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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!" 

LA Weekly cover story about Dr. 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 (donations are appreciated).  Refreshments are offered following the lecture.  Further information is available by calling 323-467-2685. (Map and Directions)

Many of the lectures given at the Gnostic Society of Los Angeles are 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 for free download at the BC Recordings website.

This page lists the current lecture series, with a view back through 1996.  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.

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May 2012:  The Meaning of Dreams and Dreaming

These talks are designed to provide the inquirer with some keys to the interpretation of dreams.  Dreams are the relatives of visionary and Gnostic experiences, and thus of great interest to students of the spirit.  The principles here are Jungian with Gnostic amplification..

May 4:  The Practical Meaning of Dreams:  The Dream Experience and the ancient clarification of dreams given by Artemidorus.

May 11:  Dreams of Ego and Archetype:  The dream content of personal and transpersonal messages.

May 18:  Animus, Anima; Persona and Shadow in Dreams:  The quaternity of most frequent dream images.

May 25:  A Special Event: New Light on Judas and his Gospel.  A brief, funny and thoughtful mystery play "A night with Judas Iscariot" performed by members of the Gnostic Center, written by the great scholar Marvin Meyer, introduced by Dr. Hoeller with an update of the very latest news about the Gospel of Judas.

Coming in June:  Four Great Essays of C.G. Jung.

April 2012:  Apocalypse:  Prophecy or symbol?

Recently, the publication of the book "Revelations; Visions, Prophecy and Politics in the Book of Revelation" by Elaine Pagels, arguably the best known scholar of matters Gnostic and of early Alternative Christianity attracted some considerable attention.  In these talks Dr. Hoeller will evaluate some of Prof. Pagel's material, along with some of the contents of the book "Archetype of the Apocalypse; A Jungian Study of the Book of Revelation" by the late Edward F. Edinger.

April 13:  What is the "Apocalypse of John"?  The most puzzling book of the Bible and its manifold interpretations.  Roman politics, foretelling the future, or a metaphor for Kundalini symbolism?

April 20:  Gnostic Apocalypses:  The proto-Gnostic Ezra, Zostrianos, Thunder the Perfect Mind; Trimorphic Protennoia; The Secret Book of John and other books of the Nag Hammadi collection.

April 27:  The Depth Psychological Meaning of the Apocalypse:  The Depth Psychological Meaning of the Apocalypse.  The Archetype of the Apocalypse as seen by Edward Edinger; which is the "momentous event of the coming of the Self into conscious realization", an earth-shaking event both in the life of the soul and of the culture.

March 2012:  The Gnosis of the Light

This nearly forgotten Gnostic scripture, also called "The Untitled Apocalypse", is found in the Bruce Codex discovered in 1769.  It has only one translation (1918).

March 9:  Introducing The Gnosis of the Light:  Commenting on the overall nature and structure of the scripture and the original translator's introduction.  The text is a visionary description of inner worlds, not unlike Jung's Red Book.

March 23:  The Saving power of Messengership:  Seth, the Logos, Jesus and the Powers of Messengership, the Supernal Mother.

March 30:  Creation and the Powers of Gnosis:  The great conclusion of this scripture and the great concluding prayer of ecstasy.

February 2012:  Depth Psychology and the Esoteric Tradition

Was C.G. Jung a link in the Golden Chain of Wisdom?  Dr. Hoeller will trace the major features of the tradition of Inner Wisdom in relation to their new articulation in psychological terms by C.G. Jung.

February 3:  Jung and the Pansophic Tradition:  The tradition of universal Wisdom (Pan Sophia) and Jung's position within it.

February 10:  Hermetic Wisdom and the Teachings of C.G. Jung:  The winged messenger of the Gods and Jung as his modern interpreter.

February 17:  Jung as reviver of the Gnostic Tradition:  Gnosis and its great relevance to the prophetic message of Jung.

February 24:  Jung and the alternative Mysticism of the West:  The Holy Grail; the Rosy Cross; Kabbalah; Magic and Theosophy in Depth Psychological perspective.

