Wiccan Basic Training Mythology Lesson #13

ULC Seminary Program www.ulcseminary.org brought to you by Daven and Lord Skywalker

This is a sample of the Master of Wiccan Studies program.

Hello. 

     Welcome to Lesson thirteen of the Master of Wiccan Studies Program.  This is the study of Paganism in general and the study of Wicca more specifically. Each week, you will receive an email in your mailbox discussing different aspects of Wicca and of life in general.  

In this segment, we will look at some basics of Mythology, Gods and Goddesses.

Mostly, what one needs to understand when looking into mythology to any extent is, that all mythology, from Christianity and the Bible, to Islamic and the Koran to the Druids and the Tain Bo and the Mabinogion, is that these are stories. That's all. They are representations of a lesson to be learned, or a character to be explained, qualities to be pontificated on and so forth. 

 

This is a point that is in considerable debate amongst many people.  There are those out there who are strict fundamentalists and believe that every word written in a holy text is absolutely true down the very smallest details….regardless of the frequent, glaring inconsistencies.  I feel that it’s much more beneficial to look at what the stories are trying to convey, rather than focus on the acts themselves.  As with most things, by looking at what the story or situation represents or is trying to teach, you will find many more answers.

 

          Our current mythology, in contemporary Western society, can be seen in the fables of Aesop, the books of our times, and also the movies that are popular. Epic stories about people that may or may not have existed, are held up as models of behavior and honor.

 

An example of this: In one set of Irish myths, CuCulainn is a young boy and he kills a dog on a dare. It turns out it is the dog of a smith who raised this dog from a pup to guard him and his assets. Now without the dog, he has no protection. So CuCulainn (and the spelling differs) voluntarily takes on the job of guarding this man. The smith's name is Culann and that is why CuCulainn is called what he is (his name means, literally, "hound of Culann").

 

However, it is not the name that is being praised in this story, but his willingness to take responsibility for his actions. (Sound familiar--Lesson one?). Instead of saying, “oh well, I guess you are outta luck" as most in our society would, CuCulainn says "Okay, I killed your means of protecting yourself, and I need to make up for that. I will guard you instead. And my father will provide another guard, and I will pay for it."

 

Now, he didn't have to do this. In fact, since he was the son of "royalty" and the smith in question was beholden to his father, he could have passed it off, and by the societal laws in the time this story was supposed to have happened, he could have gotten away with it.

 

But he had enough honor at 6 - 9 years old to see that he harmed someone and that he had to take responsibility for it. It's this honor that is being praised in this story, rather than the event itself.

 

Given that perspective, many of the other stories common in mythology can be seen in a different light, and certain archetypes come out when one starts reading and studying these myths.

 

Okay, here is my disclaimer: I have never read Joseph Campbell, however I did see his PBS series on his books. I agree with his conclusions and his theories presented that every culture, if they have the ability to communicate (note, communicate, not talk) will make a mythology symbolic for them for to transmit their ideals and archetypes to others.

 

Herein, I present some of the archetypes that I have seen recurring, not necessarily what a student of mythology would see in the same light.  As with everything in this course, look at it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. You may become interested enough to want to do some research into mythology and look more at what I present here as a starting point of your own researches.

 

And in here I will be saying "God" a lot. Please bear in mind that this means "God or Goddess" in my lexicon. It's easier to write God or Gods than to type God or Goddess and Gods and Goddesses over and over....

 

I will also be drawing heavily on the Mabinogion for this segment. Celts are what we are looking at in Tara, and Welsh mythology seems to have more immediate impact on the lessons presented here. I am somewhat familiar with Irish myths, but not comfortable enough to quote them out of memory. However, all that I present here is applicable to any mythology out there. And I consider the Christian Bible and the original Hebrew writings to be mythology. If this offends, I apologize, but I still see them as myths.

