Olivia Robertson - Open Letters 1999
From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 94, Samhain 1999
Re: Fellowship of Isis Ritual for the New Millennium
I hope members of The Fellowship of Isis in so many countries may have a fulfilling and amazing New Aquarian Age in the dawn of the year 2000! Whether we call this beginning the Millennium since Christ's birth, the New Age for Paganism or the Egyptian Coming Forth by Day - Day being an Age of Ra - we ourselves can experience a fresh start, an Initiation if we so choose. We may co-create with the Deities in transforming our world.
I was wondering what simple but meaningful rite we could perform to link with each other through such mighty continents and oceans. The harbingers of this omenous period were Hale-Bop, the short-tailed comet that last appeared at the time of the pyramids, and the 1999 eclipse of the sun by the dark moon. This gave me an idea. In our temple there fortuitously occurred "mirror-magic" . Owing to the thickness of the castle walls, we were able to put two large mirrors either side of a window in our temple. We did this with two windows to augment light. But we discovered that an image of Isis was multiplied in both directions, theoretically to infinity! We had stumbled upon a reflective fractal.
If we could multiply our statue of Isis thus, how about one candle set in the window in the Irish signal to absent friends? At harvest we could multiply wheat - from a crop circle on occasion - to feed the hungry. What is performed magically can affect material events. So we now multiply a chalice of our holy well water in our Aquarian Grael ceremony.
It would be lovely if members could psychically join us in our Temple of Isis, Ireland on December 31st 1999 and January 1st 2000 with this rite at their own altars.
The mirrors represent the moon - a candle, the sun joined as if in an eclipse. We can place crystals, images of Deities, food, drink - anything that requires multiplication. But how to form our rainbow lines of communication with static objects? Simple. The smoke of incense coils and wreathes itself in unending spirals forming a spiritual network from a Goddess altar to altars around the world, and with spiritual spheres. May we come forth by Day!
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From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 93, Lughnasadh 1999
Re: Olivia’s Hope for the FOI: A Rainbow Telepathic Network
I hope that the re-structuring I have put in place will lead to a wider development of our rainbow network of friendship throughout the world. Now that each centre has individual responsibility for taking on new members, ordaining Priestesses and Priests and consecrating Hierophants, a spiritual relationship transcending time and space comes into being.
Our Retreat Centres provide meeting places and our conventions offer the beauty of shared ritual, talks and artwork. With the classes in telepathy goodwill between individuals is essential. Imagine opening one's soul to hostile probing! We must be friends or fail.
Owing to the expansion - by hundreds - of F.O.I. membership, due to the use of the World-Wide Web, new members do not now require a number. Centres admit new members and issue their certificates. They provide Clonegal Castle with the number of their new members every quarter.*
Centres issues Charters for new Centres, enrolling these with names and addresses for listing in the International Directory and Isian News. New Priestesses and Priests require central enrollment numbers: the lists of names and addresses are kept private in the relevant Temple. College of Isis Magi Degrees do not need registration.
What I visualise is this. Lyceums will form teaching centres not only in waking hours, but through giving psychic Magi instruction to classes at night - which will be remembered on waking. The Druid Can of Dana will form a Danaan World Wood from the various Groves. And the Noble Order of Tara will create a Round Table of Priories helping each Priory in work for the environment. This inter-connecting rainbow network, with particular aims will begin by using letters, email and the World-Wide Web. But as the veil thins between earth and psychic spheres, this network will become telepathic, through empathy. Then we will really meet the glorious Goddesses and Gods that we hopefully invoke. We will have attained the end of Heart's Desire.
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From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 92, Beltaine 1999
Re: Founding of the ArchPriesthood Union
I feel so happy that, after waiting twenty years, I may now share the authority and responsibility of my work with The Fellowship of Isis with the Archpriesthood Union. This revival of the three thousand year-old Isian title had been planned by my brother Lawrence and myself when enough of our Priesthood should qualify. Since my brother departed for Spirit Sphere, I have very frequently been asked: "Who is your successor?" I have always given the same answer: "Every sincere member is my successor!"
However, now we have over 15,200 members in 93 countries and gain more every day. So FOI needs an authoritative Archpriesthood to protect our spiritual and religious progress in countries where we have members. Such an Archpriesthood will ultimately have the influence of Archbishops - as in the past! May each one of us go forward with creativity and happiness inspired by the starry wings of Isis!
The Archpriesthood Union. 32 members in 4 continents.
Full list of 28th January 1999. 32 is the optimum number. This three thousand-year old Isian title is revived to designate those in The Fellowship of Isis whose sphere of influence extends to over a thousands members. During the last twenty years only the Priesthood in Nigeria and Ghana have qualified to use the designation "The Rt. Rev." Now at last we have reached the optimum number to form a successful Union of FOI Custodians. To fill vacancies, new members will be chosen by existing Union members, not by voting but by spiritual guidance and consensus. The Fellowship of Isis has expanded to such an extent, that this global rainbow network is inspired by Isis, to maintain our values of Love, Beauty and Truth far into the coming Space Age.
From Caroline Wise: I see the ArchPriesthood as the body of Nuit arching protectively around the precious earth, each member a point of light burning brightly keeping the flame of the Fellowship alive.
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From Olivia Robertson
FOI Co-Founder
Isian News 91, Brigantia 1999
Re: Retreat Centres
Since my last open letter to members I have had an exciting response! This October I felt inspired by Isis to visit three sacred mountains in Arizona, and with the help of the local priestesses discover their Goddess names. These magic mountains are in San Francisco Peak of the Hopis - Navatukaoovi - Mingis Mountain and Squaw’s Creek - linking Flagstaff, Sedona and Phoenix. For the latter we were given the Goddess Names “Iyama”, and “Eststanatlehi.” The Goddess manifested in an onrush of power.
What stems from these ceremonies is the answer to my first letter - three new Isis Retreat centres. There are also heartening offers from Germany and England. It is good to have seasonal festivals, but what so many members have written asking for are such retreat centres - like Isis Oasis. Temples are extremely expensive to run - derelict churches abound. But there are ques waiting for admission for retreats.
Then deTraci Regula and Ian MacWatt contributed a brilliant idea. Here is their message: “For those who would like to see the religion of Isis expressed in bricks and mortar, Ian offers a package of advice as to how a retreat centre could be made a more permanent trust, such as Isis Oasis. Through the Chapter in the Isis Oasis Lyceum, Ian’s package would include ideas of exploring financial advantages and tax incentives available for religious trusts. May all our members find fair haven in 1999.
