JW writes: "How can I show those close to me that the Modern Mystery School classes entitled 'Know Thyself' and 'Empower Thyself' go against Catholic teaching and should not be taken by Catholics?  They claim that they are not religious classes, that anyone of any religion can take these for spiritual/personal growth.  A woman claiming to be Catholic is teaching courses from the Modern Mystery school entitled astral travel and sacred geometry. She also calls herself an Adept, Initiated, Shaman...and holds goddess nights to bring in the energy of ancient goddesses---one such goddess they celebrate is Mary the mother of Jesus. They claim that Jesus is the Source, the Light...They study the universal Kabballah.  My sister and nieces are taking these classes and I am very concerned."

You have good reason to be concerned. This is a very problematic cult-like organization that is heavily involved in the occult.

The school's main website claims that while they appreciate the New Age movement, it is missing two components that the Mystery Schools have - lineage and initiation.

"The lineage that is held in the Modern Mystery School traces back more than 3,000 years, with a slight break right before the time of King Salomon the Wise in Jerusalem," the site claims.

Even more concerning is the initiation required to attend this school. "In the Modern Modern Mystery school, as you progress, you receive a series of physical initiations. These initiations make the difference between just knowing the information and having the authority to use it. The initiations we conduct literally bring down Light and the authority from the Divine to conduct this universe according to the Laws of God and the Laws of the Universe. By receiving an initiation you are in fact becoming a true light worker in every sense of the word."

Because some of the academies that comprise this school teach students channeling, divination, alchemy, spiritual intuition, astral travel, "sacred geometry", shamanism, automatic writing, telepathy, Reiki and a form of remote energy work known as Spark of Light, you can be sure that the "Laws of God" they reference are not those found in the Bible. The school also offers academies such as the Channeling School, Tarot School and the Alchemy Laboratory.

None of this is surprising when we consider the School's founder - Gudni Gudnason, who calls himself a doctor although no one really knows where he got his doctorate. A native of Iceland, he studied with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in England, an organization devoted to the study and practice of the occult. He claims to have taught Kabbalah since 1976 and to have trained with the Masters of the Mysteries (whoever they are) and now shares all of this knowledge with the world.

Gudnason moved to the U.S. in 1995 and founded the Rocky Mountain Mystery School. Mystery schools can now be found in Canada, England, Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Japan where he currently lives with his wife and two cats.

This site claims that Gudnason "was initiated into the lineage of King Salomon with priesthood powers from high Priest Melchizedek, (this was done in the Great Pyramid of Giza) Guardian of the Secret of the Holy Grail and authorized to do the work by the HIERARCHY of LIGHT in all manner with the highest powers given to a human."

The schools also teach students "that we are each our own teacher, and that all the answers we seek are within our selves. As a Guide in the Hierarchy of Light, Mr. Gudnason helps his students by presenting to them the keys to unlocking their own personal powers. How and if they do that is then up to them and it is with much patience that he awaits the moment of their awakening and then enlightenment."

Apparently he's not too patient when it comes to getting students to sign up to take more of his pricey courses, however, and many a complaint can be found on the web, particularly at the Dialogue Ireland website -  a ministry founded by two Catholic priests and a Mennonite to gather information about the many cults springing up throughout the Emerald Isles. Now an ecumenical organization, posters on the site describe cult-like mind-control techniques being imposed on students.

As this former student explains, "It is puerile to say that people are free to leave when you are telling them that it is all hands on deck and those who leave will be left floating in a vast ocean of wilderness without the school. There are plenty of examples of psychological pressures being put on people that I am aware of and this is a fundamental element of cultist behavior."

Students are also pressured by being taught that humankind is in peril and only the rituals taught by the school can save it. "They will tell participants of their special talents and that they can assist them to develop them for the good of the world. This produces such an inflated sense of the individual’s importance in the destiny of the world that they feel they must ignore obstacles so insignificant as their relationships, friends, finances etc. as the work is too important."

As a result, many marriages and families have been destroyed. In addition, students are brainwashed with the typical cult technique of convincing them that if they're not reaping the benefits of the program, it's their own fault and the fault of the people around them - never the program!

I could go on and on, but this article by Mark Wilding that appeared in Vice in 2021 provides lengthy details about the dark underbelly of this organization. It is worth the read for anyone wanting to know why they shouldn't get involved with Modern Mystery Schools.

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