Topic: Hermeticism

Todd Elliott, a veteran organic farmer and astrological magician, joins the program to discuss his book, The Cunning Farmer: Agrarian Magical Practices Mythology & Folklore. The discussion frames conspiracy research as a potential distraction from fulfilling one's "true will" and reclaiming stewardship of the land. Elliott’s background spans 25 years of farming alongside studies in Druidry, Kabbalah, and various esoteric traditions.

The Younger Dryas event approximately 12,000 years ago is identified as the catastrophe that wiped out 95% of the world's advanced sages. Survivors attempted to preserve their knowledge in secret, leading to the creation of the Nag Hammadi scriptures and the Dead Sea Scrolls. These Gnostic groups hid their records in caves to protect them from the expanding Roman Empire. LaCroix explains that later cultures, such as the Inca, built primitive structures on top of the advanced megalithic foundations they found but did not understand.

Hubbard shares personal stories of discovering Gematria patterns within his own family, including his birth on the coldest day in history, which recorded a temperature of -89 degrees. He discusses Hermetic principles regarding vibration and influence, suggesting that most people act as "walking robots" under mainstream control. The segment explores the organic side of numerical patterns in nature.

Gary Lachman describes the central themes of his writing, focusing on the evolution of consciousness and the "shadow tradition" of Hermeticism. He explains his goal of bridging the gap between mainstream Western intellectual history and alternative esoteric streams. This pursuit involves integrating insights from neuroscience, specifically the relationship between the right and left brain, to understand how mystical experiences fit into the human enterprise.

The discussion explores how individuals often find themselves trapped in cults or radical political groups because ideas can take on a life of their own. Stavish critiques the New Age movement for creating "egregore bubbles" or isolated echo chambers that prevent genuine communication. He emphasizes that these social control mechanisms are insidious, often leading people far away from their original goals of enlightenment or truth.

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.

Esoteric systems often rely on astrology as a foundational framework, following the Hermetic principle of "as above, so below." While there is not always a strict one-to-one correlation between specific Tarot cards and zodiac signs, the cycles of the stars help explain the archetypal meanings of the cards. For example, the Chariot card shares qualities with the cardinal sign of Cancer and the explosion of summer.

Ceremonial magic uses physical tools like wands to externalize and build internal capacities like will. While the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded in 1887) established a systematic method for accessing secret human potential, its original form was heavily influenced by Victorian clutter and Judeo-Christian symbolism. These methods are now "open-source" through published collections, allowing for modern adaptation.

Joseph elaborates on his future goals, including offering affordable professional astrology services and revisiting the "JFK Alchemy" research. He emphasizes the importance of his music as a "Venetian" bridge to his everyday life, allowing him to express esoteric themes in a more veiled and socially accessible way.

The discussion turns to "The Kybalion" and the seven principles of Hermetic philosophy as the foundation for understanding current cultural shifts. Carver highlights the "Principle of the Pendulum," suggesting that society is swinging away from "social justice warrior" culture back toward conservatism. This ancient Egyptian occult framework is presented as the "crucible" of all modern faith and belief systems.

Early astrological practice resulted in unsettlingly accurate predictions regarding personal events and deaths, moving the discipline beyond a mere psychological Rorschach test. Research into the subject required navigating through shallow post-1960s New Age material to find more potent, older esoterica. This period of study coincided with the events of 2001, which challenged existing personal metaphysical frameworks.

The shift from "philosopher-scientists" to materialist "bean counters" occurred in the 1830s when materialists took control of the Royal Society. This transition marginalized hermeticism and alchemy in favor of Darwinism and atheism, leading to the suppression of "hidden physics." While mainstream science focused on repeatable laboratory results, secret factions continued to pursue the gemstones of knowledge preserved by the earlier hermetic tradition.

The concept of the Demiurge, or the craftsman of the physical world, originated in Platonic philosophy before being adopted by various Gnostic and Hermetic sects. Pope Pius IX later identified the Freemasons and the Knights Templar as modern practitioners of these ancient Gnostic beliefs. As Christianity became the dominant social force, these groups were forced underground, where their rituals took on increasingly anti-establishment and "darker" tones.

Frater X addresses the "deity flip" theory, where high-level initiates allegedly transition from worshipping a traditional God to a negative entity or Lucifer. He explains how strange symbols and frequency vibrations in higher degrees are designed to harvest power from individuals. Using the theories of Giordano Bruno, he discusses how "Eros" or love energy is manipulated in occult practices to cause change in accordance with will.

Human history is framed through astrological ages, moving from the Age of Taurus and the worship of Moloch to the current transition into the Age of Aquarius. The Hermetic principle of "as above, so below" connects celestial patterns to material events on Earth. The Illuminati is described as a group operating behind the scenes to push humanity toward a specific spiritual path rooted in ancient Egyptian mystery schools.

The music industry is portrayed as a system that requires artists to harness spirits, a process that can lead to mental breakdowns if the individual is not spiritually strong. Rap music is identified as a primary vehicle for the "law of words," utilizing the same principles as cymatics to vibrate reality into specific forms. This aligns with the Eastern and Hermetic ideas of manifesting one's own reality through the spiritual realm.

Host Greg Carlwood introduces Lon Milo Duquette, the Deputy Grand Master General of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). The discussion establishes Duquette's long-standing membership in the secret society made famous by Aleister Crowley. Guest co-host Kyle Prundiville joins to explore the "science" of Western occultism, contrasting it with Eastern mysticism and highlighting the difficulty of finding a definitive starting point in hermetic studies.

Lon Milo Duquette recounts his personal journey beginning in the 1960s, noting that LSD served as "shock therapy" for his worldview. While initially drawn to Eastern mysticism and the works of Alan Watts, he realized he was "hardwired" for the Western way. This led him to study the Kabbalah and Hermeticism, which utilize external metaphors and symbols rather than the internal stripping-away process found in Zen.