September 28, 2013

Old Abbey and Owl Tower

 
"The old ruins to the North of the Castle has always been known as the 'Abbey.' It may have been used by Franciscan monks, or it may have been part of the Augustinian Abbey of Abbeydown, two miles to the East. There are no records (written); it is thought to be over 600 years old. It was kept as a kennel for harriers, by William Durdin. It has two very old cells, which may have been oratory chapels. they have 3'6" roofs and date back to the 15th century."
 
Lawrence Durdin-Robertson
"Guide to Clonegal Castle" 
 
(photo by Olivia Robertson, cropped/enhanced by this website.)
 
More Castle Photos:  Photo Galleries

September 25, 2013

Message from Olivia

Via Pamela from our FOI Facebook page:

"A message from Olivia:

Many thanks for the love and good wishes which we at FOI share from you all. I love to hear from old friends. Love and blessings of Isis to each one of you.

from Olivia,
her great niece Pamela
and Pamela's children Jasmine and Salima"


FOI Homepage Archive Facebook Page

Autumn Equinox Festival


AUTUMN EQUINOX FESTIVAL
21st September 2013. 

Report written by Minette Quick:

We were all delighted to welcome Lady Olivia back to the Festival for the first time since her accident early in June, and although she was only on 'day release' from the hospital, she was able to enjoy everything from the comfort of a wheelchair. It was a beautiful day, warm and even balmy, the sort of day which somehow the Goddess manages to arrange so often on these occasions, so that we can process down to the Druid Grove and elsewhere in the grounds.

She had been asked if she had any particular wishes for the celebrations and preparations had been made by Cait Branigan, who we have to thank most warmly for calling in to visit Olivia very frequently over the past weeks, as she lives quite near Gorey. Following the procession round the grounds and entry into the Temple at Persephone's Shrine, beautifully decorated with autumnal colours, Olivia was happy to give Blessings at Brigid's Well of Truth and was wheeled down the line giving her usual insightful messages to many of our regular members.

Once Olivia was positioned beside the High Altar in her traditional place, we received a powerful Oracle from the Goddess Danu, given through her priestess, Eimear Burke. She spoke of the need for harmony amongst light workers at this time.

At Olivia's request we were then treated to a Festival of Arts, which turned out to be a veritable feast of paintings, poetry, music, a mystic drama, and a magical journey accompanied by live harp which blended perfectly and intensified the hushed atmosphere. Many members of the priesthood contributed, too many to mention here, but suffice it to say that it was a rich experience, perhaps best summed up by the words of one of players in the drama to the effect that art is the perfect way to go to the heart of divinity and express the truth that we discover on our life's journey....

Olivia was delighted with it all, and joined us down in the Village for our customary home-made tea and get-together once the ceremonies were completed. It was an occasion of great happiness and wonderful energy, and she was safely returned to Gorey hospital after a thoroughly enjoyable day out. It was so good to see her back in her natural surroundings in the Temple of Isis again.

May the Goddess Bless and Enlighten us all!


(Photo copyright Minette Quick: "Brighid, Goddess & Saint, presides over the Holy Grael of the New Aeon of Aquarius. At Her feet is the Holy Well in Her Chapel that bestows Healing & Vision. The statue of a young girl on the Altar with a cup of water for Healing, represents those loving people who care for others.")

Our thanks to Minette and to all members of the Circle of Brigid.

Letters from Olivia

Olivia's DVD


The video trailer of the DVD, "Olivia, Priestess of Isis." Available through Logic Reality. 


(offsite link) Logic Reality:  Olivia's DVD

September 23, 2013

Message from Olivia and Cressida


Received from Olivia Robertson and Cressida Pryor (via Minette Quick) for distribution through global sites this morning:

"Protection of honesty and integrity within the Fellowship of Isis.
22nd September, 2013.
 
In the Ethos of the Manifesto, since its Foundation in 1976, secret names never had any validity or authority within the Fellowship of Isis.

