There is a power older than time, whispered through temples lost to sand, sung by the Nile beneath a moonlit sky—a power that calls to something deep within us. That power is Heka, the Egyptian magic of transformation, of illumination, of the soul’s journey back to its own divine light.
In this twelve-part live webinar series, Heka! Egyptian Magic, we invite you to step beyond the veil of the ordinary into the sacred.
These are not just lessons. They are initiations. Not just information, but re-membering your lost soul parts.
Together, we will explore the sacred techniques of Egyptian High Magic—ancient methods for spiritual awakening, self-transformation, and the embodiment of divine presence. This journey is about more than study. It’s about feeling the mystery move through your life, rekindling a sense of wonder, beauty, and mystery.
What You’ll Experience
Rooted in ancient texts and the oral teachings passed down through generations of esoteric schools, these webinars draw you into a living mystery tradition.
Among the magical initiations:
The Spell of the Mask – Step into the divine self behind all appearances
The Statue of Life – Earth: Awaken the sacred presence within
Overthrowing Apep – Fire: Triumph of light over inner chaos
The Water Charms – Water: Enter the deep initiation of the emotional body
The Sky Gate – Air: initiation: to pass beyond the visible stars
Hotep di Hekau – Spirit: The peace that comes through sacred utterance
And more…
How Can You Join?
This is a global gathering of kindred souls. Every week, we’ll meet via Zoom, so wherever you are on Earth, you can join us.
Each webinar is recorded and made available for you to revisit or catch up—your personal library of inner magic.
Here, you will find the recordings of each session as they become available—a personal archive of your unfolding journey.
To make this accessible, the complete training is divided into five series of twelve sessions each. You are free to join any time, and continue your journey at your own pace.
Who Is This For?
For the seeker. For the mystic at heart. For anyone drawn to Ancient Egypt, Hermetic wisdom, meditation, and the living practice of magic. No prior experience needed—only an open heart and the courage to remember who you truly are.
In a realm where magic intertwines with reality, one adventure will change everything forever, and that hero is you! Dive into the essence of your soul, Heru, as you plummet off a cliff in pursuit of a mesmerizing golden ring that has mysteriously fallen into the abyss. This ancient artifact holds the key to unlocking hidden realms and awakening long-forgotten legends.
As Heru, you will traverse the Enchanted Lands of your life, stepping into a surreal castle where the shifting rooms transform into wondrous realities that change your destiny. Along your quest to unveil the secrets of these magical realms, you will encounter divine guides and mentors, navigating the treacherous waters of the Inner Worlds. Yet, beware—the shadows loom large, as dark forces harness the very powers of magic for their own sinister designs. With your heart as your compass, you will confront your deepest fears and discover the true essence of bravery.
Join acclaimed author and magical teacher Ina Cüsters-van Bergen on this captivating journey filled with wonder, friendship, and the timeless clash between light and darkness. Can Heru heal his Inner Kingdom and emerge victorious against the encroaching shadows? Open the pages to step into a realm where dreams come alive, and every choice ripples through time, altering the very fabric of destiny.
The Golden Ring is more than a tale—it’s the gateway to the mysteries that await you.
Accompanying this enchanting narrative is The Book of the Caves, a tarot deck beautifully designed and painted by Ina Cüsters-van Bergen, complete with a curriculum of seven volumes of meditations and magical exercises. These will be published in the near future.
With a profound connection to the ancient Hermetic Mystery Tradition, Ina invites you to unlock your own magic and empower your journey of self-discovery. Let her captivating insights and enchanting approach to spirituality inspire you to embrace your unique gifts and transform your life.
Join Ina on an unforgettable voyage of wonder, beauty, and mystique—where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, and the magic within you is waiting to be unleashed. Are you ready to uncover the secrets of The Golden Ring?
Are you also someone who studies endlessly in spiritual books, and thinks that your spiritual development goes too slow? Chances are great that you suffer from ‘right brain blockage’.
How do you know whether you have that, and how to get rid of that?
The general assumption is that the two halves of the brain are specialized. Your left brain is specialized in numbers, logical analysis, objective observations and critical thinking.
Your right brain is specialized in intuition, creativity, emotional expressions, art and imagination.
In our Western society the left brain is trained intensively from the moment we go to school. The training for the right brain systematically disappears from the educational system, and becomes sidetracked ever more in our society. The consequence is that you are trained to dismiss everything that is not logical. The consequence is also that the creative expansion of most humans is discouraged after leaving kindergarten.
The experience of spirituality belongs to the creative part of your brain. When you try to experience spirituality by studying books, you use your logical brain. This does not fit well together.
The logical brain tunes up best with a materialistic worldview. The materialistic vision of life oppresses the spiritualistic worldview. This is at the expense of nature, of your personal wellbeing, your health and your spiritual experiences.
Two Eyes of Horus
The materialistic world vision is relatively young. It is only 300 years ago that the ‘age of reason’ began. Before that, humans experienced reality as totally ensouled. Only in an ensouled world you can truly experience spirituality.
The ancient Egyptians talked about the Two Eyes of the God Horus. One eye was the Sun, and the other the Moon. Also in the Jewish tradition the two aspects of Divinity were called the Countenance (Resh) and the Back of the Head (Qoph). We would say: the left brain and the right brain. In the ancient worldview these are the worlds of day consciousness and the magical ‘Otherworld’.
When you start to develop your creative part, the right brain worldview will slowly start to mature, and you will develop an experience of a parallel reality to the ‘ordinary’ world’: the Other World which is ensouled, where other natural laws are valid, and where true miracles happen.
Meditation
Contemplate on this concept: The nature of reality is not material but spiritual. Matter is crystallized consciousness. The spiritual worldview says; The Divine is comatose in stones, asleep in plants, dreams in animals and is awake in humanity. Look around you and try to see this. The more you open yourself for this experience, the more your consciousness will expand to an ensouled reality.
In LVX Ina Custers van Bergen
Make sure that Magic escorts you on your holiday:
For everyone training on the Inner Journey, keep in mind to order your lessons timely before the holidays when you are almost through with your course book.
During the upcoming twelve webinars of ‘The Book of Thoth’, you will find the video’s recordings here, as they will become gradually available during the course.
We will focus on the Egyptian teachings that give us access to the language of the symbols. The God Thoth is the God of Sacred Writing and Imagery. These webinars form an adventurous journey within, and will unlock in you the experience of Wonder, Beauty and Mystery: towards your personal life and the world around you.
The lessons are based on a combination of ancient Egyptian texts, and the practices who were past on ‘from mouth to ear’ over generations by withdrawn spiritual schools.
Among the topics are:
The Book of Thoth
Training the Body of Light
The Body of a God
The Eye of Thoth
The Temple Body
Astrology in Mythology
Preparing the House of Life
Daily Ritual
Assuming Godforms
The first keys to Sacred Writing
Etc, etc…
How can I participate?
You can enroll in a series of webinars. Together we will journey through a broad spectrum of Egyptian topics.
Every week we will meet on Zoom. This makes it possible for everybody on this globe to participate in this exciting adventure!
In order to make this more accessible for people who want to join, I have divided the webinars in five series of each twelve lessons. In case you miss a lesson or a module, you will always be able to catch up.
For whom is this training; For everyone who wants to deepen their insight into the Hermetic Mystery Tradition and who loves Egypt, Meditation and practical magical work.
What; During twelve hours of webinars, you will journey into Inner Egypt and receive one hour of transpersonal coaching on your spiritual development. Where; Via Zoom weekly on Wednesdays, from 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CEST/CET (Amsterdam time zone). When; Start June 26 2024. Price; For this first module of 12 one-hour webinar lessons plus one transpersonal coaching session of one hour via Zoom is € 275,00
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An age-old and condemned philosophy that makes you look at the (Western) world in a radically different way
Last week, the online quality Dutch newspaper ‘De Correspondent’, published an important article about Hermetics. The article is written by Bregje Hofstede. In the article Bregje gives us a skilled summary of the Hermetic Philosophy, and in this newsletter, I want to give you a translation of the most important parts of her article, together with some comments of myself.
The topic of explaining what Hermetics are is complex. The journey that I made myself throughout its history: skipping between its original sources and its deformations by Christianity, combined with a lack of understanding from the side of translators that crippled the original philosophy, testing the mental techniques by practicing them: has been a journey with pitfalls for me, that lasted the last 35 years. Practicing Hermetics is a wonderous journey, filled with the most illuminating experiences that one can imagine, a Knowing from deep within. From that angle I can testify of the results of practicing Hermetics, of its healing aspects, the development of consciousness, the development of a connection with something I can only describe as Cosmic Consciousness. But now, lets go into the article of Bregje:
Hermetics is a spiritual movement that flourished in Egypt between the second and fourth centuries AD. I picked up the book Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination, by Professor Wouter J. Hanegraaff. I didn’t expect that I would recognize myself, or rather: us, as we live now, in that text. But I did, and I was shocked by what I saw.
A Way Out of a Dark Age
The Hermetics are a collection of texts from late antiquity, written by followers of the mythical philosopher Hermes Trismegistus. The best-known text is the Asclepius. This is a Latin translation that is probably quite far removed from the original, which has been lost. Many Hermetic texts have come down to us through early medieval Byzantine copies, but the Christian scribes probably greatly purified or ‘clarified’ the texts in the light of their own Christian worldview.
This is the translation problem I pointed out in my intro: words, concepts and principles have been mistranslated, because of a lack of understanding, or for political and religious reasons.
Egypt, long under the thumb of Rome, suffered from this chaos. Local religion also suffered: Christianity began its hegemony, other spiritual knowledge was criminalized and disappeared, or had already disappeared. The Asclepius warns of the disastrous consequences of this: the gods will depart, and the future is dark; men will behave like sleepwalkers, and the world will collapse. Sound familiar?
The lessons that Hermetics are all about are mainly practical
The Hermetic followers feared to be the last generation to know what was important: the truth, for example. Delusions would prevail. “The people who come after us will be seduced by cunning sophistries and will be alienated from the real, pure, holy love of wisdom,” said the Asclepius.
Because of the ignorance of humanity, “the reverent will be taken for foolish, and the irreverent will be honored,” it says in the Asclepius. “The universe will no longer be admired […]. [Instead] [the people] will despise her, this beautiful world, created by Divinity. […] As for the soul and all that is connected with it […], all that will be considered ridiculous and ridiculous.”
To avert these catastrophes – if that is still possible – you must practice the ‘Way of Hermes’ (Trismegistus). Its purpose is to free you from negativity, and to open your eyes to the beauty of existence, by connecting you to the androgynous, ultimate divine Source from which all life, the Good and the True originate—so that you can be a channel for it, and let those things flow into the world.
This practical Way of Hermes is a journey of mental exercises, that need to be practiced on a daily basis to become effective. Its practice gives you the mental discipline to deal with disasters at the moments that they need your attention, but to also park those very same disasters and enjoy the beauty of the world around you during the times of crisis.
A metaphor for this ability, is that the mental exercises are comparable with learning how to surf on the waves of the sea. When you start, you end up in the water with every wave and have to climb aboard again. Gradually you are able to brave more powerful waves. And the well-trained surfer can conquer the waves at the coasts of Hawaii while keep standing upright. In a similar way the mental training of the Hermetic tradition helps you to keep upright and inspired under the most extreme circumstances of life.
Medicine for the sick soul
That sounds abstract, and there is a lot to read about that Source and the many forms of Divinity, According to Hermeticism, humanity is a unique mixture: an earthly god, with a body and a soul, tangible and intangible. Human beings are “embodied gods, whose job it is to take care of the world through their bodies, while their spiritual part remains connected to the divine Source.” Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 64
But the lessons that Hermetics are all about were mostly practical. They were supposed to give people access to a spiritual experience that cannot be captured with language or logic, and that was meant to be medicine for the sick soul. The knowledge and skills required for this healing, passed on in small groups, include spells, intoxicating incense and light effects.
There are people who belief that the Hermetics might have used hallucinogenic plants, but the evidence of this opinion is rather slim. In my personal experience this is completely unnecessary, since the exercises produce such strong effects on the endocrine system, that the ‘hallucinogenic effects’ can be induced on purpose and under full mental control. The expansion of consciousness takes place during the meditations by means of a dialogue with the ‘Teacher Inside’, and deepens by full interaction with the natural world in daily consciousness.
During the translations of the original Hermetic texts, the philosophy was translated, but the mental exercises were omitted because scholars thought them to be ‘magic and superstition ‘masses of rubbish’, according to the classicist Walter Scott, who published an influential English-language edition of the Hermetics in 1924, which omitted ‘astrology, magic, alchemy, and other forms of pseudoscience’.
This is of course an opinion, and has nothing to do with what Hermetics is all about. But this is the reason why Hermetics were regarded taboo, until even 15 years ago, and were shunned even in Academic circles who study ancient texts.
Academics preferred to focus on the ‘serious’ Platonic theory that can also be found in Hermeticism, rather than on ‘magic’, according to the pattern: rational Greeks versus pagan, superstitious Egyptians. Hanegraaff reverses this logic: it is precisely the practical search for enlightenment that is at the heart of Hermetics.
An ecological spirituality
This preference for reason and mind over practice and body is still the norm in the West today. But that default duality: thinking in opposing concepts, such as body-mind, man-woman, in which mixtures or fusions are considered impossible, is completely dismantled in Hermetic. That’s exactly what makes it so fascinating. Body and mind are not separated, the body is not base and sinful. The world is not a vale of tears in the face of a distant, unreachable heaven.
This is, you could say, an ecological spirituality. Contempt for the earthly is alien to Hermetic; For a long time, Hermetic spirituality was interpreted by all kinds of academics, Hanegraaff shows. For it is very easy to see in a strange mindset only what you recognize, and to interpret the strange in the light of the familiar. On the contrary, “the whole cosmos is a temple.” Source: Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 270 The task of humanity is to take care of this, by bringing the good and true into the material world, so that it becomes the perfect reflection of its divine Source.
All the magic that is written down in the original Hermetic Texts, including the even older Egyptian source materials are aimed on self-improvement, healing, understanding of Cosmic Truths, balancing the practitioners in a chaotic world. The difficulty is that the ancient languages work with metaphors and i-magi-nary images. This is a language that needs to be learned and understood. It is a method to communicate with one’s subconscious mind, and becomes increasingly meaningful during years of practice.
That Source is constantly trying to bring forth life, and producing life is never a bad thing. It also follows that women are equal.There is little explicit about gender in Hermetics. But the lack of fear of the body also implies that there is no curse on the people responsible for the embodiment – those with a uterus. We also know that women also taught this spiritual knowledge; for example, we know by name the Egyptian teacher Theosebeia, from the late third century.‘
The Hermetic meaning of the concept of Divinity is that it is single and plural at the same time, male and female. Every divine force is dual, otherwise materialization is impossible. It is stunning that even today, scholars use the world ‘God’ only in the male sense, although it is an established fact that in the original ancient texts, it was a combination of male and female, even in the Bible!
Moreover, Hanegraaff argues, Diotima is important for hermetic thought, the visionary who taught Socrates what he knew about erotica and ‘showed him the way’, as he himself said. Diotima stated – very briefly – that humanity does not have to strive to escape from the material to absolute beauty (say: crawl out of Plato’s cave), but that it was all about bringing beauty into the material world (the cave): ‘giving birth in beauty’. Giving birth could be about human children, but also metaphorically about the creation of art or just laws. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 106 and sex is not dirty, but rather ‘the ultimate mystery of birth and creation’.
Here I want to add something important. Sex was not only ‘not dirty,’ it was a sacred act. In the ancient temples the Hieros Gamos was performed, a sacred marriage act where the King and the Land were married in a sacred ceremony. The priestesses who took the role of the Goddess, were revered with great honor. It was only in the time of Herodotus, where this method of worship was compared to prostitution; an act of blasphemy of a competitive religion!
Imagine for a moment that this view, and not the Christian one, Christianity, in the form that eventually became dominant, has not turned out to be very female-friendly or sex- and body-positive; and in terms of ecology, the consequences are not very rosy either.
With a less toxic image of women, that half of the population might have been able to play a very different role than it has been allowed to do for the past two thousand years. And if we believed that our sacred task was to take care of this world, instead of expecting salvation in a distant afterlife, we might not be so deep in ecological shit now.
Everything starts with wonder
The core of Hermetic spirituality, according to Hanegraaff, is a fascination with physicality. How can you understand body and soul as one? In Hermeticism there is no difference between matter and (divine) ‘soul’ or spirit. The two dimensions of reality (the physical and the spiritual) are in fact one, but our limited minds cannot experience it that way until we have attained the ultimate understanding – ‘gnosis’. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 3How can you find salvation, not only after death, but while living in your body?
That experience does not start with the contradiction between ‘soul and spirit’, but with the concept that death does not exist. Everything is alive, also the deceased are alive. And there is a parallel ‘Otherworld’, a world of the Spirit, that is causal to the manifested world. In this sense the concept of reincarnation is also not alien to the ancient world.
In Hermetics, the body is not the problem: what happens in the body is the challenge. As an embodied human being, you are plagued by an incessant stream of unreliable impressions (phantasmata) that you receive through your senses, and that fills a large part of your conscious and subconscious. “What we think of as normal human consciousness is in fact an altered state of knowledge: a delusional state of mental alienation and deep confusion,” Hanegraaff sums it up. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 155
This phenomenon of Phantasmata is fundamental concept that Hermetism shares with Zen Buddhism, called Makyō. These are the phenomena–visions, hallucinations, fantasies, revelations, illusory sensations–which during practicing meditation are experienced at a particular stage.
In the meantime, you are also thwarted by ‘daimons’ or powerful forces that reside in the body, such as anger, envy and possessiveness. These can be exorcised by inviting opposing, positive forces; through wisdom (gnosis) ignorance will be chased away, through generosity, avarice, etc. There is a special ritual for this, which Hanegraaff discusses in detail in his book.
