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Many lectures given at the Gnostic Society are available BC Recordings.

Also remember, you can listen to lectures here on the Web!  Click here for a list of lectures currently available in the Gnosis Archive.

November and December 2008:  Great Teachers of the Gnosis

Essential biographies and review of the principal contributions of seven of the great teachers and founders of the Gnostic tradition and explore the contemporary relevance of their contributions.  A course in the most important teachings of the Gnosis as enunciated by its greatest representatives.

November 7:  Simon Magus, First Gnostic Teacher and Magician:  The Theurgist-Prophet and his connections with the school of John the Baptizer and the Dead Sea Scrolls.  "Simon of Samaria," the flying wizard, Messenger of the Most High Power.

November 14:  The Gnostic Paul and his Experience of Celestial Gnosis:  The apostle who never knew Jesus in the flesh, but became an apostle through Gnosis.  Paul's real experience of celestial ascension on the Damascene road.  His attempt to preserve Gnosis in the mainstream Church.

November 21:  Valentinus; a Gnostic for All Seasons:  The great Gnostic visionary and poet; author and inspirer of Pistis Sophia, The Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Philip and other scriptures.  Valentinus almost became Pope of Rome.

December 5:  Carpocrates and Alexandra:  The legendary couple of teachers and visionaries and their sometimes controversial message.

December 12:  Marcion of Pontus; Mystic and Biblical Critic:  The cleansing of the Bible of its Archonic content.

December 19:  Mani; Prophet, Poet and Artist:  The Persian Messenger of Light, his life and Message as well as his influence through the ages.  A Gnostic teacher whose church endured for over a millennium.

October 2008:  The Secret Destiny of America

Hermetic-Gnostic Archetypes in the United States of America

The late Manly P. Hall and other esoteric scholars have pointed out that there were secret spiritual influences at work at the founding of the American Republic  Enlightenment-Hermeticism and other heterodox mystical currents present in Templar and Masonic traditions acted as the principal inspirations of the founders of the U.S.A. Dr. Hoeller's talks range over the past, present and future of the Republic and point the way toward the recognition of its secret destiny.

October 3:  Archetypal Foundations of America:  The Gnosis of Enlightenment-Hermeticism, Freemasonry and other Esoteric currents and their influence.

October 10:  America and the Task of Consciousness:  Is there a future for the Consciousness of Gnosis in the U.S.A.?

October 17:  The Esoteric Future of America:  Will the "Culture Wars" (Conflicts between fundamentalism and secularism) be resolved in a Hermetic spiritual synthesis?

October 24:  C.G. Jung on America:  The late Dr. Jung made many wise statements about the U.S.A., which amount to depth-psychological advise for our lives in this country.

September 2008:  The Gnosis of Dreams

The Dream, called in the Bible "the vision of the night" has been a matter of great interest to humanity since pre-historic times.  In the 20th Century, depth psychology recognized dreams as the royal highway to the unconscious.  In these talks Dr. Hoeller explores dreams as indications of Gnosis into various aspects of life and as symbolic communications from the deeper strata of reality and from the aeons that transcend the manifest world.

September 5:  Dreams, Mundane or Transcendent?  The nature and the many functions of dreams.  Can dreams give us intimations of realities beyond the physical world?

September 12:  Dreams and their insight into Health and Illness:  Can a dream be a diagnostic tool and can dreams prescribe treatment and cure?  Can we revive the ancient method of "incubation" (healing through dreams)?

September 19:  Dreams, Alchemy and Archetypes:  The presence of Alchemical symbolism in dreams; C.G. Jung's teachings about Individuation and Archetypal Images as related to Dreams.

September 26:  Dreams and other Altered States:  The similarity of dreams to Altered States of Consciousness.  What conclusions may we draw regarding the connection of dream states and visionary reality.

August 2008:  Four Portentous Scriptures from Nag Hammadi

Some of the Nag Hammadi scriptures, like the Gospel of Thomas enjoy great popularity.  Some others, though very informative, have been less often explored.  Throughout August, four such treatises are reviewed and their unique revelations and insights highlighted.

August 1:  The Treatise on the Resurrection:  The three kinds of Resurrection.  How all of us may "rise from the dead" today?  Resurrection understood as not a unique event in history but as the perennial metaphor for Gnosis.

August 8:  The Divine Meaning of Human History:  "The Thought of Our Great Power".  This scripture illuminates the spiritual aspects of the process of history.  Dr. Hoeller will draw conclusions from this scripture relevant to the present perplexities of world history.

August 15:  The Origin and Nature of the Soul:  "The Authoritative Teaching".  This scripture is a work of Gnostic Psychology and has signal relevance to contemporary psycho-spiritual concerns.

August 29:  The Mysteries of James the Just:  "The First and Second Apocalypse of James".  This scripture explains the esoteric teachings of the Apostle James, leader of the first Christians in Jerusalem and believed to be "the Brother of the Lord".

July 2008:  Magicians and Magic of the Golden Dawn

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was the one, truly seminal organization dedicated to the study and practice of Ceremonial Magic as well as the Kabbalah, Tarot and diverse divinatory modalities.  In this series of talks Dr. Hoeller presens the fascinating personalities of some of the leading members and the quintessential teachings and magical practices of the Golden Dawn.

July 11:  W.B. Yeats and Poetic Magic:  The greatest poet of the English language at his time as well as his associates William Wynn Wescott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers as well as the basic principles of Golden Dawn Magic.

July 18:  Dion Fortune and Magical Narrative:  Novelist Dion Fortune (Violet Firth) and her synthesis of Psychology, Paganism, and early Feminism.  Her almost antagonists Arthur Edward Waite and the American magical Tarot master Paul Foster Case.  The Magical Tarot and practices of imaginative thaumaturgy.

July 25:  Aleister Crowley, Pioneer and Experimenter:  Controversial poet, mountain climber and magician Aleister Crowley, and his many interests, including sex magic.  Israel Regardie, the biographer and protagonist of Crowley.  The shadow of Eliphas Levi as the inspiration of Crowley.

June 2008:  Models of Free Consciousness

Four attempts to scale the heights of the soul, from the 19th Century to the Present.

June 6:  Journey through the Cosmos:  The pioneering teachings of H.P. Blavatsky.  In the late 19th Century, H.P. Blavatsky, "the Russian Sphinx" brought her own system of Gnosis to the world.  What were her teachings and her goals?

June 13:  Freeing the Self:  Gurdjieff, Nicoll and the Fourth Way.  After World War 1, the Mage from the Caucasus, G.I. Gurdjieff, taught a new Model of Liberation.  An evaluation of this model will be presented.

June 20:  The Chemical Explorers:  Hofmann, Huxley, Heard and Castanéda.  The psychedelic movement made significant contributions to the task of interior enlightenment.  The great figures and ideas of this movement will be noted.

June 27:  The New Eleusis:  Can Gnosticism bring back the Mysteries?  Pagan and Christian mysteries were both striving for spiritual liberation.  Can their legacy be activated and succeed today?

Fridays in April and May 2008:  Myth, Gnosis and the 21st Century

A plea for a new revival of interest in Mythic Wisdom.

April 4:  Myth:  A Necessity for the Soul.  Far from being but a fictional tale, a myth is a statement concerning truths of the soul.  The value, nature and liberating potential of myths will be discussed.

April 11:  Myths of Gnosis:  The Kabbalah of the Soul.  Zoharic and Lurianic Kabbalah as myths of Gnostic insight.  The Tree of Life as a mythic structure and map of the soul.

April 18:  Myths of Exile:  The original Jewish Hassidim.  Living under unhappy conditions of exile in Russia and Poland, Israel Bal Shem Tov and other Hassidic masters taught a wisdom with many Gnostic elements.

April 25:  Myths of the Magical Enlightenment:  Count Cagliostro.  Cagliostro, the Magical Martyr and his Egyptian Rite of Masonry.  Myths of initiation and practices of enlightening ceremonial.

May 9:  Myths of Vision and Phantasy:  Phillip K. Dick.  The visionary Science Fiction writer and his perception of Nag Hammadi, liberation, Sophia and related subjects.

May 16:  Myths, Politics and Statecraft:  The Pitfalls of Nostalgia and of Change.  In this election year we look at the mythic elements in the public arena.  The Myths behind conservative and liberal attitudes.  The enlightenment era myths that founded the U.S.A.

May 23:  Myths of the Psyche:  C.G. Jung, the New Merlin.  The psychological re-discovery of myths.  The story of the Wizard, Merlin as Jung¹s personal myth.

May 30:  Myths of Spiritual Liberation:  The Perennial Striving for Gnosis.  As mythologist Karl Kerényi stated, the Gnostics taught myths of profound mystical content and origin.  Can we commune with such myths today?

February and March 2008:  Modern Magi

Magic derives its name from the art of the Magi, the Persian priesthood of olden days.  This series tells of practitioners of the art and philosophy from the magic of the Middle Ages to the occult revival of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries and beyond.

February 22:  Eliphas Levi; Master of Magic:  Alphonse Louis Constant (Eliphas Levi), the great reviver of Magic and Kabbalah exerted a huge influence on 19th and 20th Century esotericism and is not without influence today.  This talk will offer Gnostic and Jungian insights into Levi's teachings, life and times.

February 29:  Albert Pike; Masonic Magus:  Civil War general, philosopher and creator of Scottish Rite Masonry in America, Pike reformed much of Masonry to reflect the Mysteries of Greece, Egypt and other ancient lands.  Greatly revered by such esotericists as H.P. Blavatsky, A.E. Waite and Manly P. Hall, Pike has still much to say to us today.

March 14:  The Gnosis of the Golden Dawn:  Magicians and Spiritual Practice.  Founded in the latter part of the 19th Century, the Order of the Golden Dawn made an enormous impact on practical esotericism, especially Ceremonial Magic.  The ways and byways of the Golden Dawn tradition will be explored.

March 28:  The Troubadours:  Kindred Predecessors of the Cathars.

January and February 2008:  Alchemists and Alchemy

The art of Transformation from its ancient origins in Alexandria to the modern researches of C.G. Jung and beyond.  How may we compound the philosopher's Stone today?

January 11:  What is Alchemy?  Once envisioned as the turning of base metals into gold, Alchemy has been revealed in modern times as the art of transforming the human psyche.  The principles and basic symbols of this process will be discussed.

January 18:  Zosimus of Panopolis, Gnostic Alchemist:  C.G. Jung pinpointed this Alexandrian Gnostic teacher as the pioneer who translated the main elements of the Gnostic religion into the symbolism of Alchemy.

January 25:  Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas; Christian Alchemy:  St. Albert the Great (A. Magnus), Doctor of the Church, Adept of Magic and Alchemy and his pupil, the monk Thomas, author not only of works on theology but of the treatise "Aurora Consurgens" on the alchemical liberation of Wisdom from matter.

February 1:  Raymond Lully, prophet of "Hyperreality":  A martyred and beatified alchemist who developed the mystical philosophy of Hyperreality which has great relevance to today's spirituality and psychology.

February 8:  Paracelsus, Alchemist and Physician:  "The Swiss Hermes" as occult physician, scientist and alchemist.  His philosophy of healing and his teaching about the different categories of healers will be elucidated.

February 15:  C.G. Jung, founder of modern Alchemy:  Jung's discovery of the depth-psychological relevance of the processes of Alchemy.  Will his great discoveries of the Alchemy of the Soul endure and be further amplified in the 21st Century?

(USA Tarot Reading 2008 can be found in the December 2007 lecture list below . . . )

November and December 2007:  Great Gnostic Teachers and their Heritage

Who were the remarkable sages and seers who wrote the Gnostic Gospels?  What do we know about their personalities and how are these reflected in their writings?.  (This series along with other Gnostic Sages lectures are available in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

November 9:  Thomas, the Gnostic Apostle:  Who was the author of the "Gospel of Thomas" and other related scriptures?  Was he the founder of a Gnostic school of Christianity, extending to India?  Or was he merely "Doubting Thomas" as he is represented by mainstream orthodoxy?

November 16:  Was St. Paul a Gnostic?  The "Apostle of the Gentiles" was always known for many highly mystical and symbolic statements.  He also might have been a great Gnostic teacher as indicated by an early book by Elaine Pagels entitled "The Gnostic Paul".

November 30:  Valentinus, Gnostic Poet of Light:  Valentinus, who almost became bishop of Rome (Pope) is the most inspired and lyrical of the Gnostic teachers.  His reputed works include "Pistis Sophia" and "The Gospel of Truth".

December 7:  Marcion and his Gnostic Critique of the Bible:  Regarded by many as the father of higher Biblical Criticism, Marcion was also the leader of a well-organized and widespread Gnostic church.

December 14:  Basilides and his Mystic Vision:  Basilides' vision disclosed the highest transcendental Deity and its relation to human experience.

December 21:  John, the Gnostic Baptizer:  The Mandaean Gnosis regards John as a major redeemer figure.  This lecture will contain numerous quotations from the Mandaean John Book, a rare source of Johannine Gnosis.

December 28:  Dr. Hoeller's Tarot Forecast for 2008  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2008.

Fridays in September and October 2007:  The Inner Side of Secret Orders

Initiatory Spirituality from ancient Shamans to contemporary Freemasons.  Gnostic, Hermetic, Mithraic and other Esoteric sources of Secret Orders.  What is the Secret and the current role of such Orders?  This series should be of special interest to students of Freemasonry, Templars, Ceremonial Magicians and other esoteric initiatory associations.

September 7:  The Rosy Cross and Golden Dawn:  The mysterious Rosicrucians and their legendary founder, Chr. Rosencreuz.  Medieval Rosicrucianism and its late 19th Century offspring, the Golden Dawn.  The role of the Golden Dawn in the revival of Kabbalah, Tarot and Magic.

September 14:  Jacques de Molay and other Templar Grand Masters:  Were the leaders of the Templar Order Esotericists with Gnostic associations?  The Truth behind modern tales about the Templars, including "Holy Blood, Holy Grail".  What was the curse of Jacques de Molay?

September 21:  Templars and Freemasonry:  Did the Templar traditions continue in Freemasonry?  What is Freemasonry and how does it connect with the Esoteric Tradition.  Albert Pike, the American Esotericist-Freemason.  Freemasonry and the foundations of the American Republic

October 5:  Martinism and French Esotericism:  Little known in English-speaking countries, French inner traditions are one of the most fascinating of all such subjects.  Descending from Cathar and Templar roots, the schools of Eliphas Levi, Martines de Pasqually, Louis Claude de St. Martin and their traditions and organizations.  France as the prime esoteric country of Europe.

