This painting is featured on the cover of Issue no. 119, Brigantia 2006 of the Isian News Left: front page of first Isian News, Summer, 1976 For
many years the Isian News had a simple format
and informal appearance which did not change. It featured the FOI
hieroglyphic logo "Aset Shemsu" as a masthead. These hieroglyphs
were researched by Lawrence Durdin-Robertson
and drawn by Olivia Robertson, two of the Fellowship of Isis
co-founders. An
invocation and oracle were presented,
followed by commentary and a listing of news and reports from FOI
members.
Isian News 1996 - 2003 From 1996 through mid 2003, the Isian News was printed and distributed by Caroline Wise, AU and Karl Duncan, Priest
of Sekhmet and Bride, on a volunteer basis in London, UK. It was Caroline Wise who introduced the concept and format for the cover for the Isian News that is still in use today.
The new design included the hieroglyphic
logo of the FOI as before, though now featured at the bottom of the
page. At
the top of the cover page, "Isian News"
appeared in bold letters accompanied by a black eight pointed star, to
represent
the Star of Ishtar.
Beneath this heading, artwork was featured, at first this consisted of illustrations of cards from the
Marseilles Tarot, corresponding to the rituals for the later published FOI liturgy book "Fortuna, Creation Through the
Goddess." After this collection of
rituals was finished, black and white illustrations created by FOI
co-founder
Olivia Robertson (who is a renowned
artist) were presented on the cover of each issue, and reproduced in
subsequent
liturgy books.
During this same period issues began to
be published on the cross quarters of the wheel of
the year, with the name of the festival accompanying the issue number and year (Samhain, Brigantia, Beltane and
Lughnasadh) instead of by the season (fall, winter, spring, summer).
Each Isian News contained a ritual drama
and oracle, commentary and open letters from our beloved FOI co-founder
Olivia Robertson along with reports from
various FOI members, which Olivia personally selected from
correspondence she
received.
The importance of the function of the
Isian News, particularly in the years before e-mail and the internet
were
introduced through home computers, cannot be
under estimated. The Isian News made FOI members feel connected to each
other
and to the Foundation Centre Headquarters
through Olivia’s works and members' correspondence featured in each
issue.
Summer
2003 Lughnasad
2003 marked the first issue presented on the internet.The Isian
News was presented online through the FOI
HomePage starting with the Lughnasadh 2003 issue, through the Samhain
2008 issue. Left: The first color cover of the Isian News. Issue no. 110, Samhain 2003 Issue
no. 109 of the Isian News was available online in Adobe Reader pdf
format, Adobe Reader 6.0 version. Anyone who
was not able to access a free copy off the website via Adobe Reader 6.0,
could
order a printed copy for a nominal fee
through snail mail via the FOI HomePage. Beginning with issue no. 120,
Beltane
2006 through issue no. 130, Samhain 2008,
issues of Isian News were offered online in both Adobe Reader 6.0 and
html format. The use of full color covers for Isian News was introduced by the FOI HomePage beginning with the cover art for Isian News issue no. 110, Samhain, 2003. The FOI HomePage produced Isian News for five years. The
last presentation of Isian News via the FOI HomePage was issue no. 130, Samhain 2008.
Brigantia, 2009 - Present On December 1st,
2008, Linda Iles, the Honorary Secretary of the Circle of Isis Advisory Board was contacted by FOI co-founder
Olivia
Robertson. She requested Fellowship of Isis Central (the site hosted by the Circle of Isis) publish Isian News along with the various duties already taken
on as Central
Fellowship of Isis Website for the world wide
FOI community. Isian News has been produced through the Fellowship of Isis Central website since the Brigantia 2009 issue. Beginning with Brigantia issue no. 147, Isian News is announced on a blog http://www.isiannews.blogspot.com/ You may contact the Fellowship of Isis Central if you need further information at isiscircleonline@yahoo.com Open Letters from Olivia featured in Isian News issues 83 - 110 Back to Isian News Index Page |