Episodes

  • Alan Hovhaness & Morris Graves - Mysticism in Music and Art

    Alan Hovhaness & Morris Graves - Mysticism in Music and Art
    Aug 30 2025
    Discover the American Hermetic tradition through the visionary works of Alan Hovhaness and Morris Graves—a composer and a painter who each sought transcendence beyond the visible world. Hovhaness’s mystical music, rooted in Eastern modes and cosmic harmony, resonates with Graves’s spiritual imagery of birds, light, and inner silence. Together, they reflect a uniquely American search for the sacred hidden within art.

    This is the twelfth 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/125

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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • Black Elk

    Black Elk
    Aug 30 2025
    Explore the profound vision of Black Elk, the Oglala Lakota holy man whose sacred dreams and teachings resonate deeply with the American Hermetic tradition. His spiritual insight bridged the worlds of earth and sky, community and cosmos, offering a path of harmony and hidden wisdom that continues to inspire seekers today.

    This is the last 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/127

    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 25 mins
  • Why William Faulkner and Andrew Wyeth Still Captivate America

    Why William Faulkner and Andrew Wyeth Still Captivate America
    Aug 4 2025
    Dive into the American Hermetic tradition through the haunting worlds of William Faulkner and Andrew Wyeth—two artists who, across words and images, revealed the layered, symbolic depths of rural life, memory, and the unseen forces shaping identity. This presentation explores how Faulkner’s Southern gothic landscapes and Wyeth’s solitary, inward-looking scenes both channel a hidden metaphysical dimension within the American psyche.

    This is the eleventh 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/124

    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 48 mins
  • Henry Adams & Winslow Homer

    Henry Adams & Winslow Homer
    Jul 23 2025
    Explore the hidden currents of the American Hermetic tradition through the lives and works of Henry Adams and Winslow Homer—two towering figures who, in very different ways, grappled with nature, mystery, and the unseen forces shaping modern life. From Adams’s Dynamo and the Virgin to Homer’s haunting seascapes, this presentation traces how both men tapped into a spiritual undercurrent beneath American realism.

    This is the tenth 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/123

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

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

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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • The Hidden Genius of William James' Pragmatic Philosophy

    The Hidden Genius of William James' Pragmatic Philosophy
    Jul 8 2025
    William James—philosopher, psychologist, and pioneer of American pragmatism. From the stream of consciousness to the varieties of religious experience, James redefined how we understand truth, belief, and the human mind.

    This is the ninth 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/122

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

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

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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow & Greene and Greene

    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow & Greene and Greene
    Jun 24 2025
    Discover the threads of the Hermetic American tradition woven through the works of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and architects Greene and Greene, two seemingly distant figures united by a shared reverence for symbolism, nature, and the spiritual imagination. Longfellow’s poetic invocations of myth, morality, and the unseen world echo Hermetic ideals of inner transformation and universal wisdom. Decades later, the architectural harmony and handcrafted detail of Greene and Greene’s designs reflect an esoteric understanding of balance, proportion, and the sacred geometry of space. Could these artists, across time and medium, be part of a quiet American lineage of Hermetic thought? Join Roger and explore the hidden metaphysics behind poetry and architecture.

    This is the eighth 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/121

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

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

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    https://sharedpresencefoundation.org​
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • Ancient Wisdom Behind Walt Whitman's American Poetry

    Ancient Wisdom Behind Walt Whitman's American Poetry
    Jun 8 2025
    How did Walt Whitman transform American poetry—and how did the Civil War reshape his voice and vision? In this lecture, Roger explores Whitman’s groundbreaking work, including Leaves of Grass, and his deep, compassionate reflections on democracy, the body, and national identity. Discover how his experiences as a Civil War nurse influenced his writing and legacy.

    This is the seventh 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/120

    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 15 mins
  • 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

    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 31 mins