January 2012:  Autobiographical Glimpses of Dr. Hoeller

Two special lectures by Dr. Hoeller in January 2012
Dr. Hoeller is currently engaged in writing his autobiography. He has been asked by many of you to reveal some portions of this material in lecture form. Since the Holiday Schedule and a weekend lecture engagement on January 20th - 22nd at Krotona, Ojai, California allow him to speak on only two Fridays in January at our local venue, he will use these two evenings to share some of his personal reminiscences from his long career. Come and be with us on these two Fridays when Dr. Hoeller speaks of some of his own "Memories, Dreams and Reflections"..

December 30, 2011:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2012.  (Audio recording with cards layout image are available for download at BC Recordings).

January 13:  Finding Gnosis in Post World War II Europe:  Glimpses of Gnostic experiences from early childhood and in youth as manifest in dreams, visions and wartime experiences.

California.

January 27:  Serving the Gnosis in America:  In So. California from the 1950s into 2012. Los Angeles, the New Alexandria. Contacts with philosophers, Theosophists to Gurus and the like. Gnostic Church and Gnostic Society. Glimpses of the possible future.

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2011 Lecture Schedule

November & December:  Who was C.G. Jung?

Gnostic Psycho-biographical Glimpses of Dr. Jung

Since the latter part of 2009 Dr. Hoeller elucidated the content of Jung's mysterious work, the Red Book.  This time he will review incidents of Jung's life and work, in part in the light of the long-secret revelations of Liber Novus (Red Book).

November 11:  Jung's Early Background:  Family background, childhood and student years, including glimpses of his Zofingia lectures.

November 18:  Spirits, Seership and the Youthful Dr. Jung:  Parapsychology, Occultism and his cousin Helene Preiswerk.

November 25:  NO LECTURE:  Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

December 2:  Freud and Jung; Friends and Foes:  Psychoanalysis, Psychological Types, Synchronicities.  The controversial Sabina Spielrein.

December 9:  The Call of the Mystery:  Visions and Writing of the Red Book.  Confrontation with the mystery; the Source Experience of all later writings and actions.

December 16:  Memories, Dreams & Reflections:  What was concealed and Revealed.    The autobiographical fragments and their about to be published missing portions.  The mystic end of a mystic life.

December 23:  NO LECTURE:  Christmas Holiday weekend.

December 30:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2012.  (Audio recording with cards layout image are available for download at BC Recordings).

October 2011:  Feminine Archetypes; Symbolic and Real

Since the Nineteen Sixties much attention came to focus on the feminine archetypes of the psyche and on their manifestations in goddess figures, even in a quasi-monotheistic form as "The Goddess".  Dr. Hoeller will evaluate these phenomena in terms of their psycho-spiritual relevance, sifting the spiritual wheat from the politicized chaff, on the basis of Gnosis and C.G. Jung's teachings by tracing the archetypes from their cosmic beginnings to their presence in today's culture.

October 7:  Feminine Archetypes in the Sky: The Three Women in the Moon  The concept of the Anima and its perceived vision in the symbolism of the Moon. Lunar magic and feminine archetypes.

October 14:  The Archetype of the Mother; Zodiacal and Human :  The Piscean, watery Mother Archetype and its complementary image in Virgo. The transformation of these images in depth-psychology. Freud's and Jung's views of these psychic forms.

October 21:  The Deific Feminine in Jung's Red Book:  The feminine soul ("Meine Seele"); The Romantic Salome, Sophia Returning, as in Jung's great painting (p. 155 of the Red Book) and the "Mother, who dwells in the highest circle".

October 28:  Sophia Past, Present and Future:  The Divine Sophia as present in Gnostic, in Biblical and in Eastern Orthodox sources as well as her manifestation today and prophecies for the future.

September 2011:  Death, the Last Enemy

Death is a universal human experience.  In these talks Dr. Hoeller returns to this always timely topic with a treatment of the subject connected with such subjects as altered states, visionary journeys and out-of-body experiences..

September 9:  Removing the Sting of Death:  The Gnostic tradition offers means whereby the Gnostic can state with St. Paul:  "Death, where is thy sting; Grave, where is thy victory?"

