Episodes

  • Herman Melville - An Underrated American Author

    Herman Melville - An Underrated American Author
    May 16 2025
    Have you ever read Melville? What struck you most? What drives a man to chase a white whale across the oceans — and what does that say about the human soul? In this presentation, Roger dives into the life and legacy of Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick and one of America’s most profound literary voices. Discover how his works, once overlooked, came to define a major chapter in American literature.

    This is the sixth in a series of 13 presentations that explores Hermetic American history by focusing on a diverse group of hermetic figures spanning architecture, poetry, drama, religion, esoteric philosophy, and occultism. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/119

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

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    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

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    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • How Two Writers Redefined American Freedom - Emerson and Thoreau

    How Two Writers Redefined American Freedom - Emerson and Thoreau
    May 7 2025
    Have you ever read the works of Henry David Thoreau or explored the transcendentalist movement of the 19th century? Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thoreau were two pioneering voices at the heart of this influential spiritual and philosophical movement. In this presentation, Roger examines their writings, their personal lives, and the lasting impact they had on American culture.

    This is the fifth in a series of 13 presentations that explores Hermetic American history by focusing on a diverse group of hermetic figures spanning architecture, poetry, drama, religion, esoteric philosophy, and occultism. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/118

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

    Discover more presentations by Roger Weir
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

    Learn more about the Shared Presence Foundation
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • How Cooper and Whistler Shaped American Identity

    How Cooper and Whistler Shaped American Identity
    Apr 19 2025
    Have you read any works from James Fenimore Cooper? Or have you seen one of James McNeill Whistler's paintings? These two men, born in early America, captured the "Age of Revolution" spirit in their work and helped shape the landscape of literature and art in the 19th century.
    This is the fourth in a series of 13 presentations that explores Hermetic American history by focusing on a diverse group of hermetic figures spanning architecture, poetry, drama, religion, esoteric philosophy, and occultism. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/117

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

    Discover more presentations by Roger Weir
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

    Learn more about the Shared Presence Foundation
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​

    Check out our YouTube channel

    Image credit: Detail from “Scene from James Fenimore Cooper’s ’The Last of the Mohicans’” by Thomas Cole (1827).
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Inside Jefferson's Mind: A Founding Father's Hidden World

    Inside Jefferson's Mind: A Founding Father's Hidden World
    Mar 1 2025
    What was Thomas Jefferson's role as a carrier of the hermetic tradition and hermetic wisdom in early America? The transmission of hermetic wisdom from Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Jefferson is an often overlooked aspect of American history – here it is illuminated. Through an exploration of Jefferson's life, influence, wisdom, and philosophical mind, Roger Weir seeks to provide insights that are commonly unknown or overlooked.

    This is the third in a series of 13 presentations that explores Hermetic American history by focusing on a diverse group of hermetic figures spanning architecture, poetry, drama, religion, esoteric philosophy, and occultism. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/116

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

    Discover more presentations by Roger Weir
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

    Learn more about the Shared Presence Foundation
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​

    Check out our YouTube channel

    Image credit: Detail from “Scene from James Fenimore Cooper’s ’The Last of the Mohicans’” by Thomas Cole (1827).
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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Benjamin Franklin

    Benjamin Franklin
    Feb 21 2025
    This presentation discusses, sayings, endeavors, philosophy, metaphysical backgrounds of Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography. This is the second in a series of 13 presentations that explores American history by focusing on a diverse group of figures spanning architecture, poetry, drama, religion, esoteric philosophy, and speculative fiction. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/115

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

    Discover more presentations by Roger Weir
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

    Learn more about the Shared Presence Foundation
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​

    Check out our YouTube channel

    Image credit: Detail from “Scene from James Fenimore Cooper’s ’The Last of the Mohicans’” by Thomas Cole (1827).
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • American Indian Traditions

    American Indian Traditions
    Feb 14 2025
    This presentation discusses the original, indigenous American wisdom in mythology: The Wyoming Sun Wheel, the Anasazi, and mounds. This is the first presentation in this series which explores the cultural history of America through a person by person examination spanning from the pre-colonial era and on into the twentieth century. These presentations were delivered by Roger Weir in the spring of 1982 in Los Angeles, California.

    Episode transcript - https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/transcripts/114

    Discover more content related to this series
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations/hermetic-america-1982

    Discover more presentations by Roger Weir
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org/presentations

    Learn more about the Shared Presence Foundation
    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​

    Check out our YouTube channel

    Image credit: Detail from “Scene from James Fenimore Cooper’s ’The Last of the Mohicans’” by Thomas Cole (1827).
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    1 hr and 33 mins