Archetype	Thumbnail description	Example
Man-God	This is a character or figure who is for all  intents and purposes, as powerful as the Gods, but is mortal.	Math, son of Mathonwy.
Trickster              God who teaches through jokes and practical jokes            Lessons learned are usually those that teachhumility.	Loki and  Coyote
Elemental	This is a God or Goddess of the Land/Sea/Sky or some other element. This includes the elementals.	Mananuan of the Wave
Sympathetic  to Man	This is the God who "takes care" of either his creation or another God's creation	Prometheus or  Gwydron
Life/Death	A God who takes care of the natural cycles of The Grey of life and death, usually nurturing the newly dead back to life again in another incarnation.	Arawyn/Man
Seasons	God that rules over one time of the year, and is responsible for what happens in that time.	LlewLlaw, Gyffres, Goronwy, Pevi.
Fertility	God or Goddess who  is responsible for the fertility of the crops, earth, or herds.  Usually Female.	Rhiannon and Herme
Judgment	Typically this is a deity who has the job of passing sentence of newly dead souls as to their "worth".	The Wild Hunt
Deity of Celestial bodies	Typically this is a God/Goddess of the Sun/Moon or similar celestial bodies.	Lugh & Arianhod

 

Okay, as you can see from this, there is quite a bit of diversity in there. Normally, when speaking on Archetypes, you don't focus on individuals and their area of responsibility, but rather on a "type" of God. Thus, there is a God of Death, but not a God of the Elves or the Fairy, since one is an archetype and the other is an area of responsibility.

 

Each of these can be found in any mythology out there. And there are probably more that I am not thinking of. Here's where Joseph Campbell comes in really handy. He does a better job of describing these archetypes than I do, and he gives the whole list. These are just the ones that are most typical from my experience.

 

You will see cults of one type or another springing up in different cultures at different times. Even today. Its not that they worship the God that is represented so much as that they are worshiping the idea the God represents. So a Cult of Kali may call upon the Goddess of Death and Destruction in their ceremonies and rites, but it’s the idea of Death and annihilation that they are worshiping.

 

A great many cultures had their deities taken from them by this resemblance. A missionary would come into the area and look at the deities in the area, compare them to their own mythology that he believed, draw inaccurate and sometimes ludicrous conclusions. He would begin talking to the locals, convincing them that his pantheon (a group of deities belonging to one culture) was the same as theirs, and then convince them to start praying to the new names.

 

For example: Here's a nice new Christian missionary. He knows Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, God the Father, and so forth. He wanders into Wales and starts hearing about Pwyll, Rhiannon, Arawyn, Bran and Bronwyn, Manauan and so forth. He compares what he knows about HIS pantheon to what he can learn about the local pantheon, compares things around and decides that

·        God the Father = Bran,

·        Rhiannon = Mary,

·        Pwyll = Joseph,

·        Pryderi = Jesus,

·        Wise men = The Druids,

·        Arawyn = Lucifer.

 

From that, he says "Hey, my God is just like your Bran. It wouldn't be too bad if you came and participated in my ritual, and call Him God instead of Bran. I'll even invoke Bran too." He does that and follows through for a while, but gradually Bran gets dropped from the list of those invoked. And now its too late to change it, and Celtic Christianity is born......

 

Over simplified, but you get the idea.

 

This is also why the same deities keep popping up in multiple cultures. Not only is there drift from the root belief system, which fragments, but there is also ‘culture conquering’ by other groups, who steal a deity lock, stock and barrel, then change their name.

 

 

By cross-referencing things like the Tain Bo, the Mabinogion, the Brehon Laws, and other common sources, I would probably be correct in my assumption. In fact, this is how we got a majority of our information on previous cultures. Archeologists and anthropologists worked together to construct how the culture lived day to day, but its through intensive investigation of the stories that we find out what qualities that were valued.

 

Some common themes appear when one begins to study mythology, and I will only hit the highlights here. There are as many different themes to myths as there are Gods and Goddesses in the myths. I still recommend Joseph Campbell to those who are interested in an in depth study of mythology.

THEME ONE: THE CONQUERING HERO

This is one of the more common types of archetypes for mythology. Basically, the hero of the story goes through many different trials and tribulations to fulfill his mission or to regain himself. Usually there is a definite reward at the end of the quest, and usually side benefits that the Hero has not contemplated.

 

One example of this from Welsh Mythology is the story of Pwyll. Here is a king of Dyfed who is beloved by his people. He gets a wild hair one day and decides to go hunting, against the advice of his counselors. During the hunt, he meets Arawn of Annwvyn. Oops. For a "crime" that the king committed against Arawn, he agrees to take the place of Arawn in his kingdom and fight an opponent that Arawn can't beat. Pwyll agrees and goes to Annwvyn where he will be acclaimed as the king, and have access to everything that Arawn has, including his Queen. Not a bad looking lady.

