Topic: Hermes

Host Greg Carlwood describes a series of unfortunate events surrounding the recording of an interview about the Greek god Hermes. These complications included a motorcycle accident causing a 40-minute delay, guest illness, and severe audio echo loops in the studio. The host suggests these "wrenches" might be a form of cosmic interference from Hermes himself, as the guest's book was reportedly a result of a direct download from the deity.

Steven Crimey and his wife Chris join the program to discuss his 600-page work, "Hermes Runs The Game." The book examines the COVID-19 pandemic as an occult ritual and an inversion of ancient myths. The couple operates Logo Sophia, an independent publishing house dedicated to works on practical mysticism, permaculture, and Steiner's biodynamics.

Steven Crimey defines the role of Hermes within the Greek pantheon as the god of borders, travel, commerce, and thievery. As a "psychopomp," Hermes is the only deity capable of guiding souls between the realms of the living and the dead. Crimey argues that Hermes is the god most closely related to the human realm due to his involvement in the "Agora" or marketplace.

The discussion explores why the "controllers" utilize Hermes-related themes for their operations. Crimey suggests that Archons are primarily mimetic, meaning they cannot create but only copy and invert human creativity. He argues that these entities need human creative ability to function, leading them to co-opt sacred rituals and turn them into tools of control.

Alchemy is historically linked to the Nephilim or fallen angels who allegedly taught metallurgy and herbology to humanity as a failsafe against their own destruction. Some interpretations suggest these entities were interdimensional parasites that required biological vessels, leading to the creation of the homunculus as an empty host for possession. This theory is used to explain modern phenomena like cattle mutilations and ancient practices involving animated statues.

Mercury, or Hermes, is identified as a primary polar deity who acts as a messenger traveling up and down the central pillar of the world. This axis connects heaven and earth, serving as the path for the conductor of souls. The Vedic tradition's "Arctic Home" is cited as further evidence of a primordial migration away from this central northern location.

A paranormal incident is recounted involving Carl Jung seeing a "half-faced woman" while staying at a cottage owned by Maurice Nicoll. At the time, Nicoll was reportedly attempting to serve Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, suggesting a potential link between his magical evocations and the haunting. Nicoll eventually left Jung's mentorship for Ouspensky's discipline because he felt he needed a strict guru rather than a psychological mentor.

The process of recognizing spiritual answers is discussed through Nicoll’s invocation to Hermes, which he believed was answered by his introduction to the Fourth Way. Following this perceived sign, Nicoll sold his prestigious Harley Street medical practice and moved his entire family—including two goats for his infant daughter—to Gurdjieff’s institute in France. This radical life change exemplified the "plunge" required by Gurdjieff's demanding system.

The origins of modern spiritualism are traced back to 1848 with Kate and Margaret Fox in Hydesville, New York. The sisters developed a system of "letter-coded rapping" to communicate with a spirit they claimed was a murdered peddler buried under their house. Taggart discusses the "trickster" nature of the Fox sisters, noting their later confessions of fraud and subsequent recantations. This ambiguity between truth and fiction is presented as a fundamental characteristic of the spiritualist movement.

John Winthrop the Younger used his political influence to protect the Pequot tribe from the Mohegans and their Puritan supporters. He fought to restore the tribe's land and original names after they were subjected to atrocities. Upon his death, even the staunch Puritan Cotton Mather eulogized him as "Hermes Christianus," suggesting a complex relationship between early American Christianity and hermetic traditions that is often overlooked in modern history.

Dr. Kripal defines hermeneutics as the art of deciphering meaning, derived from the trickster god Hermes. He argues that there is no singular "correct" interpretation of a dream or paranormal event; instead, meaning is co-created between the observer and the experience. This radical perspective suggests that an event actually changes based on how an individual chooses to engage with and interpret it.

Bob Frizzell details a case study of a client who suffered severe physical abuse from his father, illustrating how unresolved childhood trauma traps the "lower self" in the subconscious. Healing this inner child is presented as essential for rediscovering wholeness. The segment links this individual healing to the Hermetic principle "as above, so below," attributed to Thoth (Hermes), suggesting the cabal reflects humanity's internal state.

The Corpus Hermeticum and the Emerald Tablet are highlighted as foundational texts for alchemical inner practices. Cotenoir explains that while alchemical texts often focus on formulas, they frequently allude to spiritual exercises found in Hermetic and Gnostic writings. These practices involve silencing the mind and turning the senses inward, similar to Buddhist meditation, to facilitate the ascent of the soul.

Greg Carlwood discusses the decision to return to cryptozoology based on listener requests and previews the topics covered in the second hour for Plus subscribers. These include accidental summoning, Silicon Valley connections, and the paranormal history of the Harper family. He emphasizes the importance of exploring the "superstructure" of reality beyond daily political and cultural news.

Mark Stavish provides information on his various books, including "Between the Gates" and "Light on the Path," and details the annual conference held by the Institute of Hermetic Studies. He explains that the Institute promotes open study without secret degrees or societies. Greg Carlwood thanks Stavish for the provocative discussion on egregores and concludes the interview.

Andy Warhol is characterized as a modern magician and alchemist who used his background in advertising to elevate ordinary objects to high art. By taking items like Brillo boxes and turning them into valuable cultural icons, Warhol demonstrated the power of magic through language and imagery. His work predicted the ways in which advertising would eventually manipulate public thought and action.

The trickster archetype is analyzed through figures like Bugs Bunny, Hermes, Loki, and Krishna. Harper argues that monotheistic and scientific cultures have lost the ability to appreciate the "sublime and ridiculous" nature of these entities. He posits that Christianity demonized the trickster, turning the cunning deceiver into the Devil and creating a rigid, humorless worldview that lacks psychological fluidity.

Harper contrasts the Apollonian path of spirit (light, sun, prose) with the Hermetic path of soul (tricks, poetry, mud). He notes that the soul often interrupts spiritual meditation with "burps and farts," preferring muddle and many gods over monotheistic purity. This framework is the subject of his book The Secret Tradition of the Soul, which covers spirits, souls, the personal daemon, and the afterlife.

Patrick Harper views modern technology as a "literalization" of ancient magic, such as television representing the "other world" and the internet acting as a horizontal version of the "soul of the world." He identifies Hermes as the god behind the internet, noting that it lacks a vertical dimension and moves at high speed. The Industrial Revolution is described as an effort to make physical the age-old shamanistic dreams of flight and superpowers.

The Picatrix, or "Gaiet Al-Hakim," is identified as the definitive grimoire of astrological magic, originating in the 11th-century city of Haran. Haran served as a unique cultural pocket where ancient Babylonian worship and Hermetic traditions survived within the Islamic caliphate by paying a "heretic tax." The text focuses on image magic rather than names or sigils, teaching practitioners how to attract celestial power by creating specific physical representations that correspond to the heavens.