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Established in America in 1928, The Gnostic Society is dedicated to advancing the study, understanding, and individual experience of Gnosis.  "He who has ears, let him hear!"

Read the LA Weekly cover story about Stephan Hoeller and The Gnostic Society

Lectures listed here are given at The Gnostic Society of Los Angeles, California.  These programs are held every Friday evening at 8:00 PM.  Unless otherwise noted, all lectures are presented by Dr. Stephan Hoeller.  Lectures are free and open to the public (free-will donations are appreciated).  Refreshments are offered following the lecture.  Further information is available by calling 323-467-2685.

Many of the lectures given at the Gnostic Society of Los Angeles become available for immediate online download in MP3 format at the new BC Recordings website (www.bcrecordings.net). In addition, there is a growing catalog of complete collections of Dr. Hoeller's lectures grouped by topic.  Take a look -- visit the online catalog!

Free Online Lectures:  Many titles are available at the BC Recordings website.

This page lists the current lecture series, with a view back through 1997.  For information about purchase and download of lectures offered at the Gnostic Society, go to  BC Recordings, an audio publishing effort advancing the work of Dr. Hoeller since 1979.

October 2009 through February 2010:  Introducing C.G. Jung's Red Book

October 2009 marked the publication of Jung's long awaited early visionary work entitled "Liber Novus" (The New Book), popularly known as the Red Book.  Now Dr. Hoeller in brief and introductory form elucidates all of the book, chapter by chapter.  Since the material in the lectures is quite diverse, the lectures will not have a single title but are identified by chapter numbers and titles as found in the book.  This will allow those who own a book to identify the lectures by the requisite chapters in the Red Book.  (These lectures are already becoming available in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

October 23:  Jung's Red Book: Background and Book I; Chapter I:  Book I is entitled "The Way of What is to Come", and Book I, Chapter I is introduced by "The Spirit of This Time" and "The Spirit of the Depths", and is entitled "Refinding the Soul".

November 6:  Jung's Red Book, Book I; Chapters II, III, IV, V:  Soul and God; On the service of the Soul; The Desert; Experiences in the Desert; Descent into Hell in the Future.

November 13:  Jung's Red Book, Book I; Chapters VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI:  Splitting the Spirit; Murder of the Hero; Conception of the God; Mysterium Encounter; Instruction; Resolution.

November 20:  Jung's Red Book, Book II; Chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VI:  The Images of the Erring; The Red One; The Castle in the Forest; One of the Lonely; The Anchorite; Days I and II; Death.

December 4:  Jung's Red Book, Book II; Chapters VII, VIII, IX, X, XI:  Remains of Earlier Temples; First and Second Day; Incantations; The Opening of the Egg.

December 11:  Jung's Red Book, Book II; Chapters XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII:  Hell; The Sacrificial Murder; Divine Folly; The First, Second, Third and Fourth Nights.

December 18:  Jung's Red Book, Book II; Chapters XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI and Preview of "Scrutinies":  The Three Prophecies; The Gift of Magic; The Way of the Cross; The Magician

January 15:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2010. Results - - An image of the cards  (Audio recording available for download at BC Recordings).

January 22:  Jung's Red Book, Conclusion of the final chapter of Book II:  The Return of Salome; Encounter with Satan; The Kabiri; The Royal Son.

January 29:  Jung's Red Book, Scrutinies Part 1:  More teachings of the Soul; Predictions of darkness:  Beginning of World War I.

February 5:  Jung's Red Book, Scrutinies Part 2:  Reappearance of Philemon; the Shadowy Woman; Conjuration of the Dead.

February 12:  Jung's Red Book, Scrutinies Part 3:  Philemon and the Seven Sermons to the Dead; a new understanding of this text.

February 19:  Jung's Red Book, Appendix C:  The Cosmological oration; Who is Abraxas and who is Philemon?  Where does the Red Book take us?

February 26:  How to Approach and Understand the Red Book:  Dr. Shamdasani advises us to study Jung's essay on the Transcendent Function to approach the Red Book.  We will review this important essay in the light of our exploration of the Red Book.

September 2009:  The Coming of the Gnostics

In this series, delivered in the month of the Golden (50th) Anniversary of the Ecclesia Gnostica in America, Dr. Hoeller will indicate his vision of the past, present and future of the Gnostic Tradition, particularly within the context of the tasks of the contemporary Gnostic movement.

September 4:  The Survival of the Gnostic Tradition:  From the late Antiquity through such movements as the Priscillianists, Bogomils, Cathars, Mandaeans, Templars, Rosicrucians, Theosophists to the French Gnostic revival at the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries.

September 11:  GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY LECTURE:  Gnosis in Los Angeles, an Account of the Last 50 Years of Gnostic Work in Los Angeles.    In this historic narrative, Dr. Hoeller will recount his own early contacts with the Gnostic tradition; the coming of the Gnostic Church to L.A. in the person of Richard, Duc de Palatine in 1959 and the subsequent story of our movement and his hopes for the future.

