Louis Sahagun and the “Master of the Mysteries”

Writer and reporter Louis Sahagun joins us to discuss his amazing new book, “Master of the Mysteries: The Life of Manly Palmer Hall” published by Process Media. Louis’ book is an incredibly well-researched and revealing a biography of Manly Hall that contains so many previously unknown facts and stories that it is simply astonishing. This book is a must-read for anyone that considers themselves a student of Hall and his work, or is simply interested in how a man came from almost nothing and made himself into one of the greatest teachers of his generation.

Our conversation begins by discussing how Louis came to know Hall and his work and describes his approach to writing the book as a history of Hall and the city of Los Angeles growing up together. Next, we talk about Manly Hall’s early life and how he began his career as a teacher and seer. In the early years, Hall was identified with Rosicrucianism, as were some of his contemporaries, including Max Heindel’s widow, Augusta, and H. Spencer Lewis. We get into Hall’s history as a Freemason and how this affected the subject matter of his writings and lectures. We trace the progression from writings on Magic, Tarot, Alchemy, and Freemasonry to his later works on mysticism, meditation, Eastern philosophy, and comparative religion. We also discuss the later years and Hall’s very mysterious death at the hands of the man who was supposed to be his friend and aide. Hall’s accomplishments are legion, including the hundreds of books, thousands of lectures, and the Philosophical Research Society that still stands as a living monument to the Wisdom of the Ages compiled by Hall during his lifetime.

Occult of Personality » Blog Archive » Podcast 49 - Louis Sahagun and the “Master of the Mysteries”