October 12:  Spiritual Chivalry:  Spirit of the Templars.  The Templar Tradition of the "Initiates of Action" in a contemporary light.

October 19:  Secret Orders and their Conspiracies, Real and Imagined:  The Illuminati and their weird legacy; why are they feared centuries after their demise?  The Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission as mysterious power-broker.  Skull and Bones, the 200 year old secret Order of Yale University; Opus Dei, the Catholic secret society of Da Vinci Code fame.

October 26:  Secret Orders of the East and some of their Menace to the West:  The Hung Society; historical "Freemasonry" of China and the "Huis" of the modern Chinese milieu, such as the Triad societies and the Falung Gong.  Moslem warrior cults from the Assassins to Al Queda and more.

July and August 2007:  More of Tarot Wisdom Explained

The Tarot is one of the most famous, ancient and accurate methods of divination by way of the use of the traditional 78 card deck of cards.  In addition, the Tarot has been used as a spiritual practice of meditation, often in conjunction with the Tree of Life of the Kabbalah.  Dr. Hoeller, who with his book, "The Fool's Pilgrimage" has been known for over 30 years as a noted teacher of Tarot once again shares his insights on this fascinating subject.

July 6:  What is the Tarot?  An in-depth introduction to the field of Tarot study and practice and to the various uses to which the Tarot has been put through the ages.

July 20:  What is Divination?  Divinatory disciplines, such as Tarot, I Ching, Astrology, Geomancy and Oneiromancy.  How and why do they work?

July 27:  Kabbalah and Tarot:  Nature and structure of the Tree of Life and its relationship to the Tarot Major and Minor Arcana with Tarot Meditations.

August 3:  Meditating with the Major Arcana:  Continuing with the Meditations.  Tarot combined with Kabbalistic Path Work.

August 10:  The Tarot, Key to the Self:  The Meaning of the four suits and Minor Arcana Cards ones through threes of the four Suits.

August 17:  Tarot Powers of the Personality:  Minor Arcana Cards four through eights of the four Suits.

August 24:  Tarot Powers of Growth:  Minor Arcana Cards nines and tens of the four Suits.

August 31:  Tarot Household of the Soul:  The Court Cards of the Four Suits.

June 2007:  Cathar Gnosis and Cathar Scriptures

The Cathars were the greatest flourishing of the Gnostic tradition since the eclipse of the Alexandrian and Manichaean Gnosis in the first few centuries A.D.  The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries saw the activity of the large movement of Cathars ("pure ones") in what is now southwestern France.
Subsequent revivals of the Gnostic tradition in Europe were all related to the Cathars.  In these lectures the distinguishing features of the Cathar religion are shown as well as several generally unavailable scriptures are interpreted.

June 1:  The Nature and Romance of the Cathar Gnosis:  What Gnosis did the Cathars have?  Cathar history and Cathar teachings and their several revivals in subsequent centuries will be reviewed.

June 8:  The Book of the two Principles:  One of the very few Cathar scriptures that survived and was made available a few years ago.  In addition, other facts and theories about the Cathars will be reviewed.

June 15:  "The Gospel of the Secret Supper" - the major Cathar Scripture, Part I:  Of possible Bulgarian Bogomil origin, this is a Gospel of the invisible Father, his son Christ, and John the Apostle who questions Jesus at the time of the Last Supper.

June 22:  "The Gospel of the Secret Supper", Part II:  The distinction between the absolute good God and his evil opponent.  Along with the "Book of Two Principles" this is the main extant Cathar scripture.  Again, cognate material from historical and visionary sources will be included.

Fridays in May 2007:  Four Less Well Known but Important Gnostic Scriptures

Four scriptures from Nag Hammadi which are not often mentioned, but are of profound content and considerable importance.

May 4:  On the Origin of the World:  A detailed story of "First things, last things and hidden things" as Marvin Meyer says.  One of the most comprehensive accounts of Gnostic cosmology.

May 11:  The Paraphrase of Shem:  The nature and role of cosmic darkness and its containment by way of a heavenly helper, called Dardekas.  The salvific role of the Gnostic tradition in cosmic history.

May 18:  The Second Treatise of the Great Seth:  A beautiful meditation on the life and mission of Jesus and of the role of Gnostics in universal Christendom and in the world.  A major work of Gnostic Christianity.

May 25:  The Three Steles of Seth:  Three exalted hymns addressed to the divine beings in the Pleroma.  The hymns were used as liturgies of ecstatic ascent to divinity and are thus of great contemporary interest.

Fridays in April 2007:  Alchemy, Gnosis and Love:  The "Rosarium Philosophorum"

An account of the process of the Alchemical reconciliation and union of the opposites, as represented by the 11 pictures in the treatise "Rosarium Philosophorum".  The series shows the integration of the psyche and the process of love relationships of individuals.

April 13:  The Dance Commences:  Beginning of the Alchemical Process.  The dual forces begin their relationship. The opposites reach out for closeness and union.

April 20:  Psychic and Sexual Transformation:  The arising of difficulties and their results.  Purification and intensification of the process.

April 27:  The Birth of the New Self:  The concluding phase of the process of transformation and the fulfilment of love.  Can we find the Philosopher's Stone in our lives and relationships today?

January & February 2007:  Teachers and Teachings of the Universal Gnosis

An in-depth view of the manifestations of the Gnostic Tradition from the early centuries A.D. to the present.  Follow the Ariadne's thread of Gnosis through two thousand years of the history of Western culture as explained by Dr. Hoeller.

January 12:  Special Event:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Forecast with the Tarot:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2007.

January 19:  From Essenes to Christian Gnosis:  Dead Sea Scrolls lead to the Alexandrian and Syrian Gnosis of Simon, Valentinus, Basilides, Marcion, Bardesanes and other seers and sages.

January 26:  Mani and the Manichaean Tradition:  The most widely-spread of the schools of the Gnosis and its ever timely teachings.

February 2:  Medieval Gnosis:  Cathars, Bogomils, Beguines, Rhineland Mystics.

February 9:  Sufi Gnosis:  Ib'n Arabi and some other Sufi Mystics.

February 16:  The Occult Gnosis of the 19th & 20th Centuries:  Blavatsky, Papus, modern Rosicrucians, French Gnostics and Ceremonial Magicians.

February 23:  The Gnosis Today:  Post Nag Hammadi, Post Modernism and future Gnostic trends.

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2006 Lecture Schedule

November and December 2006:  The Gospel of Truth

When the late Prof. Quispel came upon the s.c. "Codex I" of the Nag Hammadi Library he was gripped by one of its contents, The Gospel of Truth which he brought to the attention of C.G. Jung.  This treatise possibly authored by Valentinus, has been called "the earliest surviving sermon of Christian mysticism".  Dr. Hoeller gives a detailed exposition of this beautiful work.   (This series is available in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

November 3:  Valentinus and His Gospel:  The greatest of Gnostic teachers and his contribution to Western Mysticism.

November 10:  The Creation of Illusion:  Unreality and forgetfulness enter creation and obscure our view.  Error prevents humans from discovering truth.

November 17:  The Redeeming Teacher:  The supreme Deity is revealed by His messenger, the Mystical Christ.

November 24:  The Message and It's Result:  Awakening from the nightmare of untruth brings new duties for the awakened.

December 8:  Dawning of the Day From on High:  The inner revelation of Gnosis brings truth and freedom.  How to do the will of the Supreme One.

December 15:  Metanoia and Redemption:  The restoration of deficiency; the coming of the Repose in the Fullness.  Description of the place of the blessed.

October 2006:  The Nature and Meaning of Death

"Death is certain for the living" says one of the great scriptures of the world.  The choice we have is whether we desire a meaning from the experience of death or not.  These three talks (occurring within the All Souls Day - Hallowe'en season) will illuminate this ambivalent subject and assist us in transforming it's mournful features into liberating insight.

October 6:  The Good Death:  Meeting the Dying Moment:  Approaching death with liberating wisdom.  Tibetan Buddhist, Cathar and other Gnostic insights into potential for gnosis present in the experience of dying.

October 13:  Death, Rebirth and Liberation:  Is there reincarnation and how do Gnostics feel about it?  How may we advance our entry into spiritual freedom before and during our transition.

October 20:  Assisting the Dying:  What spiritual modalities of assistance may we employ to assist the souls of persons before, during and after their death.

September 2006:  Hearing the Echo of Gnosis

Long before the Nag Hammadi discovery, the inspired British scholar G.R.S. Mead translated and elucidated upon many ancient Gnostic texts.  In a new publication compiling these writings and to which Dr. Hoeller contributed twelve explanatory essays, we now have Mead's best work on the Universal Gnosis. Christian Gnosticism, Hermetic, Mithraic, Chaldaean and Roman Pagan scriptures are shown in their Gnostic meanings.  Dr. Hoeller presents an overview of this seminal material with a contemporary perspective.

September 8:  The Gnosis of Hermes:  The nature of Hermeticism and its Gnostic Insights, compared to other forms of Gnosis including Christian Gnosis.  The beautiful Hymn of Hermes will be reviewed.

September 15:  The Gnosis of Mithra:  Mithraism was an initiatory mystery religion that left a vital heritage for Esoteric Christianity and for Secret Orders, like Freemasonry.

September 22:  The Mysterious Chaldean Oracles:  A mysterious and inspiring collection of Greco-Roman mystical aphorisms, valued highly by the magicians of the Golden Dawn and other esotericists.

September 29:  The Near-Death Experience of Aridaeus:  A pagan Roman young man, dead for three days, undergoes a profound Gnostic experience of initiation and returns to life to tell the tale.

August 2006:  Gnostic Reactions to "The Da Vinci Code"

In these talks Dr. Hoeller will illuminate a number of themes which appear in the book and film "The Da Vinci Code".  Even though obscured by a fictional treatment and the use of questionable sources add a catering to sensationalism, "The Da Vinci Code" raises numerous themes which are related to the Gnostic tradition. The speaker separates the true Gnostic core of some of these themes in the light of his many years of research into the elements of Gnosticism.  (This series is available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

August 4:  Puzzlement over Mary Magdalene:  In recent years everything seems to "come up Mary Magdalene".  Are the recent perspectives on the role of this archetypal figure reflective of true Gnostic insights?  What is the relevance of the "Apostle of the Apostles" to the vital spiritual concerns of our days?

August 11:  The Cathar Connection:  Zoe Oldenbourg, the noted writer on this subject wrote that the Cathars "claimed to be the only persons who had kept and cherished the Holy Spirit . . . and it looks as though this claim was at least partially justified."

August 18:  Truth and Falsehood about the Grail:  The mystique of the legend of the Holy Grail returns to our culture periodically. Current fiction and near-fiction has introduced a new keynote into the legend, which needs to be evaluated in Gnostic terms.

August 25:  Opus Dei and the Conspiracy against Gnosis:  Ever since the early centuries there were organized efforts directed against Gnostics.  From the Albigensian Crusades to the Jesuit machinations, we are now exhorted by Dan Brown to fear the mysterious Opus Dei.  The evidence for and against this is discussed.

July 2006:  The Gospel of Judas

In the Spring of this year the media was convulsed by the news that a 1,600 year old copy of the fabled Gospel of Judas was about to be published by National Geographic.  Discovered in Egypt in the 1970s, it suffered neglect until 2001 when a team of experts began restoration of the text.  Now available in a fine translation, this scripture more than any other has galvanized interest in Gnostic alternative Christianity.  Dr. Hoeller interprets this scripture in the light of Gnostic teachings which he has represented in the L.A. area for over 50 years.  (These lectures are available in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

July 7:  Judas the Chosen One:  The early part of the text, describing Jesus choosing Judas.  The background of the discovery of the codex with its vicissitudes and synchronicities.

July 14:  Judas, the Insightful Disciple:  Jesus teaches about the Temple and the vices of exoteric religion.  Judas' future ignominy and glorious destiny.

July 21:  Judas and Gnostic Cosmology:  The Saviour teaches Judas about the origin and nature of the world and humanity.

July 28:  Judas the Holy Betrayer:  Judas learns of Humanity's Destiny and acts out the desired Betrayal.

May and June 2006:  The Gnostic Story of the Soul

In this series of talks, Dr. Hoeller will comment on the entirety and in detail on the treatise from the Nag Hammadi library, known usually as "The Exegesis of the Soul".  This scripture explains in poetic style the human soul's alienated condition in the world, and its step by step awakening and eventual recovery of its original wholeness and wisdom.  Spiritual as well as jungian psychological aspects of this process is discussed.  (These lectures are available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

May 5:  Origin and Predicament of the Soul:  The soul in earthly captivity; its maltreatment by the lower worldly forces.  Having descended to a lower plane, the soul undergoes suffering and alienation..

May 12:  Help on the Way for the Soul:  The soul begins to recognize its own predicament and calls upon the supernal help of its spiritual parent-principle.

May 26:  Purification of the Soul:  The soul becomes purified by turning from its extraverted fascination with the world toward its own interior resources.

June 2:  The Soul in the Bridal Chamber:  The soul waits for the celestial bridegroom and enters the consciousness of union.

June 16:  The Soul's Rejuvenation:  The soul recovers its original power by uniting with its higher Self in the Bridal Chamber.

June 23:  The Sincere Prayers of the Soul:  The soul ascends to its original habitat.  Its consummation of the Sacred Marriage is not an ending but a beginning of a new consciousness.

June 30:  Other Gnostic Teachings about the Soul:  Cognate statements about the soul, including the myth of Amor and Psyche and a number of scriptures from Nag Hammadi.

April 2006:  Los Angeles:  Mystical, Magical, Occult and Gnostic

Alternative Spirituality in Southern California, What does it mean?  Southern California (and the West Coast) has been long known as the hotbed of non-mainstream religiosity.  Why is this region noted for its spiritual creativity?  What is the connection of all this to the secret destiny of the U.S.A?  Dr. Hoeller draws upon his experience of over 50 years in the Southern California scene of heterodox movements and undertake an analysis in terms of the past and future.  (These lectures are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

April 7:  Early Esoteric America & Occult Los Angeles:  Masonic, Rosicrucian, Enlightenment Hermetic trajectories in the early Republic and their rebirth in Los Angeles, the city where East and West meet.