Two points are of interest here; the word ‘daimon’ was often wrongly translated for ‘demon’. One can imagine how this translation error dramatically changes the meaning of a text and the emotions of the person interpreting the content. The next word that causes misunderstanding is the word ‘exorcism’. In our mind we see the Hollywood movies, with priest fighting with devils. But the word ‘exorcism’ in this context simply means ‘transformation’. Something a lot of people do nowadays, working through traumata with the help of their psychotherapists.
If you don’t feel a sense of wonder at the beauty of the world, you’re not open to the ultimate enlightenment
As a result, the central hermetic virtue comes under pressure: namely, wonder. It all starts with wonder. Those who do not feel wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the world are certainly not open to the ultimate enlightenment: a saving spiritual insight into how the world really is, which is called ‘gnosis’ in Greek.
We don’t even have a term for it, because we usually assume that the visible and measurable encompasses the whole of reality. Even though that is objectively nonsense: we know that there are many things that we humans do not perceive (think of X-rays, infrared light or sound at certain frequencies). But ‘gnosis’ goes far beyond that. It is the ultimate truth, which is of a very different nature from the sensuous, and which can only be perceived with a special spiritual sense, a kind of built-in mystical intuition, for which again we have no word: ‘nous’.
Beauty, Wonder and Mystery are the keywords for Hermeticism. Nous is something that one develops during years of meditation practice. The subconscious mind becomes able to contact and communicate with the superconscious mind, and in this dialogue, Nous is communicated, Cosmic Wisdom, comparable with the Kabbalistic concept of Da’ath.
When you see the Light, you immediately understand that there is no difference between the light and yourself: ‘You are divine light looking at divine light.’ That light or source is also called ‘nous’, and you perceive it with your ‘nous’. To put it bluntly: you perceive the great Consciousness with your Consciousness. You might imagine that you have a magnet in your heart, without knowing it, and only feel it when it reacts to another magnet. Before that moment, you didn’t know you were observing magnetism at all. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination’ (2022), p. 166
In other words, like the Egyptian God Horus says, on his search for his deceased father Osiris; ‘Be silent, a god speaks to a God’.
Suppose this was our worldview, I keep thinking. Suppose we hadn’t separated body and soul, and then erased the soul from the picture, leaving only bare matter. Hermetics, as I read them, whispered promises of a world in which you look for beauty here and now, not in some distant, abstract or digital world. In which reality is more layered and richer than we think.
It’s not that these ideas are so strange; it’s that they suddenly make your normal ideas strange.But the remaining thought is simple. That’s how different you can see the world. And – if we all did that – how different would the world be?
Well Bregje, if you want to know how different the world can be, you could sign up for one of our online video training courses. The Book of Thoth of The Egyptian Journey
I would like to ask you to click on the original article by Bregje, so that her excellent article gets a lot of clicks:
The Greek philosopher Plutarch was well informed about the Egyptian Mysteries. His writings help us to understand the meaning of the Egyptian symbolical language. When we apply his directions, we are able to understand the deeper meaning of the Egyptian myths and legends;
‘Those who believe the legends told about Typhon, Osiris, and Isis, realise that they don’t refer to either gods or men, but to certain great Powers. It does not matter what the Gods wear, or how they look like. It matters how their powers feel. In this way, a dog represents vigilance, alertness, the ability to distinguish friend from enemy.’
During the Egyptian Journey you will learn to apply the directions of Plutarch and look at the different layers of Egyptian Mythology, to discover the Gods Inside. You will also practice the techniques that have been handed over during many generations in secret orders; to practice the ancient techniques for developing Higher Consciousness; applied High Magic and the use of symbols and of riddles.
These webinars form an adventurous journey within, and will unlock in you the experience of Wonder, Beauty and Mystery: towards your personal life and the world around you.
How can I participate?
You can enrol in a series of webinars. Together we will journey through a broad spectrum of Egyptian topics.
Every week we will meet on Zoom. This makes it possible for everybody on this globe to participate in this exciting adventure!
In order to make this more accessible for people who want to join, I have divided the webinars in five series of each twelve lessons. In case you miss a lesson or a module, you will always be able to catch up.
For whom is this training?
For everyone who wants to deepen their insight into the Hermetic Mystery Tradition and who loves Egypt, Meditation and practical magical work.
What During twelve hours of webinars, you will journey into Inner Egypt and receive one hour of transpersonal coaching on your spiritual development.
Where Via Zoom weekly on Wednesdays, from 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CEST/CET (Amsterdam time zone).
When Start March 6 2024.
Price For this first module of 12 one-hour webinar Lessons plus one transpersonal coaching session of one hour via Zoom is € 275,00
Did you know that the Tarot is in fact a series of 78 mandala’s? Most people know the tarot cards as a tool to predict the future. But the cards have to offer much more than this. Every card is connected to classical Astrology, to the Hermetic Kabbala and aligns us to the changing seasons of nature. But most important of all: the Tarot is a great tool for personal and spiritual development!
The first card of the Tarot deck depicts the Fool. Who is the Fool? The Fool is a metaphor for yourself. You are the Fool; you carry a bag with you that contains the Wisdom of the Universe. You fell from Heaven and arrived in your body at the Carnival feast of your own life at your birth. Then the struggle of life begins: as a soul flame of pure heavenly light, you now meet your own shadow, because life on this planet is of dual nature.
The Journey of the Fool is your journey through your life; by trial and error you unpack the pouch you carry with you over your shoulder; the pouch that was filled with Universal Wisdom, the pouch that was given to you, before your descent into the World of Matter. Step by step you gather the pieces of the magical mirror that broke when you fell from Unity and gradually you put your image of yourself together again.
By means of guided meditations the Tarot Journey takes you through the great Archetypes of the Great Arcana. You learn to solve problems of life by means of the mental techniques that the Fool is taught by the Inner Plane Guides who help him on his journey over the ‘Way Back’.
I look at the road and ask; ‘Where are you going?’ ‘Where do you want to go?’ answers the Way Back ‘I want to visit the Miraculous, I want to explore the Depth of Things.’
In the first module of the Online Journey ‘The Descent’ you meet the Fool in yourself and start a journey through the Tarot cards, that is full of Wondering, Beauty and Miracles. You learn to use the Tarot cards as tools to expand your consciousness beyond the physical world, passed the psychological reality, into the Transpersonal Realm of Cosmic Wisdom.
The first module of the Tarot Journey is online now. It consists of video’s that contain teaching lectures, guided meditations, homework assignments and personal feedback.
How can I participate?
You can order ‘The Descent’ from our webshop. You follow the instructions you get through email and in the video’s and you make an appointment to meet one of our supervisors online to receive feedback on your experiences. In this way you start the Journey of the Fool.
For whom is this training?
For everyone who wants to deepen their insight in the Hermetic Mystery Tradition and who loves the Tarot, Meditation and practical magical work.
What You get access to training video’s that contain teaching lectures, guided meditations, homework assignments and you receive personal feedback.
Did you know that our mental training programs are based on techniques from ancient times? Modern techniques such as NLP, Hypnotherapy and mental toughness were already known in cultures prior to our era. Meditation techniques such as mindfulness are also based on spiritual training practices that were practiced in ancient times.
Mouth-to-ear, mental training techniques were passed on from teacher to student, through the generations. Not only in the East, but also in the West through the trainings within monastic and noble orders, but also through the Hermetic Mystery Tradition. These techniques are not always immediately recognizable, they are hidden in plain sight; in old stories, in symbols, in body postures and in language patterns.
Within the Hermetic Mystery Tradition, we practice these very ancient techniques, among other things, by putting ourselves in the shoes of the ancient Egyptian priesthood. In this way we learn to train awareness: to feel intensely, to observe, to listen, with full attention. We also train our imagination because the mental power of visualisation is a crucial skill.
Ancient wisdom teaches us to perceive in a new way. Through guided meditations, contemplation on symbols, based on ancient Egyptian source texts, and brought to life by means of passed down techniques, the Egyptian Mysteries open doors for us that would otherwise remain closed. Because Western spiritual culture has its foundations in ancient Egypt, the results for the regular practitioner of Egyptian techniques are spectacular. Purely based on mind techniques, without the help of artificial substances, you can reach higher states of consciousness through these techniques.
I am therefore very happy to be able to tell you that during the upcoming season of webinars, we will be focusing on the Egyptian Mysteries. We are going to start the first module of the Egyptian Journey! As the famous ‘Book of Thoth’ describes;
‘Enchant the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea. Understand the language of birds, fish, and beasts. See the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and the great shapes of the Gods themselves; and so strong is the magic that the fishes come up from the darkest depths of the sea.
During twelve weeks we will delve into the background and practice of the Egyptian methods to reach higher consciousness. Some of the topics we are going to cover are;
The relevance of Egyptian spiritual techniques to modern man.
How do you open your Inner Worlds to the ancient Egyptian mindset?
The family tree of the Egyptian Gods and how to work with the different gods,
Training the Inner Senses,
The mindset of working with ancient Egyptian symbols
Distinguishing between different levels of consciousness, working in a light body.
The deeper layers of Egyptian myths and fairy tales.
Guided meditations to internalize the backgrounds.
How can I participate? You can enrol in a series of webinars. Together we will journey through a broad spectrum of Egyptian topics. Every week we will meet on Zoom. This makes it possible for everybody on this globe to participate in this exciting adventure!
In order to make this more accessible for people who want to join, I have divided the webinars in five series of each twelve lessons. In case you miss a lesson or a module, you will always be able to catch up.
For whom is this training? For everyone who wants to deepen their insight into the Western Mystery Tradition and who loves Egypt, Meditation and practical magical work.
What: During twelve hours of webinars, you will journey into Inner Egypt and receive one hour of transpersonal coaching on your spiritual development.
Where: Via Zoom weekly on Wednesdays, from 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CEST/CET (Amsterdam time zone). When: Start March 6 2024. Price: For this first module of 12 one-hour webinar Lessons plus one transpersonal coaching session of one hour via Zoom is € 275,00
It has been a while ago since you received a newsletter from me, I have been very busy developing training materials. Now is the time to share exiting news with you!
The last years I have been mostly teaching by means of webinars. This resulted in a series of video lessons, which I will now start publishing online. These lessons are for everyone who want to get a more in-depth grip on the Tarot, the Kabbala on Astrology and the connected mythological stories.
This material is unique! The webinars about the Tarot, the Kabbala and Astrology together create one storyline in the form of meditations: which I call ‘the Online Journey’. Storytelling is a very powerful method: when skilfully applied in meditations, it can bring about lifechanging inner experiences!
The guided meditations of the Online Journey enable you to easily get a grip on the deep wisdom teachings of the Hermetic Mystery Tradition. Because you learn in the form of inner experiences, the Wisdom Teachings become a part of your inner world, a world of beauty, wonder and mystery, which get you into increasingly closer contact with your Inner Light, step by step through the series.
With these video lessons, it is possible for everyone around the world to access a high quality training in the Hermetic Mystery Tradition, from your home, on the times that are the most comfortable for you. Meanwhile you can benefit from the knowledge of our trainers and supervisors, who are happy to give you advice and feedback on your Online Journeys.
https://vimeo.com/895551442
Let me show you how you can find these Online Journeys.
Then you click on Online Journey . Now you enter into the Online Academy.
When you make a personal account, you get access to the ‘Free Webinars’, here you find a small series of teaching sessions to try out.
You also see The Descent – Online Journey 1. Behind this title you see a little key. Under the titles of the guided meditations you find a button ‘Buy this training’. When you click on this button you are taken into the shop.
When you order Online Journey 1, you will receive an email with the instructions how to get access to the video lessons, and then you can login and access the video’s.
For me it was an intense and beautiful journey to create these online lessons. For the students who are already working at the Academy, and who made this journey, it has been an adventurous road of self-discovery, that brought them practical and powerful mind altering techniques and realizations.
Do you want to learn how Tarot, Astrology, Kabbala and Mythology fit together, do you long for mental techniques that expand your consciousness and heal your soul, wisdom teachings that you can implement in your own life, then this is the training for you!
I am very happy to share this journey with you, and I wish you the same Beauty, Wonder and Mysteries, that these meditations brought me.
Regression can cause progress by reversing the target. Go back in time to enrich your future with wonder, beauty and mystery!
Do you like theatre or re-enactment? Do you dare to step out of the box? Do you long to take this one step further and experience the spiritual dimension of ancient Mystery plays?
Imagine yourself belonging to the Egyptian priesthood, worshipping the ancient Gods through mythological drama. Find yourself floating down the river Nile on an old-fashioned sailboat in ancient Egypt. Above your head a clear blue sky and a bright hot sun. In front of you, gigantic temple buildings loom up, their majestic forms vibrate in the heat; are they fata morgana or real buildings? The air smells heavy of herbs, you can scent the intoxicating aroma of the blue lotus. Next to you on the boat sit Egyptian priests and priestesses around the coffin of a holy man. Join us, together we will remember our heritage, worship the ancient gods and submerge ourselves into the secrets of the Egyptian Mysteries during a weekend retreat.
Let me tell you a little bit about my own experiences with Egyptian Mystery plays. Although a strange and unfamiliar experience at first, I quickly noticed how deeply it touched me to re-enact the ancient Egyptian myths in ritual drama. I felt a whole different world opening up inside of me, a world which is strange and familiar at the same time, which deeply moved the core of my heart. I experienced how my innermost essence unfolded like a flower and a mystical dimension opened up deep within me.
In our upcoming workshop “Journey into the Egyptian Mysteries” we will dive into the heart of the meditative techniques of Egyptian Mystery play and ancient Egyptian myths. Together we will discover the meditative dimension of ritual drama. Especially for this workshop we decorate our working space as if it were a hall of an Ancient Egyptian temple. We all wear Egyptian ritual clothing and in our imagination we journey back to a time filled with beauty, wonder and mystery.
Join us and experience how your own innermost being opens up like the sacred Lotus flower. Taste the sweetness of the nectar of the Gods on your lips! Sign up to become a fellow traveller. Journey with us through the mists of time and let the golden light of Horus illuminate your heart.
Enrolment for this magical weekend retreat starts now! The places of this workshop are limited, so be quick to ensure your place!
For Whom: This retreat is of interest for everyone who wants to engage in Egyptian Mythology, who wants to participate in mystery play, meditation and ritual drama, or who wants to experience the mystical level of re-enactment.
Dress code: Long white robe with either a black wick or a Nemhys headdress, and temple sandals.
Where: Kloster Drübeck, Klostergarten 6, 38871 Ilsenburg, Germany
When: We start our weekend retreat on Friday, the 27th of October 2023 at 19.30 pm. The workshop lasts until October 29th, 17.00 pm.
Costs:
The price for the workshop plus the workshop book is € 295,00 Euro, of which a non-returnable deposit of € 150,00 must be paid in forward to ensure your reservation. The payment of the total sum of € 295,00 must be made no later than 30 September 2023; one month before the start of the retreat. Early birds who complete the payment before August 31 2023, will receive a discount of € 25,00.
Bed and board, based on a single room for two nights is € 206,00 Euro. Bed and board for a double room is € 338,00 for the weekend. The costs for two nights bed and board (2x breakfast, 2x lunch and 1x supper) have to be paid directly to Kloster Drübeck.
If you cancel less than a month before the workshop, you owe 30% of the total cost to Kloster Drübeck. For this reason we recommend you to take out a travel cancellation insurance.
Rooms in the monastery are limited to 15 participants. If you book late, you run the risk of having to find an accommodation nearby. We can assist you in booking either the Kloster or another hotel accommodation.
I will soon start a series of webinars called the ‘Hall of the Mountain King’. A series of lessons and meditations about the Minor Arcana of the Tarot. Some sages in the past called the wisdom stored in these images ‘The Beginnings of Wisdom’.
The Tarot is a greatly underestimated training tool. Many see the cards as a tool for fortune telling or as a tool to solve personal problems. But they have no clue how to use the cards, other than picking them at random and let their phantasy run wild.
Initiates of the Western Mystery Tradition know that the cards are keys to unmeasurable treasures of the mind. They are a training tool, an aid to open the mind to the deep layers of meditation. Used in the correct way, the cards train you to apply mental techniques that turn problems into opportunities.
The Tarot is sometimes called ‘The Book of Thoth’, and that is spot-on. The Book of Thoth is an unsurpassed magical treasure, it is the key to important mental powers.
The Book of Thoth is not easy to find and most certainly not easy to handle without the right knowledge:
“The Book is at Koptos in the middle of the river. In the middle of the river is an iron box, In the iron box is a bronze box, In the bronze box is a keté-wood box, In the keté-wood box is an ivory-and-ebony box, In the ivory-and-ebony box is a silver box, In the silver box is a gold box, And in the gold box is the Book of Thoth.
Round about the great iron box are snakes and scorpions and all manner of crawling things, and above all there is a snake which no man can kill. These are set to guard the Book of Thoth.”
Of course this is all ancient symbolic alchemical language. When you are able to unlock the different boxes – this means that you are able to apply the knowledge from the Book in the correct way – When you are able to read the first page, you will;
‘Enchanted the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea. You can understand the language of birds, fish, and beasts.
When you are able to read the second page, you can:
‘See the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and the great shapes of the Gods themselves; and so strong is the magic that the fishes come up from the darkest depths of the sea.
How to find the Book of Thoth?
How find the Book of Thoth and unlock the different boxes that protect its secrets? Many people are aware that there is ‘something more’ to life, a hidden depth that makes life meaningful and sacred. But first you need to develop the right mindset. With the help of the Minor Arcana cards we will discover these hidden treasures, mental techniques that help to develop your mind to reach the layers of magical an mystical consciousness, who enable you to enchant the ‘fishes’, so that they will come up from the ‘darkest depths of the sea’ of your subconscious mind.
