Stephen Flowers

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Stephen Edred Flowers
Born	Stephen Edred Flowers Bonham, Texas, US
Other names	Edred Thorsson, Darban-i-Den
Occupation	Lecturer
Known for	Neo-Germanic paganism, Odinism, Runology
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin
Academic work
Institutions	University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College

Stephen Edred Flowers, commonly known as Stephen E. Flowers or his pen name Edred Thorsson, is an American runologist, university lecturer, and proponent of occultism, especially of Neo-Germanic paganism and Odinism. He helped establish the Germanic Neopagan movement in North America and has also been active in left-hand path occult organizations. He has over three dozen published books and hundreds of published papers and translations on a disparate range of subjects. Flowers is still an active representative of heathenry and Odinism, and has appeared online in spaces associated with neo-Nazi activity, such as Red Ice TV.^[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Stephen Edred Flowers was born in Bonham, Texas, the only son of Betty Jane Eden, daughter of Edred Cosgrove Eden (1888-1945). In 1960 his family moved to Dallas. Flowers attended the Bryan Adams High School (class of 1971).

In the summer of 1974 Flowers moved to Austin and did his graduate work in Germanic and Celtic philology under professor and scholar Edgar Polomé at the University of Texas at Austin from 1973 to 1984.

In May 1979 he received an M.A. degree with a thesis entitled "Rebirth and Rites of Transformation in the Saga of Sigurðr Sigmundarson" (later released on a limited basis within the Rune-Gild under the title "Sigurðr, Rebirth and Initiation, and republished as “Sigurðr: Rebirth and the Rites of Transformation" in 2015).

In 1981-1982 he studied academic runology at the University of Göttingen, Germany under Klaus Düwel.

Flowers received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages and Medieval Studies in 1984 with a dissertation entitled Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Elder Tradition.

Academic career[edit]

Flowers began his career as a university lecturer. From 1984 to 1989 he was a lecturer in the departments of English and Germanic Languages at the University of Texas. Flowers was last known to be teaching classes in the Humanities at Austin Community College.

Occult career[edit]

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In June 1974, while riding in the backseat of a car from Houston to Austin, Flowers says that he heard the sound roonah. He said that the experience was the first milestone in his journey.^[2] In 1978 Flowers joined the Asatru Free Assembly (currently Asatru Folk Assembly, the largest neo-Völkisch hate organization in the US^[3]) where he was one of the earliest members, with membership number 072.^{[citation needed]}

In May 1979 he founded the Austin "skeppslag" (later kindred) of the AFA. In 1980 he was initiated as a goði by Stephen A. McNallen. In Yule-Tide 1979/80 Flowers founded the Rune-Gild, an initiatory order focused on "the revival of the elder Runic" tradition, advocating runic magic.^{[citation needed]}

On November 11, 1983, he founded a small group to explore what he saw as the dark, futuristic undercurrent of Odinism called The Order of Shining Trapezohedron or "O.S.T." (Order of the Shining Trapezoid) which closed on January 13, 1984.^{[citation needed]}

In February 1984 he became a member of the Temple of Set, being recognized to the Second Degree of Adept and to the Priesthood (III°) on October 7, 1984. On November 14, 1986, he was recognized as a Magister Templi (IV°). In November 1987 the AFA (old AFA) collapsed, and on December 20, Thorsson founded the Ring of Troth.^{[citation needed]}

The leadership^[4] fell to James Allen Chisholm, with Thorsson remaining as a spiritual advisor. In 1989 a man named Robert Meek and others began a campaign against Thorsson, “exposing” him of practicing dark arts and being a member of the Temple of Set, although this was well known within the Asatru community and was never a secret. It was also during this time that the 18-year ban on manifestation of the Order of the Triskelion (Triskelenorden) was lifted - an organization for the practice of operant Sadeanism and Carnal Alchemy, founded in early 1991 by Thorsson and Dawn.^{[citation needed]}

In March 1992 the administrative power of the Ring of Troth was handed over to Prudence Priest and a full contingency of Rede members by Chisholm, which gave Thorsson the ability to spend most of his time to matters pertaining to the Rune-Gild. In 1993 Thorsson and Dawn bought 30 acres of wilderness east of Austin and adjacent to Buescher State Park, named Woodharrow, on which the future history of the Gild and of the many of Thorsson's many other undertakings would be written. At the end of 1993 they moved to Woodharrow and over the next two years built up the physical facilities on the land where a meeting hall was erected and completed in 1996.^{[citation needed]}

Flowers has established or been associated with the publishing companies named Rûna-Raven Press (c. 1993-2015), Lodestar Books (c. 2011-2019), and Arcana Europa Media (c. 2020-present).

