Course Descriptions
The Academy of Hermetic Arts (AHA) has been created to provide an interactive experience for students who want to study the Brotherhood of Light Lessons by C.C. Zain on the hermetic arts, astrology, alchemy, magic (demonstration), the tarot, the kabbalah, and the occult. The AHA curriculum consists of 21 courses with seven courses in each of the three occult branches: Astrology, Alchemy, and Magic. Two of the courses are broken into two parts. The following paragraphs explain the purpose and content of each of the courses.
Course 1: Laws of Occultism
In this course the student is introduced to the concept of the occult, which means hidden or unseen, and occultism, which is the science of hidden forces and the art of subjecting those forces to human control. The nature and theory of the Inner (or Astral) Plane and how it interacts with the outer or physical plane is introduced along with the theory of astral vibrations and the nature of astral substance. The manuscript on the Doctrine of Nativities covers the nature and origin of the soul, its birth into human form and the importance of the astrological birth chart as a map of the soul and its character. Mediumship, psychic phenomena and the paranormal are covered in detail because of their common association with the occult and swirl of misunderstanding and confusion that surrounds these subjects.
Course 2: Astrological Signatures
In this course the student is introduced to the most important concepts underlying hermetic and occult esoteric studies. Among these concepts is the importance of acquiring the Two Keys: Astrology and the Tarot. With these two keys the neophyte can begin unlocking the mysteries of life. Other concepts include an introduction to basic astrological principles; the soul’s mission to attain Self-Conscious Immortality; the Doctrine of Signatures and the key features of the Tarot, Kabbalah; and facts and fancies about reincarnation. Of great interest to many mystery school students is the manuscript on “The Ritual of Egyptian Initiation.” This course, together with Course 1, Laws of Occultism, and Course 3, Spiritual Alchemy, are designed to provide the student with the foundation necessary to delve deeper into occult, esoteric and kabbalistic studies.
Course 3: Spiritual Alchemy
This course thoroughly explains the purpose of, and methods used in, spiritual alchemy and how it relates to evolution of consciousness and the experiences and events of everyday life. The ancient alchemist sought transmutation and immortality. For the soul to be immortal it must build for itself an imperishable spiritual body in which it can function after the dissolution of both the physical and astral forms. Topics include spiritual transmutation, how the metals of alchemy relate to events in the life and their astrological associations, the Reverberatory Furnace, the First Matter, the Philosopher’s Stone, the Elixir Vitae, the Great Work and developing higher consciousness. The alchemical metals of lead, tin, iron, copper, mercury, silver, and gold are described symbols of the many and varied life experiences the soul must undergo to build a spiritual body.
Course 4: Ancient Masonry
This course reveals the symbolism and ritual of ancient and modern freemasonry, what it means and why it is important. This is an unprecedented manuscript revealing the esoteric and spiritual significance of the symbols and rituals performed in the lodge room. The first masons of Egypt and Chaldea are discussed along with the concepts of Solomon’s Temple, the Two Pillars and how ancient masons used the sacred science of Astrology. This course provides fascinating insights into the Mysteries and is a must read for those wishing to delve deeper into western esoteric traditions.
Course 5: Esoteric Psychology
Of all the energies that influence people, none have a more powerful effect than their own thoughts. Directing one’s thinking is the most potent of all forces to control one’s life and destiny. This course describes how the astral body (unconscious mind) is thought-built and describes its various elements and thought-cell structures. The course teaches how the astral body or subconscious mind can be altered through the application of directed thinking and induced emotion. How to use and interpret dreams, the use of demonstration, affirmation and subliminal thinking are thoroughly covered.
