Online Occult studies course

Introductory course in the Occult Sciences to assist the genuine seeker in their sincere search for Truth

Introduction

This unique online course has been carefully put together for GENUINE seekers after TRUTH who sincerely wish to study the Occult Sciences, but for one reason or another are not ready or able to commit to a structured course of study with a genuine Occult Order or Mystery School. This course is emphatically not intended for 'armchair occultists' who wish to demonstrate how clever they are. Nor is it intended to show how clever we are. Least of all is it intended to pander to the vanity of those who wish to obtain academic 'degrees' or other similar worthless earthly baubles when such are used to impress the unthinking and inept. No—this course serves a far more important and higher purpose, which is to help YOU to learn the basic principles of Occult Science and by fixing them firmly in your mind, help you to become in every way a wiser, more compassionate and balanced person.

This course is free to study online in your own time at your own pace by carefully reading through the twelve articles in the course. It does not require registration or payment. However, it does require a good understanding of English and your personal commitment to work hard for your own advancement. If English is not your first language, or you do not have the time for serious study and meditation, this course may not be suitable for your needs.

If you sincerely wish to benefit from this course, you should carefully read ALL the information on this page, and then read the Foreword in the sidebar. Don't be tempted to skip anything. We have not gone to the trouble to put this information together just to pad out this page! At the end of the course you will have the opportunity to take a short online test to measure your understanding of the subjects discussed and put any questions about the course to us. Please do NOT write to us about personal matters, as we have neither the qualifications nor the time to answer such questions, regardless of whether or not you think they are caused by the 'occult'.

About the Course

Our course has been adapted from a series of twelve talks, delivered to a group of students of the Divine Mysteries in London, in the last century. These talks were subsequently published in 1939 in a little-known book entitled Occult Enigmas by J Michaud PhD. Here we must issue a warning. In 2019 our FREE course was offered for sale on eBay for £145 (nearly $200) without our approval or permission disguised as "Occult Enigmas' by J Michaud PhD." See our separate article for more information about this scam.

The talks given by Dr Michaud have been carefully adapted and modernised to meet the needs of contemporary seekers. Each of the twelve course articles gradually unfolds the true laws and principles of Occult Science which were taught to the students of the Mystery Schools of Greece and Egypt, thousands of years ago. It is NOT a substitute for these teachings, which cannot be condensed into a few web pages. Nor can they be learned in FULL without a qualified, personal Teacher and many years of hard study. But our course CAN acquaint you with the True Facts of Occult Science and introduce you to the Sublime Occult Mysteries. These Mysteries are still taught today in full to the students of the truly great Occult Order which the author of Occult Enigmas was a member of during his lifetime.

The aim of the genuine Mystery Schools was threefold. Firstly to teach men and women the true nature of Man and the Universe and the purpose of life on earth. Secondly, to provide them with the knowledge of how to liberate themselves from the bonds of matter and return to the Divine Source. Thirdly, to teach the ways of true Service to their near and dear ones in particular, and humanity in general, so that they might become fully-conscious powers in the service of the Life, Light and Love of God.

Our Course aims to dispel the misinformation we find in the teachings of the various lesser modern occult orders and groups, who intentionally or unintentionally, distort and misrepresent the ancient Wisdom by superimposing upon it the speculations of their own untrained minds. Should you decide to take the optional test mentioned in our introduction, we will email the correct answers back to you. This test serves three important purposes.

To measure your understanding of the subjects discussed.
To provide you with a résumé of the complete course and a useful reference of everything you have learned.
To refresh your memory about the subjects covered, and help you to fix the main principles discussed firmly in your mind.

It is entirely useless to take the test with the intention of discovering the answers. It is equally useless to attempt to answer the test questions after skimming a few articles in the course. This is not the way to learn anything in life, much less Occult Science! So, be true to your SELF, by giving this course your full attention and as much time as you can spare. Only in this way will you gain real knowledge and understanding.

