Hermetic Magic with Sam Block

Since 2011, my guest Sam Block, also known as Polyphanes, has written well over 1.5 Million words on his Blog, The Digital Ambler. Having found his work in late 2013, I loved his passion and process regarding such texts as the Corpus Hermeticum and the Greek Magical Papyri. In this episode of WMiT? I finally get to pick his brain about some of my favourite aspects of magic, his process and how he tackles such things as using Barbarous names, substituting ingredients, even prayer. The Magical Mindscape of Polyphanes is on full display.

My Guest for this episode has written extensively about nearly every aspect of his magical world. His Blog The Digital Ambler is an inexhaustible font of excellent information for people beginning in magic as well as those who are looking at trying something new. If you would like to show some support for Sam and his brilliant work, hit him up on Ko-fi or even better- Grab one of his Books!

Show Notes

• Classic Hermetic Rituals – Sam’s PGM work. These were the most helpful guides for PGM Magic when I first started many years ago
• I did an episode about the Greek Magical Papyri. Lots of great Show Notes there as well
• Sam’s Writings on the Corpus Hermeticum – Scroll through by clicking ‘Newer Posts’
• The Difficulty of Principalizing the Way of Hermēs
• The Difficulty of Centralizing the Way of Hermēs
• The Way of Hermes – The Corpus Hermeticum Translated by Clement Salaman – This is my favourite Translation
• Asclepius: A Secret Discourse of Hermes Trismegistus Translated by Clement Salaman
• Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius – A less poetic but more faithful translation of the Corpus by Brian Copenhaver
• The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells by Hans Dieter Betz
• Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic by Stephen Skinner
• On Psychometry, A Most Necessary Beginner Practice
• Beginner’s Practices
• Pronouncing Generated Greek Names
• Animal Sacrifice: a bloody mess of a topic
• PGM-Style Framing Rite
• Chaldean Oracles
• Koine Greek
• Koine Greek Pronunciation Guide – This is actually a really helpful website
• Another Pronunciation Guide Video
• The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth – From the Nag Hammadi
• Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan
• Electional Astrology: How to Find Auspicious Dates and Times – The Astrology Podcast
• Practical Occult – Alison Chicosky
• The Kybalion is Still Crap, No Matter Who You Think You Are – A personal favourite of mine

Music in this Episode is “Hymn To the Sun” by Michael Levy