April 21:  Los Angeles, City of the Esoteric:  From Spirit Guides and Indian Yogis to the present and the future.  Whence and Wither the esoteric capital of the West?

April 28:  Hollywood, City of Magical Creativity:  Motion Pictures and Esoteric Currents.  Old Krotona and its Theosophists.  Israel Regardie, Manly P. Hall, Aldous Huxley and their influence.  What the future holds for Magical Hollywood?

March 2006:  Magic and Gnosis

Ceremonial Magic and its relationship to the Gnostic tradition.  Gnostic scriptures, such as The Bruce Codex, The Gospel of Mary and The Secret Gospel of Mark indicate that Jesus Himself practiced Sacred Magic.  This series introduces the ambience of Magic within a Gnostic context and indicates simple practices within the Theurgic-Magical discipline.

March 10:  Sacramental Magic:  The Magic of the Seven Sacraments; one of the most benign and effective forms of Magic.

March 24:  Angel Magic:  Who are the Angels and by what practices may we effectively approach them?  An evaluation of the major hierarchies of Angels, including Guardian Angels.

March 31:  The Lesser Arts of Magic:  Divination, evocation and vision, as taught by the tradition of the Golden Dawn.  How Magic may benefit one's personal life safely and ethically.

February 2006:  The Gospel of Philip

A novel look at the most detailed Gospel from the Nag Hammadi collection, dealing with such vital topics as the mystery of the Bridal Chamber, the other Mysteries (Sacraments), the status of Mary Magdalen, the natural world, the relationships between men and women and many more.  (These recordings completed an album on Thomas and Philip and are available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

February 3:  Holy Names and Saving Beings:  Early part of the Gospel.  Children of God and slaves of the Demiurge; Spiritual death against Gnosis; Reaping Gnosis; Miracles of the Spiritual life.

February 10:  Humans and the World:  The parables of the Vessels of glass and earthenware; the Gnostic view of the Eucharist; Mary Magdalen, the companion of the Logos.  The mystic baptism.  The inseparable union of the Bridal Chamber.

February 17:  Earthly and Heavenly Union:  Coming out of the world; Truth in the (arche)types and images; the five original Sacraments; the heavenly Union destroys death.

February 24:  Son of Man and Bridal Chamber:  The mystery of the Tree of Life; Celestial nourishment defeats death; Bridal Chamber and self-knowledge; the true veil of the Sanctuary of Gnosis.

January 2006:  Ecstasy and Gnosis

A tribute to the 100th birthday of Dr. Albert Hofmann

Recently an exhibit in a major L.A. museum called attention to the nature and creative value of Ecstasy (exalted altered states of Consciousness).  It is not known to all that the pivotal discovery that resulted in a "revolution of consciousness" was made by the Swiss chemist of Sandoz Laboratories, Dr. Albert Hofmann on April 16, 1943.  The substance became known as LSD-25.  At this time the discoverer celebrated his 100th birthday in Basel, Switzerland.  Since exalted states of consciousness were always of interest to Gnostics, this series of talks salutes Dr. Hofmann and investigates this exciting "door of perception".  (These recordings completed the album "Consciousness:  Altered States Ancient & Modern" and are available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

(For Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Reading, see below in December 2005.)

January 13:  Albert Hofmann and his Discovery:  "Hofmann's Potion" and its historical and cultural effects and implications.  From Molecules to Mystery: The continuing impact of entheogenic research on religion, psychology and other fields.

January 20:  Entheogens of Greece, Persia, and India:  The Eleusinian Mysteries, the Golden Apples of Apollo, the haoma drink of Zarathustra and Gordon Wasson's researches into the "soma" of the Vedas.

January 27:  Altered States and Christian Mystics:  Hildegard of Bingen, Mechtild of Magdeburg, the Rhineland Mystics:  Bro. Steindl-Rast and his views of entheogens in mysticism.

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2005 Lecture Schedule

December 2005:  The Gnostic St. Thomas Tradition

In recent decades St. Thomas the Apostle has emerged as a major influence in early Christianity. Prof. Elaine Pagels in her book Beyond Belief established the thesis that St. Thomas and his tradition represent an Alternative Christianity.  Dr. Hoeller evaluates the figure of St. Thomas in a Gnostic perspective and will present a Gnostic overview of The Gospel of Thomas; and The Book of Thomas the Contender (both from Nag Hammadi) and the Acts of Thomas by way of their two most important treatises. (These recordings completed an album on Thomas and Philip and are available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

December 2:  Who was St. Thomas the Apostle?:  Was Thomas the twin of Jesus?  Did Thomas travel to and die in India?  Has the Thomas tradition been perpetuated in India?  What is the relation of Thomas to the tradition of the Prophet Mani?

December 9:  The Nature of the Gospel of Thomas:  By far the best known of the Scriptures of the Nag Hammadi collection, this collection of sayings of Jesus is unmistakably Gnostic in content if one unlocks it with the keys of Gnostic symbolism.

December 16:  The Acts of Thomas and the Book of Thomas:  The magnificent Hymn of the Pearl and Wedding Song of Wisdom from the Acts of Thomas and the mysterious Book of Thomas the Contender will be reviewed and evaluated.

December 30:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Forecast with the Tarot:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2006.

November 2005:  The Gnosis of C.G. Jung

The Spiritual Foundation of the Teachings of C.G. Jung

Two decades ago Dr. Hoeller's pioneering books The Gnostic Jung (1982) and Jung and the Lost Gospels (1989) called attention to C.G. Jung's Gnostic spiritual orientation.  (Jung's late son, Franz specially thanked Dr. Hoeller for accurately representing his father's position).  Now, edited by Dr. Sonu Shamdasami, Jung's famous "Red Book" and other unpublished writings are about to reach the public.  Anticipating a revival of interest in Jung's spirituality, Dr. Hoeller presents a series of lectures on Jung's Gnosis, in part based on Jung's "Seven Sermons to the Dead".  (Under the title "Jung's 'Seven Sermons to the Dead', this series now constitutes a set of lectures and is also available for download in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

November 4:  Jung the Gnostic Prophet and his Seven Sermons:  An overview of Jung's Gnostic Wisdom.

November 11:  Fullness, Sun and Abraxas:  The Gnostic Foundations of Human Consciousness. (Sermons 1-3).

November 18:  Cosmic Opposites:  Gnostic Creative Dualism expressed Psychologically. (Sermons 4 and 5).

November 25:  The Way beyond the Stars:  Spiritual Wholeness as the Goal of Human Life. (Sermons 6 and 7).

September 2005:  Kabbalah, Tarot and Divination

Theory and Practice of Kabbalistic Tarot Divination

The connection of Kabbalah and Tarot has been recognized for a long time.  Among the many methods ("spreads") of Tarot divination there is on directly related to Kabbalah: This is the "Tree of Life Spread".  This method is regarded as most powerful and archetypal by most Tarot diviners, and usually is cast only once in the lifetime of a person as a Life Reading.

September 2:  Nature and Principles of the Tarot Oracle:  Symbolism, Magical Meaning, Synchronicities; asking the advice of the Divinities.

September 9:  The Kabbalistic Tree of Life:  The grand design of universal being and its relationship to divinatory practice.

September 16:  The Tarot Minor Arcana and its Relationship to the Tree of Life:  The numbered cards of the four suits and the Court Cards in Kabbalistic perspective.

September 23:  The Tarot Major Arcana and Their Kabbalistic Meanings:  The twenty-two Paths; Astrological analogies; Archetypal images.

September 30:    Lurianic Kabbalistic Symbolism and the Tree of Life:  The Gnostic metaphors of Emptying, Breaking of the Vessels and Restoration.

July 2005:  Egypt, Gnosis and Magic

These talks are intended as a Gnostic complement to the current (and second) visit of the famed King Tut exhibit to Los Angeles.  Dr. Hoeller deals with the magic-mystical heritage of Ancient Egypt and its continuation in Alexandrian Gnosis.

July 8:  Ancient Egypt, the Light of the World:  Dr. Hoeller discusses the vast spiritual legacy of the "land where the gods walked with men".

July 15:  From Isis to Sophia; the Magic of Feminine Wisdom:  It was in Egypt that the Gnostic Sophia was first venerated.  Her figure is intimately related to the Egyptian Isis as Dr. Hoeller explains.

June 2005:  Gnostic Wisdom Returns

Many people feel that today we are experiencing a lasting revival of the Gnostic tradition.  In these talks Dr. Hoeller pin-points the Gnostic component in such movements in the culture as 19th Century occultism; the mythic revival of the 20th Century; the consciousness-and-psychedelic movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and the overall impact and relevance of the Nag Hammadi discovery in relation to the current interest in Gnosticism.  If you wondered how many of these trends in the culture are related to the Gnostic tradition, here are your answers!  (All lectures in this series are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

June 3:  Forerunners of Modern Gnosis:  Blavatsky, Steiner, Gurdjieff; the Victorian Hermeticists and Magicians and their kith and kin as related to Gnosticism.

June 10:  Psyche and Myth:  C.G. Jung, the modern Gnostic and his influence on the modern school of Mythology, including Kerenyi, Zimmer, Campbell and Eliade. Where do Tolkien, Rowling and "Star Wars" fit in?

June 17:  The Consciousness Revolution:  The discovery of altered states in the late 20th Century and its relevance to Gnosis and Gnosticism (Huxley, Heard, Ram Dass, Stanislov Grof and others).

June 24:  The Nag Hammadi Scriptures:  Phillip K. Dick called Nag Hammadi "The Second Coming". The nature and impact of this momentous discovery will be discussed.

May 2005:  Gnosis in the Culture Wars

Gnostic Spiritual Freedom in an age of Ideological Conflict

The debate in the public arena is increasingly characterized as "the Culture Wars". The contenders are often called "Christian" (i.e. fundamentalist) and "Secular". Gnostics are oriented to total transcendence, (the opposite of secular), but are also the first opponents of fundamentalism. In a rare excursion into concerns of contemporary culture, Dr. Hoeller endeavours to clarify burning cultural issues in a Gnostic light.  (All lectures in this series are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

May 6:  Beyond Fundamentalism & Secularism:  The Gnostic Alternative. How the Gnostic world view may point to a third force superseding the present extremes.

May 13:  The Abortion Controversy:  When does Life begin? Is unlimited entry of human spirits into earthly embodiment desirable? Should governments intrude into matters of conception and birth?

May 20:  Tarot Seminar:  With Gnostic Society Tarot readers during Dr. Hoeller's absence. Hosted by Bryan Campbell.

May 27:  Spiritual Freedom against Old Testament Law:  Fundamentalist social doctrines are founded upon Old Testament ordinances. Gnostic critique of the Old Testament points the way to freedom.

(Some background for these lectures may be found in Dr. Hoeller's book "Freedom: Alchemy for a Voluntary Society". This book is now available in many languages, with the most recent translation editions in Greek and Bulgarian.)

April 2005: Gnostic Spiritual Practices

In February and March Dr. Hoeller presented talks covering the entirety of the Gnostic myth, based on the Secret Book of John. Within the context of this Gnostic world view it is essential that there should be spiritual practices assisting souls in their quest for Gnosis. The Gnostic Gospel of Philip states: ³The Lord did everything in a mystery: A Baptism and a Chrism, and a Eucharist and a Bride-Chamber. Dr. Hoeller will discuss these five initiatory mysteries as well as other Gnostic practices and the context of Gnostic mysteries in past and present.  (The lectures February through April comprise an album entitled Gnostic Theory and Practice, and are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

April 1:  Entering the Stream of Gnosis:  The Baptismal mystery and its psycho-spiritual nature. This is the sacrament gravely misunderstood today, but observed in its true meaning by Mandaeans and other Gnostics.

April 8:  Anointed by Gnosis:  "Christ" means the Anointed. What is the mystery of Chrism that prepares one to liberate one's soul?

April 15:  Eating the Divine Light:  "Eucharist" translates as Thanksgiving. It is the transformation of the earthly into the Divine. How might this be experienced today?

April 22:  The Mystery that Frees.  Redemption (Apollytrosis) is the Gnostic mystery lost to later religious practice in the West. It loosens the bonds of matter and opens the gate of the spirit.

April 29:  To Make the Two One  The mystery of the Bride-Chamber. The lost supreme mystery of union that may be spiritually recovered today.

February/March 2005:  The Secret Book of John

Did you ever wish for a Gnostic scripture that covers the entire Gnostic myth from beginnings in the Pleroma, through the vicissitudes of Sophia and the demiurgic formation of the Universe and the existential struggle of humanity to the promise of a glorious liberation? In this series Dr. Hoeller will review and comment upon just such a scripture, in a fine new translation, just published this year. (Known also sometimes as the Apocryphon of John.)

February 11:  In the Beginning:  The Roots of Consciousness and of Being. Where we came from?

February 18:  The Structures of Divine Consciousness:  The threefold structures of Divine Mind, from whence all knowledge proceeds.

February 25:  The Story of Sophia and how the Demiurge Fashioned Creation.

March 4:  How Humanity Began:  The mysterious origins of human nature, its esoteric psychology and philosophy.

March 18:  The Nature of the Soul and its Liberation.  The mysteries of the process of Gnosis.

February 2005:  Annual Tarot Prognostication

In this popular time-honored tradition Dr. Hoeller conducts a Celtic Cross reading as a forecast for 2005 for the United States of America.

February 4:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Forecast with the Tarot.

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2004 Lecture Schedule

November and December 2004:  Islam: Trying to Understand the Menacing Enigma

After the third anniversary of 9-11, we take another, in-depth look at the faith of Islam; its virtues, vulnerabilities and the possible Gnostic and mystical remedy for the fundamentalist aberration.  (All lectures in this series by Dr. Hoeller are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

November 5:  Islam; Its Original Teachings against its Fundamentalist Distortions:  A majestic faith distorted by ignorance.  Vulnerabilities of Islam arising from ethical monotheism.  Some suggested remedies for fundamentalism.

November 12:  Gnostic Sages of Islam:  Rumi and Omar Khayaam:  An in-depth evaluation of the work of two great mystical poets.

November 19:  Ibn Arabi; Master Mystic:  The teacher of teachers and his great spiritual message.

December 17:  Defeating Fundamentalism:  Mystical Self-knowledge as the antidote to literal belief-systems.