Additional information

Since this course was compiled between 2012 and 2013 we have published more than 200 additional articles which provide further information about the subjects covered, such as life after death, Egyptian Magic, numerology, occult symbolism and the Mystery Language, and occult studies and meditation. Many of these articles deal with subjects not discussed in the course but which add to, and extend the information in it. You can find a full list of all the articles we have published arranged in subject order on our Homepage. Here are a few examples of what we mean:

To help you look up any specific subject you wish to know more about, we have our own, powerful Search Engine. In this and other ways you will not only enlarge your knowledge of the subjects covered in the course but be better prepared to take the test should you choose to do so. Finally, several, but not all the articles in the course contain suggestions for Further reading in their sidebars which provide additional information about the subjects discussed.

Course content

If you wish to reap the greatest PERSONAL benefit from this course, please FIRST read the FOREWORD: what are occult studies in the sidebar. Then study only ONE article per week in the order they are listed below:

1. The path to the Light

In this first article, you will learn about the path to the Light, sometimes called 'the way to Truth', or simply the 'way', the Higher and lower selves in Man, the nature of Illusion, together with many hints and tips for further study.

2. The Occult Jungle

In the second article we discuss the dangers and pitfalls which confront the seeker after Truth, and dispel the many prevailing misconceptions people have about the occult.

3. Karma explained

In the third article we discuss the various theories about Karma and explain in plain words what it really is and how it works.

4. Reincarnation

In the fourth article we explain the true occult facts about previous lives and the real purpose of Reincarnation.

5. Evolution

In the fifth article we explain the hidden laws, principles and purpose of material and spiritual evolution and reveal the true destiny of mankind.

6. Intelligence

In the sixth article we discuss and explain what intellect, instinct and intuition really are, and how together they make up what we call 'intelligence'.

7. The Astral World

In the seventh article we explain what the Astral World is and what it isn't, what sort of beings dwell in these non-physical dimensions and why the New Age teachings about these subjects are mostly wrong.

8. Optimism versus Faith

In the eighth article we explore the important subject of FAITH—often confused with mere optimism, and explain why both are completely misunderstood by most seekers.

9. Magic

In the ninth article we reveal what Magic, Mysticism, Occultism and Religion really are and dispel the many misconceptions surrounding these subjects.

10. Alchemy

In the tenth article we discuss how the study and practise of the sacred science of Alchemy can help us to find the true Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life.

11. Occult studies and meditation

In the penultimate article we discuss the vital importance of consistent, serious study and provide several hints and tips on the best ways to meditate.

12. The Soul

In the final article in the course, we discuss the Divine Soul—sometimes referred to as the 'Atma' or Supreme Soul in Theosophy—to discover what it really is and how we should describe it.

Study tips and suggestions

During the course, you will be gradually introduced to the true laws and principles of Occult Science. Don't worry if these concepts are unfamiliar to you. By the end of the course you will have gained a good basic understanding of them.

Please study each article with your full attention. Don't be tempted to skip any articles, or jump from one to another. If you do this you will not see the full picture. You may wish to make brief, written notes as you study, so that you can easily refer back to any particular subject. Such note-keeping will also help to fix the main principles of the subjects discussed firmly in your mind.

At the end of the course—and NOT before—you are invited to put any questions your studies have raised to us. Please keep these as brief and concise as possible. Your questions will receive personal and prompt attention from the authors of the course.

Now, you may be asking at this point why are we doing this? Or you may think there is a catch. The reason we have compiled this course is given at the top of this page: namely, "to assist the genuine seeker in their search for Truth." There is also a catch. . .The catch is that this course requires your commitment, your hard work and your serious study. Simply reading these twelve articles will teach you nothing: we repeat, NOTHING AT ALL. There are very many seekers who write to us saying they sincerely wish to learn the Occult Sciences. When we explain (as we do in many of our articles) that this will mean a great deal of hard work for them, we rarely hear from them again! Most of us know in our hearts that nothing worthwhile can be achieved in life without hard work, commitment and enthusiasm, but we fool ourselves into thinking there are shortcuts. But shortcuts, as we may read in The Lord of the Rings "make long delays."

If shortcuts make 'long delays' in mundane matters, you can be sure they do the same in spiritual matters, as you can read in a personal account of taking Ayahuasca. Consequently, this course is emphatically not for those who imagine they can pick up occult Knowledge and Truth in an idle hour or two on the Internet. If you are going to succeed you should make up your mind before you begin how much time you will set aside each day or week for your occult studies. Be true to your SELF by attending to this course with all your mind and heart. Only in this way will you reap the full benefits of it.

