Gerald Gardner’s High Magic’s Aid (re-broadcast)

On Thursday May 7th, 2015 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review and discuss Gerald Gardner's classic novel of medieval magick and witchcraft in England "High Magic's Aid." We consider this a very important work in the Modern Hermetic Tradition because it vividly describes the synthesis of surviving Paganism with the Solomonic school of ceremonial magick in the Middle Ages. A mix of esoteric themes that returned in the form of Gardenarian and Alexandrian Wicca in 1950s England, from which it quickly migrated to the United States. Gerald Gardner was a member of the O.T.O. and worked closely with Aleister Crowley to produce the first modern Book of Shadows. High Magic's Aid tells the story of three Saxon Solomonic magicians in the days of Robin Hood's King John 11th century, who are not able to work their magick effectively without the help of a female Witch. They rescue their priestess from the local inquisition and dig up her precious Athame and white handled knife without which they can not operate. The story is very well written and well researched. Better than Crowley's fiction although he was probably Gardner's editor. We strongly recommend this book to our neo-pagan and wiccan friends who may think that witchcraft and magick cannot co-exist. They can, and they did, and they do -- so if you want to know where and how the wizards and the witches got together tune in and "Merry Meet!" and "Blessed Be!"