Course 6: Sacred Tarot
The Sacred Tarot is a favorite of metaphysics students everywhere and companion to The Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot Cards. This timeless volume draws comparisons between the Tarot and Kabbalah, Astrology, Alchemy, Magic, Numerology, Mystery School Initiation, Biblical references, and Freemasonry. This profusely illustrated course contains descriptions for twelve different tarot spreads. Also included is a table of correspondences which draws correlations between the tarot arcanum and herbs, gems, minerals, the Hebrew, Egyptian, and Roman alphabets, numbers, and astrological symbols. With this course, the student may readily determine the astrological correspondence of any number, name, color, gem or other object. This course may be used with any tarot deck including the popular Rider-Waite deck. However, the concepts presented demonstrate the advantages to the tarot reader, and student of the occult, of using the The Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot Cards.
Course 7: Spiritual Astrology
This course presents the timeless wisdom embodied in the mythology and folklore that is associated with the original 48 constellations. The course goes through each of the twelve zodiacal constellations and the 36 ultra-zodiacal constellations corresponding to each decanate or 10-degree section of the zodiac. The course delves deeply into the origins of astro-mythology and stellar religion that are common to all the great centers of civilization including the ancient Egyptian, Babylonian and Chaldean, Greco-Roman, Mayan, Pre-Inca, Aztec and Native American. The astrological origins of many international and U.S. holidays are also explained.
Course 8: Horary Astrology
The first two manuscripts provide the beginning or intermediate student with all the important astrological concepts used in interpreting any horoscope: natal or horary and are required reading for the more advanced courses in natal astrology. Manuscripts three through five teach the student how to interpret a horary chart erected to answer a particular question posed by the querent. A horary chart is a map of the mental factors active in the mind of the querent at the time and place a question is asked. This branch of astrology is used to discern the nature of the past, present, and future of the matter inquired about. This course is suitable for beginning, intermediate and advanced students of astrology. It provides a complete treatise on Horary and Electional astrology, in addition to providing the basic technical aspects of chart delineation. Manuscript six covers Electional astrology and teaches the student how to select the best time for any undertaking. The final two manuscripts cover the technical aspects of calculating a horoscope and constructing an astrological chart. This course is often chosen by beginning students of astrology for its technical lesson “How to Erect a Horoscope” as well as for its clearly organized system for judging any astrological chart.
Course 9: Mental Alchemy
Character is destiny and it is thought-built. It results from the interaction of the various complex thought-cell structures residing in the astral body, or unconscious mind, with a person’s physical form, mental faculties, and environment. Fortune and success are determined by a combination of mental, biological, and environmental factors. While the individual may have less control over biological factors, the environment can be manipulated to advantage, and thought-cell structures organized within the astral body on the inner plane may be modified or reconditioned.
Thought cells were initially formed before birth and are mapped by the astrological chart of birth. They continue to be modified after birth by experience, dominant trends of thinking and environmental circumstances. From this course you will learn in detail how to recondition discordant mental elements and learn how to create a happier, healthier, and more spiritual life.
Course 10-1: Natal Astrology: Delineating the Horoscope
Although this course is an intermediate-level astrology course on interpreting a natal horoscope, it is suitable for beginning students and is an invaluable resource for every professional astrologer. The student is introduced to the Hermetic system of astrology in a step-by-step fashion explaining exactly what an astrological birth chart represents and what it can and cannot do. A detailed list of what a complete astrological reading might include is presented. It is one of the few astrological courses that discuss the interpretation for each of the 36 decanates (ten-degree sections of the zodiac). Topics cover how to assess the natal chart for temperament, disposition, mental ability, business factors, finances, vocational selection, fortune with love, marriage, partnership, domestic relations, friends, enemies, personal restrictions, and hidden influences.