October 2004:  Gnosis and Carlos Castaneda

Thirty five years ago, the pioneering book of Carlos Castaneda; The Teachings of Don Juan was instrumental in creating "New Shamanism".  How do his teachings appear today and how do they relate to Gnosticism? What is the relationship of the Shamanic and the Gnostic revivals?  (All lectures in this series are available for download in MP3 format at the BC Recordings website.)

October 1:  A Time for Shamans; a Time for Gnosis:  The "Man of Knowledge", ancient and contemporary.  Shamanic Insight from Mircea Eliade to Carlos Castaneda and beyond.

October 8:  The Strange World of Don Juan:  Principal teachings of Castaneda:  "Benefactor", "Allies" and "Protector".  Revival of the reality of Inner Knowing.

October 15:  The Yaqui Man of Knowledge:  Archaic Magic compared with timeless Gnosis.  Pitfalls and advantages of the Shamanic path.  Sage and Shaman:  Two role models.

October 22:  Castaneda as Trickster-Guru:  Use and abuse of spiritual tricksterism.  Contemporary applications of Castaneda's approach.  What is the future of the New Shamanism?

August and September 2004:  The Gnostic Kabbalah

An unusual approach to Kabbalistic Wisdom.

August 20:  Gnostic Wisdom and the Tree of Life:  Creation or Emanation?  The Tree of Life as a highway of return to Reality.  What is Gnostic Kabbalah?

August 27:  The Secret Face of the Kabbalah.  Emptiness versus Fullness, The Breaking of the Vessels.  Tikhun; the gathering of the sparks. Isaac Luria and Gnostic Christianity.

September 3:  Wisdom of the Zohar:  The oldest source-book on Kabbalah.

September 10:  The Feminine Kabbalah:  Sophia's feminine Sephirah.

September 17:  The Kaballah and Evil:  The Qliphoth.

July 2004:  The Nature and Meaning of Dreams

A brief series dealing with the phenomenology, symbolism and spiritually enriching power of dreams.  Dream interpretation is one of the oldest and most effective modalities of self-knowledge.

July 9: Dreams, the Language of the Soul.  Varieties of dreams, clues to dream interpretation: Ancient, modern and timeless approaches.

July 16:  Dreams and Our Hidden Self.  Ego Images, Complexes, the Shadow; dreams as diagnostic and healing tools.

July 23:  Dreams and Spiritual Growth.  Individuation as manifest in dreams. Archetypes, Transformation and the Self.

July 30:  Active Imagination, the Waking Dream.

May and June 2004:  The Fool's Pilgrimage

Introducing Dr. Hoeller's new book on the Tarot.

May 14:  What are Kabbalah and Tarot?  The Tree of Life and the Tarot Deck.

May 28:  Arcana of the Ego.

June 4:  Arcana of the Archetypal Psyche.

June 11:  Arcana of the Supreme Archetypes.

June 18:  The Philosophy and Psychology of Divination.  Includes demonstration of Tarot Divination.

June 25:  Practical Instrucion in Tarot Divination.  The Celtic Cross and the Tree of Life spreads.

April 2004:  The Death of Christ

The much publicized motion picture "The Passion of the Christ" raised significant questions.  Dr. Hoeller answers some of these questions from the point of view of the Gnostic Tradition. Informative topics for the Easter Season!

April 2:  Bible Literalism of the cinematic "Passion" contrasted with Gnostic Insight.

April 16:  Salvation or Liberation?  Atonement for sin replaced by Gnostic Insight.

April 23: Messengers of Light:  Messiahship is not a one-time event!

January through March 2004:  The Divine Feminine in the Gnostic Tradition

Seekers after the authentic image of the Divine Feminine are finding renewed inspiration in Gnostic Scriptures and in the living Gnostic Tradition based on these Scriptures.  In this in-depth series of lectures, Dr. Hoeller explores the major scriptural theses and traditional wisdom of Gnosticism concerning the Devine Feminine.

(January 16:  Annual Tarot Prognostication. Dr. Hoeller's Celtic Cross reading for America for 2004.  Results - - An image of the cards.)

January 23:  Goddess or Sophia?  What distinguishes the Gnostic Divine Feminine from pagan Goddesses, or from the post-modern "The Goddess"?

January 30:  "Pistis Sophia":  The contemporary message of a famous ancient Scripture.

February 6:  The Enigma of Mary Magdalen.  The Truth about the Companion of Jesus.

February 13:  "The Exegesis of the Soul".  The universal Journey of the Feminine Spirit.

February 20:  "Thunder, the Perfect Mind".  The awesome revelation of the Feminine.

February 27:  Mary the Mother of Jesus:  Gnostic aspects of the Madonna.

March 5:  The Wisdom Literature:  Old Testament Feminine Esotericism.

March 12:  The Divine Feminine Today.  Is the authentic Divine Feminine returning to our World?

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2003 Lecture Schedule

November and December 2003:  The Secret Gospel of Thomas

The discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Gnostic Christian scriptures inaugurated a new era in the spirituality of the West.  Noted Zen teacher Baker Roshi said to Elaine Pagels:  "Had I known the Gospel of Thomas, I wouldn't have had to become a Buddhist."  Dr. Hoeller evaluates the major portion of this Gospel in the Light of the recently published material by Elaine Pagels and other scholars.

November 7:  The Gospel of Thomas and Alternative Christianity.  Was there an alternative to orthodoxy and what was it like? Does it exist today?

November 21:  The Meaning of Life: Sayings Concerning the Human Condition.  Passages from the Gospel of Thomas about the existential issues of humanity.

December 5:  Gnosis and Action: Sayings Concerning Conduct.  Was the Law of Moses abrogated by Jesus?  How are people to behave?

December 12:  Gnosis and Messiahship: Sayings Concerning the Redeemer.  What are we being saved from and who does the saving?  Do we have a Messiah in our souls?

December 19:  The Mystery of Insights: Sayings Concerning Self-Knowledge.  How to know ourselves. Self-knowledge as Knowledge of God.

October 2003:  The Templars and the Holy Grail

Founded in 1118 in Jerusalem and cruelly persecuted and suppressed in and after 1312, the Knights Templar became a mysterious, shadowy element associated with Occultism, Freemasonry, Magic and even with the legendry of the Holy Grail.  Dr. Hoeller will unravel some of the Templar mystery, and show its relationship to much contemporary fictional and semi-fictional literature.

October 3:  The Templars; Examples of Mystical Knighthood.  Are the ideals of Chivalry alive today?  Can knighthood be united with alternative spirituality?  Are the Templars heirs to the Holy Grail?

October 10:  The Secret Teachings of the Templars and their Origins.  Were the Templars instructed by the Mandaeans of present-day Iraq?  Mandaean Gnostic teachings and Sacraments and their contemporary relevance.

September 2003:  The Gospel of Mary Magdalen

The mysterious treatise from the Berlin Codex.

September 5:  Mary's Questions to Christ.  About Matter, Sin, Attachment to Matter, Peace, The Inner Christ, to be fully Human.

September 12:  Mary Remembers.  Her Vision of Christ, Ascension of the Soul, the path of Liberation.

September 26:  The Authority of Mary.  The arguments of the Apostles, Peter's opposition; the Mystical speech of Levi.

August 2003:  Elaine Pagels:  Her Message in "Beyond Belief"

With this exciting new book, the author of the noted work, "The Gnostic Gospels", returns after more than two decades to her and our favorite subject, the Gnostic Christian tradition.  Dr. Hoeller presents his lectures on topics inspired by this new best-selling book.  This is not a book review, but a series of lectures on a timely subject.

August 8:  Sacramental Gnostic Christianity over mere Belief System.  The amazing experiential tradition of Gnosis in early Christianity.  How Gnosis was perverted into Creed.

August 15:  The Mysteries of the Gospel of Thomas.  The Thomas tradition and its opponents then and now. What distinguishes the Gospel of Thomas from the Canonical Gospel, including the Gospel of John.

August 22:  Christian and Jewish Gnosis: Gnosticism and Kabbalah.  Pagels indicates the presence of Proto-Kabbalistic elements in the early Christian Gnostic tradition.  What is the meaning of this.

August 29:  Gnostic Experience as seen by Elaine Pagels.  Experiential Gnosis in ancient times and today.

July and August 2003:  Gnosis and Kindred Traditions

We evaluate two traditions that have a close relationship to Gnosticism.  Dr. Hoeller will compare Gnostic teachings with those of the Indian Radhasoami (Sant) tradition, founded in the 19th Century by Tulsi Sahib and Shiv Dayal Singh.
Dr. Kofi Mensa, scholar and world traveller from Ghana will present two talks on African esoteric Spirituality, especially the mysterious tradition of the Dogon people.  We welcome this honored guest

July 11:  The Sant Tradition.  Its origins; Meditation techniques of SHABD YOGA; concept of the living Guru.

July 18:  Gnosticism of the Sants.  Their concept of the Demiurge; Ascending from the Body; The Aeons in both traditions; Secret Passwords and more.

July 25: Dr. Kofi Mensa:  African Spiritual Traditions - An Introduction.  West African mysterious traditions of the Dogon people.

August 1: Dr. Kofi Mensa:  Dogon Mysteries.  Heaven and Earth; Transformation:  True dreaming; Healing; Chain of Succession.

May and June 2003:  The Gnostic Journey:  "The Hymn of the Pearl"

May 9:  Judas Thomas, Gnostic and Author of the Hymn.  The fascinating and controversial figure of the Apostle Thomas and an overview of the literature he authored.

May 16:  Origins of the Soul and Quest for the Pearl.  The heavenly Fullness and the supernal plan for our earthly journey.

May 23:  The Descent of the Soul and Its Falling Asleep.  Why we have become unconscious and how we might prepare for awakening.

May 30:  The Coming of the Letter of Awakening.  The arrival of Gnosis in the human consciousness.

June 13:  The Return to the Homeland.

June 20:  The Parable of the Pearl Merchant.

June 27:  The Wedding Song of Wisdom.

March and April 2003:  Harold Bloom, Modern Gnostic:  His Contribution to the Revival of Gnosis.

Author of more than twenty books, including the epochal "The Book of J", Harold Bloom is the leading intellectual of the U.S.A. who has embraced Gnosticism.  In this series his contribution is evaluated in contemporary Gnostic terms.  Learn of the message of a leading figure of our culture.

March 7:  Gnosticism as the American Religion.  Insights including a personal portrait of Harold Bloom.

March 21:  Bloom on Shakespeare.  The Hermetic prophet of the West in Bloom's evaluation.

March 28:  Genius:  Who were the Leaders of Our Culture?  Bloom's work on genius and its startling message for our age.

April 4:  The Western Canon.  Bloom's exposition of the normative literary works of Western Culture; a guide to the essential writers of history.

April 11:  Omens of Millennium.  Perhaps Bloom's most spiritual work, dealing with the Gnosis of Angels, Dreams and Resurrection.

January and February 2003

January 17:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast for 2003. Results - - An Image of the Cards

A New Gospel of Jesus?

A recently translated and published collection of secret sayings of Jesus.

Dr. Hoeller reviews the content of a unique document that was entrusted to him for evaluation years prior to its publication.  The document contains 72 alleged sayings of Jesus which show Gnostic influences.

Discovery and First Part of the Text.  The mystery surrounding the discovery; theories concerning origins and examples of the text.
Teachings Concerning "The Kingdom".  What is the "Kingdom"; where is it and how does one enter it?
The Old Law Against the Law of Love.  Sayings about the supplanting of Jehovah's Old Law.
The Mysteries in the New Sayings.  Sayings dealing with Mysteries established by Jesus.

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2002 Lecture Schedule

December 2002:  Archetypal Symbols of Freedom

"Truth did not come into the world naked; it came in the types and images", says the Gospel of Phillip.  Archetypal images help us to assimilate Divine Inspiration.  At this time when we need to appreciate freedom we should contemplate some of these important images.

December 13:  The Madonna Archetype:  Mother of Freedom.  The vital importance of the Archetype of the Theotokos (Divine Mother) today.

December 20:  The Divine Child: The Power of Weakness.  Christmas is the festival of the Divine Child.  What are the meaning and implications of this important Archetype?

October and November 2002:  Gnosis and Kabbalah

Dr. Hoeller returns, by popular request, to the subject of the Kabbalah and its relation to the Gnostic tradition.  This is not a repetition of previous lectures, but a new look at the basic data in the light of unusual insights.

October 11:  Gnosis and the Tree of Life.  Gnostic origins of the scheme of the Tree of Life and contemporary implications.

October 18:  Mildness, Severity and Balance. The Sephiroth on the three pillars of the tree and their Gnostic message.

October 25:  Isaac Luria and his Gnostic Kabbalah.  A new look at the Lurianic Kabbalah in the light of Gnosticism.

November 15:  Qliphoth and Archons: Evil and Kabbalah. Evil is talked about much in today's world. What does the Kabbalah have to say on the subject?

November 22:  The Hassidim; Almost Gnostics. The 18th Century movement of Judaism that is the only one that endorses Kabbalah. What is its relation to Gnosis?

November 29:  Gnosis and Kabbalistic Heresy.  Does consistency in Kabbalah lead to a renunciation of the Yahweh-Demiurge?

September 2002:  Introduction to Dr. Hoeller's new book "Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing".

In these four talks Dr. Hoeller introduces his readers (and others) to some of the key concepts and topics explained in his new book.

September 6:  Gnosis and Gnosticism.  The experience of Gnosis; its nature, causes and results.  The world view of Gnosticism as an amplification and vehicle of Gnosis.

September 13:  Origins of the Gnostic Tradition.  Transcendental and temporal origins, including brief accounts of the greatest early Gnostic teachers and their teachings.

September 20:  Gnostic Mysteries.  The Gnostic sacraments and their ecstatic origins.  The greater Mysteries of the Redemption and the Bride Chamber. Gnostic Mysteries today.

September 27:  The Mandaeans; the oldest living Gnostic Religion.  New information about the oldest Gnostic religion that survived in unbroken line to this time.

August 2002:  Apocalypse and Armageddon: The "Left Behind" Factor

August 2:  The Doomsday Syndrome.  End-time scenarios past and present.

August 9:  The So-called Rapture and Its Advocacy Today.   Are we about to depart earth?

August 23:  Prophecies of the Eternal Feminine.  Marianic prophecies for the 21st Century.

