Show Notes
This is episode 193 featuring an interview with my good friend Rudolf Berger, co-host of Occult of Personality podcast and the host of the Thoth-Hermes podcast.
Known on the internet by his pseudonym Gnothi Seauton, Rudolf is the producer and host of the Thoth-Hermes Podcast, which can be found at http://www.thothermes.com. He can also be heard as my co-host on the Occult of Personality podcast.
Rudolf has been interested in the world of esotericism and occultism for over three decades. A Freemason for more than a quarter of a century and a member of the Scottish Rite, his first interest in esoteric sciences came about when reading books by Rudolf Steiner. Later, after experiences in shamanism, Theosophy and ritual magic, he broadened his knowledge and personal involvement to many fields of the Western esoteric tradition.
Today Rudolf calls himself a “gnostic Hermeticist” with a very strong link to ceremonial magic. He is also greatly interested in sacred geometry and the implication of sound and music in the occult arts. “The longer I am active in this field, the clearer it becomes to me how closely linked many of those currents are, how their roots and aims are one”, Rudolf says. He is practicing the art mostly as a solitary worker but maintains links to several occult groups.
In the profane world Rudolf has been working very successfully in the field of the performing arts. He initially trained as an actor, speaker and opera singer, then mostly worked as artistic director and producer in the world of classical music and opera. Recently he quit the management field to place himself more extensively again on the creative side, mainly in writing and directing. And he has taken on the work of a funeral celebrant, trying to help the bereaved by creating and leading personal ceremonies to honor their beloved ones.
Rudolf lives near beautiful Vienna, Austria.
You can contact him by email at [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thpodcast/ and Twitter @thothermesat.
In the Chamber of Reflection, we continue this fascinating interview with Rudolf Berger. He talks more about Thoth-Hermes podcast and revitalization of the esoteric environment in Europe, his involvement with the Fraternitas Saturni, his appreciation for the Hermetic teachings of Franz Bardon, and more. Join us for that fascinating conversation!
And I’d like to remind you that although you’re able to listen to this podcast at no charge, it costs time and money to create. We ask you to support our efforts and the creation of future podcasts by joining the membership section at https://chamberofreflection.com or subscribing via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/occultofpersonality. And if you’re already supporting the show or have done so in the past – my heartfelt thanks and I salute you!
More from Occult of Personality podcast
Garin Horner is a spiritual practitioner, photographer, professor, author, and Tarot designer. He joins us to discuss his amazing book, A Feather on the Breath of RA: Conversations with an Alchemist on Photography, Light, & Magic. Garin's book is one of the most unexpected and brilliant books about alchemy and Western esotericism that I've ever read. I highly recommend it.
The superlative Ike Baker interviews me about two of my newer books: Peregrine: Crossing Spiritual Boundaries to Find a New Home, An Essay, and The Silent Call of the Heart: A Testimony of Spiritual Awakening. Our conversation focuses on these two new books, which are closely related but distinct in tone: one more comparative and outward looking, the other more personal and inward looking. We cover comparisons between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, the meaning of pilgrimage, and the idea that different practices may lead to similar experiences of realization. Another major theme we discuss is the role of the teacher in spiritual practice, and the argument that an authentic teacher is needed to recognize enlightenment and divinity, not merely to learn techniques. Our discussion also covers honesty about suffering, weakness, and spiritual bypassing, as well as ways of responding to nihilism.
Georgina Rose — polytheist, ceremonial magician, and Thelemite, and author of Planetary Theurgy: Ascent Through the Seven Veils — joins me to talk about what it actually means to have a spiritual path with a trajectory, rather than a vague collection of borrowed practices. We get into her rejection of psychologized, watered-down approaches to magic, her critique of New Age spirituality's shallow eclecticism, and why she believes discipline and even transgression are essential to real gnosis rather than obstacles to it. This was an excellent conversation and I confidently recommend Georgina Rose's work. She is a qualified guide with a solid approach to the magical path and the courage to speak it. For extended conversations like this one, ad-free episodes, and more, support the show at https://www.patreon.com/occultofpersonality/.
The one and only Jaime Paul Lamb joins us to discuss his wonderful book The Astrological Goetia: The 72 Keys to Angelic and Demonic Astrology (Inner Traditions, 2025). This was an amazing interview with an exceptional practitioner. Enjoy! This is the full interview. Please support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/occultofpersonality or our members' website at https://chamberofreflection.com for exclusive content, extra interviews, and more! Jaime's website - https://www.jaimepaullamb.com/ The Astrological Goetia - https://a.co/d/09L2nUyp My new website - https://gregkaminsky.net/
In this episode of Occult of Personality podcast, we have an absolutely epic interview with author, Hermetic practitioner, and meditation specialist Martin Faulks (https://martinfaulks.co.uk/) about Freemasonry, alchemy, meditation, the human subtle body, Tantra, and the book Long Livers: with the Rare Secret of Rejuvenescency, published by Lewis Masonic (https://www.lewismasonic.co.uk/long-livers.htm). I've been anticipating and preparing for this conversation with Martin for years. It's a huge blessing that it's finally come to fruition!