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All lectures given at the Gnostic Society are available on audio cassette.  For more information about order tapes of past lectures, please contact BC Recordings.

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

November and December 2003: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 2003: The Templars and the Holy Grail

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

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

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

September 2003: The Gospel of Mary Magdalen

The mysterious treatise from the Berlin Codex.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July/August 2003: Gnosis and Kindred Traditions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 13: The Return to the Homeland.

June 20: The Parable of the Pearl Merchant.

June 27: The Wedding Song of Wisdom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January & February 2003

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

A New Gospel of Jesus?

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

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

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

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2002 Lecture Schedule

December 2002: Archetypal Symbols of Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 2002 -- Tarot Divination

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

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

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

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

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

June 2002: The Tarot--A Gnostic Approach

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

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

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

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

May 2002:  Alchemy, The Yoga of the Gnostics

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

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

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

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

April 2002: Freedom and Gnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 2002: Fundamentalism or Gnosis?

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

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

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

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

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

January 2002:  Understanding Islam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 16: Gnostic Themes in The Lord of the Rings

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

December 7: Archetypes of Middle Earth: Jung and Tolkien

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

December 21: Myth, Magic and Tolkien

October 2001: America’s Hermetic Destiny

October 12: Ancient America: The Archaic Shamanic Heritage

October 19: Hermetic America Against Puritan America

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

July - September 2001: Kabbalah in Depth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 2001:  The Gnostic Kabbalah.

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

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

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

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

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

May 2001: Gnostic Magic and Gnostic Kabbalah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 2001: Gnosis and the Holy Grail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 2000: Secret Writings of the Gnosis

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

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

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

October 2000:  Secret Writings of the Gnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September 15: Liberation of the Mind.  Gnostic Psychology.

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

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

August 2000: True Magical Practices and Harry Potter

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

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

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

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

July 2000: Fatima -- The Madonna Mystery

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

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

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

June 2000 What About God?

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

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

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

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

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

April & May 2000: Varieties of Ecstatic and Gnostic Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 2000: The Sources of Jung's Wisdom

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

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

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

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

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

February 2000: The Deific Feminine (Continued from January)

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

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

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

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

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

January 2000: The Deific Feminine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August & September 1999: Poetic Gnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 1999: Liberation through Gnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 1999:  Spiritual Creativity

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

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

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

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

May 1999:  Death and Evil In Contemporary Postmodern Culture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 1998:  Gnosis and Crisis

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

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

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

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

September 1998: Three Gnostic Poets

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

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

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

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

July & August 1998:  The Soul's Journey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 1998:  Buddhism and Gnosis

A comparative study of the Buddhist and the Gnostic traditions

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

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

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

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

May 1998:  What Makes Us Free?

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

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

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

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

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

February, March & April 1998:  The Gnostic Kabbalah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 1998: Introducing the Gnostic Kabbalah.

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

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

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

December 1997:  A Trinity of World Teachers.

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

December 5:  Buddha and His Liberating Path.

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

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

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

November 1997: In Defense of Jung.

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

September 1997: The Mysteries.

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

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

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

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

September 1997: Gnosis and Life.

August 1997: Gnosis and Life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 1997: The Eternal Feminine in a Gnostic Perspective.

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

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

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

May 1997: Great Teachings of the Gnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 1997: Signs of the Times

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

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

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

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

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

December 1996: Gnosis in America

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

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

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

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

November 1996: The Thomas Tradition of Gnosis.

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

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

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

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

October 1996: The Soul and Suffering.

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

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

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

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

June 1996: Creative Imagination

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

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

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

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

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

May 1996: The Gnosis of Merlin

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

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

April 1996: Highlights from the Acts of John.

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

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

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

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