Ronnie Pontiac discusses his new book, The Magic of the Orphic Hymns: A New Translation for the Modern Mystic.
Tamra Lucid and Ronnie Pontiac present new literary translations of the Orphic Hymns that reveal their power to attune the reader to the sacred presence of the Orphic Mysteries and the higher order of nature. These translations restore important esoteric details and correspondences about the being or deity to which each hymn is addressed, offering a deeper understanding of these ancient texts.
The famous philosopher Marsilio Ficino once wrote that the Orphic Hymns were the most powerful form of magic. These hymns were not just poems but were used for meditation, rituals, and ceremonies. Each hymn was dedicated to a specific deity or virtue, like Athena, Zeus, Love, Justice, or Equality. However, the original hymns were written formulaically, which made them difficult to translate.
Tamra Lucid and Ronnie Pontiac have brought back the magical essence of the mystery cults of the past through their new versions of the teletai. They have included important hidden details and correspondences about the being or deity to which each hymn is addressed. They have also added a new version of a lost hymn called “Number” and messages that were inscribed on golden leaves meant to be passports for the dead. These reinventions preserve the original magical intent and mysticism of the teletai. Furthermore, the authors reveal the power of each hymn to attune the reader to the sacred presence of the Orphic Mysteries and the higher order of nature. They also demonstrate how the Orphic Hymns are a book of hours or a calendar of life, covering every event, from birth to death, and guiding us through every experience of human existence as necessary and holy.
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