Do you want to be initiated into the Secrets and Mysteries of the Gnostics and the ROSICRUCIANS, and pursue Harmony and Enlightenment in the CATHAR Heartland of OCCITANIA?

SOLD OUT! Did you Miss out? Easily done. Join the Wait-list Here

• In the rugged valleys of Occitanie, beneath the towering limestone cliffs of the French Pyrenees, a seven-day living Magical Enlightening laboratory designed for only six hand-picked individuals is being prepared for only SIX Individuals.

• In September 2027, YOU are invited to fast-track your journey by stepping directly into a Living, Breathing, Ancient Magical System:

• You will be Initiated into Secret Mysteries that that usually require decades of Cloistered Study to decode, and are strictly unavailable to the general public.

• Because The Invisible College Refines the Senses rather than denying them, we are balancing this intense, Mind-Expanding Magical Illumination with the unmitigated Joy of the French concept of La Bonne Vie: Mind Expending Excursions to hard-to-find Sacred and Historical Sites, Beautiful Scenery, Laughter, and World Class Gastronomy, so YOU can be Initiated in the Mysteries and enjoy the Time of your Life at the same time, walking in the footsteps of the Gnostic Dualist Heretics and the French lineage of the Rosicrucians.

What you will experience here is not found in public libraries, mainstream occult forums, or standard modern textbooks. This is the art of working with the divine and the celestial: preserved through hidden European lineages and passed down mouth-to-ear and Hands-on-head.

The Pillars of the Work

Uncompromising, Fast-Tracked Magick

• Gnosis & The Rosicrucian Tradition

Delve into the "Invisible College." We will trace the underground stream of Esoteric Wisdom from the early Gnostic Dualists who refused to bow to a corrupt material world, through the hidden codes of the Rosicrucian Manifestos, to the modern Realization of the Magnum Opus (The Great Work).

• Operative Alchemy & Laboratory Mindset

Alchemy is not merely historical metaphor; it is an active framework of Spiritual Psychology and Cosmic Alignment. You will learn the mechanics of the Separatio and the Coagulatatio—steps towards dissolving the Conditioned Ego to Crystallize the True Divine Self.

• The Ritual of Initiation

The week culminates in a formal Esoteric Initiation. Set within a Sacred Site from the 6th Century, charged by centuries of Mystical Practice, this ritual is designed to anchor the teachings of the week into a Permanent, Experiential shift in Consciousness.

We are handing you the master keys to a fully operational magical system.

Picture the Adventure

It’s the end of an unforgettable day where you have explored profound discussions and exchanged perspectives within a small group of like-minded people, allowing for deeper insights and revelations.

Allowing time to slow down, walking tranquil paths where the spirit of the ancient land of Occitania is alive and kicking, you have discovered the pulse of timeless energy apparent in Rennes Le Château and inside the walls of an awe inspiring 11th century Cathar Castle surrounded by mountain views you know will be hard to describe in words. 

Your senses awaken to a scent of lavender as the sun sets. You are sipping a delicious local wine, excitedly waiting for the very best Michelin starred French cuisine to appear: Alchemy through cuisine - lovingly prepared for you by chefs with a deep knowledge of local ingredients, quality and tradition.

Sharing your adventures from the medieval Cité de Carcassonne with new friends on a similar path, you wonder whether this enchanted place is real or if you are dreaming. You have meandered through the maze-like streets under turrets, walked along the ramparts, and sampled local specialities, from rose-scented perfume to precious white truffle, sold next to the sanctity of the millennia-old Cathedral built during the age of the Visigoths. A lot has changed during the last two days. Learning the Mysteries through practicing the Mysteries, allowing yourself much needed me-time and nourishing your Soul. Here, in the ancient lands of the Heretics and the Gnostics, far away from the rat-race, you’ve dropped heavy baggage of the past. Your mind has emptied and expanded. You feel clearer and more confident. And this is only the Beginning!

Practical ritual and learning secret wisdom is liberating. You have surrendered to magical Occitania and finally found a harmonious way to leave hesitation, fear and self-doubt behind.

You are Invited to Experience the Magick of Occitania

get ready for empowerment:

-What if YOU could step outside the daily grind and unlock the universe's most closely guarded esoteric secrets so you can command your day with focus and live with inner freedom?

-What if YOU could enter an initiatory circle and permanently elevate your consciousness, so you can turn routines into a joyous adventure and feel at peace in every situation?

-What if YOU could bypass the introductory fluff of modern textbooks and work directly with un-redacted rituals, so you can awaken a profound state of enlightenment and dictate the rules of your own reality?

