It has been a while now since I became a member of the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight. After a long period of trial and error (I have been looking around in the world of the witches since spring 2003 now), I took the decision to start the training in a western mystery school. Not a small step, and absolutely not a step taken lightly: it is a decision for many years.
Isis van Henegouwen, journalist of 'Het Heksenpad' (The Witches Road)
In 2005 I met Ina Cüsters-van Bergen at a Pagan Conference. I was immediately attracted to her style and the methods of the school felt good right away. I love to be taught in a high tempo and to bridge cultures as well as an international orientation. On top of that Ina does not shy away from indicating links with science.
But I did not want to give in right away to this first good impression. That is why I attended more workshops and lectures in different directions within the world of the Witches, for instance a workshop in the Germanic tradition, some herbal trainings, visits at pub moots. In a later stage I entered into discussions with High Priests and High Priestesses from Wicca traditions, but time and again I found I was ending up with Ina.
As a last ‘test’ I decided to attend one of Ina’s workshop series in 2006. This was the final definite push I needed: the tempo, the overall view between different traditions, and …. the consecration of my tarot cards!. With the heat still in my hands I could only think one thing: "This is the real thing. And I want to proceed from here".
I have often been asked why I chose this school. To me as a person the following points were crucial:
No nonsense
No overly mysterious atmosphere which I had encountered with other groups previously. There is a website with books, and good conversations. Do you want to know something, then just ask it – it is as simple as that. For example: on my question 'What about the things that you are not allowed to say'? Ina responded with a broad smile 'Why, do you have something to hide?' Of course, there are things which you need to experience yourself – as it should be in a mystery tradition. But these are not made more exciting than necessary.
Deep roots
In some of the groups in the esoteric world there is a lot of trial and error. Experimenting, research things in your own way: everything is based on feeling. I noticed that this approach was not taking me any further. What I needed at that very moment was a thorough and tested system. To apply for my personal development and thus to grow. To know Why you are working with a text which is 5000 years old.
On top of this I wanted to be able to work together with others; you know what the intention is of the use of a specific symbol, but by applying this in a certain way as a group, everything gets charged more than you accomplish on your own.
It is powerful: time and again I am impressed by the experiences. Later, I would discover that the energy is so intense that it is even visible on photographs (maybe I will write another article about this in the future).
Confidence
In the previous years I have met many High Priests and High Priestesses. Most of the times, I did not feel that I would like being guided by them for several years. I have seen to much abuse of power or teaching methods which did not appeal to me (for example, to push someone roughly over their own limits, in order to learn from the experience).
Some people might benefit from this method, but it would probably not work for me. Someone who is too soft, I would challenge. Someone who talks down to me, I would leave. The contents itself and the process of experience are tough enough; I do not want any personal issues with people on top of that.
With Ina I felt a connection right away. I do not have any doubts about anything she tells me or about her way of teaching. I go with the flow and I get stimulated and challenged by it.
My trust in Ina was my main reason to join, and I realised this only when I started to investigate the backgrounds of the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight. Before that, I had not investigated the connections with the Golden Dawn or Dion Fortune, and it is interesting that this happened to me of all people, I am usually a person who first investigates and digs into matters!
Long term effects
Some rituals in the world of the witches are very intense, many things happen and you experience a lot: it is one big event. Within the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight we work on a symbolical level. The rituals are quite complicated for beginners.
This means that the first times I did not do things which are as spectacular as for instance ‘running over glowing charcoal’. Also jumping naked into the waves at the seashore is not something you do as a group (what you do between the practical classes is of course a private matter :-)).
The effects of these rituals in the weeks and months afterwards are long lasting. In the weeks following a ritual a lot of realizations follow, the images apparently work on a deep level. Symbols are gradually getting connected and every time this happens you end up on a deeper layer. You start to 'see' more and more. The more you learn, the stronger the effect gets: anyway, this is how I experience it.
To use Ina’s words:
'The energy during a ritual is different in our tradition. This is why people probably start to experience later what it has done. It works on a very deep level, and this means that you do not consciously feel it when it is busy inside yourself and around you (…).'
The experiences can do their work until a year afterwards, and thus become a part of who you are. Some people object that we work in buildings and not in nature. But once you have experienced this highly charged atmosphere, and you see for example the moon outside, then you will immediately establish the link between the temple work and the forces outside.
No religion
Although we work with deities from different cultures, the work of the Order is not necessarily religious. "An atheist can be an excellent ceremonial magician". For reasons of clarity: the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight is not a Wiccan education!
Beautiful rituals
This is very personal and something that I discovered by coincidence: although magic can be practiced 'naked on the North Pole' and all the ritual objects have a largely symbolic function, I noticed that I am drawn to beautiful objects and theatrical rituals.
People who prepared a boat of a crushed bread and put it in the ocean carrying a wish, have without doubt a good intention and they may this get what they want. But I myself love big rituals with beautiful regalia. A plastic cup as a 'chalice' would work as well, but I prefer to hold an antique and handmade piece of glass.
This is personal. Not always, and not to the full extent, but I think that high class and beauty are homage to the Gods I work with, and contribute to the atmosphere in which I wish to be: creating imposing rituals for imposing forces.
Intellectual
This is also very personal. It works for me to sink my teeth into something. The accent on tinkering and folklore in some groups causes a resistance in me, something I discovered at an open Litha celebration in 2006. History, mythology, ceremony: that’s what works for me. As well as practicing and trying to understand things.
Of course, items and objects need to be made in the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight, but this is not the main thing. And as long as it is functional, I will go along with it. I also harvested a wand from a tree at full moon.
Within the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight we not only work with mythology and symbols from Western cultures, but also with the Qabbalistic Tree of Life: a subject that was absolutely new to me. The first lessons I wrote down these strange words phonetically, I had no idea how to spell them properly. Personally I thought that funny, as I usually know at least a little something about most subjects. But here I felt like a toddler, a role I haven’t had in a long time. And I am determined to become an adult in this area.
Egypt…
I have never had much affinity with Celtic traditions, and this is why I am not really attracted to druidism, or to Wicca. But I was raised with Greek, Roman and German stories, and the Egyptian culture attracted me for years.
This is another reason why the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight is a good choice for me. Although many cultures are approached, the Egyptian culture is strongly emphasised. And,of course, my name is Isis after all, isn’t it?
Intense
Until now, no meeting has passed without me shedding some tears. I, as a cool scientist, being moved to tears after a pathworking. Sometimes this happens because of what I saw or whom I met. Sometimes just because of the sheer beauty of the experience. And usully this is followed by a teaching session, with alarming speed going through some (to me) complex subject material, and finally home again with red cheeks after the final ritual.
This last point was the most important reason to become a student with the Temple of Starlight. Just by reading about it and trial and error experimenting at home, you do not reach your ultimate goals. For me, it was time to do something real!
On the day of my decision I heard the song 'Into the Light', and with love I dedicate it to my beloved teacher and 'classmates'.
Isis van Henegouwen
I want to read more about the Temple Training