The images of my tarot deck ‘The Book of the Caves’ all serve as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
Every magical image represents the spiritual journey, starting from the outer world into the inner core, through layers. Every tarot card unlocks the cultural spiritual and magical legacy of generations and generations of ancestors. Every one of the cards is accompanied by in-depth meditation exercises and magical techniques. All the cards together tell the story of the Soul that develops and grows towards the Light.
How can I participate?
I have developed a series of webinars. Together we will go through an entire Circle of the Year to experience the energies of the Hall of the Mountain King, card by card, image by image. Every week we will meet on Zoom. This makes it possible for everybody on this globe to participate in this exciting adventure!
In order to make this more accessible for people who want to join, I have divided the webinars in four series of each twelve lessons. In case you miss a lesson, you will always be able to catch up.
For Whom For everyone who wants to deepen their insight into the Western Mystery Tradition and who loves Tarot, Meditation and practical magical work.
What During twelve hours of webinars about the Minor Arcana, we will journey through the first quarter of the Hall of the Mountain King, plus one hour of individual coaching on your spiritual development.
Where Via Zoom on Wednesdays, from 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CEST/CET (Amsterdam time zone).
When Start October 19 2022. The exact dates of each lesson can be found on the Calendar of the website.
Price per quarter 12 Lessons of each one hour € 269,00 plus one individual coaching session of one hour via Zoom.
Don’t hesitate and enroll for this adventure, and add to basket
As many of you know, I am working on my tarot deck ‘The Book of the Caves’. ‘The Book of the Caves’ is an imaginative book that contains 78 magical images. All these images serve as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
Every magical image represents the spiritual journey, starting from the outer world into the inner core, through layers. Every tarot card unlocks the cultural spiritual and magical legacy of generations and generations of ancestors. Every one of the cards is accompanied by in-depth meditation exercises and magical techniques. All the cards together tell the story of the Soul that develops and grows towards the Light.
The Book of the Caves tarot
Each card is an artwork of its own, a focus point for meditations, as well as an altarpiece for rituals. Every tarot card gives access to transformative powers. The cards are keys that open ‘The Gates of Wonder’. They open gates of your unconscious mind and they give access to an inner realm, where Magic is real and Miracles take place. This realm is called ‘The Enchanted Land’. On the roads that run through to the Enchanted Land, you can find magical treasures and can make huge personal transformations. I want to invite you to join me on this adventure.
The Enchanted Land
A magical journey into the Enchanted Land is an exciting adventure, it is a pilgrimage into the sacred realms of your Deep Mind. It starts with an in-depth research into historical texts, it leads to the miracle that causes your Inner World to open its richness, to start to blossom. The journeys into the Enchanted Land open your mind to Spiritual Pleasures, to miracles and set the flow of inspiration in motion. They bring true magic into your life.
The Hall of the Mountain King
Our journey will take us through the Minor Arcana cards. Although these cards are called ‘Minor’, there is nothing minor about them. Did you know that all the Minor Arcana Cards are connected to constellations of stars? The Minor Arcana cards are important keys to Stellar Mysteries, Magical Grimoires and Egyptian Mysteries. In the Book of the Caves, the Minor Arcana Cards are called ‘The Hall of the Mountain King’.
Despite their cosmic meanings, the magical images of the Hall of the Mountain King are a reality lived. Because of the relationship that exists in the Caves between the outer world (the Universe) and our inner world (the Enchanted Land), every symbol in a tarot card resonates the connection ‘As Above, so Below, as Without, so Within’. They are associated with the subtle body and with aspects of human consciousness.
How can I participate?
I have developed a series of webinars. Together we will go through an entire Circle of the Year to experience the energies of the Hall of the Mountain King, card by card, image by image. Every week we will meet on Zoom. This makes it possible for everybody on this globe to participate in this exiting adventure!
In order to make this more accessible for people who want to join, I have divided the webinars in four series of each twelve lessons. In case you miss a lesson, you will always be able to catch up.
For Whom For everyone who wants to deepen their insight into the Western Mystery Tradition and who loves Tarot, Meditation and practical magical work.
What During twelve hours of webinars about the Minor Arcana, we will journey through the first quarter of the Hall of the Mountain King, plus one hour of individual coaching on your spiritual development.
Where Via Zoom on Wednesdays, from 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CEST/CET (Amsterdam time zone).
When: Start October 19 2022. The exact dates of each lesson can be found on the Calendar of the website.
Price per season: 12 Lessons of each one hour € 269,00 plus one individual coaching session of one hour via Zoom.
Do you know that mythology and ancient folk tales contain powerful techniques for self-development? Do you know that these ancient stories contain powerful patterns of the deep mind which can be used for self-empowerment? These patterns can help you discover your unique talents and abilities.
People think that it is a hard job to work at yourself, but surprisingly fantasy is the most underestimated tool and imagination has been proven to be an important bridge to contact the deep mind. Both these tools make this work into a meaningful, a joyful and even an ecstatic experience.
The weekend retreat “Merlin’s Secrets” is based on very ancient and proven methods for self-development. Beauty, wonder and mystery open the gate to the Realm of the Imagination, where you enter as a Grail Seeker into the Enchanted Lands of your deep self. Can you imagine yourself experiencing your life’s adventure as a valiant Knight or a beautiful Faery Lady at the Court of King Arthur at the Round Table?
“Merlin’s Secrets” takes you on a quest to the Enchanted Lands of your Inner Self. You will participate into a quest for your personal mission to become the best version of your Self. The carefully chosen mental and spiritual exercises pave your way on the age-old Search for the Holy Grail. How to find the Grail Castle? In it are hidden the secrets to develop your unique talents and discover the hidden treasures of your Deep Mind. Do you dare to pass the Gates of Wonder and pass their challenges?
During this weekend you will transform into a Knight or a Faery Lady of the Round Table, enter your enchanted Inner Kingdom, and make an adventurous journey on the quest for Inner Treasures.
We look for Knights and Lady who yearn to join our Fellowship of the Grail and accompany us on this adventurous journey, to find the Grail Castle and learn how Merlin’s Secrets are the Key to the unfolding of your inner riches. You will learn to illuminates your Inner World, and to take care of your Enchanted Land. It will flourish and develop into an unending source of wonder, beauty and magic, an inner treasure that makes you a true Knight or Lady of the Court of Joy.
“What is the Grail and whom does it serve?”
Dare to answer these age-old questions and walk the Beautiful Road of your inner development! The Quest for the Grail is both a solo mission and an adventure taken on as a Fellowship. Join the Court of Joy, and enjoy the company of fellow travelers on this exciting path. Join us and discover Merlin’s Secrets.
FOR WHOM: It’s for everyone over 18 years of age who is interested in self-development. WHERE: the Eulenburg in 37520 Osterode, right at the border at the enigmatic Harz mountains in Germany. WHAT: We will spend the weekend using guided meditation exercises and even ritual drama to explore the Arthurian mythological landscape for our own personal development. WHEN: Start August 19th Friday evening 20.00 – 22.00, Saturday 20th from 10.00 – 22.00, Sunday 21th from 10.00 until +/- 17.00 O-Clock. PRICE: € 295,00 handouts, coffee, tea and one Magical Banquet included
We can assist you in finding fitting accommodation near the workshop site in various price ranges. The places for this unique event are limited and enrollment will close soon, so don’t hesitate and ENROLL NOW!
Do you love all things medieval? Do you enjoy Renaissance Fairs and reenactment, and yet, you long for more? Are you fascinated by the myths of King Arthur and the knights and ladies of the Round Table? Did you know that you can make use of these mythical figures to discover your Inner Worlds where beauty and wisdom live? Do you want to discover this Inner Kingdom hidden deep inside yourself?
Then step into the shoes of the famous Lords and Ladies of the Round Table step into the magical world of Gwenifar, Morgana, Merlin, identify with famous grail knights and join us on mysterious quest for the most sacred of all inner riches: the Holy Grail. Discover the how the enchanted lakes and mysterious forests of the myths are a part of your Inner Landscape. There we will search for the magical Grail Castle, heal the Fisher King from his nasty wound and partake in the mysterious procession of the Grail. Thus we will find the entrance to Land of Joy which is located deep inside of your sacred self as the White Hart. Join us and discover your rightful place as the hero on the eternal Quest for Holiest of the Holy!
During our quest through the Enchanted Land we will discover the rich treasures that are hidden there. When we find them, they become magical tools, available for our use. This intensive journey into your Sacred Self is both a solo mission and an adventure taken on as a Fellowship. Are you brave enough to experience medieval myth as a way of developing your Sacred Self? Do you dare to try the ancient meditation techniques and Ritual Drama to delve into the depths of your mind?
Enrolment is closing soon so be quick and join us now! Experience Merlin’s Secrets!
FOR WHOM: It’s for everyone who loves meditation and reenactment, who wants to explore the power of ritual drama. WHERE: the Eulenburg in 37520 Osterode, right at the border at the enigmatic Harz mountains in Germany. WHAT: We will spend the weekend using guided meditation exercises and ritual drama to explore the Arthurian mythological landscape to experience the wealth of our inner vision. WHEN: Start August 19th Friday evening 20.00 – 22.00, Saturday 20th from 10.00 – 22.00, Sunday 21th from 10.00 until +/- 17.00 O-Clock. PRICE: € 295,00 handouts, coffee, tea and one Magical Banquet included
We can assist you in finding fitting accommodation near the workshop site in various price ranges. The places for this unique event are limited, so don’t hesitate and ENROL NOW!
I am happy to announce that the online meditation for the fourth Tarot Trump is ready. In the Smith-Waite tarot this card is called the Emperor, but this title does not give much information about the nature of this card, nor about its history or mythology. To understand the full impact of this card, it is important to know that the Arcanum of the Emperor is connected to the month of Aries wherein the feast of Easter is celebrated.
The fourth Arcanum reveals the Mystery of the Sacrifice of the Corn King. These mysteries are described in many stories, among which the Parzifal from Wolfram von Eschenbach. Here we find the story of the wounded Fisher King and based on this myth I have developed:
Trump IV The Fisher King
“You raise from your cubical throne and grab your sword to defend yourself, but before you stand upright, a knight in black armor pushes the lance into your groins with an enormous push. You fall to the ground and roll back and forth, desperately trying to protect a deep bleeding wound ….”
For this Arcanum I have developed a guided meditation of 50 minutes that takes you right into the experience of the Wounded King and the different challenges he has to face. Unravelling starts with a basic question: Who is this wounded king, and what causes his incurable wound?
Many of you know that I have been working on a tarot deck, but few have realized that the cards are only a part of the project. What I have been working on is an extensive magical system, that consists of a multileveled Inner Landscape. I have worked out this landscape completely. Every part of the teaching links together Tarot, Astrology, Geomancy, Magical Treasures, Magical Techniques, guided meditations, background theory, historical research and so on.
From now on I will be publishing teachings in the form of video teachings from each between 45 minutes to one hour in length about the different aspects of the Inner Landscape. The video lessons will be published one by one. Each lesson is a complete teaching. Together they will step by step initiate you into the Inner Landscape through which you travel as The Fool, while trying to find your way through the Labyrinth of Life.
In the guided meditation that I publish this week you will learn to know The Fool and start your journey through the Enchanted Lands …
The Call for Adventure – Pathworking
‘I like to travel and I always look to see if there are old stories about places I plan to visit. Conversely, a story sometimes makes a seemingly meaningless place interesting to visit. For this reason, I climbed Mount Cadair Idris in Wales. Among the people who climbed this mountain before me are the magician Merlin and the poet Yeats. They wrote that if you spend the night on this mountaintop, you change into a visionary or a poet.
So I decided to follow their footsteps. In my naivety, I assumed that there are worse examples to follow. I thought it might be an interesting journey, not realizing that fools walk in areas that angels wouldn’t dare to tread … So here I am, climbing the so-called Chair of the giant Idris. The mountain is steep; I can hear my breathing getting faster. I climb the sandy path through the pine wood. I inhale the smell of mushrooms evaporating from the moist woods. Every time I touch the branches, the pine trees greet me with their spicy perfume, drifting nebula form fragile veils that filter the sun’s light. When the rays of the sun break through the mists, they create cathedrals of light. The leaves of the trees whirl on the wind, rushing, bowing and receiving the blessings of the elements. They move like dancers, engaged in a whirling duet with the ever-changing forces of nature …’
With these words the Journey of the Fool begins, the start of a series of guided meditations that take you through advanced teachings on the Tarot Cards.
In the Western Mystery Tradition we work with creative imagination in order to explore our Inner Worlds. We use them to work with the different parts of the Self, to create changes, to heal old wounds and for personal spiritual development.
The coming months I will start with the publication of a series of guided meditations. The meditations will all be connected to the different sections of the Rose Cross and thus they will explain the Inner Landscapes of the Great Arcana Cards of the Tarot and their connection to mythology. They will be published in separate videos on the website.
The first video of this series will take you into the Inner Worlds. The Inner Worlds consist of many different layers with each a multitude of aspects. This can make it be difficult to keep an overview on the coherence between all those aspects of your Inner Landscape. This is the reason why the Sages of the Ages developed roadmaps for the Inner Work. It is important to use them, so that you can orientate yourself and know the type of Inner Work that can be done in the different areas. The Rose Cross is one of those roadmaps.
During 45 minutes of guided meditation, you journey with the help of a guide through the Inner Landscape following the directions of one of the most important roadmaps. This roadmap will help you to find your way on all your journeys through your Enchanted Land.
Journey with the help of a guide through the Inner Landscape, following the directions of one of the most important roadmaps, the Rose Cross. During 45 minutes of meditation, you will get the instructions that will help you to find your way on all your journeys through your Enchanted Land.
Hypersensitive people often have inexplicable experiences. Through a sudden spiritual awakening, the Veils-between-the-Worlds open, and the Road to Avalon appears. This mostly comes as a shock and raises the conclusion: “There must be ‘more’ to life!” But how to find this and whom to trust to be my guide at this unusual path? What if New Age spirituality is not an option? Then maybe you want to dive into the legacy of well-trusted adepts from the past and from there find the reliable sources of today; adepts like Carl Gustav Jung, Dion Fortune, Isaac Newton and Rudolf Steiner, how where they trained?
Join us on a journey into one of the most underestimated training programs for high sensitive people; the Grail Tradition. Enter the Grail Castle through the Gates of Wonder and learn to develop your psychic and magical skills, by Merlin of Britain and the enchanting Morgaine le Faye. Identify with the knights and ladies, join us at the mythical Round Table and learn directly from the Fay how to enter into the Magical Otherworld: Learn from Nimue to listen for her teachings in the sounds of running rivers, become enchanted by Merlin’s voice rushing in the Winds. Witness the Interior Stars rising one by one, feel how your life gradually changes into an Enchanted Land.
Explore your Inner Kingdom and search for the magical treasures hidden there. This is both a solo journey and an adventure taken on as a Fellowship. Do you dare to look into the magical mirror of the Lady of the Lake and discover how extraordinary your life can become? Drink from the overflowing Grail Chalice and change your hypersensitivity into a blessing. Join us and experience Merlin’s Secrets!
FOR WHOM: It’s for everyone who wants to develop their sensitive talents into a valuable tool. WHERE: the Eulenburg in 37520 Osterode, right at the border at the enigmatic Harz mountains in Germany. WHAT: We will spend the weekend building a solid theoretical background to explore using guided meditation exercises and even ritual drama to explore the Arthurian mythological landscape to experience the wealth of our inner vision. WHEN: Start August 19th Friday evening 20.00 – 22.00, Saturday 20th from 10.00 – 22.00, Sunday 21th from 10.00 until + 17.00 o’clock. PRICE: € 295,00 handouts, coffee, tea and one Magical Banquet included.
We can assist you in finding fitting accommodation near the workshop site in various price ranges. The places for this unique event are limited, so don’t hesitate!
Do you know that the Arthurian Mysteries are a metaphor for self-development? Are you aware that the Arthurian knights and ladies are archetypes that live and work in your very own mind? What exactly is the Grail and whom does it serve?
You, who are on a sacred mission to become the best version of your true Self, do you dare to pass the Gates of Wonder and face the challenges, just like the mythic Arthurian knights? Do you long to answer that Inner Calling and explore your own Enchanted Kingdom?
The Quest for the Grail is both a solo mission and an adventure taken on as a Fellowship. The journey to find your true Inner Being takes you through Enchanted Woods, singing Winds and dancing Fay that reflect themselves in the Lakes of the Land. There is a chance to meet famous magical animals like the Question Beast and the White Heart. Maybe even you will stand face to face with the Sword in the Stone that challenges you: are you fit to become the Once and Future King ruling your own life?
Accompany us on this adventurous journey, join the Fellowship of the Holy Grail. Meet lovesick Sir Lancelot, mysterious Merlin, graceful Guinevere, become enchanted by the magic of Morgana and learn from the knights and ladies of the Court of Joy. Experience the unfolding inner riches and the treasures they contain. Feel the Arthurian sun on your skin and experience how it illuminates your entire inner world. Become the king in your own Grail Castle and feel your Interior Stars lighting up one by one. Join fellow travellers on this exciting path and together taste from the overflowing Grail in your hands.
“What is the Grail and whom does it serve?” Dare to answer these age-old questions and step on the path to inner development yourself! Then join us and experience Merlin’s Secrets from within!
FOR WHOM: It’s for everyone who is interested in self-development. WHERE: the Eulenburg in 37520 Osterode, right at the border at the enigmatic Harz mountains in Germany. WHAT: We will spend the weekend using guided meditation exercises and even ritual drama to explore the Arthurian mythological landscape for our own personal development. WHEN: Start August 19th Friday evening 20.00 – 22.00, Saturday 20th from 10.00 – 22.00, Sunday 21th from 10.00 until + 17.00 o’clock. PRICE: € 295,00 handouts, coffee, tea and one Magical Banquet included.
