The Brotherhood of Light, the Church of Light, The Religion of the Stars
The emblem above is the official and Registered Trademark of The Brotherhood of Light Lessons and is owned by The Church of Light. This emblem indicates that the material you are reading is authentic and written by C. C. Zain. Only The Church of Light may legally use this Trademark.
The Church of Light was established in 1932 by Elbert Benjamine who wrote The Brotherhood of Light Lessons under the penname C. C. Zain. Prior to becoming The Church of Light, the membership organization was known as The Brotherhood of Light. Although membership was secret, classes on astrology and other related subjects were conducted for the public. These classes came under the scrutiny of the City of Los Angeles who moved to ban such instruction, declaring it illegal, citing civil code prohibiting “fortune telling.” Recognizing the threat, and to allow members to continue to practice the Religion of the Stars, in 1932 Benjamine incorporated as a religious nonprofit corporation. By so doing the organization was provided the protections afforded under the constitution: to practice the Stellarian Religion, based upon the traditions of The Brotherhood of Light. These protections stand today and the organization freely teaches, practices, and disseminates the Stellarian Religion outlined in the 210 Brotherhood of Light Lessons (21 Courses).
The Religion of the Stars is the term used by C. C. Zain to describe the religious tradition taught in The Brotherhood of Light Lessons. Below is an excerpt from A précis of The Brotherhood of Light’s 21 reference texts on the occult sciences by Dennis Sutton that describes why the teachings are called the Religion of the Stars.
“From 1919 to 1929, in a busy work schedule, Elbert Benjamine spent some of his time decoding the spiritual texts of astrology that the first astrologers traced as the constellations in the sky. And in 1929 he wrote in the Brotherhood of Light Annual: ‘It gives me great pleasure to present what I believe to be an accurate rendering of the spiritual teachings associated by the ancients with each of the 48 constellations.
“These 48 spiritual texts are written in the language of universal symbolism and clarified by myths, legends and traditions. And because they are written in the stars their spiritual-ethical teachings comprise the doctrines and tenets of The Religion of the Stars.
“Elbert claimed that The Brotherhood of Light lessons constitute the present Bible of this religion with the ancient teachings interpreted with the aid of modern science and technology; and that its tenets are all based upon observed facts or upon reasonable conclusions drawn from them.
“The Religion of the Stars teaches its members to observe the positions of the planets in their birth charts because practical experience shows that they map their natural aptitudes, temperament and trend of fortune in each of the twelve departments of their lives. And subsequent to their birth they influence what they think and do and the events that define their life story.
“So The Religion of the Stars embraces the facts of astrology and those who hold and believe in this religion are called Stellarians. They believe that God speaks to them through the positions of the planets in their birth charts and that the constellated teachings have a practical application in natal astrology.
“The religion teaches that you maximize your mental, emotional and spiritual development when you contribute your utmost to the welfare of others.”