-What if YOU could receive a legitimate and unbroken Rosicrucian initiation and absorb its potent spiritual current, so you can attain a state of graceful detachment underwhelmed by daily stress?

-What if YOU could decode the living symbolic map of the Tarot de Marseille and operationalize these ancient cosmic forces, so you can shatter your creative boundaries with supreme confidence?

-What if YOU could reclaim your sovereign spiritual power, so you can banish anxiety from your daily grind and walk through life with a calm, harmonius mind?

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty and magickal ambiance of the South of France, where history, nature, and mystique create an awe-inspiring backdrop for your unique journey,

Imagine holding these tools:

• YOU will be Initiated and integrated into the powerful stream of Initiatory Magic rooted in Occitania.

• YOU will learn and participate in the Cabalistic Angelic Ceremonial Ritual of the French tradition:

  - the Elús Coëns Sacramentary

  - the ceremonial evocation and rites of equilibration of Eliphas Levi

  - the mystical practices of Louis Claude de Saint-Martin

  - the Angelic prayer-work of Josephín Peladán

  - Tarot-based rituals and practices utilizing the Tarot de Marseille.

• YOU will learn and practice Rosicrucian-Cabalistic rites of Ceremonial Evocation, learning step by step the history, theory, practical tools, and formulas of the French Rosicrucian Tradition and how they differ in important ways to Solomonic and Goetic Magic of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

• YOU will excavate and understand the True Root of the Initiatory Traditions of Esoteric and Mystical Wisdom from the region’s distant past.

These are only some of the tools you will uncover, Modern ceremonial magic did not appear out of thin air; its vital spark traveled through a highly specific, fiercely guarded French lineage.

Your Home for the Week

Our home for the week is a stunning, private Home situated directly beneath a towering Cathar castle. Each morning, you will wake up looking at the very stone ramparts where the ancient heretics stood.

(click on pics to enlarge)

After an exiting day, sink into your comfortable bed and catch up on much needed rest. The attention to detail everywhere around you make this maison truly special, inspiring and beautiful.
The Magickal Library is stocked with interesting, carefully collected books that make it possible to delve deeper into Occitan mysteries, ritual, magick, alchemy, and imagination.

A beautiful and intensely private, scented garden with dining table for 8 and plenty of different tranquil seating areas is perfect to relax in, sipping a cup of tea or perhaps enjoy a glass of wine and a snack, before it’s time to chill out in the elegant living room.

The village setting by the river, next to the most bio-diversive forest in Europe is charming and calming, nestled under the limestone formations at the foothills of the Pyrenees.

FUN THINGS TO DO:

• Hike along trails that wind around the village and up to the Cathar Castle on the hill above the village, and be blown away by the view and the energy.

• Swim by the small waterfall in the crystal-clear river.

• Recharge in the sitting room, library or garden, having helped yourself to cold drinks, fruit and snacks, coffee and tea in the refreshment bar.

• The regular, informal Evening Round Table Talk in the garden, is a great way to round off an enchanting day, over a glass of wine, share input and knowledge and make sense of today’s adventures, talks and experiences.

• Your complimentary Tarot-reading takes place in the privacy of your room, and sets you up for the day’s adventure.

THIS HOME PROMOTES RELAXATION, INSPIRATION, COMFORT, Tranquility AND WELL-BEING.

Cuisine - The Sacred and the Sensory

True alchemy does not deny the material world; it refines it. The rigor of our spiritual work will be balanced beautifully with the supreme art of French CUisine.

Every day, you delight your senses (and pallette), blending indulgence with mindful eating to enhance your transformative experience further.

Dishes are prepared with acute sense of tradition and reverence. Produce from the “Terroir” is fresh, varied, and locally sourced. Truffle lovers will appreciate and enjoy the season, which starts in September.

Imagine tucking into exquisite, multi-course lunch and dinner menus proudly made with next-level skill and from the freshest produce. The energizing scent and flavor of the beautifully presented dishes sparks joy of relishing in World Class Gastronomy.

We visit neigbourhood restaurants, eat like a local in village cafés, and savour delicate Michelin starred fine dining in wonderful settings, so you can feel truly special!

GET READY for “la bonne vie”, and EAT LIKE KINGS AND QUEENS for a week. THE BEST FRESH FOOD AND WINE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS waiting for you. EMPHASIS IS ON ENJOYMENT IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. 

Wine

OCCITAN WINE - grapes transmuted into legend.