We can assist you in finding fitting accommodation near the workshop site in various price ranges. The places for this unique event are limited, so don’t hesitate!
Are you a seeker for meaning? Do you want to develop yourself? Do you long for that expansion of consciousness that takes you into the deeper aspects of your soul, beyond psychology and right into cosmic experiences? Are you searching for the wisdom teachings that result in inner illumination?
Hidden in ordinary fairytales, in classical books, operas, sculptures and paintings is an authentic mystery teaching, that takes you right into a very ancient form of western shamanism.
The key to unlock these wisdom teachings is the Hermetic Tree of Life. Hermetic meditation exercises are keys that open doors to worlds of inner riches. They train your mind to access cosmic wisdom. By using a balanced series of very advanced techniques of meditation and applied imagination, you will gain access to the higher spiritual realms. A unique combination of meditation techniques with arts and crafts, with trance journeys, founded on a solid theoretical background, the doors of your Inner Worlds open to Inner Treasures and Healing experiences.
https://vimeo.com/644745364
Listen to Ina to learn more!
This coming trimester we will be working with myths and legends that contain the instructions and techniques of classical western shamanistic and magical practices and we will be discovering even more hidden treasures.
Are you interested in discovering this spiritual path? Do you want to know the secrets of the Paradise Garden, where you find the western shamanistic techniques for Soul Retrieval, or do you want to discover the true nature of the Minotaur? Then enroll for the upcoming trimester. We will start a third series of 18 webinars. We will explore the sacred teachings of seasonal myths via guided meditation and we will be hunting for magical treasures! (The two previous series will be put online in Autumn for backorders.)
For whom: The webinars are for everyone who is interested in personal development, who wants to explore the meaning of life and who wants answers to existential questions. These webinars are of interest for both beginners and for highly trained practitioners of the Western Mystery Tradition: they are chock-full of new information, applied techniques and surprises!
What: 18 webinars of one hour, chock-full with theoretical explanation, meditation exercises, magical techniques and magical treasure hunting.
Place: Zoom. During 18 Wednesday evenings we will gather online, starting on April 20 2022 until August 17 2022, from 19.30 until 20.30 CEST/CET. For more information and enrolling, write to info@hermeticartsandsciences.org
Last week I sent you video about the upcoming webinars wherein I explained what we will be doing coming trimester. As a response I got a list of very good questions. I thought; let’s make a video to answer them, because everyone would like to hear the answers. So, here we go:
https://vimeo.com/647225607
In what language are the webinars? We are an international school, so the main language is English. But we have students who speak Dutch, German and Italian, so if you speak one of those languages we can work out solutions in the case you speak one of those languages.
Do you have an agenda or a program of the titles of the 18 webinars? The webinars follow the Wheel of the Year. This trimester the sun travels through Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Aries. That is the focus of the program. The lessons contain mythical stories, theoretical explanations, arts and crafts and meditations; all related to these four constellations.
Is there homework and how much time will it take me? The only homework comes from arts and crafts, but this is optional. It is up to everyone personally how much extra time you put into this.
I am a beginner, but the webinars are also for advanced practitioners. How do I prepare myself? You don’t have to study extra things. I can imagine that your question stems from the fact that both beginners and advanced participate. Within the classes of the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences, some teaching packages are designed in such a way that everyone can work with them. You start with the experience you have NOW, and from the point where you are NOW. Everyone can take the next step with these lessons. Compare it to music; you yourself are the instrument. You can begin practicing playing the violin and you can be a concert violinist. Both can play the same piece.
Is there extra study material required that is not included in the price? There is no extra study material required. The webinars consist of 18 hours of mostly practical lessons. They are not theory classes. Compare them with musical education or gym classes.
What will I have learned at the end of the series? You will have learned skills: you have laid a foundation for further spiritual development, you have learned a piece of nature spirituality, meditation techniques, creative visualisation. You have learned business in the field of Humanities, Culture History, Hermeticism, Astrology, Magic, Mythology, Philosophy to name a few.
There is possibility for extra guidance I saw. What should I be thinking about? Is that substantive or personal? It is the possibility to book one hour of my time to have a zoom call. You can choose what you want to talk about. That may be a coaching conversation about a personal topic, it may also be a question hour about the work at the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences.
Does the series stand on its own as a completed whole, or is it rather an introduction to further education within your academy? This series stands on its own, it is a module. You don’t need to study anything in advance, there are no obligations towards the future. But of course it is also a great way to get acquainted with the school and its way of working.
Those are the answers to the questions I got. If you have further questions, or if you want to enroll for the webinars, you can contact me at info@hermeticartsandsciences.org
Are you a seeker for meaning? Do you want to develop yourself? Do you long for that expansion of consciousness that takes you into the deeper aspects of your soul, beyond psychology and right into cosmic experiences? Are you searching for the wisdom teachings that result in inner illumination?
Hidden in ordinary fairytales, in classical books, operas, sculptures and paintings is an authentic mystery teaching, that takes you right into a very ancient form of western shamanism.
The key to unlock these wisdom teachings is the Hermetic Tree of Life. Hermetic meditation exercises are keys that open doors to worlds of inner riches. They train your mind to access cosmic wisdom. By using a balanced series of very advanced techniques of meditation and applied imagination, you will gain access to the higher spiritual realms. A unique combination of meditation techniques with arts and crafts, with trance journeys, founded on a solid theoretical background, the doors of your Inner Worlds open to Inner Treasures and Healing experiences.
https://vimeo.com/644745364
Listen to Ina to learn more!
This coming trimester we will be working with myths and legends that contain the instructions and techniques of classical western shamanistic and magical practices and we will be discovering even more hidden treasures.
Are you interested in discovering this spiritual path? Do you want to know why Snow White fell asleep, what the qualities are of the apples that are hanging from Frau Holle’s Tree, or do you want to discover the true nature of Baba Yaga’s house? Then enroll for the upcoming trimester. We will start a second series of 18 webinars. We will explore the sacred teachings of seasonal myths via guided meditation and we will be hunting for magical treasures!
For whom: The webinars are for everyone who is interested in personal development, who wants to explore the meaning of life and who wants answers to existential questions. These webinars are of interest for both beginners and for highly trained practitioners of the Western Mystery Tradition: they are chock-full of new information, applied techniques and surprises!
What: 18 webinars of one hour, chock-full with theoretical explanation, meditation exercises, magical techniques and magical treasure hunting.
Place: Zoom. On 18 Wednesday evenings we will gather online, starting on December 1 2021 until March 23 2022, from 19.30 until 20.30 CEST/CET.
A lot of people think that Western Culture doesn’t know a shamanic tradition or an esoteric Wisdom Teaching. That is why they turn to exotic traditions such as Yoga or Mindfulness. They are wrong, the Western Esoteric Tradition is hidden in plain sight:
In myths and legends, in children’s rhymes and traditional folk feasts such as the erecting of the May pole or Carnival there is an underlying system of wisdom teachings taking us back to the oldest cultures with written and unwritten sources. Hidden in ordinary fairytales, in classical books, operas, sculptures and paintings is a language of symbols that takes us right into a very ancient form of nature spiritualism. You find the Western Esoteric Tradition in the great Greek myths, in Grimm’s fairy tales, in operas like Mozart’s Magical Flute. Even modern authors get inspired, like Tolkien when he wrote the Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling while writing the Harry Potter novels.
The key to these wisdom teachings is called Hermeticism. Do you know the expression that something is hermetically closed? Hermetic Keys are symbolic maps that enable you to unravel the hidden teaching. In Western Esoterics, riddles, symbols and imagination form important methods to get access to the higher spiritual realms, when you combine them with meditation, arts and crafts, and mystery play. The key to open these doors is the Hermetic Tree of Life.
Listen to Ina to learn more!
Are you interested in discovering this spiritual path? Do you want to know why Snow White fell asleep, why you cannot escape from Frau Holle’s work, or do you want to discover the true nature of Baba Yaga’s house?
We will explore the sacred teaching of seasonal myths, pathworkings and wisdom teachings, and we will be hunting for magical treasures!
For whom: The webinars are for everyone who is interested in personal development and expansion of consciousness.
What: 18 webinars of one hour, chock-full with theoretical explanation, meditation exercises, magical techniques and magical treasure hunting.
Place: Zoom. 18 Wednesday evenings from July 21 until November 17 from 19.30 until 20.30 CEST/CET.
We have gone through interesting times last year: we have all been going through a roller-coaster, because of the Corona pandemic. It taught us a lot about ourselves and about nature. It made us even more aware that we need to change our behavior towards the planet and the life on it. One of the lessons we learned is that it is not necessary to travel physically to far destinations, to learn advanced stuff. A lot can be done online and we discovered that a lot of magical teachings can be learned very effective in this way. So we started a digital journey and worked together with people from all over the world. We discovered how inspiring is it too literally work together with people from Iceland to Australia! So, what is good we are going to keep! That is the reason why I decided to plan a new series of webinars. For the coming time I have decided to focus on magical teachings that involve the cycle of nature. So that you get access to the magical lessons that nature can teach us. To this end I want to introduce you to Eternity’s magical Spinning Wheel.
Listen to Ina to learn more!
For whom: The webinars are for everyone who is interested in personal development and expansion of consciousness
What: 18 webinars of one hour, chock-full with theoretical explanation, meditation exercises, magical techniques and magical treasure hunting.
Place: Zoom, 18 Wednesday evenings from July 21 until November 17 from 19.30 until 20.30 CEST/CET
Due to the Corona pandemic we have discovered the benefit of teaching by means of weekly webinars. For this reason we have included this way of teaching in our program. The series of webinars are called “The Digital Journey”. It is an adventure into the classical Mysteries that starts with the famous words that were once written above the Temples in ancient Greece:
Know Thyself
is the adagio that was written above many Temples for ages. But knowing yourself is only the start of the journey of becoming an Initiate of the Mysteries! It was written above the entrance of the Temple. After having passed this doorway into the Mysteries the so called Great Work begins…
It sounds so awesome! A heroic goal for a distant future. Many are attracted to the glamour side of the Mysteries: the incense, the crystals, the magical potions and spells: and not to forget the promised Powers. Many forget that the Great Work means … work!
Too often the Mysteries are used as an escape route to flee from life’s difficulties such as problems in relations, unbalanced mental states, work and money related problems etc. Many approach the Mysteries with the desire to get access to spells to fix their issues. They feel the need to take control and power without knowing how this works. The solution is not to add magic to an existing imbalance.
The Great Work is a Call to Action:
Heal Thyself!
Many people know the Hermetic Adagio “As Above, So Below”. But do you realize there is also a relation between the Truth Inside and the effects this Inner State has on your life? If your head is a mess, what is your life like? The Mysteries also say:
As Within So Without
Heal Thyself… but how to do this? And what is the role of the magical potions and spells to achieve this? During the Digital Journey we will be working on a broad variation of topics all connected to the Tree of Life, the Tarot, Astrology, Alchemy, Mythology etc. We will focus on the Mysteries of Healing that are enclosed in the sacred teachings of all ages.
We meet weekly during a semester. Every semester consists of a series of 20 webinars. We will do meditation exercises, work with arts and crafts, explore theoretical backgrounds and dig into actual topics that are of interest to the Mysteries.
Everyone is interested in the Sacred Teachings of All ages is welcome to enroll for this program. All the exercises and homework of the Digital Journey are additional to any other program of our school.
I am looking forward to meeting you online soon!
Dates: For the actual dates look up the Calendar on the website
Place: Zoom on Wednesdays 19.30 – 20.30 o’clock CET/CEST (Amsterdam time zone)
While we are all still enduring the stress of the pandemic we are going through for over a year now I want to tell you a little bit about some of the important strategic choices Initiates in the Hermetic Mysteries apply to their lives:
We all deal with difficult times in our lives, there are no exceptions and no free rides. There is only one guarantee in your life, and that is the fact that you will die in the end. Nobody knows when it comes and under what circumstances, but that it will come is a fact.
The First Choice: Become fearless
The first strategic choice that an Initiate makes is to stop being afraid for death. Some people may believe that there is an afterlife, or that reincarnation exists, others firmly believe that there is no-thing; their answers are ideas or beliefs and only few who are still alive are able to look behind those veils… so choose an option that you feel comfortable with: there is no scientific proof to keep you from deciding for yourself.
The Second Choice: Learn how to navigate
The real question is: if the end of your life is a fact, how do you spend your time in the meantime? The answer is: To enhance the quality of the NOW. How do you do this? Life is like a vast ocean and sometimes the waters are calm, at other times you will need to ride the rough waves. The challenge at those stormy times is to keep your boat on track, to stay on top of the waves and to prevent it from capsizing. The Mystery Teachings train you in ‘sailing lessons’: they prepare you to conquer even the worst storms!
By teaching you the ‘sailing lessons’ we coach you in such a way that conquering the waves becomes a second nature to you. The techniques teach you:
Learn to look inside,
Acknowledge what is there
and heal what hurts by learning the lessons and cause the necessary changes.
The Third Choice: I come to know in order to Serve
The first and the second choice enable you to solidify your basis, the third choice is to invest in MEANING: Investigate how everything you experience serves a higher goal. There is a Light of Goodness in every experience. To search for that Light – regardless of your circumstances – is a method to keep yourself sane and energized under all circumstances. Then you decide how this Light can contribute to the Good of All.
This leads to the third strategic choice: “I come to know in order to Serve”. By making this choice you have shifted your consciousness from ‘What is in it for me’ to providing your unique contribution to the community, to the planet and bring that Light into dark places. Working and living according to this principle will enable you to work with passion and will make your life meaningful. You will begin to experience that you receive inspiration and vision.
The Digital Argo’s Journey
In order to take these Sailing Lessons you need to have a boat. The Argo was the mysterious boat that brought the Greek heroes of antiquity to the Earth to fulfill their highest mission. The Digital Argo is our international online group training. We meet weekly through webinars. Together we make this amazing Inner Journey by participating in the teaching, practicing the exercises and implementing the techniques in our daily life.
You are welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings from 19.30 to 20.30 CET.
When you have worked together with us in the past, you can enroll by sending us an email.
When you are new to the work of the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences, please drop us an email to introduce yourself and we will make an appointment to see whether our expectations meet.
Place: Online webinar Time: Wednesday evenings from 19.30 to 20.30 CET. Start February 17, 2021 Price: for the semester based on 20 group lessons of one hour is € 415,00
The Inner Journey
When the time for the Digital Argo Journey does not fit you, or you prefer individual coaching, you can also apply for the Inner Journey. You can read more about the Inner Journey here. Apply by dropping us an email to introduce yourself and explain your motivation and we will make an appointment to see whether our expectations meet.
Place: Online coaching Time: on appointment Price: for the semester based on 10 individual lessons of 30 minutes plus a course book € 333.50
Coming Sunday, July 12, we meet again at the last edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going to bring together the work what we have been doing. The Mirror of Hathor is the magical tool the Goddess of Love gave us to learn to know ourselves. When the Light of Love is lit deliberately and with intention, the Inner Self becomes empowered.
Coming Sunday is the last of the free webinars. Coming autumn we will again be gathering online for a brand-new and very interesting series of meetings. We are going on a hunt for Magical Treasures. Watch my newsletter and my website to stay informed!
Coming Sunday we are going to build on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
The colored candles white – red – orange – yellow – green – turquoise – blue violet and white
Fire
A hand mirror
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, July 12
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday, July 5, we meet again at the 15th edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going ignite the Light of Memory. It is also called the Light of Knowledge.
Knowledge differs from Wisdom in the sense that Knowledge is the result of lived experience. This evening we are going to contact our Ancestors. Their lived experience can be a powerful resource of sane advice in times where we have no example to solve a rare issue. Coming Sunday we will discuss the important spiritual skill of Contacting the Ancestral Knowledge and apply this in our modern world.
We will be building on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
A candle in an violet glass, so that the light of the candle becomes coloured violet
Fire
A hand mirror
A small violet semiprecious gemstone
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, July 5
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday, June 28, we meet again at the 14th edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going to ignite the Lamp of Power.
A lot of people long for power, but with that power also comes responsibility. How do you handle power safely? Sunday we talk about how to apply the important spiritual skill of Transformation to grow in power.
We will be building on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
A candle in an orange glass, so that the light of the candle becomes coloured orange
Fire
A hand mirror
A small orange semiprecious gemstone
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, June 28
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday, June 21, we meet again at the 13th edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going ignite the Light of Truth. It is also called the light of Sacrifice.
The word “Sacrifice” has gradually gotten a negative meaning. But the original meaning is Sacri-fice; making something Sacred through transformation. Coming Sunday we will discuss the important spiritual skill of Transformation with the help of the Light of Truth.
We will be building on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
A candle in a yellow glass, so that the light of the candle becomes coloured yellow
Fire
A hand mirror
A small yellow semiprecious gemstone
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, June 21
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday, June 14, we meet again at the 12th edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going to ignite the Lamp of Wisdom. With this light you will get access to the sources of Universal Knowledge that our ancestors visited before us. When the Light of Wisdom is lit, the Inner Self connects itself to the Insights the Universe sends us as sparks of illumination.
Learn the Secret that is connected to the Everburning Lamp of the Mysteries and use this unique opportunity to connect yourself to this Source of Wisdom so that you can consult it every time you need it in the future.
Coming Sunday we are going to build on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
A candle in a blue glass, so that the light of the candle becomes coloured blue
Fire
A hand mirror
A small blue semiprecious gemstone
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, June 14
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday, June 7, we meet again at the 11th edition of the FREE webinars. This time we are going ignite the Lamp of Love. When the Light of Love is lit deliberately and with intention, the Inner Self becomes empowered.