Olivia Robertson, Co-Founder of FOI
and Cressida Pryor, Interfaith Minister and FOI Steward"


Affiliated Link:  Olivia's Letters

September 22, 2013

Olivia speaks of Libra of the Scales

 
Equinox blessings Aset Shemsu!  Here is a historic audio clip of Olivia Robertson speaking during an Autumn Equinox ritual at the Castle:
 
(mp3 / 2:34 mins / 605kb)
 
Audio transcript:
"You say, I may not be born under the constellation of Libra, what are the stars to do with me? The stars are the mystical body of the Goddess. We have stars, atoms within ourselves, and we are atoms within the body of our galaxy, and the Ancients taught us of the wonder of the stars, taking our own humble names. A Lady, a bright Being from the stars would come to a simple person and point to an area of the sky where certain radiations came and would say: 'what do you call that?'  'We call it the scales' - man - 'it looks like scales'. And the Lady would pause and go into a contemplation and then say:  'my friend, get your family and the elders of the village together. And I will tell them about the meaning of the scales and of balance between violence and gentleness, love and truth.' And so were the mysteries brought forth to our ancestors who could not read, but to whom the picturebook of the sky was a revelation.
 
"Each man and each woman - each creature - has two forces, complimentary: positive and receptive. You are receptive now, to my voice, but when you give a person directions, of any sort, even the way, you are being positive in relationship. So no human being is either all positive or all receptive - there's a beautiful flow and harmony between both. Now magical ritual helps attune us to the stars. . .and this is the time of the Atumnal Equinox, when day and night are equally long. It is the time of harmony, of Libra of the Scales."


More audio clips:  Audio Gallery


(photo by Dennis Murphy for our FOI audio gallery, please do not reproduce.)

Shrine of Libra

 
The Shrine of Libra is located in the Well Chapel of Brigid. The central figure was carved by the late David Durdin-Robertson.
 
"Presided over by Niamh, who brought spiritual knowledge of Atlantis, the Sidhe (Faeries) and Dana to Oisin a human Irish hero. Dedicated to The College of Isis, Wooden plaque of Coat of Arms of Magdalen College, Oxford, where family scholars studied under the auspices of Magdalen as spiritual teacher. The continuation of this takes place in the Old Mill House, which houses lectures, exhibitions and events of various kinds."
 
 
 
For more photos of the Castle:  Photo Gallery
 
(quote by Olivia Robertson, photo by Minette Quick, copyright reserved.)

September 18, 2013

Athena, Arcadian Awakening


Just a quick note to let you know that we brought the online rites in Olivia's ongoing book "Athena, Arcadian Awakening" up-to-date, including the introductions:

 
 
 

September 16, 2013

Rite of Rebirth of the Fellowship of Isis: Highlighted Book

 
Olivia Robertson writes in the introduction:
"This myth is a representation of our descent into the womb, and our ascent from it. We face our unconscious past lives in order to progress. Every great myth carries many meanings related to consciousness. So the descent of Ishtar with her crescent headdress may be seen as the waxing and waning of the Moon - for is she not the Lady of 15? It may be understood as the alchemical transmutation of the soul, leaving the domain of air and sun and sinking through the seven spheres of consciousness, through the four basic elements. Air and fire transmute to earth and water: spirit and thought gain knowledge of the practical sciences, the ability to feel and use the passions. This accomplished, totality of consciousness is experienced, and the soul, bringing with it understanding born from experience, ascends to its former state, in glory."
 
The Rite of Rebirth is available in paperback and may always be read in full, along with all of the FOI Liturgy:

 

September 13, 2013

Fellowship of Isis Manifesto


The FOI Manifesto may be found at this link:



(Explanation of symbols in this graphic: "The Manifesto of the Fellowship sets out the essential aims. It is headed with the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs which link the Fellowship with the love of the Goddess of six thousand years ago, and so have profound symbolic and occult significance. The hieroglyphs are translated as "Aset Shemsu", the Retinue of Isis. Among the picture signs is that of Aset, the Throne of Isis, the Matriarchal seat which conferred power on each succeeding Pharaoh. The picture-word for Woman is presented as a seated woman in profile; and the symbol of the Sun-God Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, is given in his bird form, in which he uses his Utchat eye. One may still see these symbols carved on the walls and columns in Egyptian temples and tombs. They bring members into relationship with their ancestors who loved the Arts and Nature." From the FOI Handbook and Manual)

Message from Olivia Robertson and Cressida Pryor

To: ALL FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS FACEBOOK MODERATORS & MEMBERS

All members of Facebook Groups of the Fellowship of Isis are individually held responsible for upholding the Ethics of the Fellowship as stated in the Manifesto. This means that deliberate acts of aggression against other members are held to be grounds for automatic expulsion from these groups and from the Fellowship. Members are cautioned, that where they hold beliefs based on teachings that encourage other than respect for the founders and membership of other world religions than their own, they cannot expect to be allowed to remain on Fellowship sites spreading incitement to acts of hatred or bullying. The ethos of the Fellowship is one of friendship, study and love of the Divine as expressed through the devotion of the Orders to the Goddess in Her many forms , as well as by individuals communing with the Deities. There are no grounds for destructive dissension.