Wouldn’t it be a rare pleasure to visit a Domaine, experience a wine-tasting event first hand and sample the best wine, on the land where the grapes are grown, harvested and lovingly turned into wine?

Right at the vineyard, you experience the joy of tasting the best French wine, while your 3 course lunch is being prepared in the kitchen?

See the care and skill that goes into wine-making, have fun and take away useful pointers for buying and pairing wine.

Take a sip of wine from this untouched, wild region, where wine making started aeons ago, let the beauty fill your field of vision, close your eyes, taste the flavour, notice the scent. Perfection!

History is never far away. Not even in Wine-Making. In Languedoc, It can still be felt and imagined as if it only happened yesterday.

here, in the old country, time stops. Every day is a symposium, cuisine and conversation elevates life. 

Your Magickal, Mystery Tour

Click on the + below to see what awaits in detail

Explore, Exhale and Emerge Enlightened

Your Tutor Ike Baker

Ike Baker is a practicing ceremonial magician, author, scholar, and international teacher and lecturer. 

He hosts the ARCANVM YouTube channel and podcast, producing documentary-style presentations and facilitating conversations with the foremost scholars, practitioners, and researchers in the fields of occultism, philosophy, and the esoteric traditions of the west.

With over 20 years of study and practice, Ike is also a Senior Initiate and practitioner in the western initiatory lineages of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Freemasonry, Martinism, and Rosicrucianism.

Ike is a co-founder and organizer of the international scholar-practitioner conference the Hermopolis Symposium in Minya, Egypt, and host of the annual Southeastern Masonic Symposium in Asheville, North Carolina.

Heliopolis Rosea Crucia is Ike’s first retreat teaching in Occitania in the South of France. Ike has Greek roots, and is excited to share his vast knowledge - boots on ground - in one of the regions in the world with the strongest connection to Rosicrusianism, Gnosticism, the Esoteric Qabbalah, Heretic History and Early Christianity. Occitania is -importantly for Ike’s subject matter- also a crucible for Worship of the Old Gods and Goddesses through the millennia.

During this pilgrimage, Ike shares a rigorous, uncompromised transmission of the Western Esoteric Tradition. We engage directly with the primary source lineages of the Invisible College.

Welcome to Cathar Country

INDULGE YOUR THIRST FOR DEEP KNOWLEDGE AND ENDURING PASSION FOR HIDDEN HISTORY, VENTURE WITH US TO FAMOUS CATHAR CASTLES THAT DATE BACK TO ROUGHLY THE 11TH CENTURY.

There are places on Earth where the veil between the material and the Divine is worn thin by the weight of History, Gnosis, and Illumination.

These fairytale-like, fortified sanctuaries of the Cathars, these so called Heretics, who opposed the Roman Catholic church for the best part of 300 years, are still here, as enduring testaments to purity of thought, steadfastness, the power of alternative thinking, loyalty, faith and resistance against all odds towards an overwhelming opposition.

The Cathars and their resistance against the Papal bull and the inquisition have inspired free-thinkers, mystery schools, historians and scholars, seekers, creatives, authors, (and even the Occitanian Tourist Board) for centuries. We will tell you the truth about them. It’s fascinating.

Their enduring fortresses merge with the bedrock on top of cliffs and mountains, as if they were built by a higher power to be one with the bedrock.

Surrounded by breathtaking, ecstatic scenery, these castles are power hubs for people like you, who are called here to seek illumination.

As you discover the region, skilled locals and experts share their knowledge about the captivating myths, legends and legacy of Occitania, so you can absorb the cultural adventure and the uniquely rich historical environment, invigorate your soul, absorb ancient wisdom and know the truth.

TO UNDERSTAND, FREELY WALK AROUND INSIDE THE BUILDINGS AND IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE ENERGY EMITTED THERE, RIGHT ON SITE. IT’S NO WORD FOR IT. THIS “WHATEVERITIS” CANNOT BE CONVEYED READING ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT, SACRED HUBS OF HERITAGE, OR STUDYING THE LOCATION FROM AFAR. YOU HAVE TO BE THERE. FEEL IT FOR YOURSELF, RISING UP THROUGH YOUR BODY. YOU MIGHT EVEN EMERGE CHANGED.

Join us in the foothills of the Pyrenees for an unforgettable week

Occitania has been a place of worship since time out of mind. It’s where our prehistoric ancestors, deep within the many caves in the region, developed rituals and rites to ensure a successful hunt, or for survival throughout the season. It’s a place where one feels a presence of primordial spiritual connection. There is something inherent within the land itself. 

