rld. Although, thankfully, a couple of his respected works have been translated into English. CONTINUALLY BEING UPDATED.
Karl Spiesberger
(Frater Eratus)
Compiled by
Victor Ordell. L Kasen
(full credits/references given below)
Version 1.2
Karl Spiesberger is probably the best known post World War II revivalist of the mystical Germanic runes, runic magic and ‘sidereal pendulum' in the German speaking world. Although, thankfully, a couple of his respected works have been translated into English.
Spiesberger was a proponent of the Armanen Futharkh, the 'Sacred Eighteen' rune row, which was originally revealed to us by Guido von List developed further magically in a written format by Siegfried Adolf Kummer.
Due to the National Socialist suppression and imprisonment of "non-authorised" or "non-officially sanctioned" occulitic/runic Germanic revivalists and their respective organisations during the Third Reich (thus the ridiculous "guilt by association" view of the mystico-magical and Nazism. This view has spawned equally ridiculous "hate laws" in certa
in countries in the using the runes and certain ancient and sacral symbols). Since 1945 they had become virtually driven underground, however, post 1945 the Armanen Futharkh and Germanic spiritualism was revived to a large extent by Spiesberger and by 1955 the Armanen runic system had once more become very much traditional in German speaking circles as it was before the war.
Spiesberger was, openly, an initiate of the magical order known as the 'Fraternitas Saturni' or ‘Brotherhood of Saturn'. This magical lodge was/is (see Fire and Ice 1994) the most prestigious, prominent and influential magical order of German occultism. With the 'Fraternitas Saturni', Spiesberger used the pseudo-magical name of Frater Eratus.
Spiesberger's written works, it has been noted, represent a mystically spiritual amalgamation of ‘Saturni gnosis and Listian Armanism', and as it is with many author's of mystico-magical esotericism he presents a combination of the ancient mystico with his own original magical innovation. But it must be remembered that he, to some extent, drew from the eclectic teaching of th
e 'Fraternitas Saturni'. And, as Thorsson notes, in Spiesberger's texts “he synthesizes the works of the many German runic magicians and experts who preceded him. Spiesberger accomplished this within a ‘pansophical framework.' Although, after all, Spiesberger was a ‘widely qualified "eclectic" occultist who had authored many occult texts, both Hermetic and Runic.'
Within the 'Fraternitas Saturni' and forwarded exclusively under Frater Eratus, runecraft has always been utilised within the 'Fraternitas Saturni's' magical curriculum.
Both List and Friedrich Bernhard Marby and also Kummer actually, were all ardent practitioners of the Armanen Futharkh whom saw the runic ‘scriptures' as the ‘key to esoteric understandin
g. However, Spiesberger saw them entirely differently. Spiesberger sdaw the Runes as ‘ just one more tool to be used by an individual magician. '
In 1955 he produced his groundbreaking work, " Runenmagie " (Rune Magic).
Marby developed the system of Runic Gymnastics or Runengymnastik. Runic gymnastics 'probably dates back to magical postures and gestures of the indo-Europeans and even in Scandinavia today it is still a folk custom to teach the alphabet to school children by having them strike poses imitative of the shapes of the letters whilst making the sound each represents.' Although, Marby never, during his esoteric magical calling, actually definitavely formalation his runic gymnastic/yoga system. Because of this much of his work "often seems uneven and incomplete."
Later in the 1930's, regarding Runic gynmastics/yoga, Kummer, to a degree, utilized Marby's technique and published a fully workable system and because of this Kummer is seen today better known for Runic Yoga (Runenyoga as he called it) than Marby. This kind of magic was further systematised in the works of Spiesberger. Most notibly in his 1958 Runenexerzitien fur Jedermann (Rune Exercieses for Everyone)
- why shapes are magical- harnes energies!
Spiesberger was also a highly respected advocate of 'Sidereal Pendulum' dowsing and revived this magical system as well as much of the old works on the subjects after world war 2 as he did with the runes. His most notible work on this subject is entitled 'Der erfolgreiche Pendel-Praktiker.' And was published in 1963. Although still far more easily available in it's original German text it is now sadly in it's 1989 English translation. Entitled 'Reveal the Power of the Pendulum: Secrets of the Sidereal Pendulum, A Complete Survey of Pendulum Dowsing, ISBN: 0-572-01419-8, it was published in England 'W. Foulsham & Company Limited.'
As stated, Spiesberger is highly respected in this field as with the runic revival and this work, the English translation of Der erfolgreiche Pendel-Praktiker. is seen by many as the ultimate work on the subject of which there is little if any rival. In it the works of other respected pendulum dowsers in Germany are dra
wn upon and objectively compiled. These include those such as A. Frank Glahn, Vockler, Dr. K.E. Weiss and Dr. E. Clasen, L. Straniak, Reichenbach, Professor Karl Bahr, Friedrich Kallenberg, and more.
There are some however that undeservidly eschew his work because he 'steered clear' of the more volkish aspects of the older esoteric magicians that preceeded him. However, it must be noted that this is a rather small-minded view to take. Spiesberger, on the other hand, is noted by many in his landmark ' Runenmagie ' for keeping alive the pioneering works of such notibles as Guido von List, Rudolf John Gorsleben, Peryt Shou, Friedrich Bernhard Marby and Siegfried Adolf Kummer. He, on top of this, greatly influenced the widely read works of Thorsson of whom without we would not have the resurgence of runic lore that we have today, those of both the English and German language – his book ‘Futhark' “owes much to his research…“
Spiesberger's “Reveal the Power of the Pendulum” will appear online soon!
Karl Spiesberger's Works
*Groundbreaking work, " Runenmagie " (Rune Magic) - 1955
*Runenexerzitien fur Jedermann (Rune Exercieses for Everyone) - 1958
*Reveal the Power of the Pendulum: Secrets of the Sidereal Pendulum, A Complete Survey of Pendulum Dowsing, ISBN: 0-572-01419--8 (Der erfolgreiche Pendel-Praktiker) - 1962
More works by Karl Spiesberger: http://www.antiquario.de/a_autoren/s/Spiesberger_Karl.html
References:
Compiled by :
Victor Ordell L. Kasen.
MORE TO COME....