 

Pwyll is single and needs a Queen. He falls for Arawn's Queen, but that night refuses to act upon his impulses and make love to her. This is despite the pleas of the Queen. And it took enormous self-control to do so.

 

The new day dawns, and it is time for the armies of Annwvyn and the armies of the West to engage in battle. Havgtan is the king of the Armies from the west, and a very dangerous man. He has two great powers; the first is that his strength grows as the day moves to midday, and wanes from there, and the second is his ability to be cured instantly of any blow, no matter how severe, if he is struck a second time. Arawn warned Pwyll of this, and advised him to hit Havgan once, and to leave him.

 

In the version I read, there was an epic battle in which Pwyll is badly hurt by the combat. He finally strikes a mortal blow to Havgan. Havgan concedes defeat and begs the king to put him out of his misery. Three times Havtgan begs to be put to death by another blow, but Pwyll remembers Arawn's injunction, and refuses. This also took intestinal fortitude to do so, for he was called a coward, dishonorable, cruel and so forth. But he did not and Havgan's troops removed him from the field. The armies of Annwvyn go home and celebrate, and Pwyll slips away.

 

The next morning, he meets up with Arawn in the same spot he started from, and because of his honor regarding Arawn's wife, Arawn gives Pwyll the unprecedented gift of becoming his Chancellor in Arawn as well as picking how and when he will die. The World is saved, and everyone is happy.

 

The best example I can think of from current Western culture is Star Wars and Luke Skywalker. In there, Luke saves the day, as well as gaining the confidence of the Rebellion and Han Solo. This is a classic myth, and has been reviewed as such for a long time. But the base story is the same. This is the kind of thing that we look for when studying mythology.

 

For some more information, I recommend reading the original version of Pwyll's story in the Mabinogion. There is an excellent translation by Lady Charlotte Guest. THE STORY OF PWYLL. This is the actual version that appears in the classic mythology, but for a really good version that I highly recommend, try THE PRINCE OF ANNWVYN by Evangeline Walton. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but you can still find copies around. Consider trying ebay. This is the best series that deals with the Mabinogion that I have seen, although you will want to keep a copy of the Lady Charlotte translation close.

 

In this type of story, so common to the American and Western mythology, we find a hero who is ready to sacrifice everything, including himself, to save someone. This person can be anyone, including themselves, but most commonly it is someone close to the hero in question. Usually it is a close relative, such as a father, brother, wife or so on. I could sit here and rattle off about thirty or forty examples, but I think only a few need to be brought to your attention to illustrate my point.

 

 

The Return of the Jedi (Hero redeeming his father,) Pippin (hero redeeming his son) and so on. You get the point at this juncture. Don't be fooled into thinking that stories like Braveheart is this kind of tale, it’s not. Braveheart is the Grand Epic, rather than the Redeeming Hero. The New Testament is a good example of a Grand Epic, so too is something like Die Hard (all of them) or the Lethal Weapon series. The scale is different in a Grand Epic, than in a Redeeming Hero. The first deals with entire societies or cultures or worlds, and the Redeeming Hero is more personal, he is someone we can identify with, rather than Patton.

 

An example of this in Welsh Myth (again) would be the story of Manawyddan. Here is a guy who loves his brother, Brian the Blessed. He goes to war with his brother to rescue his sister from the Irish king and Brian winds up killed. Miracles happen, all the Irish on the island are killed in an explosion and poisoned fumes, seven heroes escape, Manawyddan is one of them, along with Pryderi.

 

Remember Pryderi? Pwyll's son. Son of Rhiannon of the Birds. Well, they all get back to England, and Pryden convinces Manawyddan to marry his widowed mother. Manawyddan falls in love with her and they get married. They all wind up home and one night, the entire populace of the country disappears. Only Pryderi, Manawyddan, Rhiannon and Pryderi's wife Kicva were left. They stayed there months, and went crazy. They left and went to find people.

 

They found people and wanted to look like peasants, since Pryderi was king of Dyfed, and they didn't want it known the king was here. So they took on various trades to support themselves; once as a saddle-maker, once as a shield-maker and once as cobblers. Each time, while their goods were not the best, they used Druidic Magick and craft tricks to make them beautiful and sold them well. The local craftsmen didn't make any money, and plotted to kill them. Each time, our heroes were warned and they escaped.