It is very important to be good friends with your Inner Self because it is an endless and incredible source of power. The Mystery Schools literally have hundreds of different techniques to empower your Inner Self and help you to manifest your goals in the world ethically.
Coming Sunday we are going to build on the work we did last time. But in case you missed us last week; it is still possible to attend these meetings.
What you need:
A candle in a green glass, so that the light of the candle becomes coloured green
Fire
A hand mirror
A small white semiprecious gemstone
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, June 7
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday we meet at the 10th edition of the FREE webinars. It is Pentecost and that means that we are doing something that links into the high energy of this sacred day.
The theme will be “Know Thyself”, this adagio that was written above the doors of the ancient Mystery Temples.
Maybe you think:
“This is an open door, I already know myself, who doesn’t?”
But there is much more to it than meets the eye: once you know yourself, what do you do with that information? Is it an excuse to say:
“I don’t have self-esteem, I was not born with that talent.”
“I don’t feel self-love, nobody of my family has it.”
The Mystery Schools have literally hundreds of different techniques to work with your Inner Self.
Coming Sunday, Pentecost evening we will start with one of these exercises, and to that end you need to bring a hand mirror to the meeting.
What you need:
A candle in a lantern (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
A hand mirror
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, May 31
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Unfortunately I had to postpone the meeting of last Sunday due to computer problems. My excuses for all those who tried to login in vain. The computer issues are fixed now, so the topic planned for last week will be our focal point coming Sunday. So what’s on the plate?
While we are gradually opening up our societies, we get a view on the damage done to our economies. A lot of people will discover that what appeared to be a certainty, will have vanished overnight. Companies will become insolvent, people lose their income, are not able to pay their bills, with all the consequences…
How are we going to overcome these dangers and where can we find help to get passed these difficulties?
Coming Sunday May 24 we will continue the journey that now will take us to the Clashing Rocks. Prepare yourself by taking your lantern with you, if you have one; a compass. And a feather, preferably from a dove: and one coin. No ordinary one, a special one for a special goal!
You need a few items to prepare yourself for this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle in a lantern (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
A feather (of a dove)
Compass
A coin
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, May 24
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
While we are gradually opening up our societies, we get a view on the damage done to our economies. A lot of people will discover that what appeared to be a certainty, will have vanished overnight. Companies will become insolvent, people lose their income, are not able to pay their bills, with all the consequences…
How are we going to overcome these dangers and where can we find help to get passed these difficulties?
Coming Sunday May 17 we will continue the journey that now will take us to the Clashing Rocks. Prepare yourself by taking your lantern with you, if you have one; a compass. And a feather, preferably from a dove.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for
this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us
and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle in a lantern (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
A feather (of a dove)
Compass
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, May 17
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
We have another week of lockdown ahead of us. In the Netherlands the safety measures are lifted just a little bit, maybe in your country too? A critical phase. Can we discipline ourselves enough to make this spark of freedom into a window of opportunities? For a successful journey towards a healthy society, it remains necessary to restrain ourselves and keep on travelling on full alert. The journey appears to become easier, it may seem that we can soon return to ‘normal’, but that is an illusion.
This week’s meditation takes us through the Magical Moors. A journey with different challenges and other dangers than we have conquered so far.
Coming Sunday May 10 we will continue the journey that takes us through the Magical Moors. Prepare yourself by taking your lantern with you, because for this journey you will need to bring your Inner Light.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for
this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us
and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone (CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
How are you doing during this long lockdown?
In the beginning of the pandemic there was a fearful excitement everywhere. It
was frightening, new, unexpected and we all needed to adjust very quickly.
Now the crisis lasts longer and we are
approaching another level of stress and mental pressure, the risk is that it
will creep under your skin. We observe the first signs of what the mental
pressure does to people. We are beginning to see what weeks of isolation means
for the mind: outbreaks of aggression, protests against the emergency laws, suspicion about the motives of
governments, fear to lose our freedom and democracy. A big question hovers
above our heads: “When and how will this end?”
During other crises, Initiates of the
Mysteries developed and applied mental techniques to stay sane. They left us
techniques to stay mentally healthy during crises and long periods of
isolation. At the Sunday evenings we are working together for several weeks now
to provide you with a toolkit of mental techniques to help you to get through
it.
Coming Sunday May 3 we
will continue the work on the Seed of Hope. If you joined us some weeks ago you
will now have a magical flower pot with some sprouts coming out of the soil.
Take that flower pot with you during this meditation. If you don’t have that,
then simply fill a pot with soil and put some flower seeds in the soil and take
it with you to work with during the meditation.
We meet coming Sunday evening on Zoom for a
meditation and to keep up the good spirits during this time of stress and
disease. For people who live outside of Europe, please pay attention to the
time zone. I noticed that there are people who try to join our meetings one
hour too late; the Academy for Hermetic Arts and Sciences is located in the
Netherlands, that means that we are in the Central European Summer Time zone
(CEST) and that is one hour ahead of London.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for
this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us
and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
Flower box with soil and seeds
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam)
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday April 26 we will talk about what spiritual abilities are essential in times of crisis, why you need them and how to apply them. We will also practice one of these techniques: the Exercise of the Flaming Heart. It is a technique that helps you to develop compassion and opens you to all the good and soft sides of the people around you.
Let us meet Sunday evening on Zoom for a meditation and keep up the good spirits during this time of stress and disease.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam)
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
In times of illnesses
our ancestors worked together with those spiritual beings that are specialized
in different types of healing. They left for us a broad spectrum of methods to
help and comfort us in times of great need. These forces are still available to
us! Among them are healing gods, saints and angels and all healing forces fall
under the jurisdiction of the Archangel Raphael.
As in the previous
weeks we will organize an online meeting that is open for everyone who wants to
join us in our healing work. We will raise energies to provide solace during
these challenging times and direct these energies to those in need. We do this for
ourselves, for our loved ones, for the world in general.
Coming Sunday we will invoke
the Archangel Raphael and some specific helpers
who can help when somebody we know and love falls
ill.
As in the previous meetings you need to prepare some basic items:
A candle (you can use the candle of last week, or use
a fresh one)
Fire
A representation or a picture of a crown
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, April 19
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam)
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
Coming Sunday April 12 the Christian world celebrates Easter, it is their most important religious feast. The theme of the Christian stories connected to this feast arethe Sacrificial Death and the Resurrection of the Sacred King.
The power of mythical stories is that they explain the nature of patterns that we experience in our life. The myths connected to Easter give us a special view on the world wide crisis that we all have to deal with.
Coming Sunday we will focus our weekly meditation on the Sacrifice of the Sacred King. The archetypical King has many names in different mythologies: he has been called Osiris, Christ, the Fisher King to name a few.
One of the themes the myth of the Fisher King teaches us is:
The King and the Land are one.
But who is the King and what is the Land?
Many stories predate Christianity, together they teach us the existence of a natural cycle, they bring hope and comfort and they teach us the important themes we need to contemplate to find our way out of the worldwide pandemic.
Let us meet Sunday evening on Zoom for a meditation and keep up the good spirits during this time of stress and disease.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle (you can use the candle of last week, or use a fresh one)
Fire
A small cardboard box or a small terra cotta pot filled with soil
Flower seeds
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar
Date: Sunday, April 12
Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam)
You need to register at zoom.us once and allow the Zoom client for meetings to install
We have had a little problem with the newsletter, so I am very sorry when you did not get the newsletter or get it twice 😉 . We do our best to get everyone informed about our Sunday evening meetings.
Coming Sunday April 5 we will meet on Zoom again for a meditation to keep up the good spirits during this time of stress and disease.
We will be doing an online ritual to spread light, healing and energy for ourselves and those around us.
You need a few items to prepare yourself for this. If you are not able to get all the items yourself, you can still join us and benefit from the experience.
What you need:
A candle
Fire
A tray
A (semi-precious) stone
Cut stars from paper with on each star the name of a loved person (there is no limit to the number of people)
A ribbon or thread of +/- 2 meter length
A glass of red wine
During the first part of the webinar I will explain
what we will be doing, in the second part of the webinar we will be doing the
online ritual.
While Pandora’s Box is still opening, we look into the ugly face of a worldwide disease. Corona is spreading herself over the world. We realize that we are vulnerable, that our health is a treasure. That we share a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our vulnerable family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues.
We also feel an increasing need for comfort, for solace and for directions, but under these circumstances we are not allowed to touch each other; a kiss can bring disease and even death!
We are forced to go in quarantine and we face an unfamiliar Silence. How often did we seek her company? Do we fear her, or does she offer opportunities? The Chinese word for crisis has a double meaning: it means both chaos and opportunity. Coming Sunday I will teach you an ancient method to go into the Silence and to find your way to the Fountain of Hope, a place of Silence, Solace and Solitude.
Love, Light and Health Ina
Webinar:
Date: Sunday, March 29 Time: 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam)
It has been a while ago since you heard from me. I have been withdrawn a little bit from the internet lately. But these are strange times. The developing Corona pandemic is causing a lot of fear, uncertainty and stress. Everyone is asked for their expertise to solve this crisis. So it is important for me now to break the silence, offer my two cents and reach out to you.
We live in a time when Pandora has opened her box, it releases uncertainty and fear. We worry we could lose our jobs. We are insecure whether official information can be trusted. We can lose our health and our loved ones, even our lives … In anticipation of possible horror scenarios we hoard … toilet paper???
It is a time of transformation. I deeply feel that Mother Earth wants us to change direction. It is as if Gaia pushes us through a new and narrow birth canal, towards an unknown future, that will look completely different from where we are right now. What is the deeper meaning of this crisis? How do we cope with the uncertainties that lie ahead of us?
During this time of transformation we will face all kinds of unknown scenarios that we cannot even imagine today. This is going to become a turning point in history. During this time of change we need the wisdom of the spiritual community. In order to become an effective force, we need to free our minds from paranoia and open up to the Bigger Plan of the Planetary Spirit. When Pandora opens her box, we need to find hope, we need to become resilient and connect as a community!
In order to do so, let us join forces and come together to learn techniques that develop the Higher Skills of the mind. Techniques that enable you to fight your fear and stress, to feel the protection and support of the community and to connect us to the Fountain of Hope, where all solutions whirl up from deep resources.
In order to achieve this, I organize a series of FREE webinars on Zoom.us. We will come together for weekly meditations. They will help you to stay calm and become resilient, and a source of comfort and support to those around you.
I am looking forward to meeting you there!
In LVX Ina
How to participate:
We meet weekly at Sunday evenings, starting on March 29 at 19.30 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST = Amsterdam) for a webinar at Zoom.us
Last week I worked at the renovation of my painting ‘Sekhmet when she dances’ and finished the workbook, this morning I red Aaron Leitch’s post about his concerns about the situation of the world, and this very night I had THAT dream again. It is time to write this post:
I have a repetitive dream about today’s world: In the dream I am approached
by a group of spirits that are involved with the protection of the harmony of
the world. They warn me that today’s world is ruled by criminals, who use every
weapon and method they can think of to destroy opponents to remain in power. In
my dream I was told that we are no longer ruled by politicians who represent
‘the people’, but by huge money grabbing globalist individuals and companies
who have their plans to ‘patent’ food, drinking water, medication etc. The
people who run those companies lack empathy and compassion and are dangerous
predators whose only goals are expansion of their powers at all costs. THEY are
the cause of poverty, wars, pollution of the planet and the natural disaster,
that is slowly becoming visible for the greater group of people.
Thanks to all my critical reviewers. I have news for you; you are all fired! Your opinion is not inspiring, soul searching or even interesting. You can give your opinion about me, but I choose not to listen. Your critical reviews are your private projections: your public outcries of your personal incompetence to contribute to the community. They tell me that you are not connected to your deeper resources. You don’t see me, you even don’t see yourself. Your opinion of me is your private affair, your personal repair and construction project.
Aeons ago, your criticism was positive feedback, it was a gift that came forth from the relationship. We learned from discussions that were an exchange of information. We could see each other and learn from each other. A critical note was a good reason for soul search. But this does not work any longer for me, since I have managed to make that connection with my pure soul. And this invalidates any rational discussion based on whose arguments are stronger.
Aeons ago I was too insecure about my value and my truth. I used critical opinions to examine myself. Criticism challenged me to test my truth. But criticism also hurts me, makes me angry, damages me and I loose precious time to recover from this to heal my soul. Not all critical opinions are said out of love. Not all critical opinions help to grow. Connected with my soul I experience what feeds my spirit, and what doesn’t. Criticism is not helping me to grow.
So I have decided to no longer need to waste my time to repair the flow of my soul. My inspiration is no point of discussion. I want to spend my time and energy to exchange inspiration with equal minded people. Connected to my deepest essence I feel my deepest truth loud and clear. So I thank all those who taught me for the task I gave them. But now the job is finished and you are all fired!
In the loving embrace with my soul, I long to share my inspiration and energy with equal minded. In unity with my loving spirit I feel alive and fulfilled with joy and happiness. I feel valuable, useful and important. I am one with my unique mission in this world and feel deeply how to contribute to the recovery of the Great Oneness.
So if you feel the need of spreading your critical opinion about me, my sincere wish for you is that you awaken from this moment and restore the sparkling connection to your own soul instead. In this way vision and delight also become a source of inspiration for you again.
Does that mean that I am no longer interested in you? I am interested in your joy, your creativity, your contribution to the beauty of the world. I hope that when we exchange the desires of our souls, we can truly inspire each other and celebrate our friendship in exalting joy.
Staring at my smartphone I surf over the internet, searching a solution for my emptiness. Reading all the tempting articles of smart marketeers, I get sooo tired! I put away my cell phone and go to bed. I am done!
I pull the blankets over my head, hoping for a decent night of sleep: I don’t get enough rest from my sleep nowadays. I lose energy and don’t know why. Restlessly I turn from one side to the other. I turn and turn and…
… a great wheel appears. Next to it stands a man with red flaming hair. He shouts at me:
“Grabbing, blabbing, dabbling, fun and grief, I sell rescue, salvation and relief.” Then he approaches me and looks me right in the eyes:
“Are you a player, a seeker, a hunter? I offer excitement and sensation. The arrow of my Wheel of Fortune will point out your newest passion. As special offers I have now:
“Eternal beauty.”
He shows me a movie wherein a surgeon does a major renovation on the body of an unconscious patient.
“Paranormal abilities, a golden business, good for great fame! No diplomas required and the product is everything you can imagine.”
“Wild sex, also immensely popular!”
He looks at me squinting and I hear him wheezing.
“Go on the internet, do as if you want a relation and bingo! From one to the other, piece of cake!”
He gives a swing to the wheel and I feel my mind starting to swirl. With bouncing heart I call out: “I am done with all the fake! I am disgusted by plastic imitation antlers and false gemstones. I have followed so many happiness courses, only to find out that everyone acts as if.”
I grab the nasty chap at his lapels and shake him up: “I search the pearls between the swine, do they exist?”
Then I hear a voice echoing: “Don’t let yourself be distracted by the Wheel of Fortune. Ignore the pointer towards the fake reality, focus on the axis of the wheel!”
Then a cute little girl with two pony tails comes hopping from the centre.
“Have you forgotten about me? I am knocking in your heart.”
“Why are you lost?”
“Because you joined the hide and seek game and let yourself become blindfolded.”
“How do I find you?”
“Only if you say goodbye to your sweetie: if you want to find me, first of all Narcissus must die!”
“Narcissus… that Greek hero who fell in love with his mirror image?”
“Yep”, the child giggles, “he lets himself become enchanted by the as-if game.”
Then the voice echoes again. “To find her back, you need to detox. You have become severely addicted to all the window dressing. This is a form of environmental pollution, a lunacy caused by THE great spiritual disease of our time: capitalism. Only when you get off this enslavement, you will discover what is real.”
I look at the girl and ask her: “How do I do this, is there any help available to achieve this?”
“You will find me again when you let yourself being touched at the right place,” and with her little finger she points at my heart and says: Click here!
While I am developing the Tarot Cards, I collect notes from everywhere. I have got several notebooks full with drawings, exercises and realizations. While I am working at each card I do experiments, I test every working.
It is a very inspiring journey for me, with a lot of unexpected adventures and realizations. I discover a wealthy world full of gems; hidden wisdom, a richness described in many sacred texts. In even my wildest dreams I never thought of being able to dig that up in myself.
The wealth that I reveal is far more rich than I dared to dream of before I started this journey. I discovered the Earthlight, a priceless treasure that illuminates every aspect of life and reveals the sacred spiritual teaching in every thing and in every being, a secret jealously guarded by the initiates of all ages …
As an author I regularly notice how other people sometimes use my texts without giving me the credits for it. In some cases complete pages are copied and pasted without naming me as the source. The copycats think they are smart but they don’t realise that the energy is not the same when they re-use my energy.
The creative process is unique per definition. Without connecting to your own roots and sources, the end result looks twisted and unreal.
I give myself solace with the knowledge that there is nothing compatible with the creative process itself. The ability to reach those heights of inspiration, the experiences of exalting beauty that it raises. The changes in your inner world that it causes, the inner ritches, happiness, beauty inside. The outer work is but a residue of what happens on the inside. That is something no one can steal. The knowledge of how to get to that inner place is the real secret, because you connect you to a source inside that cannot dry out; that knowledge can never be stolen, it can only be achieved by work, work, work!
Today I am preparing the upcoming Temple Training. It is such a joy to be able to dig so intensively in beauty, because coming Sunday we will be investigating the Orphic Path; the Orphic Path is the spiritual path that works with beauty, nature symbolism and art.
Among the Western Mysteries there are beautiful mythological stories that contain hidden shamanistic techniques. The stories are world famous, but their transformational powers are forgotten by the greater public.
The stories are very evocative and that is the reason why great artists took them as their source of inspiration to create the most beautiful art: here the line between temple work and theatre becomes very thin. An example of such a story is Orfeo ed Euridice, Gluck wrote an opera around this ancient Greek myth.
