can close your eyes and see what kind of visions arise in your mind's eye. So, tune in on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. and we'll visit the Enochians.

On June 3rd, 2010 The Hermetic Hour will discuss the origin, history, and content of the Golden Dawn's Cypher Manuscript, that mysterious and controversial document that was the foundation of the Victorian era's Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. We will cover this subject in depth, explaining Wynn Westcott's creation of "Fraulein Sprengel," the fictitious Rosicrucian adept who was actually a pseudonym for two real women on the occult scene. We will examine the manuscript itself, and the secret knowledge it reveals about the qabalah, tarot and the Tree of Life. We will recount the notorious "Horos Affair" which nearly destroyed the Golden Dawn, and show how it was related to the Cypher Manuscript. We will briefly discuss Aleister Crowley's connection to the Order, and the difference between his Thelemic philosophy, and the Rosicrucian philosophy of the Golden Dawn. Tune in at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday and return with us to the thrilling days of yesteryear, when out of the inner sanctum comes the cry of the Kerux: "Hekas, hekas! este bebeloi!" The Golden Dawn rides again!

This week, May 27th, 2010, the Hermetic Hour will deal with the fascinating subject of Masonic-Occult conspiracy connections. We will discuss the actual and fanciful history of Freemasonry in relation to occultism, radical politics, and "The New World Order." We'll go from the Illuminati, the French Revolution, the Morgan Affair, the Palladian hoax, Fabian socialism, to Marxism. We'll reveal just what the "Great Secret" of Freemasonry really is and why the Masons are hated and feared by the fanatics and true-believers of the world's great religions---and the followers of radical political philosophies. We'll briefly review Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol." If you have a friend who believes that Masons are the secret agents of some shadowy world government, or satanic conspiracy, ask them to tune in. We will take calls, but this is a highly charged subject, so make your questions brief and reasonable. Tune in at 8:00 p.m. and, at the sound of the gavel in the East, we will seek the Light.

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."