September 16:  Visions and Sacraments related to Death:  Rites of Passage from life to afterlife may assist us and our friends to meet the Grim Reaper, who might be rendered less grim as the result.

September 23:  Death and After:  Esoteric Insights into After Death States  Heavenworlds; purgatorial states; reincarnation; liberation from the wheel of birth and death and related after-death possibilities.

September 30:  Meaninglessness and the Fear of Death against the Good Death:  Death when approached with liberating insight.  Insights of various traditions, including the "Divine Mercy" movement in present-day Catholicism, which is removing fear of eternal damnation.

August 2011:  The Battle about God

The Monotheistic culture of the West is struggling today with its central Archetype.  The New Atheists:  Do Ehrmann, Hitchens and others think they are fighting God, while they struggle with Jehovah?  What have Gnostics to say on this matter and what can experiential spirituality, including that of Jung contribute to the battle?.

August 5:  Gnosis and the New Atheists: Was Nietzsche right that God is dead?  Are contemporary critics right that he never existed?  What can past and present Gnostics contribute to the debate?

August 12:  God as Experiment; Huxley, Heard and Huston Smith:  The discovery of the religious significance of entheogenic plants and chemicals.  Can consciousness-magnifying substances help people reach God?  Exploring the mysterious relation of entheogens, consciousness and mystical religion.

August 19:  Psyche and God:  Jung's statements about God in his psychological writings  His psychological discourses of the religious depths of the Psyche.  His statements on such topics as the Existence, Essence, Personality and Acts of God.

August 26:  The God of the New Aion:  The predictions about the New Religion of the inner God as found in the Red Book.  Phanes, Izdubar and "Christ, our Indwelling Lord". Is the New God Image related to the God of the esoteric tradition?

July 2011:  Kabbalah, Gnosis and Jung's Teachings

How Kabbalah and Gnosticism influenced Depth Psychology, especially in the teachings of C.G. Jung.  What is Kabbalah and how does it appear in Jung's experience and teachings and what is its relationship to Gnosticism?  (Madonna will not appear in this series! Ha, ha.)

July 8:  Kabbalah, its Nature, Structure and Origins:  The importance of emanationism, the Tree of Life; Gods and Demiurge in Kabbalah.  How Kabbalah deconstructed Monotheism.

July 15:  The principal Literature of Kabbalah:  The Zohar and the Sefer Yetzirah. The virtues and defects of literary Kabbalism.

July 22:  The "Prophetic" or Mystical Kabbalah:  Abraham Abulafia and his mystical Kabbalah.  The meditations of Abulafia; a Yoga for the West.  The compatibility of Abulafia's Kabbalah with Christian mysticism.

July 29:  The Lurianic Kabbalah and its Gnostic Features:  Luria, the Holy Lion of Wisdom.  Tsimtzum and Tikhun; their relationship to Gnostic Pleroma and Manichaen gathering of sparks.  The influence of Lurianic Kabbalah on Hassidism.  Understanding and misunderstanding Luria.

May and June 2011:  Myth, the Soul's Narrative

An Evaluation of Jungian Influenced Mythological Study From Homer to the Holy Grail, and from Faust to Tolkien, Humanity was ever inspired and informed by the myths of cultures and individuals.  C.G. Jung has exerted a great influence on the new school of mythology that developed in the 20th century.
The Red Book has informed us about Jung's own central myth and its source.  Dr. Hoeller will evaluate the work of Jungian influenced mythologists and their approach to the realities of the soul.

May 6:  Psyche and Myth:  The nature and message of the mythology Jung inspired and its future role in the culture.

May 13:  The Enchanted Life:  The uses of Enchantment and ecstasy.  Myth and altered states of consciousness from Eleusis to the Nineteen Sixties.

May 20:  Erich Neumann and the Story of Amor and Psyche:  Jung's great disciple and his interpretation of a great myth.

May 27:  Mircea Eliade and the Nostalgia of the Sacred:  How to revive the Sacred and return it to the life of the culture.

June 3:  Synchronicity and its Myth of Interconnectedness:  Do inexplicable events have a startling explanation we have not recognized?

