Presenters at The Center for Alchemical Studies
Past + Present
The Center for Alchemical Studies has hosted the following teachers over the years.
Please enjoy links to their work. Many have returned several times, and have a star by their names.
Jeffrey Raff *
Alchemy and Active Imagination
Dr. Jeffrey Raff is a highly prominent Jungian psychoanalyst who specializes in bridging Carl Jung’s depth psychology with the esoteric traditions of alchemy and active imagination.While traditional psychology views alchemy as an ancient pseudo-science or treats alchemical images purely as psychological metaphors, Raff argues that the alchemists were navigating a very real, objective spiritual universe. He uses active imagination—a meditation technique where a person enters a conscious dialogue with figures from their unconscious—to access this transpsychic landscape.
Key Core Concepts
The Psychoid Realm: A reality that exists beyond the mind and matter where spirits and archetypes live as independent, objective entities.
The Ally: A divine spiritual counterpart or guide encountered in the psychoid realm via active imagination that assists in your transformation.
The Sacred Marriage: Achieving spiritual wholeness by uniting our ego with the divine feminine energy, known in esoteric lore as Sophia.
Essential Reading List
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination: His seminal work explaining the self, the transcendent function, and active imagination through rare alchemical texts.
The Practice of Ally Work: A practical blueprint containing activities to help you consciously interact with your spiritual guide.
The Wedding of Sophia: An intensive study on reviving the divine feminine archetype within psychoidal alchemy.
Healing the Wounded God: An exploration of how humans and the divine co-create each other through active imagination.
Website
Nóirín Ní Riain *
Listening with the Ear of the Heart
Nóirín Ní Riain is an acclaimed Irish singer, theologian, author, and interfaith minister renowned for her spiritual music and expertise in Gregorian Chant. Born in County Limerick, Ireland, she has dedicated her career to exploring the intersection of sacred sound and spirituality.
Key Aspects of Her Career
- Spiritual & Traditional Musician: She performs widely, spanning Celtic music, traditional Irish sean-nós singing, and international sacred music. She plays the Indian harmonium, shruti box, and feadóg (whistle).
- Theology & “Theosony”: She holds a PhD in Theology from Mary Immaculate College, where she coined the term Theosony—the practice of listening to the Divine through sound.
- Historic Collaborations: Ní Riain was the first woman ever permitted to perform and record with the Benedictine Monks of Glenstal Abbey. She has also collaborated with iconic figures like Sinéad O’Connor, John Cage, and Paul Winter.
- Family Ensemble: She frequently performs and tours with her two sons, Owen and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, under the musical moniker A.M.E.N.
- Interfaith Ministry: Ordained as an interfaith minister in 2017, she currently designs and officiates customized wedding, funeral, and naming rituals.
Discography Highlights
She has released 16 albums over her extensive career, including:
- Vox De Nube (1979)
- The Darkest Midnight (1996)
- Celtic Soul (1996)
Website
Wikipedia
Stephen Karcher *
I Ching
Stephen Karcher was a premier Western scholar and diviner of the I Ching (Yi Jing), celebrated for returning the ancient oracle to its primal, mythic roots. Karcher passed away on April 30, 2025. His unique approach heavily blended Jungian psychology, deep linguistic research, and comparative religion.
Core Philosophy
Unlike translations that lean strictly on rigid Confucian moral codes, Karcher focused on the Zhouyi—the oldest layer of the text.
- Myths for Change: He treated hexagrams as living archetypes and psychological mirrors rather than simple fortune-telling.
- Active Participation: He taught that consulting the oracle lets you co-create your destiny instead of being a victim of fate.
Essential Books
- Total I Ching: Myths for Change
His definitive masterpiece. It fuses Confucian logic with early shamanic Taoist myths. - I Ching: The Classic Chinese Oracle of Change
Co-authored with Rudolf Ritsema through the Eranos Foundation. It features a character-by-character concordance for deep study. - The I Ching Plain and Simple
A streamlined, beginner-friendly guide to daily practice and consultation. - How to Use the I Ching
A practical handbook focusing on straightforward ritual use and interpretation
Monika Wikman + The Center for Alchemical Studies - Santa Fe, New Mexico