Chicago Gnosis Podcast

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 18 Twilight

Every aspirant on the path of self-realization must encounter and battle negative forces, both within themselves and within the internal dimensions. This eternal struggle is represented in every spiritual tradition by the confrontation between good and evil, the struggle of the soul against the animal mind, desire, defects, sins, etc. This arcanum also warns of diabolic entities who fight to pull initiates from the spiritual path, so as to enter submerged devolution within the infernal worlds.

This lecture explains the mysteries of spiritual war, the conflict between consciousness and ego, the Greek myth of Cerberus, the nine submerged realms of Dante's Inferno, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path according to Aquarian Gnosticism, a Zoharic commentary on the Book of Genesis, and the symbolism of the Hebrew letter Tzadi.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 17 Hope

Through consistent discipline, practitioners of the spiritual path learn to overcome great dangers, traumas, and obstacles in their daily life. As students work on the comprehension and elimination of the ego, they experience great joy, enthusiasm, and inspiration, since the disciple, according to Samael Aun Weor, comes to experience divinity and therefore love the gnostic esoteric work above all things.

Hope is the result of alchemy between priest and priestess. Through the sexual power of the Divine Mother Kundalini, initiates give birth to the radiant star of Bethlehem, the Venustic Initiations and the incarnation of the solar dragon of wisdom: the Intimate Christ. This lecture explores the mystical Sufi sayings on the nature of hope, the Greco-Roman myth of the birth of Venus-Aphrodite, the four types of women within esoterism, the Nativity of Christ, the seven primary astrological influences within life, and the mysteries of the Hebrew letter Peh.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 16 Fragility

The path of initiation is filled with dangers both within and without. Those disciples who want to consciously return to divinity and achieve the Self-realization of the Being must vigorously defend their spirituality against the temptations of the black lodge and the animal ego. This is accomplished through studying, understanding, and confronting this dangerous arcanum within oneself.

People who begin the spiritual path but do not conserve and transform their creative energies lose their soul; they become fulminated towers punished by the ray of divine justice. Learn how to defend yourself against failure in the path through the application of the the Key of SOL (Subject, Object, Location), which is the method to awaken consciousness during the dream state. You will also learn about the transformation of impressions as taught by the Persian Sufi Al-Hujwiri, the Qur'an, and the teachings of Jesus. This lecture concludes with a kabbalistic explanation of the Hebrew letter Ayin, the Biblical Tower of Babel, and the myths of Samson, Delilah, and Heracles.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 15 Passion

Religions have taught us to believe that the devil is some extemporaneous, historical personage whom we must despise in accordance with dogma and superstition. However, such a caricature fails to represent the essential wisdom of temptation and the spiritual role it plays in the development of the soul. 

Discover the genuine significance of Lucifer, the “bearer of light” within sexual alchemy and the perfect matrimony. He is part of divinity that provides rigorous ordeals, sufferings, and difficulties in life so as to help the consciousness acquire self-knowledge. Without temptation, there is no possibility for redemption and spiritual development. Therefore, rather than denigrate this mysterious force and shadow of the Platonic Logos, it would be better to comprehend his necessity and role in the mysteries of initiation.

This lecture explains the symbology of Typhon Baphomet through the writings of the Bible, the Qur'an, and Samael Aun Weor. You will also learn about the Hebrew letter Samech, the ouroboros or serpent devouring its own tail, a representation of the Christic energy, the Angel Samael, and the power of Lucifer within the Zohar.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 14 Temperance

Building off the prior arcanum, temperance or psychological equilibrium is achieved through the radical death of desire. By comprehending and eliminating secret faults, the consciousness gains balance, inner strength, equanimity, and serenity. In this manner, the disciple knows how to create and fully perfect the soul.

This card illustrates the principles of the alchemical science, the mixture of two divine substances within the perfect matrimony to form the mighty elixir of long life: the fountain of eternal youth sought after by medieval alchemists and philosophers. Learn how to develop temperance via the three esoteric arts: transmutation (alchemy), transformation (Jinn Science), and transubstantiation (Gnostic Unction, the Eucharist). These teachings are explained in accordance with the Fifth Day of Genesis, Surah Al-Nur ("The Light") within the Qur'an, the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad, and his revelation through Angel Gabriel. You will also learn the esoterism of the Hebrew and Arabic letter Nun, a reference to the sexual seed and its germination into the perfected human being.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 13 Immortality

Humanity​ fears death, the unknown. Likewise, the number thirteen is considered unlucky, especially within Western culture. Despite the superstitions surrounding this subject, the thirteenth arcanum contains tremendous truths about the spiritual nature of death that are essential to study and experience within oneself.