June 10:  Myth and Sacrament and Jung's Future Aion:  Jung's essay "Transformation Symbolism in the Mass" and the future of religion.

June 17:  Merlin the Mage: Was Jung his Mythic Heir?  Jung stated that Merlin's was his personal Myth.  How may we apply this myth to his work?

June 24:  The Undiscovered Self:  The Myth of Future Humanity  Jung's also noted work and his "Modern Man in Search of a Soul".  Their Message.

March and April 2011:  Jung's Great Mandala of the All

In Appendix A of the printed Red Book we find a large circular design slightly resembling a labyrinth or maze.  It is entitled SYSTEMA MUNDITOTIUS (System of all the World) and acts as a diagram illustrating the Septem Sermones ad Mortuos (Seven Sermons to the Dead).  Dr. Hoeller, who wrote the first ever book of commentaries on the Sermons (The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead, 1982) will review the Sermons, along with their Red Book amendments by Philemon in the light of the system diagram.  This will be a unique addition to his 2009-2010 lectures on the Red Book.  Note from the Scribe:  The March titles will have to be revised to reflect the actual content presented, since the material, as thought likely, required more time to complete, thus extending this series into April - - BC

March 4:  Microcosm and Macrocosm:  The First and Second Sermons.  The outer and inner circlesof the diagram.  Inner and outer Pleroma.  (Helios) God and Devil in the Cosmic system.

March 11:  The Third and Fourth Sermons:  The Paradox of Abraxas and the Tree of Life and Celestial Fire.  Did Jung correctly identify Abraxas with the Demiurge?

March 25:  The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Sermons:  Heavenly Mother and Phallos; Community and Solitude.  The mystery of the Serpent and the Dove;  The human Spirit and the Ultimate God.

April 1:  Gods and the Forces in Human Community:  The Fourth and Fifth Sermons including Philemon's commentaries with images of the Mandala.

April 8:  The Sixth and Seventh Sermons and the total overview of the Mandala:  Finishing the Sermons and Commentaries and the detailed investigation of the Systema.  The image and close-up views will be projected on our screen.

April 15:  Jung's last great Initiation and his resulting Message:  In 1944, after a severe illness Jung had a triple vision of great import.  His experience resulted in three books:  "Mysterium Conjunctionis", "Aion" and "Answer to Job".  Their esoteric message as well as some deep insights from his correspondence with Fr. Victor White will be explained.

April 29:  SPECIAL LECTURE by Rev. John Goelz:  Kabbalistic Magic:  It's Value and Nature.  Introducing his forthcoming classes on the subject on various Tuesday evenings, 22 evenings of one path each evening.

January & February 2011:  Prophets and Prophecies

The approach of the year 2012, with its Mayan Prophecies brings prophets and prophecies into new focus.  It has been said that prophecy is not prediction, even though it purports to be so.  Prophecy may be understood as a contact with eternity, and a thread in the total fabric of meaning.

January 14:  Dr. Hoeller's Annual Tarot Forecast:  Prognostication for the United States of America for the year 2011.  (Audio recording with cards layout image are available for download at BC Recordings).

January 21:  From Shaman to Prophet:  Archaic Shamanism developing into prophetic religion. Prophets from the Old Testament to Mormonism. What may be today's prophecy? Are we the lost tribe of humanity (Israel)?

January 28:  Prophets of a New Age:  From Joaquin of Flora to Edgar Cayce and beyond. Andrew Jackson Davis, the American prophet, Swedenborg, Nostradamus.

February 11:  Prophecies of the Divine Feminine:  Lourdes, La Sallette, Fatima and others. Is there a deific feminine presence in history?

February 18:  The Kabbalah and Prophecy:  Abulafia and the Prophetic Kabbalah. Luria and his Gnostic view of past and future. Impact of recent scholarship ("The Great Angel" by Margaret Barker) on Kabbalah and Gnosis.

February 25:  C.G. Jung's Prophecy of the New Aeon:  New Aeon prophecy in The Red Book and its sequel in "Aion" and "Answer to Job". New Aeon against "New Age".

