--- title: "Franz Bardon Courses: Compare IIH Training and Bardon-Informed Paths" url: https://staging13.perseusarcaneacademy.com/franz-bardon-courses/ date: 2026-07-03 modified: 2026-07-03 lang: en author: "Perseus Arcane Academy" description: "Franz Bardon Courses: Compare IIH Training and Bardon-Informed Paths Perseus Arcane Academy offers several training options for students interested in Franz Bardon’s system. However, these courses do not all relate..." image: https://staging13.perseusarcaneacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ChatGPT-Image-Jul-3-2026-09_42_25-PM-1024x683.png word_count: 2421 --- # Franz Bardon Courses: Compare IIH Training and Bardon-Informed Paths # Franz Bardon Courses: Compare IIH Training and Bardon-Informed Paths Perseus Arcane Academy offers several training options for students interested in Franz Bardon’s system. However, these courses do not all relate to Bardon in the same way. Some directly teach the exercises and ten-step structure of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. Others are independent systems that share similar goals, reinterpret Bardonian methods or apply material from Bardon’s books within a broader approach. This page explains those differences clearly so that you can choose the training path that best matches your experience, interests and preferred way of learning. ## Quick Answer The [Complete Universal Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass) is the most extensive Perseus course directly organised around the ten steps of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. Students who want to begin without paying can take [The First 3 Steps of Initiation Into Hermetics](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) and [Further Work in Initiation Into Hermetics: Steps 4, 5 and 6](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics), both taught by Clint Sabom and available free. The [Sixty Skills Master Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/tS1Tn) is not a direct Franz Bardon course. It is an independent, Bardon-informed curriculum combining Hermetics with meditation, energy work, internal training and methods drawn from several traditions. [Magic and Mystical Introspection](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/pJtvd) follows a path aligned with *Initiation Into Hermetics*, particularly through introspection, the soul mirrors, ennoblement of character and direct mentorship. [Ceremonial Magick and the Franz Bardon Tradition](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/ceremonial-magic-and-the-bardon-tradition-levels-1-to-3) applies methodologies from Bardon’s three principal works within a structured system of ceremonial practice. ## Direct Initiation Into Hermetics Courses ### Complete Universal Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass **Relationship to Bardon:** Direct training organised around *Initiation Into Hermetics* **Teacher:** Jake Zen **Structure:** More than 190 lessons covering Bardon’s ten steps alongside supplementary exercises and teachings **Best for:** Students who want an extensive guided course covering the complete IIH structure The Complete Universal Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass is the principal Perseus option for students specifically seeking a comprehensive course based around Franz Bardon’s first book. The curriculum includes concentration, thought observation, the soul mirrors, elemental work, vital energy, mental transference, magical equilibrium, mental wandering, electric and magnetic fluids, fluid condensers and practices associated with the later steps of IIH. It also contains supplementary material from Qigong, meditation and other magical systems. It is therefore more than a literal video commentary on Bardon’s text, but *Initiation Into Hermetics* remains the main structure around which the course is organised. Students receive lifetime access to the existing material, future additions and the associated learning community. **Choose this course when:** - You want to work through all ten steps of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. - You need demonstrations and additional explanations. - You want one large, structured programme. - You are comfortable with supplementary material being taught alongside Bardon. - You want community support as part of the course. [Explore the Complete Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass) --- ### The First 3 Steps of Initiation Into Hermetics **Relationship to Bardon:** Direct support for Steps One, Two and Three of IIH **Teacher:** Clint Sabom **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Beginners and students who have struggled to establish the foundations of Bardon’s system This free course walks students through the mental, astral and physical exercises contained in the first three steps of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. Clint shares his own experience of completing the exercises, together with additional explanations, practical advice and methods that helped him develop magical equilibrium. The course includes the magical schooling of the spirit, soul and physical body for each of the first three steps. Clint also remains available to students by email for questions. **Choose this course when:** - You are beginning *Initiation Into Hermetics*. - You have remained on the first steps without clear progress. - You want a second practitioner’s interpretation of Bardon’s instructions. - You want direct IIH support without purchasing a course. [Start the Free First Three Steps Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) --- ### Further Work in Initiation Into Hermetics: Steps 4, 5 and 6 **Relationship to Bardon:** Direct support for Steps Four, Five and Six of IIH **Teacher:** Clint Sabom **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Students who have completed the foundations and are encountering difficulty in the middle steps This free course continues Clint Sabom’s practical support for students of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. It covers the mental, astral and physical exercises associated with Steps Four, Five and Six. Clint discusses common difficulties and provides supplementary strategies based on his own experience of working through the book. The course is designed for students who understand what Bardon asks them to do but need greater clarity concerning how the exercises can be approached in practice. **Choose this course when:** - You are currently working through Steps Four, Five or Six. - Bardon’s brief instructions have left important practical questions unanswered. - You want additional methods without abandoning the IIH framework. - You want free support before considering a larger paid course. [Start