Classes and discussion groups

Seminars and Workshops

Retreats and Fieldtrips

All classes, discussion groups and seminars listed below meet in Turlock, CA. Workshops, retreats and fieldtrips are in Stockton or Modesto, or elsewhere, as designated

Please contact April or Jerry at activities@alexandriawest.org for more information if you are interested in participating in any of the classes or activities.

 

 

Classes and Discussions Groups

The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library.

Description: An interactive discussion for those who have read or are reading Marvin Mayer's book.

 Meets: Second and fourth Sundays of each month (Except in December), from 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. September 13th; September 27th; October 11th, October 25th, November 9th, November 22rd, December 6th. Meeting is from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. All are welcome to join.

 

 

Reading Mythology as a Sacred Language.

Description: An interactive class where we will be discussing selected texts from Greek mythology and interpreting them according to their metaphorical sense. We will also be comparing parallel myths from other cultures.  Participants are expected to, read and reflect upon the assigned material before each class.  See the syllabus below for more details.

Meets: Second Sunday of each month (Except in December), from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. September 13th; September 27th; October 11th; November 9th; December 6th.

 

Astrology: A Study of Humanity's Relationship to the Kosmos.

Description: This is a very specialized class, designed for those with a specific interest in the mythological, esoteric and philosophical traditions that forms the philosophical bases for ancient and modern practices of horoscope reading. There will be no text. Rather, participants will be drawing upon their life's experiences, supplemented by exercises and handouts. Meets: One Sunday each month.7:00-9:00. Begins in January. Contact Jerry activities@alexandriawest.org for further information.

 

 

Seminars and Workshops

The Secret Doctrine Seminar

Description: This quarterly seminar investigates in detail the various topics discussed in H.P. Blavatsky’s classic work, The Secret Doctrine (1888).  Participants are expected to research, present and lead discussions on assigned sections in this work.

Meets: Quarterly in half-day long sessions. The next seminar is scheduled for November 15th, Noon until 5:00 p.m.

 

 

Retreats and Fieldtrips

Half Day Meditation Retreats

Description

Monthly half day meditations sessions following Zen tradition, but open to everyone are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, on the following dates:

              1. September 5th (Stockton)

              2. October 3rd (Turlock)

              3. November 7st (Stockton)

              4. December 5th (Turlock)

              5. January 2nd (Stockton)

              3. February 6th (Turlock)

 

Field Trips

Field Trips are arranged during the summer and announced in advance. Past field trips include visits to the Vedanta retreat center in Olema. The retreat center is owned and managed by the Vedanta Society in San Francisco.

 

 

Syllabus: Reading Mythology as a Sacred Language.

Description:

This course will investigate the World's myths, using the Greek myths as a primary source of reference. It is in a discussion format where participants will read assigned Greek myths in advance and be prepared to share their thoughts upon them and make comparisons to myths in other cultures. Disciussions may approach the stories from a number of points of view, including but not limited to: Psychology, cultural, morality, cosmic, esoteric etc.

The Importance of this Class and its Goals.

Mythology is a part of every culture and has a way of enduring within the national psyche and imagination. Athena and/or her owl adorn ancient Athenian coins as the Goddess of liberty once adorned American coinage. The ancient Greek gods still populate our night sky, though they are given Roman names: Mercury (Hermes), Venus (Aphrodite), Mars (Ares), Jupiter (Zeus), Saturn (Kronos), Uranus (Ouranos), Neptune (Posidon) and Pluto (Hades). In our culture mythology still lives and captures our imagination. Who does not know about George Lucas' Star Wars and J. R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings? Luke Skywalker and Frodo's adventures inspire our modern audiences in much the same way as did Hercules and Odysseus in ancient times. The goals of this class are to enrich its participants in a knowledge and appreciation of the Greek and other world myths and to explore their meaning in our personal lives and our own spiritual quests.

 Requirements:

· Interest and motivation to explore the subject.
· Active participation in discussions.
· An open mind to information that will challenge what you thought you knew.

We will be meeting on the 2th and 4th Sundays of each month and begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Textbook:

Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths. (This will be our primary textbook). It is available on numerous editions and may be obtained on line, or we can order a copy for you)