Coming Sunday we are going to work with this beautiful story. I will be explaining the magical technique that is hidden in the story and we will work with it. I call this type of work Transpersonal Magic; it is a crossover between modern therapeutically techniques with ancient magical healing techniques.
The picture above is taken at a performance of Orfeo ed Euridice, it is taken when the Dance of the Furies was performed. Orfeo meets them in the underworld on his search for his beloved deceased Euridice. They challenge him to face his own fears. Something we also need to do when we want to outgrow our blockages.
When he finally has freed his beloved Euridice from the Underworld the most dangerous and difficult challenge needs to be over won; Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back!
At this moment I am working at the Magical Treasures of the Cave of the Fool – The Child from the Deep Waters. I am gathering my information, desciding on the material to create the Fool’s magical pouch. Everything is quiet around me, I experience a serene rest, the right circumstances to do creative work and becoming absorbed in the magical process of contacting the right energies.
‘Do you want to visit a village?’ my husband invites me to go for a walk.
I think I can need a distraction, creating these boxes is most of the time an inside job, in the house and in a visionairy state. I could use some fresh air and a nice walk to stretch my muscles.
‘Where do you want to go?’ I ask him.
‘I have heard that Ghent is a beautiful mediaeval city, I would like to visit it’.
‘That sounds interesting’, I answer and off we go.
Ghent is at a 1,5 hours distance from Rotterdam. We go there on a windy sunny day. We walk around in the center and along the canals. We admire the old fashioned houses, windows beautifully decorated with statues; what a love these ancient builders put into their work. I realise that this was made by hand and only with very primitive materials.
Along the walk the thought crosses my mind whether this small journey will give me additional information about the tarotcard The Fool and about the Cave: The Child of the Deep Waters.
‘I will show you, don’t worry’, a trusted voice speaks in my head.
‘Now I am really curious’, I think, I cannot imagine what He has planned.
We walk along the canals, we visit the old castle in the middle of the town. In my mind I fill in the details in every room; this is where they had dinner, this is where they stored their food. I see how it was both a place for a family to live, and a fortification for the village to offer shelter in times of an attack. Going down the dungeons I discover the reason why the tourist shop of the castle sells little ghosts; my god this place is haunted!
Then we sit down near the Fish Market to drink a cup of coffee and I point out to my husband the beautiful statue of Poseidon with his Dolphins.
‘Still no Fool’, I think…
‘Don’t underestimate me,’ the answer is.
We continue our walk, now on the way back to pick up the car, when a strong ghust of wind pushes us around a corner. Then I see it, the Mason’s Guild Hall, with on the roof ….. my eyes become big, I gasp for breath, feel goose bumps all over:
‘Is six fools dancing on the wind enough confirmation for you? Count on it, the Cave is activated.’ and I hear a hilarious laughter.
Today I am contemplating the quality of the materials I am going to use for my products in the Magical Treasure Boxes. I am looking at my stock of beeswax. This is such an interesting material; by choosing this for some of the items, I support the bees and the people who take care of them. The question I am asking myself is: ‘Can I avoid the use of lesser quality materials such as palm oil?’ The demand for palmoil is one of the reasons why big companies are cutting down rain forests and cause gorilla’s to loose their natural habitat.
The choice of materials is a delicate balance between availability, quality and price. But it is also a statement. If it is true that big companies are overtaking the power of governments, then you vote as a consumer in the supermarket, with your wallet: instead of at the elections. This is something I am very conscious about.
I think the temples should pay attentention to environmental issues because we work with nature symbolism. We read about the ancient methods of producing products where spirituality and sustainability was an integrated part of the production of goods: Ora et Labora, pray and work at the same time.
Yes we can use the cheep paraffin tealights in our ceremonies, they also produce beautiful light. But where and when is it possible to make better choices? Maybe we need to do this step by step, research what the better choice is, and if affordable make the nature friendly choice.
So I decided to approach this issue with a little affirmation in my head:
I MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE CHOICE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I AM IN, AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE
I am very curious to hear from you if you recognize this dilemma in your life and how you deal with it?
Today I will be working at the development of the tarotcard the Fool. The Cave of the Fool is connected to Air of the Wise. I always associate Air of the Wise to the Golden Breath. The Golden Breath is an experience; you experience it at those moments, that it is as if a golden glow illuminates everything that is valuable to you. When this happens, life is good, mysterious, meaningful and beautiful. It is a sign of health; did you know that the psychologist Maslow investigated this? He called these moments ‘peak experiences’, and stated that the more healthy people are, the more often they have peak experiences. Magicians know that you can train your mind to luxate peak experiences at will.
I am very happy with wat came with the post. I ordered some super high quality prints of my tarot card The Fool. The images are printed on alluminium and are going to serve as votive images in my second Magical Treasure Box.
One by one I peel off the protecting foil and I take them to my altar to consecrate them. After I have done that I put a wax seal on them and sign them.
Awaken from the dull state:
Collect your peak moments daily,
as if they are precious flowers.
This will turn your life into a place of beauty,
and you become aware
Of the Presence of the Spirit of the Deep.
QUESTION TO YOU;
I am very curious; what are your sources of inspiration and power? For me personally it is digging into the old mysteries and live them. Every day – no matter what I need to do – I spend half an hour to meditate upon the old Wisdom Texts and I integrate the outcome of my realisations in my life.
DO YOU RECOGNISE THIS?
I experience these moments as true divine gifts: suddenly the world shows its beauty. I have those moments when I am writing, when I am creating art, in ritual, outside in nature. ..
Do you recognise this, when the doors of beauty open? I am really curious to learn how you experience this or what happens to you when those doors are locked…
As I wrote earlier, the emphasis on historical research causes us to underestimate the influence of art in modern magic. Nowadays …we regard the great myths as fantasies and children’s stories. But these great stories of the past and present are full of applied magic and teach us about the superpowers one can activate during the process of magical development.
The eastern traditions talk about the ‘Siddhis’, in Western Magic these powers belong to superheroes, who teach us about superpowers that every human being can access. You read about them in almost every magical story: powers like invisibility, telekinesis and the capacity to heal from a deadly wound. The power of these stories is that they stretch the imagination in situations where you could do with these superpowers. They influence the subconscious mind and cause you to recover from even the toughest challenges.
The subconscious mind is the hidden steering mechanism of our entire being, the part that determines all automatic body processes and unconscious choices you make in your life. The superheroes from the magical stories teach this important part of your being. The capacity to relate to the superheroes enables you to unlock these super powers in times you need them. Magic is the art to access these superpowers and unleash the superhero in you.
Do you want to take a look behind our temple doors and learn more about magic and mysticism? Read more here (in Dutch).
In a previous blog I told my most important tip for a spiritual training: Find a spiritual trainer who works within a tradition. But there are some pitfalls along the way. How to avoid these?
When you take your spiritual quest seriously, you don’t want to waste time and money by getting lost on an vague market!
A lot of spirituality that is offered resembles a film set. The appearance is wonderful, but behind the front door, there is no deeper knowledge. As a spiritual seeker you can get lost here, going from one setting to the other, and disappointed leaving the set time and again. Many people end their search thinking than that it’s all fake.
Why is there so little knowledge about spirituality?
Both in the Eastern and Western traditions the temples were always closed. You could only get access by successfully passing the first test: ‘To Know, To Will, To Dare and to be Silent.’
‘We shed no pearls before swine‘, was the overall view, and only the ones who showed the right character, got access to real knowledge. That knowledge gives power and should not end up in the wrong hands.
Searching Platform 9 ¾
The Eastern temples started from the 70 ‘s to give out their knowledge. The Western Temples open their doors for about twenty years now. Finding a Western Mystery Temple is difficult when you don’t know the criteria to distinguish fake from genuine. It equals searching for platform 9 ¾, without knowing it exists. That is an impossible task, you cannot conjure (yet)?
Stop seeking, start finding.
Research whether there are older books available about your area of interest, books from before the 1960s. Between 1850 and 1960 the first adepts published since long time. They are sometimes thick incomprehensible books. The issue now is not that you understand the content, but to find out whether they exist, and that your learn to know the names of people who wrote them.
That generation trained students to grow into adepts. This generation adepts distributed knowledge about the practical techniques, through workshops and training seminars. Their names became public between 1950 and 2000.
Today, the next generation adepts has started to build training institutes, they are professionalizing the spiritual training.
For a seeker this makes it easy to identify where potential teachers have trained themselves, and what level of training they hold. There are big differences between teachers. Based on this information you can make your choice, so that you become a finder.
PS. Platform 9 3/4 is the place from where Harry Potter left for Hogwarts School. It is located at Kings Cross Station in London.
I hear a lot of people who long to have ‘something more’ in their lives. They are unable to explain what exactly is lacking; but there is that longing, that desire to get more from your life than working, eating and sleeping.
In order to experience this mysterious depth you need to develop some skills that are potentially present in everyone. Developing these senses for the mysterious depths in life is comparable with learning to play a musical instrument or to start a sport: in the beginning it is complicated to get the hang of it and you can easily get lost in the chaotic offers on the social media. A lot of people don’t realize this. Out of ignorance they choose the most easy way and find … entertainment and fantasy.
Searching a genuine and trustworthy training
On the internet the lame help the blind and answer FAQs, thus adding to the confusion. You can find superficial and simple exercises everywhere, but how to get to the life changing experiences which are described by mystics and magicians? And the most important question is ‘Can I get those experiences myself?’
The answer is: YES you can! Assuming that you train your potential talent in a systematic way. These methods have been passed on over generations in spiritual traditions.
Profundity you learn in a spiritual tradition
Spiritual traditions consist of the knowledge that our ancestors discovered in all previous centuries. Generations before us have discovered how a spiritual development unfolds in stages. They figured out where you need to start, how to build further, how to get intensification and growing depth, how to use the training to improve your daily life? A spiritual tradition leads you through these phases. Within a tradition the teachers know in what stage you are, and how you can proceed safely and quickly. A spiritual training is similar to learning a skill or a craft; the more work you put into it, the better you get … as long as you learn from craftsmen.
Surfing on the internet you will discover a lot of different types of spirituality in a superficial way. When you want to go deeper, you need to choose a tradition. With the help of a proven method you will discover the hidden beauty and the depths of your soul.
In LVX
Ina Custers-van Bergen
PS. When you want to know more about the spiritual training in a Western Mystery School, read more about it here or you can email me.
Years ago I was trained in a spiritual organization by a teacher that was loved intensely by the students. I found that a privilege, and I learned very much. Then the time came to continue my journey. With all the spiritual fruits I had harvested, I raised the Temple of Starlight as an independent training institute. It is PARTLY based on the teachings of my previous school, but also on my work as coach and therapist in the past.
Because of this background I implemented some fundamental changes, which are often misunderstood by the community. I want to explain my vision in a series of short articles. The first important difference in vision is:
SPIRITUAL WORK IS NOT A RACE.
There is no winner holding the cup and being applauded. There is no end goal, only personal improvement. That means that the route through the temple is not a race for the top, it is not a competition. The initiation degrees are no diplomas but a recognition of a specific INNER STATE of development, that can be achieved by every individual by inner WORK.
A spiritual trainer helps you to find that inner state of grace, by offering feedback and exercises you need to get to the next level, and helps you preventing losing time by making you aware where you walk astray.
When you start, you begin at that point in your live where you are NOW. Spiritual training aims to improve the quality of that NOW by transpersonal methods, that have been passed on since ancient Egypt, and were always adapted to the Spirit of the Time when the ages passed by.
That means that a teacher cannot be a guru. A healthy institute is built around the needs of students. That is why I don’t call myself a teacher, but a trainer. This also implies that there is practical work involved. Practical work that needs to be done by the trainee and that needs to be overseen by those who reached the inner states of richness you want to achieve. The more you put into it, the more you will benefit and harvest the fruits.
WORSHIPPING OTHERS OR BLAMING OTHERS ARE LOSER SCRIPTS!!!
Spiritual training is about YOU, how you improve your life with the help of ancient methods. It is about how you use the experiences life offers you to grow. Worshipping others, or blaming others are parts of the same coin; they are loser scripts!!! The Mysteries are about training yourself to a state of inner richness, that enables you to meet your own needs and even surpass them and help others to achieve the same.
By worshipping or blaming others you give away your power, in the hope someone else rescues you; you get stuck in the victim role. The Mysteries are about KNOW YOURSELF. Spiritual work is most of all WORK.
THE MILK OF THE GODDESS
In our modern days we can buy everything instant and ready. Seekers for spiritual enlightenment start their journey and expect to get Milk from Goddess with a consumerism attitude. They look for teachers or products who personify Her warm embrace, in the hope that it brings that spiritual state of inner richness, completeness and safety. They will end up disappointed and bitter. Why? I will reveal Her biggest secret; the Goddess does not spoon-feed, she helps you to raise your inner child to provide for yourself.
MY QUESTIONS TO YOU
What are your expectations from the spiritual path? What do you want to achieve for yourself and why do you think spiritual development is the answer to that question? I love to hear from you.
Are you curious to learn how frogs try to reach Illumination? Then read my parable … enjoy!
It is silent in the frog pool, nothing happens there. Frogs live in murky muddy pools with standing water. But when there is no flow, the plants start to rot and the air begins to stink! The problem with this particular pool is: there is no light there! Thus the frogs organize a board meeting and decide to send an explorer into the wide world to look for a solution bring life into the pool.
The top frog – let’s call him Toad – volunteers to leave the pool. He crosses the reed fields to search for light and flow. Bravely he crosses the meadows and hops to the city, carefully avoiding dogs and cats. The city is but a desert of stone, full of stressed people. Dark clouds gather together when poor Toad desperately jumps further and further from home, in search for light.
Suddenly he sees a very sunny and bright place. He decides to knock at the temple doors where the Mages work. His tiny little brain starts to work like a little engine: “What if I steal some of their light!” The idea is so appealing that it sends shivers through his green slithery body. He decides to buy their course in Magic of the Light, in the hope this will enable him to take some light home to the frog pool.
Poor, poor Toad, he got really disappointed, because everyone knows it is not possible to steal light!!! True illumination does not come from reading books. True illumination comes from the inside out! It is the result of a good heart, compassion and hard work. On top of that, Toad finds out to his horror, that he cannot not bear the light! His eyes hurt, his stomach cramps together; he lived too long in a murky pool… On top of that his groins hurt from hopping for sooo long and traveling so far… He realizes that he has no option but to return to his pool as quickly as possible, without having achieved his mission.
Jumping back through the reed fields, the consequences of his failure painfully dawn on him. He realizes that, returning to the pool without any results whatsoever, would mean a big Mark of Infamy on his ego. His eyebrows rise, his heart shrinks. The next realization makes him shriek: “This can backfire on me; it can cost my position in the pool!!!”
So hopping home, Toad broods over a plan. He is exhausted, his skin is full of blasters, he almost got roasted by the light. His ego is severely wounded. Then, again, a flash of insight makes his day. “If I cannot steal their light, then let’s bring them down to our level!” Hopping home he broods out an evil plan for his escape…
At his return at the pool all the frogs joyfully greet him. Hopeful; will Toad have found a solution for their suffering? As a hero they receive him. They throw a party where Toad can shine and reveal his new found wisdom, that will redeem them all. Severely hindered by his wounded groin, Toad tries to stride in, but lame he climbs the stage they have prepared for him. He takes out the course book he bought at the mages’ from his rucksack. He coughs to call for a silence, to make his great announcement:
“Dear Fraterfrogs and Sororfrogs, I have conquered the elements, I have visited the Mages of Light. Let me reveal to you; the Light does not exist. I have found proof.” Toad opens the course book: “Look here, I found typos in their course book! Since we have no course books of our own, and thus no typos, We Are Better! Let’s battle those bastards and bring them down!!!”
Voor mensen die de uitzending van onze samenwerking met NPO2 televisie gemist hebben: hier kun je de opname voor het programma Iedereen Verlicht nogmaals bekijken.
For everyone who wants to see our cooperation with the Dutch National Television (NPO2), here is the video. It will be translated to English soon.
People constantly try to influence us. In families, in social environments. In electiontime you only need to push a button of some digital screen and the same heads pop up, starting to convince you to vote for them and they try to touch you emotionally. Between religions and philosophical groups the same thing happens; if you belong to ‘the others’, the opposition makes you look bad, mad even dangerous … It is tearing apart, damaging and does not bring anyone any further.
To make sure to get you on their side influencers make look their opposer look as dark as possible. That does not mean that the people who oppose your ideas ARE demons, it only means that the opposing forces are no longer dueling in a fair way. Why does this attract such a public? Why does it touch you? These battles between different ideas or interests are not fought on large podia, on television or on the internet, but right in your heart! The opposers are aspects of yourself and fight inside of you. They represent conflicting aspects of you: they personify your dark and your light sides. In their battles they activate your deepest trauma’s and your most sacred beliefs. They cause you to balance between hope and fear. When the battle of the opposites becomes really nasty only one party loses, and that is the LIGHT.
The past days I have been sitting and meditate how I can maximize my contribution to the Light for the situation I am in at the moment. What choice offers the best fundament for the long future? Or step into middle of the battlefield where the crisis is biggest now….?
Nowadays the Power of Magic is ridiculed by the media and by the masses. But this in itself is a dangerous development because it puts people to sleep while the biggest battle that we will be facing in the coming decennia is starting right now; the Battle for your Mind!
I will explain you why. Magic is the science of influencing and manipulating the powers of the subconscious mind. It has always been used to help people grow, to heal and to educate societies, to waken people up to higher values of life.