the Free Steps 4–6 Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics) ## Bardon-Aligned and Bardon-Informed Training ### Magic and Mystical Introspection **Relationship to Bardon:** An initiatory path aligned with IIH through introspection and ennoblement **Teacher:** André Consciência **Structure:** Eleven levels with continuing lessons and interaction with the teacher **Best for:** Students drawn to the soul mirrors, self-knowledge, character transformation and long-term mentorship Magic and Mystical Introspection is based on André Consciência’s book *Through the Soul Mirrors to the Sun Sphere*. Both the book and course engage with the stages of *Initiation Into Hermetics*, but approach them through detailed introspection, the soul mirrors and the progressive ennoblement of the practitioner. The course begins with thought observation, feeling, bodily awareness and self-assessment. It then develops the soul mirrors and continues into increasingly advanced levels of Hermetic and mystical work. This is not simply a conventional lesson-by-lesson explanation of Bardon. It is André’s own complete initiatory path, informed by Bardon and developed through his practice, writing and mentorship. Communication with André is part of the course. **Choose this course when:** - The soul mirrors are central to your practice. - You want initiation to include deep character development. - You prefer introspection to a primarily technical curriculum. - You value direct communication with a teacher. - You want a long-term initiatory path. [Explore Magic and Mystical Introspection](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/pJtvd) --- ### Sixty Skills Master Course **Relationship to Bardon:** Independent, Bardon-informed training **Teacher:** Bob of Sixty Skills **Structure:** An 18-month curriculum divided into ten levels, containing 30 courses and 67 numbered skills **Best for:** Students who want a practical, skills-based system drawing from Hermetics, meditation and internal training The Sixty Skills Master Course should not be described simply as a Franz Bardon course. It is an independent training system developed through work across Hermetic, Buddhist, Yogic, Taoist, meditative and internal traditions. Nevertheless, many parts of the curriculum overlap with problems and abilities encountered by students working through *Initiation Into Hermetics*. Training includes concentration, energetic sensitivity, the vital, astral and mental bodies, elemental work, magical equilibrium, consciousness transfer, Akasha, non-dual light, mental wandering, invocation and evocation. Its defining feature is an engineering-style approach. Abilities are divided into clearly taught skills, with an emphasis on understanding how and why an exercise works. Sixty Skills may therefore be especially useful to students who understand what Bardon asks them to achieve but have struggled to produce consistent results from the instructions in the book alone. It should be presented as an independent or complementary route—not as an official version of Bardon’s curriculum. **Choose this course when:** - You repeatedly become stuck on particular IIH exercises. - You want abilities divided into smaller technical skills. - You are interested in internal arts as well as Western Hermetics. - You prefer measurable practice and detailed explanations. - You are comfortable following a system that extends beyond Bardon. [Explore the Sixty Skills Master Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/tS1Tn) ## Specialist Bardonian Training ### Ceremonial Magick and the Franz Bardon Tradition **Relationship to Bardon:** Bardonian methodologies applied through ceremonial magic **Teacher:** André Consciência **Structure:** Three sequential levels designed as a one-year course **Best for:** Students interested in connecting Bardonian Hermetics with ritual and ceremonial magic Ceremonial Magick and the Franz Bardon Tradition combines ceremonial structures with methodologies drawn primarily from Bardon’s *Initiation Into Hermetics*, *The Practice of Magical Evocation* and *The Key to the True Quabbalah*. The course takes two well-known Golden Dawn practices—the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Middle Pillar Exercise—and develops them into a broader path involving purification, invocation, evocation, magical equilibrium, theurgy and divine communion. This is not a general introductory walkthrough of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. It is a specialist course for students interested in how Bardonian principles can be applied within a developed system of ceremonial practice. The programme includes written material, illustrations, video lessons and communication with André. **Choose this course when:** - You are interested in both Bardon and ceremonial magic. - You want to understand rituals through deeper Hermetic principles. - You are prepared to commit to a sequential one-year programme. - You want access to André for questions and discussion. [Explore Ceremonial Magick and the Franz Bardon Tradition](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/ceremonial-magic-and-the-bardon-tradition-levels-1-to-3) ## Additional Free Energy Training ### The Three Transformations **Relationship to Bardon:** Supporting energy work rather than a direct IIH course **Teacher:** Bob of Sixty Skills **Best for:** Experiencing the Sixty Skills teaching approach and learning distinctions between vital, astral and mental energy The Three Transformations introduces practical work with vital, astral and mental energy. It explains how these forms of energy differ, how they may be experienced and how one form may be transformed into another. These distinctions can be useful to students of Hermetics, meditation, Yoga and magic. However, the course should not be mistaken for a complete introduction to Bardon’s ten-step system. It is a useful way to experience the Sixty Skills teaching style before deciding whether the larger curriculum is suitable for you. [Explore The Three Transformations](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/gCeAN) ## Are Paid Franz Bardon Courses Necessary? No. You can study and practise directly from *Initiation Into Hermetics*. Purchasing a course is not a prerequisite for beginning Bardon’s system, and no course can replace the discipline required to perform the exercises consistently. Perseus also provides two free courses directly covering the first six steps: - [The First 3 Steps of Initiation Into Hermetics](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) - [Further Work in Initiation Into Hermetics: Steps 4, 5 and 6](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics) A paid course may nevertheless be useful when you need: - A clearer