Course 10-2: Natal Astrology: Progressing the Horoscope
This course is an intermediate to advanced level astrology course on calculating and interpreting natal horoscope progressions and transits. Originally entitled Predicting Events, this course teaches the student how to calculate and interpret Secondary (Major), Minor and Transit progressed aspects of a natal chart. Tracking movement of the planets in the chart after birth reveals probable future trends through indicating the way an individual’s astral (unconscious mind) thought cell structures are stimulated and work to attract activities and events into the life. With this information the individual may seize opportunities or take precautionary action, and through various techniques presented in the course, initiate mental and physical actions to achieve the most desirable outcome. Here you will learn how to calculate and interpret the Hermetic system of major (secondary) and minor progressions, how transit aspects act as triggers for major progressions, and how to rectify a horoscope when the exact birth time is unknown. This course is recommended for advanced students and professionals and for intermediate students who have studied Course 2, Astrological Signatures, and the first two manuscripts of Course 8, Horary Astrology, and Course 10-1, Natal Astrology: Delineating the Horoscope.
Course 11: Divination and Character Reading
Divination is the ability to extend one’s consciousness to the inner plane in order to acquire desired information. Clairvoyance — precognition — telepathy — the divining rod — teacup and coffee cup methods – are just a few of the divinatory techniques discussed in this course. The last four manuscripts are devoted to character reading based on physical characteristics.
Course 12-1: Natural Alchemy: Evolution of Life
As human beings we live in kinship with all life forms. In addition to discussing the modern concepts of natural evolution, this course explores how and why the soul evolves by attracting increasingly more complex physical forms which enable it to achieve greater degrees of consciousness—ultimately arriving at Self Conscious Awareness as a human. The course presents a rare and unique perspective on how natural selection and adaptation are influenced by psychokinesis, extra-sensory perception and the inner plane environment.
Course 12-2: Natural Alchemy: Evolution of Religion
Evolution of Religion explores how contemporary religious beliefs and rituals have evolved from a more ancient past. The course traces the origins of the most primitive religions and shows how these and their cultures gradually developed into today’s more complex systems of belief. This course offers a comparative analysis of several present-day religions such as Native American, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity as well as the ancient stellar religions. It then sets forth the basic tenets of “The Religion of the Stars” and the importance of astrology in religion’s road map.
Course 13: Mundane Astrology
Mundane astrology is the study of how astrological influences affect nations, cities, states, communities, corporations and groups. Local and world trends can be studied through the use of mundane cycle charts of the major planets. This course is one of the rare technical manuscripts covering the astrology of world affairs. It teaches the student how to construct and interpret mundane cycle charts. It shows how to determine the timing of the birth of a corporation or nation-state. The course covers the cycles of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, giving many real-world examples of how aspects in the charts are linked to world events. The course provides examples of planets transiting through a sign and Major (Secondary) progressed aspects in the birth charts of nations and cities. It also discusses Sun cycle charts, major conjunctions of the planets, moon cycles and eclipses. Abundant real-world examples of these cycle charts, their aspects and the associated events taken directly from the World Almanac, show how knowledge of astrological trends enable organizations and nation-states to take precautionary actions.
Course 14: Occultism Applied to Daily Living
Every individual is being trained to perform a unique job in God’s Great Evolutionary Plan. This course describes how this is possible and provides direction for discovering one’s unique abilities or Cosmic Work. More than an intellectual discussion of occult knowledge, this course shows how to apply the principles embodied in astrology, esoteric psychology, mental and spiritual alchemy, diet, exercise and breathing to improve one’s daily life. It offers practical lessons on how to be happy, how to create personal prosperity, how to keep young, how to be attractive, how to gain employment, how to have friends, and how to be successful in marriage. The course shows how it is possible, by changing one’s habit systems with directed thinking and induced emotion, to live a truly constructive life and significantly increase happiness, usefulness, and spirituality.
Course 15: Weather Predicting
The course provides a rare and detailed study on astrometeorology, the science of astrological weather predicting. This course demonstrates how studying the art of weather predicting, using astrological methods, provides a valuable tool. It is particularly useful for those involved in agriculture, aviation, travel and event-planning. Weather charts may be used to determine variations from normal weather patterns by comparing Temperature, Wind and Moisture charts for a given location and time. Astrological weather predicting uses the cycles of the Sun, Moon, and Mercury to draw correlations between astral and physical weather conditions. It is one of the few manuscripts available entirely devoted to astrological influences on the weather.