Finally, it is entirely up to you whether you choose to accept these teachings or not. But in the degree that you are willing and capable of considering the subjects discussed with an open mind, you will benefit accordingly. Even if you strongly disagree with us, you will have had the opportunity to enlarge your knowledge about many different subjects.

Study the first article: The path to the Light

This page was last updated on 12 May 2024 — © Copyright occult-mysteries.org.

Search our website

Foreword: what are occult studies?

What are 'occult studies'? As we explain on our homepage, 'occult' simply means 'hidden'. So occult studies are nothing more nor less than an investigation of the HIDDEN side of life. Hidden from the average modern individual, but not from those who choose to open their minds and hearts to the wonders and mysteries of Creation. By 'the average modern individual', we mean those who are firmly convinced they have only one life to live and are going to make the most of it by acquiring as much worldly wealth as circumstances allow and using it to buy themselves and their immediate circle as much worldly comfort and amusement as it will procure.

For such people—and there are countless millions of them on earth at all times—God is a shadow in the background, with no connection with everyday life. If God enters their minds at all, it is only occasionally and to be put aside because they are far too busy struggling to make money and spend it, or keeping body and soul together to worry about such matters. Any higher reality or truth simply does not exist for such people, nor would they recognise it if it was shown to them. So there is no reason why they should do more than necessary to assure their own comfort and enjoyment in this life. THIS is the average modern individual, the proud product of our 'advanced' Western Civilisation!

You, who are reading this are different, or we hope you are, or you would not have found this website or this page. If you are a mere beginner in occult studies, we suggest that you read the three articles listed on our homepage under the heading "Reading tips for beginners" BEFORE attempting this occult studies course.

If, like many deeply religious people, you have been led to believe that the 'occult' is synonymous with all that is evil in man and the world, we suggest that you read the following articles written by an ex-minister of the Church which explain why the study of Occult Science is in no way incompatible with religious faith or membership of the Church:

If you have a scientific and secular background and have been taught to regard the 'occult' as thoroughly 'unscientific' at best and complete bunkum at worst, you may find some surprising facts in the following articles:

Whatever your background, outlook, beliefs or previous occult and mystical studies, our Astral Conversations series of articles provide valuable additional information about the subjects covered in our occult studies course. Among the topics discussed in these articles are magic, masters, extraterrestrials, conspiracy theories, shamanism, drugs, channeling, witchcraft, dreams, consciousness after death, and many more subjects.

Qualifications

The following eight qualifications are essential in all occult studies:

a firm determination to discover truth.
a willingness to let go of preconceptions.
a mental attitude of devotion and sincerity.
overcoming the tendency to regard the literal meaning as the only true and possible one.
regular spiritual meditation to develop Intuition.
learning the major keys of symbolism, such as the allegorical, mythological, astronomical, numerological keys, etc.
study of sacred texts such as the Bible to develop proficiency in the interpretation and elucidation of the successive layers of revelation concealed in such writings, as well as in ancient myths and many traditional fairy tales.
PATIENCE. Learning Occult Science is the work of a lifetime; let no one persuade you otherwise.

Symbolism

Symbolism is one of the most important keys to understanding occult and sacred writings. If you know nothing at all about symbolism, allegory or mythology, we suggest you read our article about the Mystery Language.

Benefits of occult studies

Finally, we wish to emphasise that the serious and sincere study of the occult sciences can be of enormous benefit to you in every area of your life if you are prepared to open your mind to new ideas and work HARD for your OWN advancement.

Further information about occult studies and what makes a good or bad occult student can be found in the following articles:

Why study Occult Science?
The Occult Student. Hints and tips for the sincere seeker after Truth on the path to the Light.
Metaphysical meditations.
The art of occult study and what makes a good or bad occult student.

Copyright

The contents of this study course are the copyright of occult-mysteries.org. Any redistribution or reproduction of all or part of this course in any form or for any purpose is strictly prohibited.

We hope you will respect both the letter and the spirit of our copyright to the fullest extent. Please refer to our TERMS & CONDITIONS page for more information.

See also our scam warning, published in June 2019, regarding the unauthorised copying and sale of this online occult studies course on eBay without our approval or permission.

occult mysteries