Occitania is a place people often feel called to. There’s an instinctual human knowing, that a kind of wild magic still lives, one that will never be conquered, and one that can still be felt in various power places within the landscape. 

So many books have been written about the inherent mysteries of Occitania. This is a frequently overlooked region, full of beguiling mysteries, rich with stories of medieval knights, chatelaines and troubadours, courtly love and the last home of the Holy Grail.

Home to historic castles, the world’s first UNESCO heritage site, millennia old functioning buildings, the biggest limestone caves in Europe, ancient forests, scenic mountains, the best vineries and picturesque villages: The area is abundant with some of the best cuisine in France.

What’s Included?

• Airport shuttle - All transport from the time of pick up from Toulouse Blagnac airport (designated times only - see FAQ section) and shuttle return to airport, so you don’t have to worry about a thing after you exit the airport

• We are happy to help and advise what flights to book, so you don’t have to do all the research yourself

• Accommodation with all its amenities including bathroom amenities, so you can pack light-ish, and be comfortable

• All excursions, guided adventures and tickets to these to make your life easy

• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner which will nourish and awe you. Coffee or tea any time for pick me ups.

• 2 glasses of delicious, regional wine is provided with lunch and dinner. Or if you prefer, 2 glasses of a non-alcoholic beverage because everyone’s different

• All Hermetic Mesmerism and Alchemy Lessons, Practice, Meditation, Pathworking, Ritual and Initiation.

• 1 hour long Tarot Reading and Coaching to clarify matters and make you aware how capable you are!

• Talks on the fascinating Secret History and fascinating Hidden-in-plain-sight Mysteries of the area so you can be one who Knows

• Pre-trip individual preparation call to best prepare for this Epic Adventure

• Aftercare to make sure you get the most out of learning and practicing The Great Work.

What’s not Included

• Your flights

• Personal shopping

• Personal taxi fare

• Personal, medical or trip cancellation insurance

• Spirits

• Snacks between meals

Why In-Person Ritual and Timeless Wisdom Matter Now?

In a world increasingly dominated by digital noise, fleeting social media trends, and isolated screens, anchoring yourself in Timeless, Esoteric Subjects is the ultimate Act of Rebellion.

There is an irreplaceable, electric power that happens when a small group of dedicated souls do ritual in-person. this allows us to build a real, tangible Athanor—a spiritual furnace—that Amplifies the Magical Energy tenfold.

•  Forging Your Core Community: You aren't just attending a retreat; you are entering a Lifelong Alliance. By sharing deep initiatory breakthroughs, climbing castle ruins, and laughing over incredible meals, you will form a tightly-knit, high-vibrational community. You will leave France with a sovereign inner circle of peers capable of supporting your grandest spiritual and material ambitions back home.

• Personalised Guidance: Receive individual attention and tailored instruction from Ike and Tonelise, ensuring your unique journey is nurtured.

• Deeper Insights: Explore profound discussions and exchange perspectives within a small group, allowing for more profound insights and revelations.

  The act of SHARing MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCEsmakes humatity come alive

Why Exactly SIX Participants?

Limiting the Adventure to exactly Six Participants is an act of Precise Cosmological Engineering.

• The number six is geometrically realized as the Hexagram, or the Seal of Solomon, which represents the perfect Alchemical Equilibrium between the Solar fire of Spirit and the Lunar water of Matter.

• By gathering precisely six initiates, your physical presences form the outer vertices of a living macrocosmic antenna. If this geometric symmetry is altered by a single person, the energetic current short-circuits, breaking the balanced vessel required to anchor the light of direct Gnosis.

• Six is the first perfect number (1 + 2 + 3 = 6) and corresponds directly to Tiphereth, the Solar center of beauty and harmony on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. In Rosicrucian geometry, a six-pointed perimeter naturally creates an invisible seventh point at its absolute center.

• By holding these six sovereign outer positions, the circle creates a pressurized spiritual crucible. This empty center is where the Egregore of the Invisible College manifests, allowing the Divine Spark to descend and Transmute the group's Collective Consciousness.

  Experience timeless beauty inside a circle of six, and become the curator of enduring knowledge

Join Ike Baker and Tonelise Rugaas on a journey TOWARDS equilibrium within, and unlock the wonders of the Mysteries and alchemy hermetically sealed within you.

Let the beauty of France be your guide as you embark on a transformative adventure that will forever change your life. Dare to stand in your center and awaken your true potential WITH NEW FRIENDS.

can you afford to miss out?

There’s a space for you at the round table

the invisible college awaits

Incredible, I cannot wait!