September 18:  The Awakening of Gnostic Consciousness in the 20th and 21st centuries:  The two sources of the Awakening:  The objective; being the discovery and translation of the Nag Hammadi Library; the other subjective, the discovery and proliferation of consciousness altering agencies, sometimes called the Psychedelic Revolution.

September 25:  C.G. Jung, the modern Gnostic Prophet:  In anticipation of the imminent publication of the "Red Book" we shall review Jung's personal development as Gnostic; his "Seven Sermons to the Dead" and his crucial role in the publication of the Nag Hammadi Library.

August 2009:  Mystics; The Practitioners of Sacred Altered States

In spite of orthodox belief systems which dominated their cultures, mystics of every religion, including the Christian, have practiced divine theophanies that were related to the Gnosis of Gnostic and Hermetic provenance.  An analysis in Gnostic and contemporary terms will be presented of the lives and experiences of several mystics from medieval to post-modern times.

August 7:  Angelus Silesius and the school of Rhineland Mystics:  Between the 13th and the 16th centuries there flourished in Southern Germany a great mystical movement, replete with visions, prophecies and ecstasies.  One of its pioneer representatives was Angelus Silesius, often called "The Cherubic Wanderer".  This talk will introduce us to this visionary and to the phenomenon of Rhineland Mysticism.

August 14:  Meister Eckhart; a Visionary for all Seasons:  A wise man and visionary of considerable Gnostic overtones, Meister Eckhart has much to teach contemporary students of mysticism.  His insights and teachings are of considerable relevance to mystical phenomena of all ages and traditions.

August 21:  Great Mystic Women:  Juliana of Norvich and Hildegard Von Bingen.  One English, the other a Rhineland German, these two outstanding female mystics bear testimony to Divine Joy and Wisdom and will inspire us today.

August 28:  Huston Smith; modern Scholar and Mystic:  Our contemporary and teacher, Huston Smith authored the well-known textbook "The World's Religions" (Earlier title:  "The Religions of Man").  He is also a pre-eminent advocate of psychedelics within the context of religious experience.

July 2009:  Religion and Spirituality in the 21st Century

Newsweek Magazine claimed in April of this year that Christianity is dead.  There appears to be an upsurge of Atheism and Secularism in Western culture.  Dr. Hoeller will present an analysis of these trends in the light of Gnostic teachings and insights and he will point to the spirituality of the future.

July 3:  The United States, a Spiritual Nation:  The Hermetic, Masonic and Rosicrucian spirit of the U.S.A.  An esoteric tribute on the eve of Independence Day 2009.

July 10:  The Middle Eastern roots of America's Gnosis:  Descending from Hermetic, Gnostic and Neo-Platonic sources, culminating in Templar traditions as well as Sufi, Ismailia, Druze mysteries, the U.S.A. became the new home of Alternative Spirituality.  NOTE:  After the lecture Dr. Hoeller will interview Andy Hill about his new book "No-Where Land".  Mr Hill authored a famous story about us 5 years ago in the L.A. Weekly.  Book signing follows.

July 17:  America:  Birthplace of 19th Century Esotericism:  Spiritualism, Mormonism, Scottish-Rite Freemasonry, Theosophy and other alternative spiritual movements and their Message for the future.

July 24:  Manly P. Hall and California Spirituality:  The Plato of Los Angeles; his true story and his present unfair critics.  Eclectic spirituality conjoined with Southern California Creativity.

July 31:  Jung; his Gnostic Psychology and the Lost Gospels:  Jungian and other 3rd Force psychologies in California.  The Gnostic scholarship of the Institute for Antiquities and Christianity in Claremont.  The possible coming Gnostic Renaissance.

June 2009:  Alchemy: Its Stages of Transformation

In the past, Dr. Hoeller has periodically returned in his lecturing schedule to the subject of Alchemy. For several years, the topic of the three stages of Alchemical Transformation has not been used by our speaker. This vital subject is discussed utilizing previously unused material.

June 5:  Alchemy, the Great Art:  An introduction to Alchemy, utilizing magical, religious and psychological material of past and present.  How may one prepare for one's own Alchemical Process.

June 12:  The Black Stage (Nigredo):  The breaking down of the consensus reality.  The forming of the original substance of being (Prima Materia).

June 19:  The White Stage (Albedo):  The dawning of the light of higher consciousness; the arising of enlightenment.  Envisioning the heavenly light (Lumen Dei) and the natural light (Lumen Naturae).

June 26:  The Red Stage (Rubedo):  The melting of all realities in the red-hot Alchemical fire.  The ultimate fusion of the opposites.  The unifying of reality (Unus Mundus).

May 2009:  The Mysteries; Ways of Entering the Kingdom of the Gods

The ancient Mediterranean World harbored a set of unique institutions devoted to the practice of transcendence and Gnosis. In these talks, Dr. Hoeller speaks of three exemplary mystery systems as well as about the overall nature of the mystery process and its practices.

