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The Founding of the FOI
An Astrological Analysis
According to Lady Olivia, the Fellowship of Isis was founded on the “exact occurrence” of the Spring Equinox in 1976 by her brother, Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, his wife, Pamela Durdin-Robertson, and herself. The birth of a new organization creates a pattern in the Greater Reality that we can analyze using astrology. The chart establishes intentions and potentials that then begin to manifest over the years.
The Cancer ascendant indicates how the Fellowship is perceived in the world, which manifests as a new feminine religion based on ancient traditions and the maternal energies of Isis. Saturn in the first house adds an element of structure to the organization, but can indicate a tendency to pursue structure at all costs. The ways in which the Fellowship's structures will tend to color its perception by the outside world, whether friendly or overbearing, depending on how those structures manifest.
The Sun in Aries in the 10th house indicates that this is a new birth that presents itself out into the world. The organization tends to have a great deal of strength, pride, and energy in its manifestation, driven by its mental focus (Mercury on the midheaven in Pisces) to bring forward spiritual mysteries into a modern context. The Pisces midheaven emphasizes this occult focus on the ancient mysteries, psychic powers, dreams and visions.
The Moon in Sagittarius in the 5th house emphasizes the Fellowship's need to establish new philosophies that are multi-cultural and diverse. There is a strong indication of travel between many lands, and the networking of people of many backgrounds and cultures. The Moon placement also provides a source of strength in the Fellowship's diversity, and focus on the Goddesses of many cultures. This is an organization that does not believe in being secret, hidden, or exclusive, as so many occult organizations have been in the past. In the 5th house, the Fellowship relies a great deal on luck, creativity, and its "children," who carry forward its dreams and goals.
There are several major patterns within the chart that organize the planetary energies towards accomplishing the Fellowship's key goals. The first (#1 in the chart diagram, colored green) is a Grand Trine in fire between the Sun, Saturn, and the Moon. This pattern enables the manifestation of the spiritual energies of the Fellowship through its structures and emphasis on the many faces of the Goddess. It emphasizes the energetic warmth of the organization and its desire to be open to all people who choose to follow its manifesto (Saturn).
The second major pattern (#2, colored blue) is a yod or "Finger of God" between the Moon, Mars (in Cancer in the 12th house), and Jupiter (in Aries in the 11th house). The yod pattern tends to bestow on the organization a special blessing when we remember our focus on the Divine Goddess and seek spiritual riches. The Moon, as the focal point of the yod draws energy from traditional, feminine sources (Mars) and expands outward into many different groups within the organization (Jupiter), such that we find both common spiritual expression in the worship of the Goddess, but also diverse manifestations, through the many lyceums, Iseums, and other subordinate group structures. (The conjunction of Jupiter and the Goddess asteroid, Vesta, emphasizes our group focus on service to the Goddess.)
The third major pattern (#3, colored teal) is another Grand Trine, this time in water, between Uranus (in Scorpio in the 5th house), Venus (in Pisces in the 9th house), and Mars. As an organization, we are breaking new spiritual ground (Uranus), in bringing to focus the mystical feminine (Venus) through our activities in the Greater Reality (Mars). The energy of this pattern emphasizes our spiritual, mystical, psychic, and Feminine gifts, and helps us find new ways to manifest them.
The fourth major pattern (#4, colored red) is a Grand Cross in the mutable signs, between the Moon, Venus, and two of the Goddess asteroids, Ceres (in Gemini in the 11th house) and Juno (in Virgo in the 3rd house). One of the challenges of our organization is to balance its Feminine focus, such that we communicate our wisdom and power (Juno) in a nurturing and supportive way (Ceres). Ceres emphasizes the Fellowship's focus on Goddess as Mother, and tends to emphasize a "mother figure" (Lady Olivia) as the figurehead for manifesting the Moon's goals and ideals. Venus draws on the mystical wisdom of Juno to create a context for communicating and exploring the sacred Feminine. Because of the tensions between these asteroids and the Moon and Venus, indicated by the Grand Square (#4), Juno can also manifest in possible problems arising between members, if not moderated by the loving kindness of Venus. Ceres can manifest as a lack of nurturing each other, if not modified by our understanding of the Goddess within each of us, signified by the Moon. Balancing these Goddess energies harmoniously is a major challenge facing the Fellowship.
Neptune in the 6th house in Sagittarius focuses the organization on spiritual growth, mysticism, psychism, and service to the Goddesses of all cultures. It sets the tone for how the organization will manifest in the world, as a new, mystical religion. Pluto in Libra in the 4th house establishes a balanced foundation for transforming the way we think about ourselves, and our relationship to the Goddess.
Chiron in Aries in the 11th house, and Pallas in the 10th house emphasize a need for new teachings, and healing of the old wounds of the patriarchal culture. This is something into which the organization puts its time and energy, creating a context for a new spirituality to heal the earth. Chiron can also indicate that wounds arise within the group due to overly impulsive actions of its members, but through wisdom and understanding, we can heal them and learn better ways to relate to one another.
Finally, the part of fortune, which lies in the 10th house in Pisces conjoined with Mercury, shows that our fortunes lie in maintaining our mental focus on spirituality, healing, and psychic gifts. The Moon's North Node (in Scorpio in the 5th house) again draws our Fellowship into creating new ground in the development of the spiritual mysteries and transforming the way that we believe in the Goddess and ourselves.
(c) 2007 Michael A. Starsheen
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The Founding of the Fellowship of Isis
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