October through December 2010:  Jung's Psychological Types in the Light of the Red Book Revelations

"Psychological Types" by C.G. Jung was the first book he wrote after finishing the Red Book material.  Jung wrote to a friend that the entire book "Psychological Types" was written by him on the basis of 30 pages in the Red Book.  (Find out the types of all of your friends as well as perhaps your own type!).

October 1:  Introducing the Types:  Revealing Human Character.  What are Introvert and Extrovert?

October 8:  Man of Earth:  The Sensate Type and the world of the senses.

October 15:  The Fire of Emotion:  The Feeling Type and its potential.

October 22:  The Human as Thinker:  The wisdom and folly of the Thinking Type.

November 5:  The Nature of Insight:  The Intuitive Type and the power of foresight.

November 12:  Toni Wolff's Four Forms of the Feminine Psyche Pt. 1:  Mother and Heteira; traditional housewife and inspiring lover-companion.

December 3:  Toni Wolff's Four Forms of the Feminine Psyche Pt. 2:  Amazon and Medial woman; woman executive and psychic-prophetess.

December 10:  Creative Fantasy, Gnosis and the Types:  The visionary way.

December 17:  Poetic Vision and the Types:  Prometheus and Psychology.

September 2010:  Visionary Writing; Myth and Prophecy

With the publication of the Red Book, C.G. Jung has officially entered the ranks of visionary writers.  Visionary, or mystical literature has been here for a long time before Jung; in fact Jung has identified some such writings as originating in the experience of original images, notably in the case of the Nag Hammadi library.  In these three lectures Dr. Hoeller will draw parallels between Jung and other visionary writers and give other helpful hints, as to how we may develop talents by way of the Active Imagination.

September 3:  Ancient and Modern Visionary Writing:  Examples from the Secret Book of John, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the writings of the Prophet Mani, the Acts of Thomas and others.  A modern example:  "The Rose of the World", written in Soviet prison will be reviewed.

September 10:  Visionary Women and their Writings:  Hildegard von Bingen, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Julian of Norwich and Madame H.P. Blavatsky.  A modern visionary work, "Talking with Angels" by four Holocaust victims will be explained also.

September 24:  Red Book and Middle Earth; Jung and Tolkien as Visionaries:  The two magic mythmakers and psychopomps of the last century.  Were they both perceiving other realities and how may we do likewise?

August 2010:  The Images in Jung's Red Book

In an interview Dr. Sonu Shamdasani said that these "images become active imaginations in their own right" besides being "representations and elaborations of the material and the fantasies".  Dr. Hoeller interprets and presents for meditation the images of the Red Book.

August 6:  Introduction to the Red Book Pictures:  Liber Primus and First Part of Liber Secundus.  Initial Image; Soul as White Bird; Serpent; Hell; Seigfried's murder; Elijah and Salome; Scarab; Death; Izdubar and others.

August 13:  Second Part of Liber Secundus:  Ship at night; 5 cosmic regions, 12 Incantations; Twelvefold Tree of Life; 12 Great Mandalas.

August 20:  Third Part of Liber Secundus:  East West Mandala; Encircled Cross; Shadow; Dragon & Sun; Diamond Philosopher's Stone; Prophetic Tetramorph; Love Triumphant.

August 27:  Latter Part of Liber Secundus and Appendix A:  Cosmic Tree, Philemon, Sophia, Jewel, Chinese Castle, Many Faces and Light.  The sketches which preceded paint and brush.  System of the Entire World, which illustrates the Seven Sermons to the Dead.

July 2010:  God and God-Image:  A Mystery of Jung's Gnosis

Jung's Red Book as well as other works, particularly Answer to Job and Aion bring into focus the issue of the changing God-image which Jung saw as having evolved in the history of the West, and as undergoing a new development today.  Dr. Hoeller will draw on the sources and ramifications on this subject as present in the Red Book and more intimately in Jung's letters to such friends as Erich Neumann, Fr. Victor White and others.  A creative comparison of Jung's God-Image and of Gnostic God-images will be made.

July 9:  God-Image, Self and Transcendent God:  An introduction to Jung's concept of the God-image, the individuated Ego, and the deities and singular transcendence of Religions.

