Olivia Robertson - Open Letters 1998
From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 90, Samhain 1998
Re: Letter to Members
As the Fellowship of Isis is expanding so rapidly, I feel like writing a letter to our readers. I write a personal message to each new member and hope we can keep the informal Isis family feeling alive, however far we reach. We have had many conventions - six this year, but many members feel isolated and have not the funds to reach an Iseum, let alone a convention. What would be lovely is a network of yearly or even more frequent festivals in many countries. Naturally people fear the expense - hiring the hall, paying the speakers and posting notices. We tried an experiment in 1997 of having a simple convention in which Iseum groups performed their own rites. It was an immense success. To hire a small and pleasant hall is not expensive; our members are usually very talented and have much to offer - and artwork to show and crafts to sell. What we offer through each Isian News is to publicise such events. Flyers can be sent out with new members certificates. Any profit could go to the Iseum participating or to an environmental or other cause. Just let me know.
Another idea I had was for those with a home to offer “B and B” or even a sleeping bag accommodation for an FOI weekend. Again, a reasonable fee could be charged and some special focus - trees, wells, art - psychic awareness - could be chosen. Again let me know. We are in Clonegal inundated with requests such as this - but with over 14,600 members we need a network of sacred sites! Any site blessed by Isis is sacred. We could call these new projects “Festival Network” and “Isian Retreats.”
______________________________________
Note: Isian News 89, Lughnasadh, 1998 did not contain an Open Letter.
From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 88, Beltaine 1998
Twenty-first Anniversary of FOI Iseums
Olivia feels that the happiest way to celebrate the founding of our first Iseum would be for members to send the Founders anniversary cards, or small tokens like homemade incense. For truly, Violet and Victor Hillman of our first Iseum of Rhiannon of the Wild White Horse deserve expressions of our love and thanks. They required courage at that date as Victor was manager of a cinema. He brought the Goddess into his cinema by his choice of films suitable to develop childhood imagination at afternoon performances. Violet gave astrological readings and spiritual paintings free to those who needed them. However, their most courageous act was to give an interview and photograph to the News of the World! Their friendly, unassuming manner, their integrity and hospitality so much impressed the journalist that she write a good, even enthusiastic article. The photograph of Violet holding aloft a lovely figure of the Cow Goddess Hathor was delightful. Their address is (withheld) where they founded the Iseum so many years ago, before our younger members were born.
______________________________________
From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 87, Brigantia 1998
General News. Diana and Isians
Olivia reports: “I have had such moving accounts from members in various countries of their experiences of Diana Princess of Wales, that I would like to share two of them. It is survival after ‘death’ that matters, and the power of the Goddess That can operate through woman, not just a princess.
One Priest Hierophant in Florida was overcome with grief when he head the news of Diana’s death and lighted incense for her. He told me “suddenly I felt an onrush of silvery power right through me, as when Isis came to me. Diana was there, radiant. She comforted me. She came once more and reassured me. I associate her with the star Sirius.”
A cheerful, very down-to-earth young Irish girl with red hair told me this in a pub: “I was so upset about the accident that I went over at once to Paris. I wanted to make contact with Diana because of that tunnel. So I went to an island in the middle of the traffic, though I was told to get off! It was dangerous. But I did make contact. She came to me later and helped me with a problem. She said she would always be with her sons - a message for them so I’ll write to them.”
It requires great courage to stand in the middle of Paris traffic - energy to even travel there at all - and moral courage to even think of writing such a letter, and possibly get a rebuff!
I have had so many testimonies, that makes me honour the Goddess within everyone. People respond where they feel there is love.”