Nowadays this power is ridiculed and has come into the hands of advertisers and propagandists. They use our computers and our television screen to broadcast certain ideas into your mind by advertising campaigns. The place of entities is filled with products like M & M’s that jump from your kitchen closet right on your plate. Magical spells are disguised as jingles and songs that link feelings, desires, images together. Like mantras they enter into your subconscious mind at the moment that you are vulnerable; when you rest on your couch after a long day work and open your rest-brain to relaxation and entertainment.
I am very curious to learn if you recognize this because we need to wake up here to reclaim the freedom of our minds.
In our modern worldview people can easily be manipulated, because they think there is only one truth possible, based on ‘facts’. But people are emotional beings who experience the world differently based on feelings.
Trying to find our way in a confusing world we point our fingers towards others, using old monotheistic concepts of virtues and vices, convicting the other when he or she has a different opinion. On the background still runs the idea that there is only one truth, leading to a unification by one God.
The Vision of the Mysteries
But this concept causes a lot of friction, the question is; ‘Who is right?’ Whose worldview is the ‘Truth’? The antique societies had a much more intelligent concept. The Egyptian Mysteries worked with a spiritual concept they called the Multicolored Feathered Horus; the God of Light is clothed in all the colors of the light. This creates respect for different roads of development, different opinions, different concepts of Gods and even different Gods and Goddesses.
In our modern times this ancient concept becomes important again. In our age of globalization we need to work with worldviews deriving from different cultures. We need spiritual concepts that allow for different, even contradicting concepts to peacefully coexist and contribute to a better world.
Purification
We live in a world of complementary forces. Opposition not ‘evil’ but necessary, because it creates a dynamic that causes development. Opposing forces test principles, products, ideas and everything grows. This principle used to be called the Tester;
Every concept or building block in our societies improves, when opposing forces discuss, challenge and shake up awareness about the repercussions of new inventions and new ideas. Because of this continuous challenge that takes place both in our souls, in our relationships and in our society, we grow, make better choices and find more sustainable solutions. This principle is called Purification. In the old days Purification was an essential part of spiritual development. According to this principle there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, there is only increasing wisdom based on more knowledge because every new development is severely tested by opposing forces.
What about evil?
In the concept of the Mysteries evil is defined differently. When for example, you continue to use poison in spite of the fact that you are killing all the bees, then you do evil. This is a severe matter, because when the bees become extinct, the entire world will suffer from a food disaster. Things are called ‘evil’ when three ingredients are present:
It is a matter with severe consequences.
There is consciousness about the gravity of the situation.
There is a conscious choice made of deliberate continuation.
The world-famous mystic and occultist Dion Fortune defined ‘good’ as all the forces that contribute to evolution. She defined ‘evil’ as the opposing forces that lead to evolutionary decay.
Meditation
To attune yourself to the forces of growth and evolution, you can calibrate yourself to patterns that are connected to evolution. In this way these forces will increase in you. To this end you can meditate on the image of a Spiral of Moving Light.
When you like these types of meditations, you could consider enrolling into the Solo Magical Training.
The famous Paracelsus thought that epilepsy could be cured magically by grinding the horn of a unicorn in a mortar. That is quackery, isn’t it?
For a very long time, important magical books of great scientists gathered dust in the libraries of the World. The magical grimoires from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance lie mostly undiscovered and undervalued in the cellars of our museums. The presumption is that this material is not worthwhile being translated and studied.
The difficulty of these books is that in order to understand them one needs to train different areas of the brain. In our time, the rational side of the brain is trained continuously, the creative part is often neglected. Among the specific skills of the creative brain are all the arts, but also prayer, meditation and ritual. In ancient times these skills were considered to be crucial to understand the reality, to generate healing and receive insight and inspiration about the Divine Nature of the world surrounding us.
Ora Et Labora
These processes were investigated and described by ancient scientists; to understand the books of the Mediaeval Alchemists, Magicians and Astrologers and to benefit from the results of that training, one needs to follow their methods. They searched for the Divine Principle and Pattern of Creation in each and every appearance. Only by following the same methods we will understand the magical connection Paracelsus discovered between epilepsy and a lightning strike, and why he wrote that the cure of this disease was to grind the horn of a unicorn in a mortar.
Everything present in the greater World is not more and not less, also present in the human body. Similar kinds of wood, stone, herbs etc. that are present in the outer world are also present in the human, only not in the same appearance as in the elements…
Whoever is capable of recognizing the appearances in the human body – thus: this is the sapphire in the human, the Mercury, the Cypress, the Flos Cheiri etc – he has studied the book of the human body and seen through it.
Paracelsus
Fortunately the Magical Grimoires are gradually being taken seriously again the last couple of years. But to extract the pearls from the material, it is necessary to push aside the rational mind for a minute, and to train the spiritual side of the brain; to make a shift in consciousness to an ensouled world, and then you will experience that magic is no superstition, but really works!
Meditation
The nature of reality is not material but spiritual. Matter is crystallized consciousness. The Spiritual Vision on reality learns us: God is comatose in stones, asleep in plants, dreams in animals and is awake in humans.
In LVX
Ina Custers van Bergen
If you are interested in developing these meditation techniques then read more about our Solo Magical Training.
The Deep … a place that is not a place.
A force that reacts on our behaviour, desires and dreams.
The Deep organizes the world around us,
creates events based on blockages, suppressed emotions and fears
on wishes, dreams and ideals.
A world in which unknown forces cause the next events to happen,
A world loaded with … Magic.
When you know how that hidden creative force works, you can master its rules.
Then the Deep will illuminate the wasteland around you,
reveal it’s enchanting beauty
and unlock its hidden mysteries.
Bowie writes about his experiences with Magic, and tells joking that it actually works 😉
Q: “So were you involved in actual devil worship?”
A: “Not devil worship, no, it was pure straightforward, old-fashioned magic.”
Q: “The Aleister Crowley variety?”
A: “No, I always thought Crowley was a charlatan. But there was a guy called [Arthur] Edward Waite who was terribly important to me at the time. And another called Dion Fortune who wrote a book called ‘Psychic Self-Defense‘. You had to run around the room getting bits of string and old crayons and draw funny things on the wall, and I took it all most seriously, ha ha ha ! I drew gateways into different dimensions, and I’m quite sure that, for myself, I really walked into other worlds. I drew things on walls and just walked through them, and saw what was on the other side!”
The temple community consists of trainees and initiates of different degrees.
Initiates serve as models for every member of the group to create awareness of ideal archetypes. The functions – not the people themselves – serve as transpersonal models for development of every member. These projections are part of the initiation process, called the “Illumination of the Interior Stars”, which I describe in my book “The Mystery of the Sea”.
Initiating trainees indiscriminately leads to ego-inflation and chaos because the people who hold the grades need to be able to carry the load of the archetype and must be able to teach by example.
While the World sleeps I float through the streets at night
Throwing billions of sparks around me
Bejewel the blackened sky
sew them as diamonds on my black mantle.
Thus I create that Mystical Space to give the Inner Self a Universe to fill:
with expectations, ripenings and potential.
For I am the Keeper of the darkened Gateways
of deeper and truer Understanding
As the Mother of Sleep, of Dreams and Death,
I separate Time and create the Immortal Hour
that Magical Space of Mythical Atonement.
How do you experience your life?
As a wasteland, a barren place where nothing can flourish?
A place of constant trauma where you roll every day into the next drama?
Then come with me on a journey; I invite you to visit the Deep.
The Deep… a place that is not a place.
A force that reacts on our behaviour, desires and dreams
The Deep organizes the world around us.
creates events based on blockages, suppressed emotions and fears.
on wishes, dreams and ideals.
A world in which unknown forces cause the nexts events to happen,
A world loaded with … Magic
When you know how that hidden creative force works, you can master its rules.
Then the Deep will illuminate the wasteland around you,
reveal it’s enchanting beauty
and unlock its hidden mysteries.
Flying away from the world I meet twilight’s dream;
The White Lady leads me to the forest fen
Illuminates my face and reflects me in Moonlight.
Where does she come from and where does she lead me?
She is neither human, nor night itself,
woven from ancestral memories and veils of fog.
She floats in misty fields, causes whisperings in nightly stillness:
“Remember me from long ago, I awaken you for lucid dreams
and open the Gates to the Otherworldly Magical Nights.”
I am the Everlight, the Eye of Timeless Space,
Constant and immortal, white and bright.
No shade has force to bind down my might.
I reclaim my Throne, and poor down a golden beam
Create the Shining Stairway seen by Jacob in his dream.
Set foot on that path of light, I open it in your heart,
I cause the frozen to evaporate,
the buried truth and cracked values.
I bring out your inner glow,
Emerge as I ascend!
When the world is still In the darkness,
I lay on my dewy bed
My rosy cheeks glister with early morning dew.
I feel the blood-dimmed tide is loosed
and the ceremony of innocence begins:
The darkness drops and birth blood fills the sky.
I feel It is moving slowly now,
passing the gate in between my thighs.
a chorus of morning leaves sets in
and all nature starts to sing.
I catch It, wrap It carefully in my multicolored robes
Then, with a radiating gaze
It ascends the Golden Stairway
I am the Priest of Harpocrates and the Servant of Silence
I open the Realm of the Sun at Midnight!
I call upon the Blue Lotus of Eternity
as the wordless speaker in the Land of Stars
(Ina Custers-van Bergen – The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony, drawing from the Temple of High Magic)
This morning I had a lucid dream. A very familiar voice was talking to me: it was the voice of the Inner Plane Teacher that I work with most often. He took me to a very special place and started a very serious conversation with me…
You have to understand that the teachings of the Magical Order Temple of Starlight are deeply rooted in the Western Mystery Tradition. They are based on the teachings of the adepts that went the journey before me. They are based on the teachings of the teachers who went before me and the school I was trained in. But ten years ago, yes almost exactly ten years ago now, I was called by Him who is the Contact of the magical tradition; there was important work that needed to be brought through.
The Teachings that he communicated through me come from what we call the ‘Inner Planes’. They come from a Field of Wisdom that one can learn gradually to tap into. These Wisdom Fields exist for all professions. They are the planes where Mozart listened to his new compositions and where Einstein received his relativity theory.
Over the years the Teachings came through like the creation of a series of Art Nouveau paintings. First the visions came, together with auditory teachings in deep meditations. They were followed by studies like sketches in notebooks, translated into rituals and retreats. I often felt I was the canvas being prepared. Like a painting, series of single Teachings developed after a lot of sketches and studies.
Working for many years, testing and dismissing, the final forms started to take shape. The various teachings turned out to be different aspects of one big diamond with many facets that needed to be brought through and understood in their associations, correlations and their multi-layered nature. All the Inner Plane work needed to be tested by me and a group of very devoted and trained Adepts; we have been working on that for many years…
Then last night I received this dream. He called me to follow him to that place on the Inner Planes where the Book of Wisdom is always opened at the right page. We went through the entire teaching model, flipped through the pages of all the stages of development and then He said:
“The time has come to explain more about the work we have been doing, to a wider audience”. I was really flabbergasted; for the last 20 years he has emphasized to keep the teachings of the Magical Order Temple of Starlight Under the Rose. Now He asks me to start lifting tips from the Veil! So that is where I am right now… in my mind and heart I am looking a bit confused in all directions. Feeling strongly that I need to test these unknown waters …
In esoteric circles there exist strong cultural blockages … that make spiritual people powerless. To what extend are these ideas helpful? Or are they blocking us? A common idea that I hear very often in spiritual circles is;
You are not allowed to use spiritual energy for yourself or to achieve mundane goals. Spiritual forces are meant to be used pure and unselfishly for the wellbeing of others. Otherwise you abuse your forces and go downhill into black magic …
There are written reports of magicians who met Inner Plane Contacts ‘in the flesh’. Other magicians dismiss the idea and regard it to be fraud;
‘What Fortune appears to have ruled out completely was the idea of physical secret chiefs? Anything on earth that was special was an initiate and she did not appear to mention any physical secret chiefs meeting her in parks.’ Nick Farrell
Who needs to meet an Inner Plane Contact in the park when there is so much communication and signs following? Who would believe Dion Fortune, Ernest Butler or me, when I would state that the amount of contact can become so dense that the Inner Plane Master becomes almost touchable?
I remember very clearly an intensive conversation going on while I was about to visit the market in Rotterdam, and because He became so real that I got so distracted that I was unable to pay enough attention to the traffic. ‘Now you need to postpone the rest of your teaching until we are home, because otherwise I will get run over.’
“After all these ages of dealing with humanity, I am still not used to your physical time bound environment. I will be back soon” …. and He disappeared immediately to continue his conversation exactly where we stopped it several nights later in a lucid dream.
In LVX
Ina Custers-van Bergen
P.s. When you want to develop your psychism and learn to work with the Inner Plane Contacts then maybe the Solo Magical Training is of interest for you.
The training modules of the Magical Order Temple of Starlight prepare you for initiation. During that training you will develop your psychism. As Dion Fortune and Ernest Butler emphasize; there is ‘wild’ psychism and trained psychism. Ernest Butler states ‘Fantasy is the ass that carries the arch’. The challenge is to find out exactly where fantasy ends and the Inner Plane Contacts start a genuine communication with you.
This is because the training of an initiate starts with bringing up subconscious mind stuff and healing suppressed parts of the Self. But it develops into sometimes very abstract cosmic teaching. People have to learn to tune into that vibe. Discriminating and fine-tuning to the energy is an essential part of the training.
We train through specialized forms of meditation, special training modules and rituals where the connection with the Contacts is trained and where students learn to open themselves as channels.
This always is very tangible in a working temple. The overshadowing becomes visible for everyone who has developed a little bit of psychism. When the Contacts come through, the magical energy becomes very strong and people report similar physical reactions.
The Baby in the Bathwater
Not every magician feels comfortable to work with the Inner Plane Contacts;
‘Israel Regardie said that after his 5=6 initiation he was summoned to hear one of the orders Secret Chiefs provide him with a personal message. He thought it was rubbish pouring from the unconscious minds of the channellers. He also had similar feelings about Crowley’s Books of the Law, which were obtained using a similar approach. That prejudice affected several strains of the Order which reject channelled messages completely.’ Nick Farrell
This is caused by injudicious application of the techniques by partially trained people. This is a really pity, because in this way the baby is thrown away with the bathwater. Although psychism is developed from the subconscious mind, it needs to be filtered, cleaned and healed to become a razor sharp piece of magical technology.
The subconscious mind is the starting point, and of course in the beginning a lot of personal suppressed mind stuff appears in the teachings. But when the initiate applies the maxim ‘Know thyself’ in specially designed meditations, the different parts of his personal mind stuff start to communicate as entities as well, and personal issues start to heal.
Then even deeper areas of the psyche are contacted, the areas where a person communicates on the subconscious level with the living world around him. It is where the personal boundaries are crossed where the communication with external entities begins.
In LVX
Ina Custers-van Bergen
PS. When you want to develop your psychism and learn to work with the Inner Plane Contacts then maybe the Solo Magical Training is of interest for you.
Some schools call them the Secret Chiefs, others call the Masters, in the Western Mystery Tradition we work with the ‘Inner Plane Contacts’. What are they, and why do we work with them?
‘The ideas of secret chiefs evolved under the British mistress of magic Dion Fortune into something which was more elaborate than had been seen even under Theosophy. Fortune regarded masters or contacts as the most important part of magic but rather than keeping them as the preserve of the chiefs of an order, made them a key part of any student’s training.’ Nick Farrell
Are Inner Plane Contacts still active today?
Today this is still the case. Historically the Magical Order Temple of Starlight developed from Dion Fortune’s lineage. The training – and especially the [Solo Magical Training] – aims at helping the student developing their own Inner Plane Contacts. This is done systematically and throughout the years that development turned out to follow a similar and predictable pattern in students.
‘Her system of three degrees emphasized the importance of contacts. In the first grade, a student would learn the theory of magic and start to develop the psychic skills necessary to start making contact with their astral master. In the second degree they would start on basic practical magic with the aim of making a deeper spiritual contact with the master. They would then make an “unreserved dedication” to that master who would agree to continue their teaching. At the third degree they would be working with the master to assist in its work.’ Nick Farrell
What happens in a Contacted Order?
The first phase of the training develops the psychic skills in order to establish a beginning contact. Over the years this contact deepens and more Inner Plane Beings are introduced by the Master to the students. It is fascinating to observe over the years that the messages of a specific Master come in waves and are similar to different people who are able to pick up the message.
Often the teachings are broadcasted multilayered: beginning students are able to pick up threads of the core teachings whilst more advanced initiates get the more detailed and more complex information. On the highest levels the teachings are abstract. They not only come as verbal information. But all the senses are involved, and often it is easier to note down the Inner Plane Communication in a kind of hieroglyphic drawing than as written text, to some people it can even come mathematically; depending on how your brain is wired.
We have noticed at several occasions that the teachings were coming simultaneously to students on different places in the world, which had no contact about that with each other.
This is the stuff that inspires great thinkers. This is the realm where Mozart heard his heavenly music that he wrote down. This is the place where the new inventions are picked up from cosmic wavelengths, new scientific ideas are born into people’s minds and new threads in human development are initiated. This particular part of the occult teaching that was trained throughout history until the Age of Reason came.
Similar to Dion Fortune’s Inner Light, the Hermetic Order of the Temple of Starlight has also developed a hierarchy of different contacts that are consulted for different types of magical work. We work with historical personalities as well as with Gods and angels.
In LVX
Ina Custers-van Bergen
PS. When you want to develop your psychism and learn to work with the Inner Plane Contacts then maybe the Solo Magical Training is of interest for you.
Within the Western Mystery Tradition priest offices of all levels are accessible to both men and women. Both sexes work together in lodges as equals. They both hold all offices up to the highest level.
And what is even more interesting: there is not only God, but he has the Goddess for a spouse. I am going to tell you more about her in upcoming articles.