August 30:  Timeless Gnosis Against Doomsday Prophecy.  Spiritual liberation against physical apocalypse.

July 2002:  Tarot Divination

Twenty-seven years ago Dr. Hoeller's book, The Royal Road, dealing with the subject of the Tarot, was published.  The late Dr. Israel Regardie called this work "the best basic treatise on pathwork with the aid of the Tarot."  Now, Dr. Hoeller revisits the subject of the Tarot, continuing the series of last month with an exploration of the techniques of Tarot Divination

July 5:  The Philosophy and Psychology of Divination.  How divination differs from fortune telling.  Jung's Synchronicity theory and related theories that advance divination.

July 12:  The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread.  The most popular of Tarot divinatory spreads explained and demonstrated in practice.

July 19:  The Tree of Life Tarot Spread.  The most archetypal of all Tarot spreads, often used as a "life reading" given only once in a lifetime.

July 26:  Brief Tarot Spreads and Tarot and Kabbalah.  Short readings given for specific projects and occasions.  These spreads may easily be given for the reader by himself or herself.

June 2002:  The Tarot--A Gnostic Approach

Twenty-seven years ago Dr. Hoeller's book, The Royal Road, dealing with the subject of the Tarot, was published.  The late Dr. Israel Regardie called this work "the best basic treatise on pathwork with the aid of the Tarot."  Now, Dr. Hoeller revisits the subject of the Tarot, with the inclusion of additional material from the French esoteric tradition exemplified by Eliphas Levi, Papus and Mouni Sadhu.

June 7:  The Tarot Mandala.  Esoteric secrets revealed in the nature and structure of the Tarot deck.

June 14:  Among the Archetypal Powers.  Insights into the world of the Major Arcana.

June 21:  Guidance from the Soul.  How to understand the Minor Arcana.

May 2002:  Alchemy, The Yoga of the Gnostics

May 10:  From Gnostic Religion to Alchemy.  Alchemy as disguised Gnosticism.

May 17:  The Alchemical Sophia.  Liberation of Wisdom in the “Aurora Consurgens”.

May 24:  C.G. Jung as Gnostic Alchemist.  Alchemy and Individuation.

May 31:  The Alchemy of Entheogens.  Huxley, Heard, Wasson as physical Alchemists.

April 2002:  Freedom and Gnosis

April 19:  The Psychology of Liberation.  Freedom from internal disunity.

April 26:  External Freedom and Internal Gnosis.  The Gnostic need for a free country.

March 2002:  The Return of "Good" and "Evil"

Since the attack of 9-11 the concept of "Good" and even more, of "Evil" have staged a comeback in public life.  Such terms as "evil", "evil doers" and "axis of evil" have been freely and prominently used.  What is the Gnostic position regarding such issues?  Moreover, how do the great spiritual traditions explain the nature of "Good" and the origin of "Evil"?  Are these concepts metaphysical, moral or psychological in nature?

March 1:  The Origin and Nature of Good and Evil.  What do spiritual traditions say about the origin of these two natures?

March 8:  Good, Evil and the World.  Is there good in an evil world and evil in a good world?

March 22:  Gnostic Guidelines to Live By.  Avoiding evil and seeking good.

February 2002:  Fundamentalism or Gnosis?

The choice of our age between literal belief systems and mystical self-knowledge.  The acute problem with Islam as paradigm for similar, although less dramatic developments in other traditions, particularly the Christian.  These lectures are a continuation of the two lectures on this topic in January.

February 1:  The Shadow of Monotheism and Its Antidote.  The mystical struggle against an oppressive God Image.

February 8:  Mystical Imagination against Fundamentalism.  Neo-Platonic and Sufi realizations and their enlightening power.

February 15:  Islamic and Jewish Kabbalah:  The Gnostic Twins.  The underlying brotherhood of Moslem and Jewish mysticism.

February 22:  Christian Fundamentalism:   The Homegrown Menace.  Is the so-called Christian Right our own al Qaeda?

January 2002:  Understanding Islam

Recent events have focused Western attention on Islam.  In the lectures this month we will seek an increased understanding of Islam, inquiring into the fateful religious enigma of our age.

January 11: Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast.

January 18: Light and Shadow in Islam.  The conflict of timeless Divinity and changing times.

January 25: Vision, Book and Sword in Islam.  Mysticism, doctrine and militancy.

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November and December 2003: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

The discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Gnostic Christian scriptures inaugurated a new era in the spirituality of the West. Noted Zen teacher Baker Roshi said to Elaine Pagels: “Had I known the Gospel of Thomas, I wouldn’t have had to become a Buddhist.” Dr. Hoeller will evaluate the major portion of this Gospel in the Light of the recently published material by Elaine Pagels and other scholars.

November 7: The Gospel of Thomas and Alternative Christianity. Was there an alternative to orthodoxy and what was it like? Does it exist today?

November 21: The Meaning of Life: Sayings Concerning the Human Condition. Passages from the Gospel of Thomas about the existential issues of humanity.

December 5: Gnosis and Action: Sayings Concerning Conduct. Was the Law of Moses abrogated by Jesus? How are people to behave?

December 12: Gnosis and Messiahship: Sayings Concerning the Redeemer. What are we being saved from and who does the saving? Do we have a Messiah in our souls?

December 19: The Mystery of Insights: Sayings Concerning Self-Knowledge. How to know ourselves. Self-knowledge as Knowledge of God.

October 2003: The Templars and the Holy Grail

Founded in 1118 in Jerusalem and cruelly persecuted and suppressed in and after 1312, the Knights Templar became a mysterious, shadowy element associated with Occultism, Freemasonry, Magic and even with the legendry of the Holy Grail. Dr. Hoeller will unravel some of the Templar mystery, and show its relationship to much contemporary fictional and semi-fictional literature.

October 3: The Templars; Examples of Mystical Knighthood. Are the ideals of Chivalry alive today? Can knighthood be united with alternative spirituality? Are the Templars heirs to the Holy Grail?

October 10: The Secret Teachings of the Templars and their Origins. Were the Templars instructed by the Mandaeans of present-day Iraq? Mandaean Gnostic teachings and Sacraments and their contemporary relevance.

September 2003: The Gospel of Mary Magdalen

The mysterious treatise from the Berlin Codex.

September 5: Mary’s Questions to Christ. About Matter, Sin, Attachment to Matter, Peace, The Inner Christ, to be fully Human.

September 12: Mary Remembers. Her Vision of Christ, Ascension of the Soul, the path of Liberation.

September 26: The Authority of Mary. The arguments of the Apostles, Peter’s opposition; the Mystical speech of Levi.

August 2003: Elaine Pagels: Her Message in “Beyond Belief”

With this exciting new book, the author of the noted work, “The Gnostic Gospels”, returns after more than two decades to her and our favorite subject, the Gnostic Christian tradition. Dr. Hoeller will present his lectures on topics inspired by this new best-selling book. This is not a book review, but a series of lectures on a timely subject.

August 8: Sacramental Gnostic Christianity over mere Belief System. The amazing experiential tradition of Gnosis in early Christianity. How Gnosis was perverted into Creed.

August 15: The Mysteries of the Gospel of Thomas. The Thomas tradition and its opponents then and now. What distinguishes the Gospel of Thomas from the Canonical Gospel, including the Gospel of John.

August 22: Christian and Jewish Gnosis: Gnosticism and Kabbalah. Pagels indicates the presence of Proto-Kabbalistic elements in the early Christian Gnostic tradition. What is the meaning of this.

August 29: Gnostic Experience as seen by Elaine Pagels. Experiential Gnosis in ancient times and today.

July/August 2003: Gnosis and Kindred Traditions

We will evaluate two traditions that have a close relationship to Gnosticism. Dr. Hoeller will compare Gnostic teachings with those of the Indian Radhasoami (Sant) tradition, founded in the 19th Century by Tulsi Sahib and Shiv Dayal Singh.
Dr. Kofi Mensa, scholar and world traveller from Ghana will present two talks on African esoteric Spirituality, especially the mysterious tradition of the Dogon people. Please welcome this honored guest lecturer by way of your attendance!

July 11: The Sant Tradition. Its origins; Meditation techniques of SHABD YOGA; concept of the living Guru.

July 18: Gnosticism of the Sants. Their concept of the Demiurge; Ascending from the Body; The Aeons in both traditions; Secret Passwords and more.

July 25: Dr. Kofi Mensa: African Spiritual Traditions - An Introduction. West African mysterious traditions of the Dogon people.

August 1: Dr. Kofi Mensa: Dogon Mysteries. Heaven and Earth; Transformation: True dreaming; Healing; Chain of Succession.

May & June 2003: The Gnostic Journey: “The Hymn of the Pearl”

May 9: Judas Thomas, Gnostic and Author of the Hymn. The fascinating and controversial figure of the Apostle Thomas and an overview of the literature he authored.

May 16: Origins of the Soul and Quest for the Pearl. The heavenly Fullness and the supernal plan for our earthly journey.

May 23: The Descent of the Soul and Its Falling Asleep. Why we have become unconscious and how we might prepare for awakening.

May 30: The Coming of the Letter of Awakening. The arrival of Gnosis in the human consciousness.

June 13: The Return to the Homeland.

June 20: The Parable of the Pearl Merchant.

June 27: The Wedding Song of Wisdom.

March & April 2003: Harold Bloom, Modern Gnostic: His Contribution to the Revival of Gnosis.

Author of more than twenty books, including the epochal "The Book of J", Harold Bloom is the leading intellectual of the U.S.A. who has embraced Gnosticism. In this series his contribution will be evaluated in contemporary Gnostic terms. Learn of the message of a leading figure of our culture.

March 7: Gnosticism as the American Religion. Insights including a personal portrait of Harold Bloom.

March 21: Bloom on Shakespeare. The Hermetic prophet of the West in Bloom’s evaluation.

March 28: Genius: Who were the Leaders of Our Culture? Bloom’s work on genius and its startling message for our age.

April 4: The Western Canon. Bloom’s exposition of the normative literary works of Western Culture; a guide to the essential writers of history.

April 11: Omens of Millennium. Perhaps Bloom’s most spiritual work, dealing with”the Gnosis of Angels, Dreams and Resurrection.

January & February 2003

January 17: Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast for 2003. Results - - An Image of the Cards

A New Gospel of Jesus?

A recently translated but unpublished collection of secret sayings of Jesus.

Dr. Hoeller will review the content of a unique document that was entrusted to him for evaluation. The document contains 72 alleged sayings of Jesus which show Gnostic influences. These sessions will serve a purpose similar to that of a focus group to assist in determining the authenticity of this material. In order not to jeopardize the publication rights of the translator, we will ask you not to take notes. (Pending a change in the current circumstances, our agreement with our source is that we shall not distribute recordings of these presentations.)

Discovery and First Part of the Text. The mystery surrounding the discovery; theories concerning origins and examples of the text. Teachings Concerning "The Kingdom". What is the “Kingdom”; where is it and how does one enter it? The Old Law Against the Law of Love. Sayings about the supplanting of Jehovah’s Old Law. The Mysteries in the New Sayings. Sayings dealing with Mysteries established by Jesus.

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2002 Lecture Schedule

December 2002: Archetypal Symbols of Freedom

“Truth did not come into the world naked; it came in the types and images”, says the Gospel of Phillip. Archetypal images help us to assimilate Divine Inspiration. At this time when we need to appreciate freedom we should contemplate some of these important images.

December 13: The Madonna Archetype: Mother of Freedom. The vital importance of the Archetype of the Theotokos (Divine Mother) today.

December 20: The Divine Child: The Power of Weakness. Christmas is the festival of the Divine Child. What are the meaning and implications of this important Archetype?

October & November 2002: Gnosis and Kabbalah
A Brand New Look

Dr. Hoeller returns, by popular request, to the subject of the Kabbalah and its relation to the Gnostic tradition. This is not a repetition of previous lectures, but a brand new look at the basic data in the light of unusual insights.

October 11: Gnosis and the Tree of Life. Gnostic origins of the scheme of the Tree of Life and contemporary implications.

October 18: Mildness, Severity and Balance. The Sephiroth on the three pillars of the tree and their Gnostic message.

October 25: Isaac Luria and his Gnostic Kabbalah. A new look at the Lurianic Kabbalah in the light of Gnosticism.

November 15: Qliphoth and Archons: Evil and Kabbalah. Evil is talked about much in today’s world. What does the Kabbalah have to say on the subject?

November 22: The Hassidim; Almost Gnostics. The 18th Century movement of Judaism that is the only one that endorses Kabbalah. What is its relation to Gnosis?

November 29: Gnosis and Kabbalistic Heresy. Does consistency in Kabbalah lead to a renunciation of the Yahweh-Demiurge?

September 2002 -- Introduction to Dr. Hoeller’s new book "Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing”.

In these four talks Dr. Hoeller will introduce his readers (and others) to some of the key concepts and topics explained in his new book. He will depart from his usual format and answer some questions readers may have about his book.

September 6: Gnosis and Gnosticism. The experience of Gnosis; its nature, causes and results. The world view of Gnosticism as an amplification and vehicle of Gnosis.

September 13: Origins of the Gnostic Tradition. Transcendental and temporal origins, including brief accounts of the greatest early Gnostic teachers and their teachings.

September 20: Gnostic Mysteries. The Gnostic sacraments and their ecstatic origins. The greater Mysteries of the Redemption and the Bride Chamber. Gnostic Mysteries today.

September 27: The Mandaeans; the oldest living Gnostic Religion. New information about the oldest Gnostic religion that survived in unbroken line to this time.

August 2002 -- Apocalypse and Armageddon: The “Left Behind” Factor

August 2: The Doomsday Syndrome. End-time scenarios past and present.

August 9: The So-called Rapture and Its Advocacy Today. Are we about to depart earth?

August 23: Prophecies of the Eternal Feminine. Marianic prophecies for the 21st. Century.

August 30: Timeless Gnosis Against Doomsday Prophecy. Spiritual liberation against physical apocalypse.

July 2002 -- Tarot Divination

Twenty-seven years ago Dr. Hoeller's book, The Royal Road, dealing with the subject of the Tarot, was published.  The late Dr. Israel Regardie called this work "the best basic treatise on pathwork with the aid of the Tarot."  Now, Dr. Hoeller revisits the subject of the Tarot, continuing the series of last month with an exploration of the techniques of Tarot Divination

July 5: The Philosophy and Psychology of Divination. How divination differs from fortune telling. Jung’s Synchronicity theory and related theories that advance divination.