In the Spring of 1995, due to inner turmoil, Thorsson withdrew from any involvement with the Ring of Troth. In August 1995 he and Dawn traveled to Iceland and England to strengthen the work of the Rune-Gild. In April 1996 Thorsson retired from his position as Grand Master of the Order of the Trapezoid in order to focus more intently on Rune-Gild matters.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]}

Works[edit]

• Thorsson, Edred (1984). Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic (Reissued 2012, Revised 2020. ed.). Samuel Weiser. ISBN 978-0877285489.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (1986). Runes and Magic: Magical Formulaic Elements in the Older Runic Tradition (doctoral dissertation). Germany: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers. ISBN 978-0820403335.
• Thorsson, Edred (1987). Runelore: A Handbook of Esoteric Runology (later retitled as Runelore: The Magic, History, and Hidden Codes of the Runes). Samuel Weiser. ISBN 978-0877286677.
• Thorsson, Edred (1988). At the Well of Wyrd. (retitled as Runecaster's Handbook: The Well of Wyrd in 1999), Samuel Weiser. ISBN 978-1578631360.
• Thorsson, Edred (1989). A Book of Troth. Llewellyn Publications. (second edition, 2003, Rûna-Raven Press; third edition, 2015, Runestone Press [Ultra]; fourth edition, 2022, Arcana Europa Media). ISBN 979-8986223407.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (1990). Fire and Ice: Magical Teachings of Germany's Greatest Secret Occult Order (revised second edition retitled as Fire & Ice: The History, Structure, and Rituals of Germany's Most Influential Modern Magical Order: The Brotherhood of Saturn in 1994). Llewellyn. ISBN 978-0875427768. (Revised third edition retitled as The Fraternitas Saturni: History, Doctrine, and Rituals of the Magical Order of the Brotherhood of Saturn published with Inner Traditions/Bear in 2018. ISBN 978-1620557211.
• Thorsson, Edred (1991). The Nine Doors of Midgard: A Complete Curriculum of Rune Magic. Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0875427812. Revised in 2003 and retitled as The Nine Doors of Midgard: A Curriculum of Rune-work published by Rûna-Raven Press in 2003. ISBN 978-1885972231. Revised and expanded fifth edition published by Arcana Europa Media LLC in 2018. ISBN 978-0971204485.
• Thorsson, Edred. (1992). Northern Magic: Mysteries of the Norse, Germans & English (revised second edition retitled as Northern Magic: Rune Mysteries & Shamanism). Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-1567187090.
• Thorsson, Edred. (1993). Rune-Song: A Guide to Galdor. Rûna-Raven Press. ISBN 979-8728505730. Reissued in 2021 by Arcana Europa Media. This book is accompanied by audio tracks for correct pronunciation.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred. (1995). Black Rûna: Being the Shorter Works of Stephen Edred Flowers, Produced for the Order of the Trapezoid of the Temple of Set (1985-1989). (reissued and retitled as Dark Rûna: Containing the Complete Essays Originally Published in Black Rûna (1995) by Lodestar Books in 2019). ISBN 978-1885972507.
• Thorsson, Edred. (1996). Green Rûna: The Runemaster's Notebook: Shorter Works of Edred Thorsson, Volume I (1978-1985). Rûna-Raven Press. (reissued by Lodestar Books in 2021). ISBN 978-1885972880.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (1997). Lords of the Left-hand Path: A History of Spiritual Dissent. Rûna-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972088. (second revised edition retitled as Lords of the Left-Hand Path: Forbidden Practices and Spiritual Heresies in 2012). Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1594774676.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (1999). A Concise Edition of Old English Runic Inscriptions. Rûna-Raven Press.
• Thorsson, Edred. (2001). Blue Rûna: Edred's Shorter Works Vol. III (1988-1994). Rûna-Raven Press. ISBN 1-885972-16-4. Republished by Asatru Folk Assembly in 2011. ISBN 978-1885972163.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred. (2001). Red Rûna: Shorter Works, Vol. IV (1987-2001). Rûna-Raven Press.
• Thorsson, Edred. (2011). The Mysteries of the Goths. Lodestar Books. ISBN 978-1885972316.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2014). The Good Religion. Runa-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972996.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2014). Runarmal II. Runa-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972989.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2015). Sigurdr. Runa-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972958.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2015). Wendish Mythology. Runa-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972132.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2017). The Mazdan Way: Essays on the Good Religion for the West. Lodestar. ISBN 978-1885972453.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2017). The Northern Dawn: A History of the Reawakening of the Germanic Spirit: From the Twilight of the Gods to the Sun at Midnight. Arcana Europa Media LLC. ISBN 978-0972029285.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2017). Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi. Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1620556443.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2017). Runarmal I: The Runa-Talks: Summer 1991ev. Lodestar. ISBN 978-1885972620.
• Thorsson, Edred (2018). Rune Might: The Secret Practices of the German Rune Magicians. (3rd edition, revised and expanded). Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1620557259. Originally published in 1989 by Llewellyn Publications under the title Rune Might: Secret Practices of the German Rune Magicians. Second revised and expanded edition published in 2004 by Runa-Raven Press under the title Rune-Might: History and Practices of the Early 20th Century German Rune Magicians.
• Thorsson, Edred (2018). The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic: How to Interpret Runes, Rune Lore, and the Art of Runecasting. Weiser Books. ISBN 978-1578636525. This book is a revision and expansion upon his original three-book series of Futhark (1984), Runelore (1987), and At the Well of Wyrd (1988).
• Thorsson, Edred. (2019). Witchdom of the True: A Study of the Vana-Troth and Seidr. Lodestar Books. ISBN 978-1885972170.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred (2019). Dark Rûna: Containing the Complete Essays Originally Published in Black Rûna (1995). Lodestar. ISBN 978-1885972507.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2019). The Magian Tarok: The Origins of the Tarot in the Mithraic and Hermetic Traditions. Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1620558690.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2019). Studia Germanica. Lodestar. ISBN 978-1885972309.
• Thorsson, Edred. (2019). History of the Rune-Gild: The Reawakening of the Gild (1980-2018). Gilded Books, imprint of Arcana Europa Media. ISBN 978-0999724545.
• Thorsson, Edred. (2020). Re-Tribalize Now!: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultural Renewal. Arcana Europa Media.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2021). Revival of the Runes: The Modern Rediscovery and Reinvention of the Germanic Runes. Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1644111789.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2022). The Occult in National Socialism: The Symbolic, Scientific, and Magical Influences on the Third Reich. Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1644115749.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (2022). The Occult Roots of Bolshevism. Lodestar Books. ISBN 978-1885972873.