In between the many texts of High Priestesses that survived the ages, there are jewels of poetry. This piece is worthwhile to meditate on, it will reveal your relation towards female priesthood:
Queen of all given powers, unveiled clear light
Unfailing woman wearing brilliance
Cherished in heaven and on earth.
Chosen, sanctified in heaven
You grand in your adornments
Crowned with your beloved goodness.
Rightfully you are High Priestess.
In LVX
Ina Custers van Bergen
PS. Do you want to learn more about the Goddess and her Mysteries? The Solo Magical Training takes you through several ancient traditions and you will learn to know her in your life.
[1] Relief-carved calcite disk of Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Kish
In our society women are still not able to hold the same offices as men. In religious societies the backlog is even greater. Women are excluded from priestly functions in many established religions. Was this always the case?
No, this discrimination dates from about 1200 AD!
And that has been scientifically proven. In his book ‘The Hidden Wisdom of Woman’s Ordination’ Gary Macy proofs that the conditions for the performance of religious offices in the Roman Catholic Church was changed gradually between the twelfth and thirteenth century. At the same time the church registers were cleared from every proof that there had ever been woman holders of their religious offices.
Prior to this decision of church politics the practice of the office of priest at all levels of the hierarchy was normal! When you investigate history further back to antiquity, you find the most beautiful literature wherein female priests describe their relation to Gods and Goddesses. Female priests were called Sibyls[1], Pythonesses, Oracles, Abbesses, High Priestesses etc.
High Priestess of the Moon
One of my favorite High Priestesses from antiquity was the daughter of a king. Her name was Enheduanna. She was High Priestess and wife of the Moongod Nanna in Ur, 2300 BCE.
‘In the rooms of the priestesses
Those royal shrines of cosmic order
We follow the journey of the Moon.
Moonlight strikes over our land
His Light touches every land’.
‘The King of the Heaven
Has built his house in the Shining Land
He erects his seat on the dais’ [2]
In LVX
Ina Custers van Bergen
PS. Do you want to learn more about the Priesthood in the Western Mystery Tradition? The Solo Magical Training prepares you for this journey.
[1] The Sibylle of Cumae and the God Apollo [2] Betty De Shong Meador: Inanna, Lady of the Largest Heart
With the increasing popularity of Magic through the internet a lot of people are drawn to the mystery schools with ideas of their own what Magic is about. They try to dominate the discussion in groups and press their ideas onto the community. But Magic is Magic, its rules cannot be altered and that means that Magic is not for everyone.
As Western Mystery Schools we discriminate whom we accept as our students: a lot of changes happened the last few years. I believe every serious Western Mystery School is harassed on the internet in some way or another and this seriously disturbs context for new seekers who are trying to find their way. How did this happen, what is the current situation and how to proceed?
Surfacing from the Underground
When Magic surfaced from being an underground movement, it became mixed up with illegal groups. Other underground movements saw this as a chance to become accepted in the upper world as well; With all the popularity and the excitement, our temples became infiltrated by left hand path groups, ultra nationalist movements and attracted the mentally unstable. This caused enormous trouble and started rows and paranoia in the community. It was not clear whom could be trusted, because accepting the wrong student was enabling a schemer to become a member of your temple with the hidden agenda to blow it up.
It forced me to take a really good look at the different groups of people that were interested in Magic and I needed to think deeply about how to separate chaff from weed. I needed to know exactly what type of students became successful magicians and supportive members of the temple. I also needed to think of what function magic serves in the modern world and I excavated some jewels.
Purification and Transformation
A crucial factor in benefiting from magical work is in the purification and transformation process. This process cannot be done by reading books. This can only be done on a one-to-one basis, or in temple groups: under the guidance of an experienced tutor.
On a one-to-one basis, magical techniques can help people to heal bleeding psychological wounds: within a particular scope. It can help to explain certain very extraordinary, sometimes shocking experiences of the ‘Otherworld’, that cause people to start the search (and often this search gets stuck in the New Age movement).
Magical techniques included in the meditation process and applied in rituals can offer a new angle to process these extraordinary experiences and a person learns to contain, steer and apply this energy. Applied in the right way, this raw neurological energy pulse becomes real magical power, that will transform blockages into riches (turning Lead into Gold) and cause miraculous healing (the Wind has healing in its Wings).
In temple groups, people need to be willing to undergo and apply these internal transformations, by processing the transpersonal temple material and the psychic stuff that bubbles up on the magical energy. They need to be able to apply the outcomes to their own situation. We all have those personal wounds to a certain extent, there is no shame in admitting that, and there is a world to win by transforming that raw psychic material and put it to use.
Respecting the Temple Structure
A temple group can only work if the individuals act responsibly in dealing with their surfacing underground stuff, and do not project that onto their peers or to the leaders. It is of the utmost importance that temple functions are respected. The temple functions are no ego-boosters, but a responsibility: they are servants of the process. Temple initiates serve as projection screens for every member of the group to create awareness of ideal archetypes. The functions serve as transpersonal role models for development of every member. These projections are part of the process of the ‘Illumination of the Interior Stars’, that I describe in my book. Distributing them indiscriminately leads to ego-inflation and chaos. The people who hold the grades need to be able to carry the load and serve as role models.
The Great Work
If a person has the abilities to transform personal issues through the transpersonal magical techniques, then these techniques will generate a growth of the talents of that person and the melting down of previous blockages in a person’s life and a person really starts to blossom.
I have seen some real miracles happen and I am very proud of the results the people achieve that work hard at themselves in the Magical Order Temple of Starlight: they use magic as a toolkit to achieve extraordinary goals in their lives. They start to blossom in their own life and in this process the attitude of ‘what is in it for me’ changes to ‘I come to know in order to serve’; this is what the Great Work is all about!
I have tried to explain some aspects of these transformation processes in my teaching novel ‘The Mystery of the Sea.’ I wrote this book in a story form to enable people to identify more easily with the process. I hope sharing my two cents helps the community in developing a sane strategy to expand the community.
A few days ago I wrote about my vision on the role of the teacher/trainer in the Western Mystery School. But what do the trainers train? How does the trainer use the ancient legacy of Mythology, Astrology, Magic and Alchemy? And what are the results?
Dion Fortune was one of the great teachers of the 20th century. She was a counsellor in a psychotherapy clinic and besides that she worked as a magician and a medium heading her own temple of the mysteries. Dion Fortune saw the Western Mystery Tradition as a way to bring about ‘changes in consciousness’.
When you study the ancient magical techniques closely, it becomes clear that it is an ancient system of psychology. In the work of Carl Gustav Jung, you can clearly see that he was deeply involved in the Western Mystery Tradition. Also the writer of the famous book The Golden Dawn, Israel Regardie, was a psychiatrist. What is the cause that so many influential psychotherapists were and are extraordinary interested in the techniques of the Western Mystery Tradition? It is because of its extremely powerful methods to balance the psyche and to transform blockages and old wounds.
ARCHETYPES
The ancient gods and angels were called ‘archetypes’ by Jung; deep and influential psychological structures in the make-up of every human being. Myths and legends tell stories about these parts of the human psyche, and how they behave, connect, get wounded and are transformed to a higher level of wisdom in a neutral, transpersonal way.
The Western Mystery Tradition developed a system of transpersonal psychology that works on the individual level and on the group level, to transcend blocking patterns and unfold talents in people. It is an extremely effective method of self-development that raises the level of happiness in individuals, increases their abilities to deal with the hard facts of life, and unfolds meaning and mission in the psyche.
THE INNER KINGDOM
The work in the Western Mystery Tradition is done through individual counselling, meditation and group ritual. Practicing the exercises, the trainees step by step build a psychological structure in the mind, an ‘Interior Castle’ that activates awareness of all the psychological parts and brings them to awareness. In that process people transcend their personal blockages and thus get access to all their abilities and grow as a person. The aim of the work of the Western Mystery Tradition is to become the ‘King of your Inner Kingdom’.
Having started my occult path before the arrival of the internet I am “old school” and believe that initiation is not something you get automatically.
A friend of mine in another school is having problems with a student who felt he should be initiated because he said so. He had shown up, paid his dues, and he felt he was ready. He was so shocked when his teacher said no, he left in a huff and then started to attack the teacher online for not noticing his greatness. Like many modern “magicians” he has failed to see that his very actions are exactly why the teacher did not want him initiated yet.
The assumption was that rejection was the ego of an autocratic teacher. I understand how he felt. I was in the Servants of the Light for many years, working hard and not getting initiated. I remember feeling at the time – why is that person getting initiated when I am being ignored? With hindsight, there were political reasons, but at the time I was not aware of that. But what I believed at the time, and still believe, that you will be initiated when you are ready for it. Years later I got the initiation I was looking for and it took me out of the SOL style system and into the Golden Dawn. Again, with hindsight that was always going to happen, but I needed to learn some things before it did. Staying within that tradition meant I learnt those valuable lessons before leaving.
Teachers do miss initiation candidates… but
But students are not the only ones who are arrogant about the reasons for initiations. Teachers can, and do fail spot promising students and get lost in their own games. Ironically when my then teacher who provided me with that much-awaited initiation, expelled me, he did so fully assuming it was the end of my magical career. He told me that I would play around with “uncontacted groups” never going anywhere. It was then I realised what initiation was and how it was only tentatively tied to a group or tradition and you get your initiations in different places over your life. In my career, I have had four real initiators before I met my own contact and did not need them anymore.
In the Magical Order of the Aurora Aurea we get loads of applications from people who expect that because they have applied we will initiate them and let them in. However, in a real school it does not work that way, indeed you should be deeply suspicious of groups that want you to be a member or recruit you.
Initiation is a big job
Taking a student is a big task that the Order itself has very little say in. People are bought to schools by the life forces behind them for a purpose, which may or may not be initiation. But coming to a school does not make you a member of it – you might be just passing through, or just be being given a chance to start your occult career. Some groups focus on beginners and accept that they are going to get a lot of tourists passing through, but the more serious schools, particularly those with a lot of initiations, do not have the time to waste on those students who will just rush to the next newest shiny object.
Each school, if they talk about it, or even acknowledge it is based around a set of contacts who specialise in a field of training. It is those contacts who do the initiation in their school not the chiefs, or the order. If they do not want to initiate you, getting on with the human group leader will not help you, the initiation will not take place.
Testing for Initiation
In MOAA we ask people wanting to join to carry out a series of pathworkings to see how they get on with our contacts and ask for detailed reports back. We ask for symbols so we can see what the student is getting at a level they have not worked out yet. Often the would-be student is telling us that contact in the pathworking is earnestly telling them that they will be part of the order, while the symbols all around them are quietly hinting no thanks.
Before someone is initiated they must have some semblance of stability. That is not to say that perfection is possible, but they should not have any obviously alarming traits which show that there will be problems further down the line.
In some groups, where you wait several years to be initiated, you are expected to sort out a lot of those quirks before being plugged into the contacts. In GD groups the first level of initiation power is applied gradually and will cause you to focus on different aspects of your life. Obviously any one of these initiations you can fail and “break” and some personalities are so damaged and fragile that breaking is a certainty.
Failed initiations
Sometimes you cannot tell if someone is going to break or fail a grade, often it is obvious. The group leaders often have an inkling but still hopes it will not be the case. It is usually the blue-eyed boys or girls who are mostly likely to fail. It is the plodders who do not attract attention who quietly go up the grades that succeed.
When people fail a grade, it is spectacular and usually the leader of the group is the target for abuse. I used to think that this was part of the individualisation process, but now I am less certain. More often the people who go bang in this way are doing so because of problems that they refuse to face and would rather project it onto the group leader. Parental issues are the biggest problem, with mummy or daddy issues played out violently on the teacher who did not give them what they wanted. It is more likely that they will continue to ignore the issue for the rest of their life and take their problems to the next group they join, or their relationships, or workplace. If the problem is crippling, then chances are they will leave practical magic. One modern trend is to fail an initiation in one group and then suddenly be attracted to another group which will not challenge that weakness, or which convinces you that all your problems are the fault of your old one.
And finally
The point of all this is when you hear someone bad-mouthing their teacher because they refused to give them the initiation they felt they deserved, understand that you are seeing the problem that prevented them from being initiated. Try to understand that teacher themselves will also be sad that the amount of effort they put into that student did not help them see that problem. If the teacher really was at fault, then advice the student to move on and find the occult teacher they need.
This post first appeared on Nick Farrell’s Blog…, 22.03.2017 Read original here
Further to my statement in support of Ina Cüsters-van Bergen and her school, my comments provoked a backlash of venom and malice from these bloggers… as might have been expected.
The following statement was today posted on the Servants of the Light Website by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and I think it is important that it is widely published, so with her permission I reproduce it here and on the Helios Blog. Please “like” this in support of Dolores’s statement:
To all Students, Supervisors and Magi,
Every week I receive requests to join some social network, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter etc… I have avoided joining any networks, which I acknowledge are useful in some instances, because of the time they take up, but also because of the petty politics and public airing of ‘trash’ that goes on through such media.
I do not have a personal Facebook page yet an imposter has been presenting themselves as “Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki”, even using a photograph of me on the fake profile, that has not been removed even though I have complained. Another Internet trend is blogging, which seems to be as open to abuses as other social media formats. Many blogs are helpful; however, some express potentially libellous material as well as being unhelpful or even damaging.
Ina Cüsters-Van Bergen, the head of The Temple of Starlight based in the Netherlands, a former SOL Student, Magus and Supervisor (she supervised several people including Andy Cooper who went on to become the Director of Studies of the Helios School of Esoteric Science) is currently being attacked in a blog that is full of inaccuracies and which is written in a low and gossipy tone. The author of the blog who obviously bears a grudge against Ina, and now Andy Cooper too, is expressing a lot of unhelpful emotion as well as publishing misrepresentations and influencing several other blogs that are seeking to damage Ina’s reputation.
I do not wish to link the SOL website with the blog mentioned above, by giving a direct reference to its name or by providing a hyperlink, and do not encourage SOL students to seek it out and read it. However, I mention it because I wish to emphatically state that it does not in any way give a balanced or accurate view of either Ina or Andy or the Schools they head; nor does it tell the truth about recent SOL history. It is a cowardly attack (the publisher of the blog hides behind a pseudonym).
The Temple of Starlight is not an SOL Daughter School and Ina Cüsters-Van Bergen works independently of the SOL. Andy Cooper’s Helios School is an official SOL Daughter School and yet it also works independently of the SOL. Both schools have SOL roots and work in the Western Mystery Tradition according to their own curriculums that have evolved out of SOL training.
In healthy families disagreements and differences of opinion can often strengthen relationships as well as helping children to find their own way in life. Families that are committed together work through differences. The Helios School and the Temple of Starlight are making their own way in the Great Work and the Mother School respects their efforts and will help to defend them as and when it is necessary, hence this statement.
In Light, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Michael Nowicki.
This post first appeared on Facebook, Helios School of Esoteric Science, 03.06.2013 Read original here
As an Initiate and the head of a Mystery School, there may be times when I am called upon to stand up and be counted, and to take a stance where there is wrong doing and injustice. Such a situation has recently been drawn to my attention, and so it is a time when those of us who work in the Light have to make a stand against those who are at the effect of the Lords of the Dark Face.
There is a group of so-called magical people based in The Netherlands who have been, and are currently publishing online, scurrilous, untrue, defamatory and slanderous comments about my friend and fellow Third Degree Initiate, Ina Custers-van Bergen, the Magister Templi of the Temple Of Starlight. I wish to make it perfectly clear to everyone that I deplore this outrageous and evil behaviour and fully stand alongside Ina as a person of the highest integrity and who, like me and the rest of our fellow Third Degree Initiates of the Fraternitatis Alexandrae walk the Path of Light.
This kind of behaviour only serves to bring the whole magical community into disrepute. I urge anyone reading this post to ignore completely any of this material should they come across it, and not to look for it, as it is important that we do not give this work of the Lords of Chaos any further energy than it has already received. The best and most effective way to address this is to send love and light to those who perpetrate this evil and to simply continue your own work in the Light.
I am reminded of the First Degree Initiation Ritual of the Western Mysteries when the would-be initiate has the sword placed across the neck and the Magus says “This is the Sword of the Mysteries , if you fight against the Forces of Darkness it will give you strength, if you protect the weak, it will summon the Forces of Light. If you aspire to the highest it will point the way. But if you turn to the Lords of the Dark Face, it will be your Bane and your Destruction.”
The perpetrators of this slanderous material would do well to remember these words.
This message has also been posted on the Helios Website Blog.
Dr. Andy Cooper Initiate of the Third Degree, The Fraternitatis Alexandrae Founder & Director of Studies The Helios School of Esoteric Science
This post first appeared on Facebook, Helios School of Esoteric Science, 24.05.2013 Read original here
The Teachings that he communicated through me come from what we call the ‘Inner Planes’. They come from a Field of Wisdom that one can learn gradually to tap into. These Wisdom Fields exist for all professions. They are the planes where Mozart listened to his new compositions and where Einstein received his relativity theory.
Who needs to meet an Inner Plane Contact in the park when there is so much communication and signs following? Who would believe Dion Fortune, Ernest Butler or me, when I would state that the amount of contact can become so dense that the Inner Plane Master becomes almost touchable?
This is because the training of an initiate starts with bringing up subconscious mind stuff and healing suppressed parts of the Self. But it develops into sometimes very abstract cosmic teaching. People have to learn to tune into that vibe. Discriminating and fine-tuning to the energy is an essential part of the training.
When you study the ancient magical techniques closely, it becomes clear that it is an ancient system of psychology. In the work of Carl Gustav Jung, you can clearly see that he was deeply involved in the Western Mystery Tradition. Also the writer of the famous book The Golden Dawn, Israel Regardie, was a psychiatrist. What is the cause that so many influential psychotherapists were and are extraordinary interested in the techniques of the Western Mystery Tradition? It is because of its extremely powerful methods to balance the psyche and to transform blockages and old wounds.
