• Presents literary translations of the teletai that restore important esoteric details and correspondences about the being or deity to which each hymn is addressed

• Includes messages inscribed on golden leaves meant to be passports for the dead as well as a reinvention of a lost hymn to Number that preserves the original mystical intent of the teletai

• Explores the obscure origins and the evolution of the Orpheus myth, revealing a profound influence on countercultures throughout Western history

As famous Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino wrote, “No magic is more powerful than that of the Orphic Hymns.” These legendary teletai of Orpheus were not simply “hymns”—they were initiatic poems for meditation and ritual, magical, and ceremonial use, each one addressed to a specific deity, such as Athena or Zeus, or a virtue, such as Love, Justice, and Equality. Yet despite the mystical concepts underlying them, the original hymns were formulaic, creating an obstacle for translators.

Recapturing the magical vitality that inspired mystery cults through the ages, Tamra Lucid and Ronnie Pontiac present new versions of the teletai that include important esoteric details and correspondences about the being or deity to which each hymn is addressed. The authors also include a new version of a lost hymn to Number and messages that were inscribed on golden leaves meant to be passports for the dead, reinventions that preserve the original magical intent and mysticism of the teletai. The authors provide a complete historical survey, based on the latest research, of the obscure origins and evolution of the Orpheus myth, revealing a profound influence at the heart of Western esotericism as well as on countercultures throughout Western history. Revealing the power of the individual hymns to attune the reader to the sacred presence of the Orphic Mysteries and the higher order of nature, the authors also show how, taken together, the Orphic Hymns are a book of hours or a calendar of life, addressing every event, from birth to death, and walking us through all the experiences of human existence as necessary and holy.

Tamra Lucid is a former writer and editor for Newtopia Magazine and the principal interviewer for the original Reality Sandwich. She has produced documentary films and is the author of Making the Ordinary Extraordinary. Ronnie Pontiac worked as Manly P. Hall’s research assistant, screener, and designated substitute lecturer for seven years. The author of American Metaphysical Religion, he has produced documentaries and written for several esoteric journals. Founding members of the experimental rock band Lucid Nation, the authors live in Los Angeles.

Introduction: An Experiment with the Orphic Hymns

1 The Mythology of Orpheus
2 Mysterious Orpheus
3 The Severan Dynasty
4 The Pagan Orpheus
5 The Orphic Mysteries
6 The Golden Leaves
7 The Night Gathering
8 Orpheus in the Renaissance
9 The Occult Orpheus
10 More Popular Than Ever
11 The Backward Glance
12 The Evolution of Eurydice
13 The Mystical Purpose
14 A Note on Incense
15 A Note on the Translation

Orphic Charms and the Sacred Songs of Orpheus

Orphic Charms
Messages on gold leaf buried with the dead, and a grand invocation.

The Sacred Songs of Orpheus
A poetic interpretation of the Orphic hymns with added details about the sacred correspondences of the gods.

Annotated Bibliography

Index of Orphic Charms and the Sacred Songs of Orpheus

Index