OLIVIA ROBERTSON, Co-Founder of the Fellowship of Isis
CRESSIDA PRYOR, Interfaith Minister & FOI Steward

Note:  additions to this letter were made on Sept. 14th & 19th and may be viewed on the same page:  Olivia's Letter of Sept. 13th, 2013


Homepage Archive:  Letters from Olivia Robertson

September 11, 2013

Fellowship of Isis Thanksgiving Prayer

 
 FOI Thanskgiving Prayer
By:  Olivia Robertson
 
"Holy Isis, Holy Osiris;
We give you thanks
that your Love, Beauty and Truth
are manifest with Power and Peace
throughout all spheres,
within all beings,
and we accept your Blessing now,
in Mind and Heart."


(Photo of Winged Isis & Osiris in the Healing Chapel, copyright Minette Quick, all rights reserved.)

September 6, 2013

Messages for Olivia

 
If you would like to send a message to Olivia Robertson, please know that we will be posting a letter to her soon and would be happy to include it. Minette writes that she continues to do very well in her recovery from a broken ankle, and her family does make sure that she receives her mail. You can send your message to us through email here (or write her yourself of course!):   Contact Us


 (photo of Olivia on the bank of the Derreen river at the Haroldstown Dolmen, copyright M. Dier.)

September 5, 2013

Book Highlight: The Religion of the Goddess

 
The cover illustration is by Olivia Robertson and is based on the High Altar of the Temple of Isis, Clonegal Castle. Lawrence Durdin-Robertson gave this lecture in the Assembly Room in Wexford on October 26, 1974 at the opening of the The Wexford Arts Centre.  It may be read in full at this link:
 

 
Other books may be found here:
The Works of Lawrence Durdin-Robertson

September 2, 2013

Letter from Olivia



Letter from Olivia Robertson
September 1, 2013

"On Sunday, 1 September 2013, Cait Branigan sent me the following message from Olivia which she has been working on with her, and which expresses Olivia's ongoing deep reflections on her wishes for the future of the Fellowship of Isis and the sphere of its influence in the world. Minette"

To all Global Sites and Isian News

As the world moves through its current changes and the Fellowship of Isis continues to grow and evolve, we are reminded of the importance of the founding principles of the Fellowship, contained within the Manifesto. Lady Olivia would like to encourage each member of the Fellowship of Isis to regularly read and reflect on the Manifesto; to come to understand those principles which are the foundation stone and the heart of the Fellowship. Equality, love and respect for all life are just some of the principles - including respect for the animal kingdom and all the inter-related realms of nature. In a world that is experiencing devastating wars and attacks on the natural world, we are reminded that tyranny, cruelty and subjection of any being to negative practices has no place in the Fellowship of Isis.

The Fellowship of Isis also supports and honours the Sacred Arts in all their forms, including the creative arts and those members who express their vocation through said arts.

Lady Olivia would like to encourage all members wishing to move towards priesthood or membership of any other order within the Fellowship of Isis, to seek for guidance from those teachers, Iseums, Lyceums etc. which are recommended on the authorised Fellowship websites. This will enable each member to have a deeper and more enriched understanding of the purpose of the Fellowship and of the liturgy that Lady Olivia has mediated to us.

For more information please see the websites.

Blessings,
Priestess Hierophant Cait Branigan
Lyceum of the Three Mothers


Our sincere thanks to Cait and Minette for forwarding this letter from Olivia.  Photo by Dennis Murphy, Logic Reality.


Links:
Fellowship of Isis Manifesto

 Sept. 1st Letter from Olivia Robertson

September 1, 2013

Sept. Oracle: Goddess Artemis

 
This month's Oracle is now available and features the Goddess Artemis:
 
 
 
 
(Photo by Dennis Murphy from the DVD "Olivia Robertson, Priestess of Isis." All rights reserved.)