July 12: The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread. The most popular of Tarot divinatory spreads explained and demonstrated in practice.

July 19: The Tree of Life Tarot Spread. The most archetypal of all Tarot spreads, often used as a “life reading” given only once in a lifetime.

July 26: Brief Tarot Spreads and Tarot and Kabbalah. Short readings given for specific projects and occasions. These spreads may easily be given for the reader by himself or herself.

June 2002: The Tarot--A Gnostic Approach

Twenty-seven years ago Dr. Hoeller's book, The Royal Road, dealing with the subject of the Tarot, was published.  The late Dr. Israel Regardie called this work "the best basic treatise on pathwork with the aid of the Tarot."  Now, Dr. Hoeller revisits the subject of the Tarot, with the inclusion of additional material from the French esoteric tradition exemplified by Eliphas Levi, Papus and Mouni Sadhu.

June 7: The Tarot Mandala. Esoteric secrets revealed in the nature and structure of the Tarot deck.

June 14: Among the Archetypal Powers.  Insights into the world of the Major Arcana.

June 21: Guidance from the Soul.  How to understand the Minor Arcana.

May 2002:  Alchemy, The Yoga of the Gnostics

May 10: From Gnostic Religion to Alchemy. Alchemy as disguised Gnosticism.

May 17: The Alchemical Sophia. Liberation of Wisdom in the “Aurora Consurgens”.

May 24: C.G. Jung as Gnostic Alchemist. Alchemy and Individuation.

May 31: The Alchemy of Entheogens. Huxley, Heard, Wasson as physical Alchemists.

April 2002: Freedom and Gnosis

April 19: The Psychology of Liberation. Freedom from internal disunity.

April 26: External Freedom and Internal Gnosis. The Gnostic need for a free country.

March 2002:  The Return of "Good" and "Evil"

Since the attack of 9-11 the concept of "Good" and even more, of "Evil" have staged a comeback in public life.  Such terms as "evil", "evil doers"  and "axis of evil" have been freely and prominently used.  What is the Gnostic position regarding such issues?   Moreover, how do the great spiritual traditions explain the nature of "Good" and the origin of "Evil"?  Are these concepts metaphysical, moral or psychological in nature? 

March 1:  The Origin and Nature of Good and Evil.   What do spiritual traditions say about the origin of these two natures?

March 8:  Good, Evil and the World. Is there good in an evil world and evil in a good world?

March 22: Gnostic Guidelines to Live By.  Avoiding evil and seeking good.

February 2002: Fundamentalism or Gnosis?

The choice of our age between literal belief systems and mystical self-knowledge.  The acute problem with Islam as paradigm for similar, although less dramatic developments in other traditions, particularly the Christian.  These lectures are a continuation of the two lectures on this topic in January.

February 1: The Shadow of Monotheism and Its Antidote.  The mystical struggle against an oppressive God Image.

February 8: Mystical Imagination against Fundamentalism.  Neo-Platonic and Sufi realizations and their enlightening power.

February 15: Islamic and Jewish Kabbalah:  The Gnostic Twins.  The underlying brotherhood of Moslem and Jewish mysticism.

February 22: Christian Fundamentalism:  The Homegrown Menace.  Is the so-called Christian Right our own al Qaeda?

January 2002:  Understanding Islam

Recent events have focused Western attention on Islam.  In the lectures this month we will seek an increased understanding of Islam, inquiring into the fateful religious enigma of our age.

January 11: Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast.

January 18: Light and Shadow in Islam.  The conflict of timeless Divinity and changing times.

January 25: Vision, Book and Sword in Islam.  Mysticism, doctrine and militancy.

November and December 2001: J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973) is the one of the 20th century's most beloved writers and mythmakers.  Now his great work "The Lord of the Rings" appears as a motion picture.  Dr. Hoeller discusses the Gnostic themes revealed and concealed in Tolkien's work.

November 9: J.R.R. Tolkien: Mythmaker of Our Age

November 16: Gnostic Themes in The Lord of the Rings

November 23: From Merlin to Gandalf: Tolkien’s Wizards

December 7: Archetypes of Middle Earth: Jung and Tolkien

December 14: The Dark Tower -- Tolkien’s Mystery of Iniquity

December 21: Myth, Magic and Tolkien

October 2001: America’s Hermetic Destiny

October 12: Ancient America: The Archaic Shamanic Heritage

October 19: Hermetic America Against Puritan America

October 26: The Esoteric Future of the U.S.A.

July - September 2001: Kabbalah in Depth

July 27 --  Paths of the Personality: Continuing the previous series on Gnostic Kabbalah, we will begin studying the Tree of Life and examine paths on the lower part of the Tree of Life.

August 3 -- Paths of Creativity: Paths in the middle portion of the Tree of Life.

August 10 -- Paths of Divinity: Paths at the apex of the Tree of Life.

August 17 -- The Zohar and Its Kabbalah: Evaluation of the chief source of Kabbalistic teaching.

August 31 -- The Kabbalah of Isaac Lurla: Mystical-Gnostic teachings.

September 7: The Feminine and the Kabbalah.   Feminine Deific Principles on the Tree of Life and their Significance.

September 14: The Kabbalah of the Angels. Kabbalistic Angelology and the Role and Nature of the Holy Angels.

September 21: Kabbalah and Mystical Heresy. The connections of Kabbalah to Heterodoxy.  Shabbatai Zevi, Jacob Frank and other Kabbalistic Heretics.

September 28: Kabbalah and Gnosis. The Relevance of Kabbalah to Gnostic Thought.  Is Kabbalah truly Jewish Gnosticism, as indicated by Harold Bloom and others?

July 2001:  A Visit with Ancient Relics: Gnostic Amulets and Gems

July 6 -- Abraxas Amulets in Image and Reality. Illustrated with slides and an exhibit of magnificent original Gnostic Gems. Images available online.

July 13 -- Why and Wherefore of Gnostic Gems. The Theory of Gnostic Magic associated with Gnostic Amulets.

June 2001:  The Gnostic Kabbalah.

This month we will continue our "basic course in the Kabbalah from a Gnostic point of view", started with the May 25th lecture.

June 1 -- The First Five Vessels of the Tree of Life:   The Psychological Sephiroth.

June 8 -- The Second Five Vessels of the Tree of Life: The Transpersonal and Deific Sephiroth.

June 15 -- Kabbalistic Path Work:  Transformative experiences on the interconnecting paths of the Tree of Life.

June 22 -- The Tree of Darkness: The sinister mystery of the Kliphoth.

May 2001: Gnostic Magic and Gnostic Kabbalah

The first lectures of the month conclude the series begun in April.   On May 25th we start a new series that will continue through June -- The Gnosis of the Kabbalah,  a basic course in the Kabbalah from a Gnostic point of view.

May 4 -- Jesus the Magician:  Twenty years ago, Prof. Morton Smith established the thesis that Jesus was a Magician.  This will be the Gnostic answer to this thesis.

May 11 -- The Magical defeat of Evil: Is there a Gnostic Magic that can defeat evil?

May 25 -- What is the Kabbalah? Nature and intent of the Kabbalistic system.

April 2001:  Gnostic Magic -- The Art of Spiritual Liberation

April 6: Gnosis as Liberating Altered State.  The Experience of Gnosis, or Gnosis as a magical salvific state wherein liberation becomes possible.

April 20: Simon Magus, the Gnostic Magician.  The archetypal Magician and First Gnostic:  His story and teachings.

April 27: The Magic of Sophia.  The ascension of Sophia from her fallen state seen as a magical journey of the human spirit to true freedom.

March 2001: Gnosis and the Holy Grail

A new look at the Grail Legend in reference to the Tradition of Gnosis.   If you enjoyed our last series on the Sacramental Mysteries you will appreciate these talks with their relevance to the Sacraments, especially the
Eucharist.

March 2: Grail and Grail Tradition.  What is the Grail?  Timeless relevance of Grail Legendry.  Egyptian, Celtic and Gnostic motifs of the Grail.

March 9: Parsifal and the Holy Grail. The greatest story ever told from which Wagner drew his material for his opera.

March 23: The Cathars and the Grail.  Monts?gur, the Grail Castle.  The Crusade against the Grail.  The Cathar message today.

March 30: Modern Grail Legends.  True and false elements in the late 20th Century about the Grail:  Spear of Destiny;  Holy Blood Holy Grail; Norma Lorre Goodrich, John & Caithlin Matthews.

January and February 2001:  The Value and Nature of Religious Ritual

January 12: Dr. Hoeller's Tarot Forecast for 2001.   Come and hear the trends for the first year of the Third Millennium.

January 19: Ancient Initiatory Rituals --  Eleusis.   The intent and methods of the Ancient Mysteries will be examined, highlighted by a discussion of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

January 26: Gnostic Sacraments --  Baptism and Chrism.   Gnosticism has historically involved, and continues in the present to offer, a ritual initiatory structure.  This week the first two mysteries, or Gnostic Sacramental, will be introduced.

February 2: The Eucharist --  The Gnostic View. The Eucharist is the central mystery in Christian ritual practice.  What is the Gnostic understanding of this Sacrament?

February 9: C.G. Jung and the Psychology and Alchemy of the Mass.   Ritual awakens and enlivens the soul, and offers expression to the mysteries of the psyche.  Tonight we will examine the contribution of C. G. Jung to our understanding of the transformational mystery with the Mass.

February 16: Seership & Sacrament -- Leadbeater, Hodson and Others.

February 23: Liberating Sacraments --  Redemption and Bridechamber.  Tonight the two ultimate mysteries embraced by ancient Gnosticism will be discuss.  What is the role of these great Sacraments in the world of the Third Millennium?

December 2000: The Secret Gnosis of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973) is the one of the 20th centuryÕs most beloved writers and mythmakers.  Now his great work The Lord of the Rings is about to appear as a motion picture.  Dr. Hoeller will discuss the Gnostic themes revealed and concealed in TolkienÕs work.

December 1: Creator of Middle Earth. Tolkien and his Gnostic work.

December 8: Heroes and Wizards.  TolkienÕs Archetypes and their Spiritual Meaning.

December 15: Sauron the Great. Evil and its defeat in The Lord of the Rings.

November 2000: Secret Writings of the Gnosis

Dr. Hoeller concludes the series begun last month, explaining some of the less accessible scriptures from Nag Hammadi.

November 17: The Mysteries of John's Secret Book (Apocryphon of John), Part I.  A modern exegesis of one of the most unusual Gnostic scriptures.

November 24: John's Secret Mystic Book (Apocryphon of John), Part II. Further secrets from the Gnosis of St. John.

October 2000:  Secret Writings of the Gnosis

An in-depth commentary on some of the less-known Gnostic Scriptures from the Nag Hammadi Library.

October 6: Revelations of Seth, the early Messenger of Light.   The Three Steles (tablets) of Seth, consisting of seven hymns addressed by Seth to the heavenly Adam and to Barbelo.  A scripture of the school of Dositheus.

October 13: The Mystic Vision of the Stranger (Allogenes).   One of the greatest examples of visionary writing and of the ways in which visions can be assimilated.

October 27: The Elder Brother of Jesus speaks (The Two Apocalypses of James).  The writings concerning and by St. James of Jerusalem.

September 2000: Alchemical Liberation of Sophia -- The Aurora Consurgens

Aurora Consurgens is a rare medieval alchemical treatise, reputed to be the last work of St. Thomas Aquinas, which was rediscovered by C.G. Jung in the course of his researches.  One of its unique features is that it represents the liberation of Sophia (Wisdom) as the objective of the alchemical process.  Dr. Hoeller will explain the seven parables of the treatise in Gnostic and psychological terms.  (Of note, the commentary of Marie-Louise Von Franz on the Aurora Consurges has just be republished after many years being out of print.  Buy the Book )

September 1: Wisdom Imprisoned and Rising.  Beginnings of Alchemical Liberation.

September 15: Liberation of the Mind.  Gnostic Psychology.

September 22: Reordering the Soul. Transformation of the Higher Psyche.

September 29: The Holy Wedding of Wisdom.  The Culmination of Alchemy.

August 2000: True Magical Practices and Harry Potter

The phenomenal interest aroused by the Harry Potter books, written by J.K. Rowling, indicates a burning desire on the part of young and old to enter the enticing world of magic.

August 4, 2000: The Roots of True Magic.  [Available online] Where does magic originate?  What part of the human does it address?  Is there real Magic today?

August 11, 2000: Merlin and Gandalf:  The Wizard Archetype. The Master Magician, or Magus, in reality, literature, dream and psychological exploration.

August 25, 2000: Evocation, Invocation, Liberation.   The Gnosis of Magic. Magical systems and their Gnostic intent.  Is Magic related to Gnostic Liberation?

July 2000: Fatima -- The Madonna Mystery

Two lectures on the Apparition and the Prophecies of Fatima, including the recently revealed "Third Secret of Fatima" and its implications for the future of the Feminine Deific Principle and of religion in the West.

July 7: The Third Secret of Fatima.  The Prophecy concealed for almost 80 years and recently revealed by the Pope and the Vatican.   What are its implications?  The three possible interpretations of the prophecy.

July 21: The Meaning of Fatima for the 21st Century.   The Fatima phenomenon within the context of other Messianic apparitions, including Lourdes, Banneux, Zeitum, Garabandal.  Assumption, Co-Redeemership and Mediatorship of Mary.  Implications for Esoteric and Sophianic concerns.

June 2000 What About God?

All about God that you ever wanted to know!  In two important book, A History of God (1993), and The Battle for God (2000), British religious critic, Karen Armstrong examined the God-concept of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in past and present.  Dr. Hoeller will examine many of these thoughts in the light of Gnostic wisdom and depth-psychology.  Come and hear these discussions, related to the major challenge to the cultural and religious life of the world presented by Karen Armstrong.

June 2: One and Many--Postmodern Insights into Monotheism and Polytheism. One Way or Religious Pluralism? Does even a secular culture express its God-Image?

June 16: The Death of God--Which God died? From Nietzsche to Karen Armstrong we have been haunted by the idea of the Death of God.   Here is a creative and lively approach to this subject.

June 23: God and Myth--Armstrong's Suggestions in her latest book.   The mythology, psychology and dangers of fundamentalism in the light of Armstrong's "The Battle for God".

