Reverend Starlene Joyner Burns, Founder, National Spiritual Science Historical Society
I founded this society to preserve the history and integrity of The National Spiritual Science Center program, which was at risk of being lost. The rigorous curriculum, which involved studying numerous complex occult texts, completing weekly assignments, and submitting daily meditation reports, demanded strict discipline. Missing more than three classes per semester, arriving late or leaving early, or failing to complete assignments on time were all grounds for dismissal, making the journey even more challenging.
I wasn’t an easy student—nor was the program—I genuinely wanted to learn. For me, learning wasn’t a silent process. So, I was disheartened one day when a fellow student, who had joined our third-year class in 2003, asked me to stop asking questions. Why, you might ask? She claimed my questions gave her a headache. Were my questions really profound and irritating, or was she attempting to put out my light?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my pursuit of knowledge to accommodate her discomfort. She was welcome to return to the third year at another time. Only fools step into the occult with blindfolds on. I stepped in with my eyes wide open and a past filled with spiritual growth. My mission was self-discipline and further enlightenment. Every class was an opportunity to discover unknown mysteries waiting to be explored and integrated into my life.
Desiring knowledge of the unknown is a passionate vibration, one that resonated in each class. Whenever I arrived and the vibrations of the room were filled with static energy, I would ask for the space to be spiritually cleansed before entering. I was fortunate to have had a teacher skilled and willing to remove such vibrations. She demonstrated a particular ritual that worked—one I continue to use to this day. I’ll never forget her; may she rest in power.
In retrospect, Spirit wanted me to complete my studies, as was clearly shown to me the night I decided to quit in 2001. After leaving class, I found that my car door wouldn’t unlock. This was before the invention of keyless cars. I tried each door, as did my classmate – who then, offered me a ride home.
Fortunately, I lived just blocks away. When I entered the apartment, I informed my husband that the car was still parked at the school. Without a word, he quickly dressed and headed out the door. The silent walk back to the school gave me plenty of time to think and reconsider my decision. By the time we reached the car, he opened the door with ease.
The message was clear: this was not the time for me to leave. I had to stay and complete my ministerial program. What’s interesting is that I never had another problem with my key not opening the car door—Spirit speaks in a language we can all understand if we just take the time to learn it.
Four years later, after all my questions and efforts, I received my final evaluation, ordination, and ministerial credentials. I’m sharing my final evaluation, though I’ve removed the signatures for privacy and protection.
Today, I continue my research in the occult, focusing on spiritual and alternative healing modalities, mediumship, and the Tarot—because spiritual growth and development is a lifelong journey.