As co-author[edit]

• Flowers, Stephen E.; Moynihan, Michael (2007). The Secret King: The Myth and Reality of Nazi Occultism. Feral House. ISBN 978-1932595253.
• Flowers, Stephen E.; Flowers, Crystal Dawn (2013). Carnal Alchemy: Sado-Magical Techniques for Pleasure, Pain, and Self-Transformation. Inner Traditions/Bear. ISBN 978-1620551097.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred; Von List, Guido (2015). Freemasonry and the Germanic Tradition. Rûna-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972927.
• Flowers, Stephen Edred; Chisholm, James (2015). Source Book of Seid. Runa-Raven Press. ISBN 978-1885972972.

As editor[edit]

• Flowers, Stephen (1995). Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris. Red Wheel Weiser. ISBN 978-0877288282.

As translator[edit]

• List, Guido von, Stephen E. Flowers (trans., 1988), The Secret of the Runes. Inner Traditions. ISBN 978-0892812073.
• Flowers, Stephen E. (1989). The Galdrabók: An Icelandic Grimoire. Originally published by Samuel Weiser (1989), then Rûna-Raven Press (2005) ISBN 978-1885972088, then as a second revised edition retitled as The Galdrabók: An Icelandic Book of Magic with Lodestar Books (2011), then a third revised edition and retitled as Icelandic Magic: Practical Secrets of the Northern Grimoires and published by Inner Traditions (2016). ISBN 978-1620554050.
• Kummer, S.A., Edred Thorsson (trans., 2017), Rune-Magic. Lodestar Books. ISBN 978-1885972613.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official home page, archive of 28 July 2021