 

Now, sick of people, they made their way back to Dyfed. And first Pryderi and then Rhiannon fell under a spell, which removed them from the "living". So only Manawyddan and Kicva are left in the whole of Dyfed. Time passes, they despair, and eventually plant crops. They grow and are razed by something during the night. So, on the night before the last crop is destroyed, Manawyddan stays up to see.

 

What he sees is an army of mice coming, taking everything edible from the field.  He can't save it. But he catches a pregnant mouse before she gets away. So he decides to hang the thief (the mouse for those of you not paying attention). He sets up a gallows and starts to do so when several travelers come by and offer to take the mouse from him, even offering to purchase the mouse. One of the travelers is the High Druid of Britain, and Manawyddan refuses.

 

Finally, the mouse's husband, an enchanter, appears and begs for his wife's release along with their child. Manawyddan gets back the people of Dyfed, a promise of non-retribution, a pledge of no ill will, and Rhiannon and Pryderi. The Enchanter goes his way and everything is normal again.

 

Okay, from this, we see that one man is responsible for saving all of Dyfed. Grand Epoch? No, he's redeeming himself from the war. If you read the myth in depth, you can see the soul-sickness in him, which he sheds in his love of Rhiannon. Only to loose her to misadventure, so he still goes into despondency. So he goes to great lengths to save himself, shed everything not necessary in his "new" incarnation, and succeeds. To give a bit of perspective, Manawyddan was trained by the Druids, and would have been a Druid had he not been the Kings brother. So to refuse his superior is unthinkable. And in triumphing over himself, he also triumphs over the external problems and saves everyone.

 

 

Here is the reference, and once again they are the actual text and the embellishment by an author. The book is called: The Song of Rhiannon: The Third Branch of the Mabinogion by Evangeline Walton.

 

Take a look at the story of A Christmas Carol.  Scrooge is, well, a scrooge and through his experiences in the story, he redeems himself and becomes the generous hero of both the town and to his employee and his employee’s family specifically.

 

There are many other kinds of myths like this, such as Creation, Natural world explanation, Natural feature explanation, teaching, historical, Traid emulation, and so on. Start looking around for the stories of your local area, the myths and the tales, and I bet you find all kinds of correlations to mythology.

 

In this type of story, so common to the American and Western mythology, we find a hero who is ready to sacrifice everything, including himself, to save someone. This person can be anyone, including themselves, but most commonly it is someone close to the hero in question. Usually it is a close relative, such as a father, brother, wife or so on. I could sit here and rattle off about thirty or forty examples, but I think only a few need to be brought to your attention to illustrate my point.

The Return of the Jedi (Hero redeeming his father,) Pippin (hero redeeming his son) and so on. You get the point at this juncture. Don't be fooled into thinking that stories like Braveheart is this kind of tale, its not. Braveheart is the Grand Epic, rather than the Redeeming Hero. The New Testament is a good example of a Grand Epic, so too is something like Die Hard (all of them) or the Lethal Weapon series. The scale is different in a Grand Epic, and a Redeeming Hero. The first deals with entire societies or cultures or worlds, and the Redeeming Hero is more personal, he is someone we can identify with, rather than Patton.  

An example of this in Welsh Myth (again) would be the story of Manawyddan. Here is a guy who loves his brother, Brian the Blessed. He goes to war with his brother to rescue his sister from the Irish king and Brian winds up killed. Miracles happen, all the Irish on the island are killed in an explosion and poisoned fumes, seven heroes escape, Manawyddan is one of them, along with Pryderi.  

Remember Pryderi? Pwyll's son. Son of Rhiannon of the Birds. Well, they all get back to England, and Pryden convinces Manawyddan to marry his widowed mother. Manawyddan falls in love with her and does so. They all wind up home and one night, the entire populace of the country disappears. Only Pryderi, Manawyddan, Rhiannon and Pryderi's wife Kicva were left. They stayed there months, and went crazy. They left and went to find people.

 

They found people and wanted to look like peasants, since Pryderi was king of Dyfed, and they didn't want it known the king was here. So they took on various trades to support themselves. Once saddle-makers, once shield-makers and once cobblers. Each time, while their goods were not the best, they used Druidic Magick and craft tricks to make them beautiful. The local craftsmen didn't make any money, and plotted to kill them. Each time, they were warned and escaped.