May 8:  The Mysteries:  Active Means of Ultimate Transformation.  "Ultimate Transformation" is a term popularized by Mircea Eliade.  Its nature and role in human life will be elucidated in this talk.

May 15:  The Mysteries of Eleusis and their Grand Secret:  The most universally esteemed of the mystery institutions; its mythic structure and some of the secrets of its practice (as discerned by Hofmann, Wasson and Ruck) will be explained.

May 22:  Dionysus and his Mysteries of total Rapture:  The wild and ecstatic god Dionysus; his archetypal significance and the nature of his Mysteries.

May 29:  The Gnostic Mysteries, Ancient and Contemporary:  Indications of Gnostic mystery practices appearing in Gnostic scriptures and their continuation in Manichaean, Cathar and contemporary Gnostic mystery practices.

April 2009:  Three Modern Wise Men

The lives, teachings and contemporary relevance of three sages, whose contribution helped to transform the consciousness of the 20th and 21st Centuries.

April 3:  Aldous Huxley; Wisdom through Literature:  A giant of modern literature, Aldous Huxley became also a major exponent of the quest for non-ordinary, spiritual consciousness. His novels, such as "Brave New Worlds", historical studies, including "Grey Eminence" and compilations of mystical Gnosis, like "Perennial Philosophy" have helped to focus the attention of our culture on concerns of the spirit. In this lecture Dr. Hoeller will pay tribute to Huxley and analyse his contribution.

April 17:  Gerald Heard, Philosopher of the Spirit:  Author of works on spiritual philosophy, teacher and lecturer, creative critic of the culture; Heard is an insufficiently appreciated pioneer of the Age of Consciousness. A born mystic, he also became an early and responsible explorer of the potential of psychedelics for the expansion of consciousness.

April 24:  Heinrich Zimmer, Prophet of the New Mythology:  Advisor of C.G. Jung, principal teacher of Joseph Campbell, Zimmer spent his regrettably short life (1890-1943) giving new and spiritual dimensions to the study of Mythology. His work was continued by Campbell, Eliade and Watts, and endures in the role of myth in the 21st Century.

February through March 2009:  Prophecies and Seers; Have They Seen the Future?

A Hollywood Prophet said:  "We are all interested in the future, because that is where you and I will spend the rest of our lives."  In these talks we will cast a glance at the nature of prophecy, its value and pitfalls and our own prophetic potential.

February 27:  Nostradamus, Master of Time Travel:  The ever popular medieval occult physician and his revelations in "The Centuries".  Is Nostradamus relevant to our period of Time?

March 6:  Prophecies of the Eternal Feminine:  Lourdes, Fatima and other Marianic predictions as well as less well known feminine prophetic sources.

March 13:  NO LECTURE:  Montségur Day Commemoration.

March 20:  The Book of Revelation:  Perpetual source of excitement of certain sects, this book may be a psycho-spiritual text with Jungian overtones.  Views of the late Edward Edinger on this subject.

March 27:  The Future, is it Good or Evil and is it Now?  End time scenarios, Armageddon, Rapture and other recurring excitements versus Gnostic insight and liberation.

January and February 2009:  Creativity and Gnostic Imagination

Ancient teachers and practitioners of Gnosis, envisioned creativity as a way of invoking transcendental intelligence and beings of the high Aeons.  Such theurgic magic reveals true creativity as transcendentally altered consciousness.  In this series Dr. Hoeller explores the Gnostic Magic of Creative Imagination.

January 2:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2009. Results - - An image of the cards  (Audio recording available for download at BC Recordings).

January 16:  Creative Imagination; a Gnostic form of Magic:  C.G. Jung rediscovered an ancient Gnostic process and called it "Active Imagination".  Such modern developments will be compared and evaluated in the light of ancient Gnostic theurgic insight.

January 23:  The Practice of the Creative Presence; an Introduction to Gnostic Theurgy:  How one may rise to the Divinities and return to earth with much of their consciousness.

February 6:  The Awakening of Gnostic Imagination in Hermetic Sources:  The way to Illumined Consciousness according to Hermes Trismegistus.  The Poimandres, the Eighth Reveals the Ninth and other sources explored.

February 13:  The Imagination of Love; Troubadours, Sufis and other Magi on the Way of Love:  An eve of Valentine's Day offering.

February 20:  Entheogens and their Creative Imagination:  The work of R. Gordon Wasson, Jonathan Ott, Carl A.P. Ruck on the role of entheogenic agencies (plants, fungi etc) in the working of creativity, especially in ancient mysteries and religions.

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? (These lectures will become available in MP3 audio format at the BC Recordings website.)

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. Results - - An image of the cards  (Audio recording available for download at BC Recordings).

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. Results - - An image of the cards  (Audio recording available for download at BC Recordings).

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.