June 30: The Left Hand of God--Divine Darkness. The Dark Side and its relevance to today's culture.  Why is evil "cool" today?   What is the Gnostic insight into this?

April & May 2000: Varieties of Ecstatic and Gnostic Experience

In these talks Dr. Hoeller will explore the relationship of Gnosis to Altered States experiences, in their ancient and modern forms, including their advantages and shortcomings in various cultural and historical settings.

April 14: Ecstatic Consciousness: Its Advocates and its Enemies. Anti-Ecstatic attitudes in contemporary Western Culture contrasted with Mystical and Gnostic attitudes throughout the ages.

April 28: Magic, Sacrament and Altered States.  The changes and enhancement of Consciousness connected with Ceremonial Magic, Gnostic Sacraments and other practices.

May 5: Love, Sex and Ecstatic Consciousness. The erotic path to ecstatic experience has been employed by many cultures and religions throughout history.  What are the possible uses and relevance of this approach today?

May 19: Are Psychedelics a Valid Path to Transcendence?   Since the 1960s this issue has increasingly emerged into the open.  This subject will be evaluated in the light of the mystery traditions of the past and the experiences of the present.

May 26: Rules for the Ecstatic Path and Gnostic Remembering.   How to approach and practice Ecstatic Consciousness and how to understand and utilize such experiences.

March 2000: The Sources of Jung's Wisdom

Philosophies and Disciplines that inspired and informed the Message of C.G. Jung.

March 3: Spirits and Gnostics: Occult and Esoteric Sources Near and Far. Early Trance-Experiences and lifelong Gnosis.

March 10: Alchemists:  From Zosimos to Jung.  What is the true essence of Alchemy?  How does it relate to Jung?

March 24: German Idealism:  The Romance of Being.  The German philosophers who succeeded Kant, mainly Fichte, Schelling, Schleiermacher and Hegel and their relationship to JungÕs teachings.

March 31: Will and Power:  Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. New Gnosticism and early Existential thought and C.G. Jung.

February 2000: The Deific Feminine (Continued from January)

An in-depth investigation and evaluation of the Sophia Tradition and its relation to such related subjects as Catholic Mariology, Neo-Paganism, Angelology and the possible feminine trends of the New Millennium -- continuing the series begun last month.

February 4: Deity and Mother - Sophiology and Mariology.   Gnostic, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic views on Sophia and Mary.

February 11: Mysterious Companion - Gospels of Mary Magdalen.   The true beloved Disciple in Gnostic and Canonical Scripture.

February 18: Echoes of Sophia - Troubadours and Black Madonnas.   Mysterious roots and implications of Medieval Feminine Mysticism.

February 25: Sophia 2000 - Our Lady Wisdom in the New Millennium.   The possible future of the Sophia Tradition.

January 2000: The Deific Feminine

An in-depth investigation and evaluation of the Sophia Tradition and its relation to such related subjects as Catholic Mariology, Neo-Paganism, Angelology and the possible feminine trends of the New Millennium.

January 14: Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast. An always popular event.

January 21: Heavenly Woman: Roots of the Sophia Tradition.   Philo of Alexandria, Biblical Wisdom Literature; Isis' Mysteries.

January 28: The Gnostic Sophia.  The Classic Sophia Myth.   Valentinian and other Gnostic motifs.

November & December 1999:  Nietzsche's "Thus Spake Zarathustra"

Friedrich Nietzsche's most influential work will be explored by Dr. Hoeller from a Gnostic and Jungian perspective.  Jung's seminar on Nietzsche's Zarathustra will be utilized along with other sources of both academic and esoteric provenance.  Our single lecture on Nietzsche last August was so well received that we offer this longer series now by popular request.

November 12: Prologue of "Zarathustra".   Idols, Love and Overman.  Dr. Hoeller begins his exposition of Nietzsche's famous work.

November 19: Passionate Wisdom. Zarathustra, First Part.  Further exploration of the Work.

November 26: Scholarly Poetry. Zarathustra, Second Part.   Adventures in Nietzsche's Wisdom.

December 3: Visions and Longing:  Zarathustra, Third Part.   In this part, Zarathustra introduces Eternal Recurrence and Beyond Good and Evil.

December 10: Kings and Beggars:  Zarathustra, Early Portion of Part Four. The hazards of having followers; more on the Death of God.

December 17: The Drunken Overman:  Zarathustra, Latter Portion of Part Four. Nietzsche's whimsical humour; the Ass Festival, the Drunken Song and others.

October 1999: Three Men of Knowledge, And their potential Impact on the New Millennium

"Let there be among you a man of Understanding" - Jesus, in the Gospel According to Thomas.
These talks are in part inspired by the recent book "The Politics of Myth" by Robert Ellwood (S.U.N.Y. Press, 1999).

October 1: "Know Thyself": The Inner Message of C.G. Jung. elf Knowledge as a Way to the Knowledge of God.

October 8: "Follow your Bliss": The Mythic Gnosis of Joseph Campbell. he American Sage's directives for a new Consciousness of the future.

October 15: "Exile from Eternity": Mircea Eliade's defeat of History. Timeless breakthrough of the Romanian scholar of Myth and Religion.

August & September 1999: Poetic Gnosis

There has always been a significant lineage between poetry and Gnosis.   Thus the great Syrian Gnostic teacher Bardesanes (Bardaisan) and his son, Harmonius were the first Christians to write religious Hymns for use in Church.  In this series we will evaluate and quote the poetry of a number of poets of Gnostic orientation.  The significant connection between poetic inspiration and Gnosis and the impact of Gnostic poets on the consciousness of their age will be traced.

August 6: The Hermetic Hymns.  An early form of ecstatic spiritual poetry explained within the context of Hermetic Gnosis.

August 13: William Blake, Gnostic Poet.  The message of the great British poet and visual artist of the 18th Century.

August 27: Friedrich Nietzsche, Poet and Gnostic. Sometimes unjustly associated with the Nazis, Nietzsche was a seminal, gnosticizing thinker who influenced C.G. Jung and the Existentialists.

September 3: Robert Graves, Prophet of the White and the Black Goddesses. Known in his lifetime as the greatest poet of the English language, Graves was also a great pioneer of mythology and spiritual philosophy.

September 17: W.B. Yeats:  Poet, Magician and Theosopher. Adept of the Golden Dawn, pupil of H.P. Blavatsky, leading reviver of the rebirth of Celtic wisdom, Yeats qualifies as a modern Gnostic.

September 24: John Donne's Mystic Poetry.  Extolled by T.S. Eliot and others, this Sixteenth Century Anglican priest can still elevate the spirit to mystic heights.

July 1999: Liberation through Gnosis

What is Liberation?  Is it an expansion of consciousness resulting in the removal of our present limitations?  Or is it the stepping off the wheel of birth and death and the return of our spirits to their true home beyond the confines of this cosmos?  May it be the combination of both of these? Using the singularly beautiful, Valentinian Gospel of Truth from Nag Hammadi and a selection from the scriptures of the tradition of the Prophet Mani, Dr. Hoeller will address answers to these questions.

July 2: The Gospel of Truth, Part I. The overcoming of illusion by way of the right attitude of consciousness.

July 9: The Gospel of Truth, Part II.  The nature and characteristics of the final redemption from the realm of unreality.

July 16: How We Came to Our Present State.  The message of Mani regarding our spiritual origins.

July 23: Help from Above -- The Messengers of Light.   What help do we receive from such Messengers?

July 30: How the Light is Liberated. The gathering of the Seeds of Light from the Sea of Forgetfulness.

June 1999:  Spiritual Creativity

Creativity enjoys some popularity today.  In search of this elusive gift many pursue artistic callings which in reality they do not possess.  But what if the creativity we need to manifest is for the purpose of creating a new self within our inner being?  Dr. Hoeller will devote this series to exploring such avenues of spiritual creativity.

June 4: Creating Our New Selves.  This world has been called the "vale of soul-making".  How can we accomplish this task?

June 11: Imagination, Active Imagination and Creativity.   Imagination, the key to magic.  Jung's Active Imagination and the creation of the new self.

June 25: The Artist as Gnostic.  Gnosis in its relation to inner and outer creativity.

May 1999:  Death and Evil In Contemporary Postmodern Culture

The proliferation of schoolhouse-murders and similar shocking events raise urgent and difficult questions:  Are we living in a "culture of death" as the current Pope has suggested?  Have we neglected the devilish side of human nature?   What is the reality of metaphysical evil?  These and related questions will be answered by the speaker.

May 14: Evil, the Urgent Reality of Our Age.  At the threshold of the New Millennium, may it be necessary to take a new look at Evil in the world and in humanity?

May 21: The Darkness Within;  Shadow-Boxing with C.G. Jung.   Jung's view of the individual and the collective shadow and its relevance to today's shocking scene.

May 28: Undoing Cosmic Rebellion:  The Gnostic Myth.   Gnostic myths that explain the origin of evil and death and show the path of overcoming these ancient enemies.

April 1999: Gnosis and Contemporary Literature for the 21st Century

Three lectures on contemporary literary themes with Gnostic relevance and lasting relevance.

April 9: Gnosis and Stoicism:  Is Tom Wolfe Initiating a New Trend?   Tom Wolf's recent novel "A Man in Full" espouses the philosophy of the Stoics. The relevance of Stoicism to our era and to Gnosticism.

April 16: Harold Bloom, Shakespeare and Gnosticism.  According to Bloom's latest great work, Shakespeare invented the human, and according to some of his other works America has an essentially Gnostic religious soul.  How do these and other insights augur for the future?

April 30: Philip K. Dick -- Gnostic Prophet of Science Fiction. [Available online] In his best work "Valis" and its two companion volumes, "The Divine Invasion" and "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer", the late Philip K. Dick called attention to Gnostic wisdom.  What can we learn from him today?

January, February & March 1999: Gnosis and the Future:  Doomsday, Millennium or Other?

In these discussions Dr. Hoeller evaluates numerous scenarios for the future, ranging from Armageddon, the Second Coming and other apocalyptic expectations,  to utopian hopes of both recent provenance and of ancient age.

January 22: The Future; is it Good or Evil?   The mysteries of time: What holds the new millennium?

January 29: The Age of the Holy Spirit: is it Imminent?   Medieval prophet, Joaquim of Flora and his amazingly modern prophecy of the coming Age of the Holy Spirit.

February 5:  The Future of the U.S.A. -- From Utopia to Wisdom?   Prophecies and insight relating to the future of the United States of America.

February 12:  Sophia and Mary:  Prophecies of the Feminine.   Apparitions of the Virgin Mary over the last 200 years and their relevance to the figure of the Gnostic Sophia.

February 19:  Millennial Anxiety and Timeless Gnosis.  [Available online] The Doomsday Syndrome set off against the Wisdom of Gnosis.

February 26:  The Apocalypse of John -- Its Sources of Revelation.   The most celebrated source of Bible prophecy and its sources terrestrial and celestial.

March 5:  Secrets of the Book of Revelations. Insights into the most controversial and popular prophetic book of the Bible.

March 12:  The Esoteric Mysteries of the Redemption and the Bride-Chamber.   Will the greater liberating Sacraments come into their own in the 21st century?

March 26:  The Key to the Future:  The Gnostic Resurrection.   How to rise from Spiritual Death while we are still in the body.

November & December 1998:  The Wisdom of the Passionate Sage Nikos Kazantzakis

A reading of The Saviours of  God by Nikos Kazantzakis.   The late Greek poet and mystic, Nikos Kazantzakis (1883 - 1957), author of such work as Zorba the Greek, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Greek Passion and others, wrote one book of spiritual philosophy, entitled The Saviours of God - Spiritual Exercises. It contains the core of his philosophy of the individual's search for and relationship with God and is written in deep, beautiful poetry. In this month’s series of lectures Dr. Hoeller will read and elucidate the five chapter exercises of the book. The series is to continue with two lectures in December (Dec. 11 and 19).

November 6: First Steps toward Wholeness. Attitudes of Mind that are necessary for the journey.

November 13: The Expansion of the Soul. Ego, Nation, Mankind, the Earth as steps of expansion.

November 27: Confrontation with the Divine. The initial vision of God.

December 11:  Discovering True Reality.  Contacting and Contemplating Transcendence and its relationship to Manifest Existence.

December 18:  Union with Reality.  Ultimate Reality and its startling implications.

October 1998:  Gnosis and Crisis

There can be little doubt that society and the individual are in a state of crisis today. A few great myth makers, poets and spiritual leaders of traditions point the way toward a creative approach to the crisis of world and person.

October 2:  J.R.R. Tolkien's Gnosis for Our Day. [Available online] "The Lord of the Rings" and its philosophical background as grand Metaphors for existential crisis and its solution by Gnosis.

October 9:  Rising above Crisis. (Lecture by Rev. John Goelz)  Gnostic and Buddhist insights into calamity and its overcoming.

October 23:  Robert Graves, Poet and Prophet Extaordinaire.   The greatest poet of the English tongue in this century, points the way to archetypal Gnosis of the Future.

September 1998: Three Gnostic Poets

Gnostic and mystical themes in the great literature of the world.

September 4: Omar Kayam; Gnostic poet of the Sufis. New light on the Rubayat’s mystic message.

September 18: William Blake; Visionary Gnostic. Insight into his works, especially "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell".

September 25: W.B. Yeats; Magical Bard of the Golden Dawn. Poetry, magic and romance from one of the greatest poets of the English tongue.

July & August 1998:  The Soul's Journey

A complete commentary on the Hymn of the Robe of Glory (Hymn of the Pearl) from the Acts of Thomas. This is perhaps the most beautiful and concise account of the human journey and of its vicissitudes and triumphs. The series will continue through August.

July 3: Judas Thomas, the Twin: The author and the Setting. Who wrote the Hymn? Was he the physical or the spiritual twin of Christ?

July 10: Origins of the Soul and the Quest for the Pearl. How we are all children of the Most High.

July 17: The Descent of the Soul and its Falling Asleep. Now we loose consciousness of our identity and purpose.

July 24: The Coming of the Letter of Awakening. How the Messengers of Light and their Message awaken us.

July 31:  Awakening, and Obtaining the Pearl.  The response of the Soul to the awakening message from on high, which leads to the obtaining of the prize of earthly life.

August 7:  The Return to the Homeland.  The traveler experiences the mystery of the robe of Glory while re-entering the divine world.