 

Now, sick of people, they made their way back to Dyfed. And first Pryderi and then Rhiannon fell under a spell, which removed them from the "living". So only Manawyddan and Kicva are left in the whole of Dyfed. Time passes, they despair, and eventually plant crops. They grow and are razed by something during the night. So, on the night before the last crop is destroyed, Manawyddan stays up to see.

 

          What he sees is an army of mice coming, and taking everything edible from the field, and he can't save it. But he catches a pregnant mouse before she got away. So he decides to hang a thief (the mouse for those of you not paying attention).  He sets up a gallows and starts to do so when several travelers come by and offer to take the mouse from him, and even offer to purchase the mouse. One of the travelers is the High Druid of Britain, and Manawyddan refuses.

 

          Finally, the mouse's husband, an enchanter, appears and begs for his wife's release along with their child. Manawyddan gets back the people of Dyfed, a promise of non-retribution, a pledge of no ill will, and Rhiannon and Pryderi. The Enchanter goes his way and everything is normal again.

 

          Okay, from this, we see that one man is responsible for saving all of Dyfed. Grand Epoch? No, he's redeeming himself from the war. If you read the myth in depth, you can see the soul-sickness in him, which he sheds in his love of Rhiannon. Only to loose her to misadventure, so he still goes into despondency. So he goes to great lengths to save himself, shed everything not necessary in his "new" incarnation, and succeeds. To give a bit of perspective, Manawyddan was trained by the Druids, and would have been a Druid had he not been the Kings brother. So to refuse his superior is unthinkable. And in triumphing over himself, he also triumphs over the external problems and saves everyone.

 

          Here is the reference, and once again they are the actual text and the embellishment by an author. The book is called: The Song of Rhiannon: The Third Branch of the Mabinogion by Evangeline Walton.

 

          There are many other kinds of myths like this, such as Creation, Natural world explanation, Natural feature explanation, teaching, historical, Triad emulation, and so on. Start looking around for the stories of your local area, the myths and the tales, and I bet you find all kinds of correlations to mythology.

          Okay. End of this section. Here’s your ASSIGNMENT. I want each of you to pick a myth, from Classical Greek, Celtic or Modern Western culture and to analyze it as though you were listening to a myth of another culture for the first time. Look for Hero or God figures from the last lesson, and try to fit it into a story archetype. That’s it for now.                                                                

May the goddess above bless all of you and keep you 'till we meet again.

