My guest in this episode is hermeticist Rufus Opus, whose work is widely known in occult communities, especially his Red Work Course and his book ‘Seven Spheres’, a manual on planetary magic that teaches how to open up gates and provides the working magician with initiatory experiences.

Rufus Opus grew up in a mid-western fundamentalist Christian environment where bible studies were naturally part of his childhood. At around age 7-8 he started to realise that Christianity with its passive attitude did not grant him experiences with the divine and that there had to be something different out there. It was when Rufus moved out of his parents’ house at age 18 that he dived deep into occultism with ‘The Big Blue Brick’, ‘Prometheus Rising’ and ‘Twelve Lessons in High Magick’ and turned it into a part of his day-to-day life building up strength and discipline.

In this latest episode of our show we will discuss if and why the bible belt seems to give birth to magicians in a rather interesting way, and how Rufus who calls himself an ‘amateur explorer’ became the well-known and highly-respected expert he is.

Indeed, the influences Rufus Opus received on his path were pretty diverse and we talk quite a lot about how they seemed to point him to the system of German Benedictine abbot and polymath Johannes Trithemius based on a 16th century grimoire. Of course, we explore the Trithemius system’s particularities and Rufus explains how they led him to his career as a blogger and ultimately to his Red Work Course being created.

In our conversation we will explore the reasons why Rufus chose an alchemical way of teaching in the very first place, how ‘Seven Spheres’ was born out of it and why ultimately the Red Work Course was put into the hands of his most trusted and qualified former students.

We close the episode with Rufus’ most recent projects, to be found on two different websites, one where he teaches occult knowledge to budding magicians and one where he aims to provide a framework and place for teachers of occult knowledge and tradition in order for them to get through to their audiences. As Rufus is currently working on a new book, he’ll also give some glimpses into the idea behind it – spoiler: it’s all about love!

LINKS to Rufus Opus’ webpages: www.rufusopus.com – www.appliedhermeticsllc.com – www.academiahermetica.com 

 

Music played in this episode

Remember in Episode 5 of this season, when I told you about KRISTER LINDER? Well, today three more tracks from his latest album “Across the Never”, which he offered me to play on this podcast. And stay tuned, more is to come later in the season!

As a little reminder, I repeat his online bio here:

Elusive Swedish-Congolese Artist / Producer Returns from The U.S. With an Album of Dirty Gold.
His music sets the tone in award winning feature films. Global fashion giants such as H&M, Fendi, Agent Provocateur and Chanel battle it out with his sound. But the man himself is not easily found. Now 13 years after the solo debut “Songs From the Silent Years,” sound alchemist Krister Linder resurfaces with a new album; self-produced in New York, mixed in Los Angeles and mastered in Stockholm.
With gold records and radio hits from various projects dating back as far as the late eighties, plus a substantial body of work in the 90’s Stockholm underground electronic era (under an array of pseudonyms like Tupilaq, Yeti, Solaroid etc), Linder has been a prominent but equally mysterious figure on the Swedish music scene. After winning the awards for Best Music For Film (for two consecutive years in a row) at the Stockholm International Film Festival, Linder in 2009 decides to sell his stuff and cross the Atlantic to subject himself to a whole new existence – in a land and city where he has neither a past, track record or advantage.


Want to know more or buy his downloads? Go to www.kristerlinder.com

1) CONQUER

(Track starts at [7:00])

 

2) NIGHT EYE

(Track starts at [57:36])

 

3) ACROSS THE NEVER

(Track starts at [1:34:08])

Intro and Outro Music
especially written and recorded for the Thoth-Hermes Podcast by Chris Roberts

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