People fear death and extinction, believing it to be an end to the self. However, all great mystical traditions teach that in order to experience the new, the old must die. Therefore, why fear the inevitable? What if there is a way to prepare for physical death, to learn to live with more consciousness and responsibility, as each great religion teaches in its core?

Learn how to prepare for death here and now through the comprehension and elimination of the animal ego. By undergoing the Buddhist Annihilation, the destruction of one's internal defects, the student liberates consciousness and awakens to the internal worlds, which people visit not only during death, but in the normal hours of sleep. This lecture explains the mysteries of physical and mystical death in accordance with alchemical art, the Fourth Way of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, Kabbalah, the Book of Genesis, the four rivers of Eden, the four ethers of Yesod, the Kabbalistic letter Mem, and the controversial Gospel of Judas.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 12 The Apostolate

The work of the apostle is characterized by profound works in alchemy, meditation, and sacrifice for humanity.  Through selfless service, the apostolate experiences all the beauties and sufferings of the path of initiation, from adulation and praise to condemnation and persecution.  While the initiate suffers tremendously for the benefit of others, he or she learns to transform and endure tribulations through patience and the perfect matrimony.

Discover how to develop the pure potentiality of the spirit through the practical work of the apostle, which encloses the Great Arcanum, the Kabbalah, and the mystical wisdom of the twelve zodiacal powers.  This lecture discusses the spiritual path in relation to the Tree of Life with its respective cosmic laws, the alchemical science of transmutation, the transformation of energy, the twelfth key of Basil Valentine, the creation of the solar bodies, the three forms of tantrism, gnostic astrology, the Zohar, and the esoteric teachings of the Hebrew letter Lamed.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 11 Persuasion

The alchemical science and art of the spirit reside in how the student controls creative energy, which can be channeled through the consciousness or within animal desire, egotism, and defects. The force of persuasion is both social and intimate―sexual energy can empower conscious action, individual liberation, and selfless service for humanity, or that very same force can be harnessed within a matrimony to overcome the diabolical qualities of the lower self.

Tranquility and kindness are much more crushing forces than anger. Through alchemical knowledge, the gnostic couple, in a profound meditative state of serenity, dominates the passionate and conditioned elements of the psyche for the benefit of others.  Discover how through teachings within the Bible, the Qur'an, the Zohar, and the writings of Samael Aun Weor. This lecture also explains the kabbalistic mysteries of the Hebrew letter Kaf and its Arabic equivalent.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 10 Retribution

The mechanical laws of nature govern the present psychological state of humanity―for both good and ill. By transcending the forces of nature and their subsequent influence on the mind, the initiate enters the higher mysteries: states of unconditioned, blissful consciousness free from the limitations of matter.

Discover how mother nature functions through the law of evolution: birth, progress, development, and growth; and the law of devolution: death, regression, destruction, and decay. Our full, conscious potential is only developed by revolutionizing ourselves against lunar (mechanical) influences, suffering, and our animal inheritance. By comprehending and annihilating the lunar ego, the soul or essence awakens to its solar (divine) nature and solves the mystery of the sphinx, the fundamental question of our gnostic studies: "How do I become a true human being made into the image of God?"

This lecture discusses the esoteric significance of Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex,  Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," and the writings of Dr. Arnold Krumm-Heller (Master Huiracocha) and Samael Aun Weor. Learn also about the tenth Hebrew letter, Iod, and its kabbalistic relationship to the Biblical and Quranic story of Joseph, a symbol of the mysteries of Yesod.

The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah 09 The Hermit

Every disciple who follows the path of sexual and moral purity encounters solitude and psychological suffering, which must be comprehended in order to be transformed into understanding and wisdom. The fundamental precept of the ninth arcanum is initiation into the higher mysteries, achieved by reverence, remorse, recognition of one's errors, and awakening consciousness. The number nine also signifies the genesis of the soul through the power of sexuality, otherwise known on the tree of life as the sephirah Yesod or the ninth sphere.  

Learn the basic requirements for achieving initiation, the way of repentance and comprehension in meditation. This lecture discusses the hermetic wisdom of the serpent in Genesis, the Zohar, and the kabbalah, including the esoteric meaning of the ninth Hebrew letter: Teth. Discover how the consciousness can return to divinity with objective knowledge as taught in the Sufi writings of Aishah al-Bauniyyah and the ninth Surah of the Qur'an. The lecture concludes with the mysteries of the Kundalini, the path of initiation, and the self-realization of the Being alluded to in Beethoven's ninth symphony.