DR. OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES: THE FOUR GOSPELS: (5 credits) >>> CLICK TO ORDER A course on the four gospels. When you sign up for this course, you will receive a text in the mail and e-mails over the course of 4 months that will help you to learn about these four books of the bible. While this is obviously a course of interest to Christians, it is also of interest to those who wish to look at the words and deeds of Jesus in a more spiritual sense, rather than in a religious sense. What you may find in this Greek translation, is that there are more similarities between religions than there are differences and if you look closely enough, you will see deeper spiritual truths in these books than you (if not Christian) would expect to find. You will receive a Dr. of Christian Studies at the end, along with your course credits. $75.00	MASTER OF METAPHYSICS - SPIRIT-QUEST:  (5 credits) > >> CLICK TO ORDER This exciting 8 month course will help you to understand yourself as spirit and will give you some of the tools you need to move forward in your life and move past the stumbling blocks that keep you from your spiritual goals. It's written in a straightforward, conversation tone. It avoids a lot of 'new age' type of talk and makes you feels as if it's something easy to understand and use for yourself in everyday life. If you wish to get a feeling for what others have learned from the course, please visit our forum, where the final essays are posted. When you have completed the final course, you will be asked to complete your own final essay. Upon it's completion and review, a Master of Metaphysics degree will be mailed to you. Your course credits will be recorded and applied towards your graduation. $75.00
DR. OF METAPHYSICS - METAPHYSICS AND MIRACLES:  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This interesting email course is based on A Course In Miracles and teaches you how to create miracles in your everyday life. Written by Dr. Loretta Siani, a published author and respected therapist. Upon completion of this informative and interesting course, you will be asked to complete an essay. Once received and reviewed, you will be mailed a Dr. of Metaphysics degree. $75.00	MASTER OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS : (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This amazing course is based on the Celestine Prophecy. In this 20 week email course, you will enhance your spiritual awareness and clarity. The course is interesting and informative. Topics include: Finding your sacred space, awakening to spirit, the universe as energy, our need for energy, message of the mystics, engaging in the flow of evolution and much more. $60.00
DR. OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is a fascinating email course on developing spiritual awareness. If you've taken and enjoyed Spirit Quest, you'll love this course. The information is along the same lines, some completely new, some of it is a new look at similar information. This is a weekly email course with approximately 20 email lessons, written by Charles Grooms. An excellent choice for a program to take.   $ 70.00	MASTER OF WICCAN STUDIES: (4 credits) >>> CLICK TO ORDER This 24 week email course is perfect for those interested in learning the path of Wicca, a Pagan belief system. It's a weekly email course, written by Daven, sent straight to your mailbox for about 7 months. This course discusses what Wicca is, the spiritual aspects of it, the practical application and much more. For more information about what others ahve learned from this valuable course, please visit our discussion board, where final essays from this Master of Wiccan Studies course are posted. $60.00
MASTER OF SPIRITUALITY -DEFINING SPIRITUALITY:  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This fascinating 20 week email course teaches you how to counsel to science-minded 'prove it' sort of people. It gives an in-depth look of where spiritualism came from and how it has evolved. Upon completion of this course, you will have a much more rounded spiritual education, which will tremendously enhance your ministerial skills.   $60.00	DR. OF SPIRITUALITY - The Miracle of Prayer :  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This interesting course is also based on A Course In Miracles and teaches you how to understand and use the miracle of prayer. Written by Dr. Loretta Siani, a published author and respected therapist. If you've taken the Dr. of Metaphysics course already, you know what an informative and enlightening author she is. Upon completion of this informative and interesting email course, you will be asked to complete an essay. Once received and reviewed, you will be mailed a Dr. of Spirituality degree. $75.00
MASTER OF MYSTICAL CHRISTIANITY:  (4 credits) >>CLICK TO ORDER Have you ever wondered if there is more to the Christian story than you were taught? Are you a seeker for the truth, a truth that may very well lead beyond the well-worn paths of traditional religion? The Faith That Time Forgot presents new insights and alternative perspectives to many spiritual and theological issues, inviting you to come on a mystical, magical journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. In this series of emailed lessons, you will find different answers to common questions such as: Does Genesis truly teach that woman is destined to be subordinate to man? What was the nature of the “Fall” in the Garden of Eden? What do the ancient Gnostic manuscripts teach us about early Christianity? What is feminine and what is masculine in the 21st century? These and many other questions are addressed in well-researched, well-documented studies that challenge the seeker to go beyond their preconceived limitations and explore the reaches of the unknown.   $65.00	DR. OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT:  (5 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER We have a brand new course, by Dr. David Crouch, called Dr. of Spiritual Development. It's a college-level course about spiritual development. The course uses NLP techniques, among others, to show you how to improve the quality of your life and your intereactions with others. Some of the topics include: Improving clarity of Purpose Stacking anchors to concentrate focus and intent Implementing the nature of purpose into your daily lives -- Futurepacing change Connecting with the Divine through naturally occurring altered states (Shamanic and Meditative States of Consciousness) Sacred Trance -- Listening for the still voice within Deepening Levels of Sacred Trance -- How to reach Focus Points of Awareness Out of Body Journeying/Soul Journeys Generative Visualization -- Connecting with the Divine through the Movies in Your Mind $ 70.00
