College of Isis - Attainment of a Degree in the College of Isis

The Taking of Degrees within the College of Isis

By Olivia Robertson

"From our first FOI Handbook, published through our Cesara Press:

Taking a degree can involve months or years. If Divine Communion takes place in some way during the period of working the Rite, a degree may be conferred.

I now write:

Preparation is essential. Degrees are conferred through receipt of genuine spiritual experience."

- Olivia Robertson

Types of Experiences That Determine the Attainment of a Degree

The material below has been transcribed from notes taken during conversations with Olivia Robertson. It has been reviewed and approved by her in 1999 and 2001 for work in Lyceums and in 2011 for the whole of the College of Isis.

According to FOI Co-Founder Olivia Robertson, the types of responses that determine whether or not a degree has been attained should include one of the following:

(a) A vision or trance

(b) A clairaudient message

These two experiences may be accompanied by the following, but not necessarily so:

(c) Heightened operation of a previously possessed psychic ability or the receiving of a newly manifested psychic level of operation.

(d) A series of magical, synchronicitious happenings that manifest in the physical world which incorporate symbolism of the elements of the rite.

Summation: In order for a degree experience to be deemed to have occurred, it must include a vision, trance or clairaudient message which may or may not be accompanied by phenomenon described in items (c) and (d).

Reminder Note: Everything presented here, though approved by FOI Co-Founder Olivia Robertson, is meant as a guide.

FOI Co-Founder Olivia Robertson has stated that the work of all FOI centres, including their individual coursework, ordinations, consecrations and certification of degrees is honored. She has written: "There can be no ‘rigid laws’ as exist in hierarchic Churches and Orders. Heads of centers rely on psychic consensus of the group and guidance through intuition and the manifestation of particular attributes of the Deity or Deities concerned in their centre ..."

Olivia also writes: "Centres are not run as automatons ... We must respect the individuality and unique gifts of every member. Nothing was ever meant to be written in stone."

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