July 16:  Evolving God-Image and Immutable Divine Reality:  How can one know God and God-images?  How did they evolve to their present status?  What is Jung's position regarding the "God above God"?

July 23:  Jung's New Revelation and Philemon, its Prophet:  The union of the opposites and the reality above opposites.  What is the meaning of the Messianic principle?  Who is Philemon, the new teacher of Wisdom?

July 30:  The Key to the Dilemma of God and God-Image:  Abraxas of the Gnostic and Abraxas of Jung.  Philemon's Red Book commentaries on the Seven Sermons and the light they shed on the true God, the Demiurge and the Self.

June 2010:  Jung as Prophet of the Future

Insights into the pre-cognitive Aspects of the Red Book.  The predictions contained, often in symbolic form, in the Red Book will be evaluated and related to some of Jung's writings.

June 4:  The Religion of the Future:  Jung's essay "The Symbolic Life" as indications of the future religion of the West.  Jung's practical advice for contemporary religion as contained in his book on this topic.

June 11:  Jung's "Answer to Job":  His last visionary work as seen through the eyes of the Red Book.  Jung's most frankly visionary work and its relevance to the predictions of the Red Book.

June 18:  Jung's book "Aion":  War, Magic and Religion.  The three stages of the future development of the Psyche and of the World-Soul as manifest in Jung's psycho-historical work "Aion".

June 25:  Freedom and Psyche:  Jung's advice for Society and History.  What are Jung's directives for a psychologically healthy and creative society?  (Dr. Hoeller's book "Freedom; Alchemy for a Voluntary Society" may serve as related material.)

March through May 2010:  C.G. Jung's Alchemy

In 1959 Jung wrote in his Epilogue to the Red Book: "I worked on this book for 16 years. My acquaintance with alchemy in 1930 took me away from it . . . In 1928 . . . Wilhelm sent me the text of the "Golden Flower", an alchemical treatise. There the contents of this book found their way into actuality . . . " In a similar vein, he wrote in 1938: "My deceased friend, Richard Wilhelm . . . sent me "The Secret of the Golden Flower" at a time that was crucial to my own work. This was in 1928. I had been investigating the processes of the collective unconscious since the year 1913. The text that Wilhelm sent helped me out of this difficulty" . . . i.e. the way that the revelations of the "Red Book" could be made available to the public. In this series Dr. Hoeller will review the entire body of Jung's alchemical work, viewing it - - as Jung declared - - as a continuation of the work begun in the "Red Book".

March 12:  The Secret of the Golden Flower:  Chinese Alchemy and Richard Wilhelm open the way for Jung to give to the world his insights gained in the visions of the Red Book.

March 26:  A Basic Outline of the History and Nature of Alchemy:  What was the image of Alchemy that attracted C.G. Jung?

April 9:  Psychology and Alchemy:  Jung's chief work on Alchemy.  The major statement regarding the nature of Alchemy.

April 16:  Rosarium Philosophorum:  The ten images of the Transformation in the light of Red Book insights.

April 30:  Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life:  The two symbolic objectives of Alchemy and the Red Book disclosures.

May 7:  Zosimos; Alchemy, Sacrament and Gnosis:  Gnosis into Alchemy; vision and Alchemical Sacrament:  Eucharistic Transformation symbolism.

May 14:  Mysterium Conjunctionis:  Jung's Alchemical statement of the Mystery of the Bride Chamber.

May 21:  Red Book approach to Alchemy:  How Alchemy may be practiced today on the basis of the Red Book.

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.  (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.  Reappearance of Philemon, The Shadowy Woman, Conjuration of the Dead.

February 5:  Jung's Red Book, Scrutinies Part 2:  The first four of the Seven Sermons to the Dead, with commentaries of Philemon.

February 12:  Jung's Red Book, Scrutinies Part 3:  The remaining three sermons of the Seven Sermons to the Dead; Philemon's commentaries and discourse.

February 19:  Conclusion of the Red Book:  How to treat Gods?  The identity of Philemon.  The mysterious Shade in the Garden.  Excerpts from Appendix C.

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.  A summary of the Red Book's main teachings.

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.