Calendar of Events

OTA Calendar for 2025

Hear Ye All!

The Order of the Temple of Astarte hereby invites its Associate Members and Special Friends

to its  fiftieth consecutive presentation of the

Nuptiae

(Spring Marriage)

Ceremony and Festival on

March 22nd

at Rivendell Temple in Silverado after sundown. Please come early and park snuggly.

The wedding feast is pot luck so bring eatables and drinkables. Dress warmly. We may have a bardic circle so if you are a bard come prepared

This is an invitational event so clear any guests you want to bring with us first, by phone or email: kingsword@aol.com.

Ba'al,

as he fills Her silver Goblet:

"With this Golden Gift I wed Thee,

With this draught I plant my Spark."

Astarte:

"With this silver cup of mystery, from beyond the veil of night,

Come I to take the rainbow In my Shrine of Hidden Light!"

Inquire for Thursday classes       at 6pm at:

Frey's Hermetic Supplies
Old World Village
7561 Center Ave #50, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Latest Activity

Soror Urania's blog post was featured
1 hour ago
Soror Urania posted a blog post
1 hour ago
Stephen Stokes is now a member of The Church of The Hermetic Sciences, Inc.
Mar 25
Jesse Spectre updated their profile
Feb 14
Jesse Spectre is now a member of The Church of The Hermetic Sciences, Inc.
Feb 13
Jim posted a discussion
Feb 1
Zandria posted a blog post
Jan 14
Frater Dumuzi is now a member of The Church of The Hermetic Sciences, Inc.
Dec 25, 2024
Tyler Briggs is now a member of The Church of The Hermetic Sciences, Inc.
Dec 5, 2024
Poke Runyon posted a blog post
Dec 3, 2024
Poke Runyon posted a blog post
Dec 2, 2024
Brian Lee posted a blog post
Dec 1, 2024

Members

 

Blog Posts

A Blast from the Past

Posted by Soror Urania on April 2, 2025 at 3:08pm 0 Comments

Here's a photo from Poke's 50th birthday party at Montsalvat in 1985. I'm the dancer, the serpent is a Burmese Python named Kundalini and my husband  Dave took the photo.

Enjoy!

Agrippa Lodge O.T.A. holds "Feast of the Gods" at Foshay, November 30th, 2024

Posted by Poke Runyon on December 3, 2024 at 4:00pm 0 Comments

On the evening of November 30th, 2024 Agrippa Lodge of the O.T.A., V.H. Frater Balthazar, Max Paul, Master, held the yearly Crata Repoa banquet, now dubbed "The Feast of the Gods" in the dining hall at Culver City Foshay Masonic Lodge, no. 467 attended by 30 members and guests. This was a spectacular event featuring a menu of ancient…

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A Hermetic Wedding at Rivendell, November 23rd, 2024

Posted by Poke Runyon on December 2, 2024 at 4:00pm 2 Comments

On the afternoon of November 23rd, 2024, the Church of the Hermetic Sciences hosted and officiated the wedding of Frater Dumuzi-Chris Machiran and his lady Rebecca Councilman. The ceremony took place out in the Henge. V.H. Soror Zandria, Lawren Runyon was Priestess and VH Frater Thabion Poke Runyon, was Hierophant. The…

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Special Announcements

The Church of The Hermetic Sciences
Associate Member Program
.

Nosce te Ipsum

The Church of the Hermetic Sciences was founded in 1970 and incorporated in the State of California in 1971 as a religious philosophical organization dedicated to preserving and continuing the Western Esoteric Tradition through the process of ceremonial initiation and practical instruction in the Hermetic Art-Sciences of Magick, Qabalah, Alchemy, and Astrology.  We follow the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus whose ancient vision is compatible with the deepest esoteric expressions of the three major Biblical religions and Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism.  Our Seasonal Rites and Yoga System are based on the pre-Biblical myth cycle of ancient Canaan and the traditions of Melchizedek and King Solomon. To implement this program the Church sponsors a religious-fraternal Order, The Order of the Temple of Astarte, which is initiatory and follows the Seven Degrees of Crata Repoa, an 18th century European outline of degrees in the ancient Hermetic Tradition.  To learn more about our teaching and work please visit The Hermetic Hour website and listen to our archived podcasts on all aspects of the Hermetic Arts.  Each lecture is introduced by an abstract describing the subject covered. We also call your attention to our journal The Seventh Ray which is available on Amazon.com.

We offer an online Associate Member program for worthy aspirants who live beyond the reach of our Temples. This is a graduated program of instruction that parallels and compliments the initiatory sequence without actually conferring or communicating the degrees. However, with study and mentoring, the online student may earn letters of entitlement to receive the degrees. The program includes most of our regular instruction and is open to active initiates and inactive members who have moved away from our temple locations.

To be considered for Associate Membership the applicant should be over 18 years of age, and a free, law-abiding citizen of his/her country (U.S., U.K., and Canada.) You must write us a letter telling us about yourself and your reasons for wanting to join us. After we receive and evaluate your letter we may send you our Membership Application form which includes a membership agreement. You will fill this out providing the information required, sign the agreement and enclose a check or money order for thirty-five dollars $35.00 if you live in the U.S. Forty-five $45.00 if in Canada or U.K. All funds must be in USD checks and money orders made out to: The Church of the Hermetic Sciences.  Send the application with payment to:  The Church of the Hermetic Sciences, Dept. AM, P.O. Box 403, Silverado, CA  92676,  U.S.A.

After receiving and approving your application we will send you your membership package which will include: a membership certificate suitable for framing, a yearly identification card, an updated copy of The Book of Solomon's Magick and The Magick of Solomon DVD (your course text), The Rites of Magick DVD, 20% discount coupons for all other CHS/OTA and Maelstrom publications and productions, and a gift certificate for a free copy of Beyond Lemuria 2nd Edition with your first coupon order.  You will also receive the access code to this website where you will find your lessons and can interact with other members and keep up with Church and Order news and activities.

Tu es Deus

Thabion VIIo

Photos

 
 
 

This site is for Associate and Active Members of The Church of the Hermetic Sciences.

Forum

Vassago Prophecies

Started by Jim Feb 1. 0 Replies

Strange Experience During Astral Projection

Started by Joshua Miller. Last reply by Frater Taliesin Oct 29, 2024. 4 Replies

Laser cut circle experiment

Started by Shaun. Last reply by Frater Laetus Sep 15, 2024. 3 Replies

A Most Excellent Invocation

Started by Joshua Miller. Last reply by Cameron Gray Feb 26, 2024. 1 Reply

The Hermetic Hour

The 24th Path from Netzach to Tiphareth - Death

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 25th Path from Yesod to Tiphareth - Temperance

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 26th Path from Hod to Tiphareth - The Devil

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.

Contact

Mailing Address:

C.H.S., Inc.

P.O. Box 403

Silverado, CA 92676

Email:

Frater Thabion:

pokerunyon@gmail.com

Soror Zandria:

hermeticmagick@gmail.com

 

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