MASTER OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY:  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is a historical survey covering the history of Christianity up to 1054. The growth of the Christian church has taken place within a historical context. The history of Christianity and world history are in many ways intertwined. With this in mind, we will engage in a historical journey that begins with the founding of the Christian church in the midst of the Roman Empire of the 1st century A.D. and continuing up to the break between Western and Eastern Christianity in The Great Schism of 1054. This is a 20-week email course that you will enjoy tremendously. $60.00	MASTER OF RELIGION: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This email course is a bible-based, Christian Studies course for those interested in learning more about the Bible and Christianity. In it, we will cover topics like: Effective Bible Study, The old and new Testaments, and lost books of the bible. This course is written by a scholar in this field of study. If you are a practicing Christian, interested in becoming more fluent in the Bible and what its words mean in your life, this is the course for you. It has a distinctly Catholic feel to it, so it's more geared towards Christians of that belief system. $60.00
MASTER OF RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY: (4 credits)  >> CLICK TO ORDER Unlike the Comparative Religion course , this email course is not an exercise in comparing and contrasting different religions. It is an analysis of religion itself. There is, however, a certain degree of similarity to Comparative Religion, for it is nearly impossible to study anything in a vacuum. Therefore, examples of material covered are provided in the religions of the world — not for the purpose of comparing one to another, or in how they differently address particular issues, but as illustrative examples of the topic being covered. $ 60.00	MASTER OF GNOSTICISM:  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER Course Includes: A Definition of Gnosticism, Gnostic scriptures, Texts, Gnosticism, Philosophical and Religious Ideals, The main features of Gnosticism, Moral and ritual practice, Major Gnostic movements and their texts, Important terms and concepts, History, Gnosticism: Ancient and modern, Gnosticism and the New Testament, Gnostic and Gnostic-Christian ties. Gnosticism vs. Christianity, The Gnostic Gospels -- Are they the real history of Jesus? Why is Gnosticism Important Today? Since the Da Vinci Code, this Religion Has Been Gaining Interest Nag Hammadi Library, Gospel of Judas - Who Wrote It and What Does it Say. The Secret Teachings, Gnosticism Today. $ 65.00
MASTER OF METAPHYSICAL HEALING :  (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This email course is about metaphysical healing. Through this course, you can learn to use the energy of both God and the Universe to give wonderful spiritual healings. This is a step-by- step guide, teaching you how to use your hands to heal. It gets straight to the point, highlighting what is important and each chapter has revision exercises and model answers. $ 60.00	MASTER OF COMPARATIVE RELIGION: (5 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is one of the more scholarly email courses offered by the Seminary. It is taught by an expert in the field who teaches this course at several colleges. It is a very well-written course on the origins of various major religions with comparisons and contrasting views of the different world religions. The HTML coding for this course is also very well done, so if you have the option, try to get it that way as well. Taking this course will expand your knowledge and competency as a minister tremendously. $ 75.00
MASTER OF DRUIDISM: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is an email course on the study of Druidism. It is 17 lessons long and you'll receive one lesson a week for the duration. You'll learn about the culture of this faith, the belief system and much more. It's very interesting and told in an easy-to-understand, friendly, personable style. $ 60.00	MASTER OF BUDDHISM: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is a re-developed email course from the Seminary. As with all the courses, there are 20 lessons (a few courses have more). Through this course, you can learn about the interesting religion of Buddhism. Learn the history, origins, practice, philosophy and more. Upon completion of this course, you will receive a Master of Buddhism degree. $ 60.00
MASTER OF SHAMANISM: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This email course on the study of Shamanism. Shamans have been revered in many religions as the conduits to the gods. This course will discuss the role of the Shaman, drumming, different kinds of Shamans, etc.. This course is well-written and covers this fascinating topic with great respect and neutrality. $ 60.00	DR. OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This email course is on the study of Christian Ethics. It's a very detailed look at the various aspects and beliefs of the Christian Religion. There is information about early Christian Ethics and how it pertains to Jewish Law, the differences in perspective between the old and new testaments and a lot more. $65.00
