The Magic of the Orphic Hymns: A New Translation for the Modern Mystic

Recaptures the magical vitality of the original Orphic Hymns

• 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 called “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. 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, a documentary film producer, including the Emmy-nominated End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock, is author of Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: My Seven Years in Occult Los Angeles with Manly Palmer Hall. She and Ronnie are founding members of the experimental rock band Lucid Nation. Ronnie Pontiac worked as Manly P. Hall’s research assistant, screener, and designated substitute lecturer for seven years. Author of American Metaphysical Religion, he wrote the biographical introduction to Letters to the Sage. He’s written for several esoteric journals and has produced award-winning documentaries.