explanation of a difficult exercise - Video demonstrations - A structured training sequence - Help identifying mistakes - Access to a teacher or community - Alternative exercises when the original instructions are not producing progress - Greater accountability and continuity The value of a paid course is not access to secret information. Its value lies in structure, interpretation, demonstration, support and the experience of the teacher. ## Which Course Should You Choose? ### Choose the Complete Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass when: You want one extensive course organised around all ten steps of *Initiation Into Hermetics*. [View the Complete IIH Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass) ### Choose Clint Sabom’s free courses when: You want practical support for Steps One through Six while continuing to follow Bardon’s book directly. [Begin with Steps 1–3](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) [Continue with Steps 4–6](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics) ### Choose Magic and Mystical Introspection when: You want to approach initiation through introspection, the soul mirrors, ennoblement and direct mentorship. [View Magic and Mystical Introspection](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/pJtvd) ### Choose Sixty Skills when: You want an independent, skills-based system that is highly relevant to Bardon students but is not limited to Bardon’s methods. [View the Sixty Skills Master Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/tS1Tn) ### Choose Ceremonial Magick and the Franz Bardon Tradition when: You want to apply Bardonian methodologies within a developed system of ceremonial ritual. [View the Ceremonial Magick Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/ceremonial-magic-and-the-bardon-tradition-levels-1-to-3) ### Begin with The Three Transformations when: You want to experience the Sixty Skills approach before making a larger commitment. [View The Three Transformations](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/gCeAN) ## Should You Take Several Courses at Once? Usually not. Beginning two or three complete initiatory systems simultaneously can create unnecessary confusion. Different teachers may use similar terms in different ways, organise exercises in a different order or place emphasis on different results. Choose one principal curriculum and practise it consistently. Additional courses are most valuable when they address a clearly identified problem or provide a specialist subject that your principal curriculum does not cover. Collecting explanations is not the same as training. ## Franz Bardon Resources and Practice Support Courses are only one part of the Franz Bardon material available through Perseus Arcane Academy. The Franz Bardon Resource Guide brings together interviews, practical articles, student experiences and discussions covering: - *Initiation Into Hermetics* - The soul mirrors - Concentration and mental discipline - Magical equilibrium - Elemental work - *The Practice of Magical Evocation* - *The Key to the True Quabbalah* - Mental wandering - Spirit contact - Internal training - Common causes of stalled progress [Explore the Complete Franz Bardon Resource Guide](https://staging13.perseusarcaneacademy.com/post/franz-bardon-resources-interviews-guides-and-practice-support/) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which Perseus course follows Initiation Into Hermetics most directly? The [Complete Universal Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass) is the most extensive option organised around Bardon’s full ten-step structure. Clint Sabom’s free courses also work directly with Bardon’s exercises but concentrate specifically on [Steps One to Three](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) and [Steps Four to Six](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics). ### Is Sixty Skills a Franz Bardon course? Not in the strict sense. Sixty Skills is an independent, Bardon-informed curriculum. It develops many abilities relevant to IIH but also incorporates methods and concepts from meditation, internal arts, Yoga and other traditions. ### Is Magic and Mystical Introspection a Franz Bardon course? It is an initiatory system closely aligned with *Initiation Into Hermetics*, especially its introspective, soul-mirror and character-development work. It is nevertheless André Consciência’s developed path rather than a conventional commentary on Bardon’s book. ### Is there a free Franz Bardon course? Yes. Perseus offers [The First 3 Steps of Initiation Into Hermetics](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) and [Further Work in Initiation Into Hermetics: Steps 4, 5 and 6](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/further-work-in-initiation-into-hermetics) free of charge. ### Can complete beginners take these courses? Yes. Beginners seeking direct IIH support can begin with Clint Sabom’s free [First Three Steps course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom). Students seeking a larger complete programme can consider the [Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass). Those interested in the Sixty Skills approach can begin with [The Three Transformations](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/gCeAN). ### Are these courses official continuations of Franz Bardon’s work? No claim is made that these courses are official continuations authorised by Franz Bardon. They are modern courses created by independent practitioners and teachers who work directly with, draw from or engage with Bardon’s system. ### Can a course guarantee progress? No. Progress depends on consistent practice, reflection, correction and time. A course can supply structure and guidance, but the student must still perform the work. ## Begin Your Training There is no single course that is right for every student. The important distinction is whether you want to: - Follow *Initiation Into Hermetics* directly - Receive free help with specific IIH steps - Enter a complete guided IIH programme - Develop similar abilities through an independent skills-based system - Focus on introspection and ennoblement - Apply Bardonian methods through ceremonial practice Understand the difference, choose one principal path and practise it consistently. [Explore the Complete Initiation Into Hermetics Masterclass](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/initiation-into-hermetics-masterclass) [Begin with a Free Initiation Into Hermetics Course](https://courses.perseusarcaneacademy.com/b/the-first-3-steps-of-initiation-into-hermetics-by-clint-sabom) [Browse the Franz Bardon Resource Guide](https://staging13.perseusarcaneacademy.com/post/franz-bardon-resources-interviews-guides-and-practice-support/)