Course 16: Stellar Healing
This course describes the substance and structure of the astral or stellar body. Related to this, it discusses how natal and progressed aspects in the chart map aerials between various thought-cell structures in the stellar body that pick-up energy similar to a radio receiver. Since the positions of the planets in the birth chart indicate the diseases toward which an individual may be predisposed, the natal and progressed planetary configurations of 160 diseases are listed. A detailed description of how to use Astrodynes for measuring the power and harmony of planets, signs and houses in both the natal and progressed chart is provided by the course. Instructions are given on how to use Astrodynes to determine the source within the stellar or astral body that is responsible for the individual’s disease or discomfort. Various Stellar Treatments, which are methods for applying appropriate healing energies to the compartment of the stellar body causing the problem, are discussed.
Course 17: Cosmic Alchemy
Each individual is a unique and necessary member of a world society. Learning to appropriately view oneself as an active member of the whole leads to the recognition of a power to influence the progress of society. This course teaches how to recognize that by working energetically towards the realization of God’s Evolutionary Plan each person receives benefit. Cosmic alchemy is used to transform the energies of society into channels of action that cultivate the highest development of its members. The course explains how, and with what tools, the Cosmic Alchemist works to create a world where there is ample opportunity for all people to make both intellectual and spiritual progress and illuminates the often-misunderstood concept of spirituality.
Course 18: Imponderable Forces
This course covers the effect of unseen (occult) forces that arise from various sources including astrological energies, misinformation in public media, the thoughts and actions of others, rituals, religious beliefs and ceremonial magic. With respect to astrological forces, the course explains how transits, minor progressed aspects, major (secondary) progressed aspects and other astrological weather conditions have the power to impact us and what to do about it. The course discusses in detail how to work with birthstones, numbers, names and environmental vibrations. It also shows how to avoid being influenced by black magic, suggestion and inversive propaganda. Inversive propaganda is taking an obvious truth, inserting a very small distortion that results in a meaning opposite of its true significance or promotion of outright falsehoods by constantly repeating the lie and using social media to reinforce it.
Course 19: Organic Alchemy
The course explains how all forms of life manifest a soul governed by one uniform and universal Law of Soul Progression. Human beings differ from the innumerable species of animals and plants only by degree of evolution. All forms of life encounter the problem of securing adequate nutrition, protection from enemies, adaptation to the environment, finding a suitable mate, and providing for the needs of offspring. This course instructs the student how pleasure and pain are not reward or punishment by God but merely Nature’s way of informing any life form as to its degree of success in adapting to its environment. The course teaches the wisdom of the Universal Law of Compensation, the Universal Moral Code and how to discern God’s Great Plan.
Course 20: The Next Life
The course explains how life on Earth is but one phase of existence, and that life on the physical plane offers a unique level of the necessary schooling so the Soul may function effectively on higher planes where it is less restricted. By understanding the nature of the life to come, after the soul passes from the physical, the individual is better prepared to live in this life as well as the next. This course provides illumination on the conditions and activities of life after physical death. It describes the various levels of the afterlife from astral and spiritual to celestial, including occupations, education, domestic relations, social life and personal progress on the inner plane.
Course 21: Personal Alchemy
Students of the occult find this course one of the most practical and useful in the series. The course explains how the most important function of any religion is to give instruction on how best to achieve a fulfilling life. Personal Alchemy is a self-development course providing keys by which the spiritual aspirant may experience greater health, happiness, and spirituality and thus contribute more to universal welfare. Important topics include the three most important things that every neophyte should know and the first three habits every neophyte should adopt. The course teaches how to cultivate spiritual trends in personal conduct, how to deal with spiritual hindrance by family and friends, and how to keep mentally and physically fit.