August 14:  The Parable of the Pearl Merchant.  A parable, possibly told by Jesus himself, contained in the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles in the Nag Hammadi collection.   The story is of a journey leading to a city of Nine Gates and a heavenly purveyor of pearls, called Lithargoel.

June 1998:  Buddhism and Gnosis

A comparative study of the Buddhist and the Gnostic traditions

June 5: The Gnostic Buddha. You have read the Gnostic Jung, hear now about the Gnostic Buddha. The life and mission of Gautama evaluated as pertaining to a Pneumatic Gnostic.

June 12: The (Gnostic) Cross and the Jewel in the Lotus. Gnostic motifs in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism

June 19: Gnostic and Buddhist Salvation. Pure Land Buddhism and the Gnostic tradition.

June 26: Gnosis, Jung, and Buddhism. Gnostic, Buddhist and Jungian Psychology.

May 1998:  What Makes Us Free?

"What makes us free is the Gnosis: Of who we were; Of what we have become, Of where we were; Of wherein we have been thrown; Of whereto we are hastening; Of what we are being freed; Of what birth really is; Of what rebirth really is." -- Gnostic statement from the Second Century A.D.

May 1:  Freedom through Gnosis: Gnosis, the Truth that makes one free.

May 8:  Who are We? The divine origins and lowly present condition of the human being.

May 15:  Freedom: Its Goal and Obstacles. Of what are we being freed; and what is our true goal and destiny?

May 29: From Earth Birth to Re-entry into reality. Final transformation by Gnosis as liberation from reincarnation.

February, March & April 1998:  The Gnostic Kabbalah.

Contemporary scholarship, pioneered by the late Gershom G. Scholem, has developed the theory that the Kabbalah has a close relationship to Gnosticism and may have even been derived from the latter. Dr. Hoeller is presenting a quintessential evaluation of the Kabbalah from a Gnostic point of view, tracing trajectories between the greatest Kabbalistic works and the insights of the Gnostic Gospels.

February 6: The Gnosis of the Book of Splendor and the Book of Formation. A Gnostic overview of the Zohar and the Sepher Yetzirah.

February 13: The Kabbalistic Valentinus. As the Gnostic mythos comes to its most sublime expression in the teachings of Valentinus, so does the Gnostic Kabbalah in the message of Rabbi Isaac Luria.

February 20: Kabbalah. Evil and Gnosis. An evaluation of Gnostic and Kabbalistic convergence's with a special reference to the mystery of iniquity.

February 27: The Magical and Neo-Hermetic Kabbalah: Is it Gnostic? A Gnostic view of the teachings of Eliphas Levi, the Golden Dawn, Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley and others.

March 13: Kabbalistic Heresy -- Sabbetai Zevi and Jacob Frank. Are the apostasies of some Kabbalistic prophets a deviation from or a fulfillment of the Kabbalistic system? What does this mean to us, other "heretics"'?

March 27: The Hassidim: Continuity of Kabbalah to Our Days. Originally a heretical movement of Jews in 18th Century Poland, this ecstatic mystical movement is the principal practitioners of Kabbalah today.

April 24: Kabbalah and Mystical Gnostic Union with the Ultimate. The perennial objective of the Mystical Quest in its relationship to the Kabbalah.

January 1998: Introducing the Gnostic Kabbalah.

Throughout the coming month of February Dr. Hoeller will present four lectures on the Kabbalah as it appears in a Gnostic view. The two lectures that he presents in January will contextually introduce this material.

January 23: Monotheism and Its Shadow. The Kabbalah grew out of Middle Eastern Monotheism. What are the deficiencies of Monotheism to which the Kabbalah came as a corrective?

January 30: Chariot Mysticism and Sufi Kabbalistic Gnosis. Jewish Forerunners and Islamic continuations of the Kabbalah.

December 1997:  A Trinity of World Teachers.

This month we offer an overview of the teachings of three great world teachers:   Buddha, Christ, and Mani.

December 5:  Buddha and His Liberating Path.

December 12:  Mani:  Helmsman of the Ship of Light  [Available online] The Gnostic prophet of Persia and his enduring, universal message.

December 19:  Christ:  The Misunderstood Redeemer. [Available online] After two thousand years, the mission of Christ is still unfulfilled and misunderstood.  Can Gnostic understanding help Christ to be spiritually reborn today?  A Christmas offering of Gnosis....

There were no Friday night lectures in the month of October and much of November 1997.

November 1997: In Defense of Jung.

November 7: Jung and His Enemies; a reply to the current assault on C.G. Jung. Re-affirming the greatness of Jung in the face of new attacks directed against Jung by two new hostile books and their anti-Jung review in the L.A. Times (October 12, 1997).

September 1997: The Mysteries.

A four part series, detailing three Mediterranean and one Eastern mystery systems which served as prototypes and inspirations for Gnosis.

September 5: The Eleusinian Mysteries. The Mysteries of Eleusis are still an unsolved mystery to most scholars. The secret of Eleusis will be discussed by the speaker.

September 12: The Dionysian and Orphic Mysteries. Beginning with the ecstatic god Dionysus and continued by the mystical figure Orpheus, this system represents two aspects of transcendental consciousness.

September 26: The Mysteries of Mithra. Of Persian origin, but most popular in the late Roman empire, the Mithraic mysteries have a close relationship to mystical Christianity. Gnosticism and Statecraft.

September 1997: Gnosis and Life.

August 1997: Gnosis and Life.

Investigating the relationship of the teachings and practices of the Gnostic tradition to disciplines and activities in the contemporary world.

August 1: Gnosticism and Religion. Is Gnosticism a religion? What are the differences and similarities of Gnosticism with the great religions? The Gnostic tradition as psychological religion.

August 8: Gnosticism and Mythology. Mythology as an accurate account of experience of Gnosis. The message of the principal Gnostic myths.

August 15: Gnosticism and Art. The artist as Gnostic and the Gnostic as artist. The nature and function of art in Gnostic view.

August 22: Gnosticism and Statecraft. Gnosis and its political and social implications. Liberty as the vital concern of Gnostics.

August 29: Gnosticism and the Millennium. Redemption, Armageddon and other millennial themes in a Gnostic perspective. What do Gnostics hold about prophecy, futurism and similar issues?

July 1997: The Gnostic World View: A Brief Summary of Gnosticism

This three part series of talks is in part an elaboration of points raised in the document of the same title which has received great popular interest on our Web site (www.gnosis.org).

July 11: The Gnostic World View: Cosmos and Creator. Is the cosmos a flawed creation? Is there a true and perfect Godhead beyond the God (or Gods) of this world?

July 18: The Gnostic World View: The Nature and Liberation of the Human Being. What does it really mean to be human? Gnostic anthropology and teachings about salvation-liberation.

July 25: The Gnostic World View: The Final Destiny of the Human Being and of the World. What awaits us at the end of life? End time questions of the millennium considered in a Gnostic perspective.

June 1997: The Eternal Feminine in a Gnostic Perspective.

June 13: Eve as Wise Woman: The Gnostic Teachings about the Feminine. How the conventional reading of Genesis led to the demonization of the feminine and how the Gnostics offer the remedy to this demonization.

June 20: The Divine Sophia: Paradigm of the Gnostic Eternal Feminine. An examination of the archetype of the daughter of the True God and her involvement in humanity's salvation.

June 27: Sophia and the Demiurge: Overcoming the World by way of the Feminine. The blind creator of this world and his relationship to the holy Sophia.

May 1997: Great Teachings of the Gnosis

This series will introduce the principal tenets of the Gnostic World View.

May 2: the Journey of the Soul: Whence, Where, and Wither. A Summary of the origins, existential state and ultimate destiny of the human soul according to the Gnostics.

May 9: Gnosis and World. How do Gnostics view life on earth. Can we overcome the world? Must we conform to the world?

May 16: Spiritual Freedom: Gnostic Liberation. What does it mean to lead an autonomous life? What is the relationship of Freedom and Responsibility? How can we be free from Jehovah's law?

May 30: The Experience of Gnosis. Is Gnosis secret knowledge reserved for the few? Is it ecstatic insight?

April 1997: To Live and (or) to Die: A Gnostic Perspective.

Recently much publicity attached itself to the religious suicide of a number of men and women in Southern California. While Gnostics have no connection whatsoever with advocating suicide, the issues raised by these events merit discussion from an authoritative perspective of true Gnosis.

April 4: Earthly Life: Its Merits and Demerits. Embodied life in the perspective of Greater Life. Is life precious, and if so, why?

April 11: Death, Life and Gnosis. Death as an opportunity. What of rebirth? What is the "good life", and what the "good death"?

April 18 The Gnostic Resurrection. Resurrection as the grand Metaphor of Gnosis. How Christendom misunderstood the resurrection.

March 1997: Sir Laurens Van Der Post -- A Two Lecture Tribute to a Sage of Our Time.

On December 15, 1996, there died in London one of the loveliest of souls and wisest of minds of our century, of which he lived ninety years. Author, soldier, philosopher, mystic and lover of nature, he wrote twenty-five books (one of which became the film, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence). In this tribute of two lectures, Dr. Hoeller will explore van der Post's message for our times and for all times.

March 7: Laurens van der Post and C. G. Jung. Sir Laurens produced and narrated several documentary films about C. G. Jung, and in 1976 published a major biography, entitled Jung and the Story of Our Time. He was Jung's friend and emissary to the culture of our time.

March 21: Laurens van der Post: His Life and Insights. Prince Charles of England described van der Post as a visionary, poet soldier, sage, and explorer of land and the human spirit. We shall consider why he so well deserves this description.

February 1997: Signs of the Times

Some contemporary non-material preoccupations of the culture evaluated from a Gnostic point of view. (Recommended reading along with this series: Omens of Millenium by Harold Bloom.)

February 7: The Enigma of Angels. In recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in angels, yet some of this seems debased and wrong-headed. What is a truly Gnostic view of angels?

February 14: Dreams; Real and Unreal. Since the beginning of the 20th Century dreams have risen in prominence. Will dreams endure and lead to Gnosis in the 21st Century?

February 21: The Sting of Death. St. Paul asked: "Death, where is thy sting?" Our age brought attention to "Near-Death Experience". What is the Gnostic view of this?

February 28: Gnosis as the Final Answer. The wholeness of the Gnostic answer, superseding the fads of the culture.

December 1996: Gnosis in America

An overview of three great contributions to Gnostic Consciousness in America in our Century. Three key figures who made unique contributions to "the knowing of the things that are" in modern America.

December 6: Aldous Huxley, Perennial Philosopher. An evaluation of the seminal contribution of the great 20th Century writer to the awakening of transcendental consciousness in this country.

December 13: Gerald Heard: Guide of Souls. Friend of Huxley, philosopher and gray eminence of the New Consciousness Movement, the contribution of this figure merits attention.

December 20: Harold Bloom's American Gnosis. Leading literary and religious critic of America, Bloom is a self-declared Gnostic. The talk will focus on his work "American Religion" and "Omens of Millennium".

November 1996: The Thomas Tradition of Gnosis.

St. Thomas the Apostle is the exemplary Gnostic apostle. He is known as the Apostle of the Indies, for he is said to have gone to India and to have died near Madras. The Nag Hammadi Library contains two scriptures that are attributed to Thomas. In these three talks, Dr. Hoeller will review the spirit of the Thomas Gnostic tradition, illustrated by its documents.

November 8: Thomas and His Gnosis. Who was Thomas the Apostle? What is his legacy? A discussion of the elements of Syrian Gnosis.

November 15: The Message of the "The Book of Thomas the Contender". The content and the context of the noted treatise from the Nag Hammadi Library.

November 22: The Spirit of "The Gospel According to Thomas". The secrets contained in the most popular of all Gnostic Gospels, and the inspiration derived from some of the key sayings of this Gospel

October 1996: The Soul and Suffering.

In Buddhism, the Gnosis of the East. suffering is recognized as a fundamental fact of embodied existence. In these talks, Dr. Hoeller will explore the Gnostic meaning of the Soul's suffering and the ways in which Pathos (Suffering) can be transmuted by Gnosis (Salvific Knowing).

October 4: Wasteland of the Soul: The Nature and Meaning of Depression. Based on Studies by the late Jungian psychologist Esther Harding, we shall explore the different varieties of depression and the creative potential of some of these.

October 11: The Suffering God as Archetype of Wholeness. The figure of the Crucified Savior is the greatest Archetype of Christendom. Ancient Egyptian and later Sufi teachings emphasize a similar pattern. What are the contemporary features of this psychic reality?

October 18: The Sorrow of Sophia: Feminine Divine Image of Suffering. [Available online] The Gnostic myth of Sophia is the Archetype of the suffering soul in feminine form. How may we understand and utilize this exemplary image?

June 1996: Creative Imagination

Liberating Gnosis depends in part on the power of creative imagination. Spiritual realities can be perceived by us by way of this mysterious faculty. The nature and function of the creative and sacred imagination will be discussed, using Gnostic, Platonic, Sufi and Hermetic sources.

June 7: Creative Imagination, What is It? The foundation of Gnostic, Neoplatonic and other theurgy is explained.

June 14: The Creative Imagination in the treatise "The Eighth Reveals the Ninth". Visionary mystical Magic in a Nag Hammadi treatise, and in Hermetic hymns.

June 21: Ascending to the Real. Ascension symbolism and the creative imagination. Examples of Gnostic Active Imagination.

June 28: Imagination and the Psychology of the Artist. Gnostic and transcendental aspects of artistic creativity.

May 1996: The Gnosis of Merlin

The wizard Merlin -- trickster, prophet and enchanter -- is a figure of great relevance to those dedicated to Gnosis. Using primarily material from the research of Count Nikolai Tolstoy, foremost contemporary scholar of Celtic lore, Dr. Hoeller explores the Magic of Merlin in its Gnostic context.

May 31: Shaman, Trickster and Savior Mythic themes of Gnostic Wizardry in Merlin's story.

April 1996: Highlights from the Acts of John.

The Acts of John, available long before the Nag Hammadi find, tells an amazing tale of wisdom and liberation, as taught by John, the Beloved disciple of Jesus.

April 12: The Nature and End of Suffering. [Available online]  "Hast thou only known how to suffer, thou would learn not to suffer."

April 26: The Dancing Savior. The Message of the Mystic Dance of Jesus. "He who dances not, knoweth not what cometh to pass."

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