MASTER OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is an email course about Spiritual Leadership and how to become a Spiritual Leader in your community. The hardest path, journey or pilgrimage for a spiritual leader is not those steps taken outwards, but rather inwards. This course is adapted from Rev. Dr. Tyler Ragan's book Pilgrimage to the Heart of the Sacred, the course itself is a 20 week self-discovery pilgrimage to aid a leader in defining their mission and calling. Begin to explore the roots of your spirit and how you are growing and have grown as a leader.  Through a series of experiential exercises (dubbed Soul Work) you begin a journey of self actualization. $ 65.00	MASTER OF ASTRAL PROJECTION: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is an email course about Astral Projection and how to understand and control your astral projection experiences. In this 6 month course, the student will be exposed to two sides of Astral Projection, the theoretical and the practical. This class was first offered to students back in 2003. Since then, over 1000 students have taken the course and had amazing results. In each emailed lesson you will be presented with two parts; a theoretical lecture of how the Astral Plane works and what you will experience while you are there, as well as a practical discussion on how to achieve these results for yourself. At the end of each lesson is a set of assignments to help focus you on the goal of achieving Out of Body Experiences. $ 65.00
MASTER OF CHAPLAINCY STUDIES: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is the core course for the Chaplaincy program you all have been asking for. This course discusses the history of chaplaincy, as well as what the duties of a chaplain are. The program covers topics of where one minister and what makes it a chapel, the importance of listening, grief counseling and a lot more. When you complete this program, you will receive a Master of Chaplaincy Studies. When you graduate from the program, you will have earned the title, 'Chaplain.' To join the program, go to CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM to sign up. $65.00	MASTER OF PAGANISM: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER Welcome to Paganism for the New Age. This course is an introductory course to Paganism and offers, upon its completion, a Masters in Paganism degree. The course is 20 lessons long, sent to your email box once a week. You will learn about the different beings, beliefs and important knowledge about Paganism. It is worth 4 credits in the Seminary. The course differs from the Wicca study course in that all Wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans are necessarily Wiccans. As ULC Ministers, we pride ourselves on our breadth of knowledge about all belief systems. The more you study, the more you begin to recognize the similarities, rather than the differences. $ 60.00
MASTER OF HISTORICAL JESUS: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This email course reviews the life of Historical Jesus. Many have wondered what his life was like. We all know about the few years of his ministry, but what of the rest of his life? What of the man? Lesson One-- Introduction to Historical Jesus Studies/Source and Gospel Synopsis Lesson Two-- Religious Sects of Jesus' Day Lesson Three-- Quests For the Historical Jesus: Period One and Period Two Lesson Four--Quests For the Historical Jesus: Period Three and Period Four Lesson Five--Quests For the Historical Jesus: Period Five (Renewed Quest/Post Quest) The Jesus Seminar Lesson Six-- The Q Source (The Hypothetical Gospel of Q) Lesson Seven--Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library- The Gospel of Thomas Part 1 Lesson Eight--Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library- The Gospel of Thomas Part 2 Lesson Nine--The Secret Gospel of Mark Lesson Ten--The Gospel of Mary, etc. $60.00	BACHELOR OF SUFISM: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This course provides the student with an introduction to the phenomenon of Sufism which is often referred to as Islamic mysticism.  We will begin by exploring a number of definitions and theories of origin as well as the relationship of Sufism with Islam along with the question of whether one must be a Muslim to become a Sufi. What is Sufism?            Sufism is often referred to as Islamic Mysticism but at its best this is an inadequate definition.  One well-known Sufi teacher, Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee, defines Sufism as follows: “Sufism is a mystical path of love in which God, or Truth, is experienced as the Beloved.  The inner relationship of lover and Beloved is the core of the Sufi path.  Through love the seeker is taken to God.  The mystic seeks to realize Truth in this life and God reveals Himself within the hearts of those who love Him.” (Vaughn-Lee, p. 1)   $ 65.00
MASTER OF THE LIFE OF ST PAUL: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This is a course about the life of the apostle Paul. The author has spent years devoted to research and study of this early Christian leader and is sharing this with you. There will also be 5 lessons in the end of the program about prayer, repentence, worship and faith for those who are devout Christians interested in learning more about the practice of your faith. This course is interesting from a historical perspective as well, so even if you are not of the Christian faith, it will further educate you in the religion of so many others. $ 60.00	DR. OF BIBLICAL EGYPTOLOGY: (4 credits) >> CLICK TO ORDER This course reviews the various if, when, and who facts and theories regarding Exodus and Moses focused on Pentateuch era Biblical Egyptology. Uniquely, the instructor translates hieroglyphs so the student can read critical artifact inscriptions and make intelligent self determinations! The debates about statues, steles and artifacts are discussed including which Pharaoh was most likely associated with the Egyptian “Israelites” immigration, their enslavement and ultimate departure. You will be introduced to ancient authors like Artapanus, Manetho, and Josephus and their quotations such as: “…he was from Heliopolis and when he led his people he changed his name to Moses…” $65.00
FAVORITES: Ordination Application Minister Supplies Minister Credential Chaplaincy Program Wedding Laws OTHER ULC sites? Spiritual Links   Seminary Essays	Seminary Registration Form First name Full name Street address Town or city State or province Zip or postal code Country E-mail address Subscribe