Isis-Seshat Journal
Transcription
Isis-Seshat Journal
1 Isis-Seshat Journal Personal Post of the Fellowship of Isis Issue #34 Summer 2012 Volume 9 Number 2 Isis Seshat Journal #34 2 Linda Iles: “ This is a hymn I wrote to Isis. It is based on the traditional morning hymn, but the words are my own. I wrote this for a presentation at Isis Oasis in Geyserville some years ago and just recited it during a meditation recently on Creatrix Media Live while interviewed by Anniitra Ravenmoon!”-- From Foi central site and news http://www.facebook.com/groups/361723650498/ HYMN TO ISIS by Linda Iles Awake in peace Lady of Joy, Awake in peace rise in beauty. Awake in peace Lady of Life, Awake in peace rise in beauty. Beautiful in Heaven awake! All praise to You, Holy Goddess. O Beautiful Being! Beautiful is Your awakening. In every place, Every heart swells with joy At Your rising forever. Beautiful is your awakening, Lady Isis! Isis Seshat Journal #34 3 Isis-Seshat Journal Issue #34 Vol. 9 No.2 ISSN: 1552-082X TABLE OF CONTENTS: Cover Art: Temple of Isis, by Dr. Jack Gerber ............................................................................................................................. p.1 Inside Front Cover: Awake In Peace Lady of Joy, Hymn and Art by Linda Iles ......................................................................... p.2 Subscription Information ............................................................................................................................................................... p.3 Letter From the Editor……………………………… ....................................................................................................................... p.4 Announcements from Lady Olivia Robertson............................................................................................................................... p.5 News Digest From FOI Global Sites............................................................................................................................................. p.5 Messages From Minette................................................................................................................................................................ p.9 Members’ Notices... ...................................................................................................................................................................... p.11 Prayer requests ...... ...................................................................................................................................................................... p.16 Changing Faces of the Temple, by Minette Quick ....................................................................................................................... p.17 Reviews, by Michael Starsheen.................................................................................................................................................... p.23 Hymn to Aset, by MeritAset .......................................................................................................................................................... p.23 Aphrodite, essay by Sarah Kobuszko .......................................................................................................................................... p.24 Aradia, poem by Radagast the Bard ............................................................................................................................................ p.26 th 4 Day for the Goddess in Berlin: report, by Gisela Kranz .......................................................................................................... p.27 Goddess Destinations, essay by Karen Tate ............................................................................................................................... p.29 th Olivia’s 95 Birthday, report by Minette Quick and David de Roeck ........................................................................................... p.31 A Bast Channeling, channeled by Sarah Rooke .......................................................................................................................... p.34 Exploring a Spirituality of the Past, for a Better Future: The Druid’s Primer, essay by Luke Eastwood…………………………. p.35 A Bast Blessing, prayer by MarieClewley………………………………………………………………………………………………p.37 th My 80 Birthday, report by Loreon Vigne ..................................................................................................................................... p.37 st Nightswimming: 1 Swim of the Season, thoughts by Beth DuPont ........................................................................................... p.39 Solstice 2012, essay by Michael York .......................................................................................................................................... p.40 Prayer to Bastet and Sekhmet, prayers by Maire Doyle .............................................................................................................. p.41 Universal Eye, essay by Victoria Preobrazhenskaya .................................................................................................................. p.41 Litany of Great Feline Powers, prayer by Demetria Nanos ......................................................................................................... p.49 Contemplating the FOI Manifesto, essay by Deena Butta........................................................................................................... p.50 Goddess Festival forms ................................................................................................................................................................ p.52 Contributors to this issue .............................................................................................................................................................. p.54 Inside Back Cover: FOI Directory of Key Personnel .................................................................................................................... p.55 Back Cover: FOI Manifesto ........................................................................................................................................................... p.56 Uncited artwork from Dover Publications and Microsoft . All legal rights reserved by the contributors. ISIS-SESHAT SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Inside USA: $30 per year or $8 per issue, shipping included. Outside USA: $38 per year, or $10 per issue, shipping included ISIS-SESHAT c/o Deena Butta 3334 W. Eastwood Ave. Chicago IL 60625-5334 USA Please make checks out to “Deena Butta” with “magazine” in the memo line. You may also send payment via Paypal to DeeAnkh@sbcglobal.net Isis Seshat Journal #34 4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear FOI family, 2012 represents the re-setting of cosmic clocks. Many of us felt the energy begin to shift last year, like the opening of an energetic door, unknown things trickling through. The main liturgy for the 2011 FOI Goddess Festival in Chicago was dedicated to the stars of the consytellation Pegasus, and to creativity. The main liturgy for the 2012 Goddess Festival also revolves around creativity, but these creative energies come tto us through a different constellation. The stars of Aquila and Lyra are close to the core of our galaxy, the dark hole from which creative energy emerges and where we encounter the creative core of our being. Certainly we will have tales to tell of our experiences, adventures, and close calls. Please join us on this journey to the heart of darkness and the unknown. Registration forms are included within Isis Seshat for your convenience, along with assortec networking forms. Our mission is to trust, and to maintain a high vibratory level. After all, we are not who or what we think we are. We are about to discover a new level of creativity. We are about the create the world in which we and our descendants will live. It is our calling to make this a world in which we want them to live and be happy. In this jouney through the darkness, we can slow down and take as long as it takes to connecvt through the heart with our loved ones just as we connect through the heart with the great mystery at the core of our galaxy. This is a time for listening and communing. This is a time to be receptive to what our guides and our goddesses are telling us. It is easier to hear in the darkness. Without the sense of sight, our hearing grows more acute. Synchronously, the Convocation at Isis Oasis will honor as its central deity for 2012 the Egyptian goddess Taweret, protector of childbirth. There is nothing delicate about Taweret! She offers us her strength for the journey through the black hole of the birth canal at the heart of our galaxy, and to emerge safely in whatever new world we find ourselves. Lady Lilith, of the Iseum of the Graceful Goddess, will lead us in celestial dances accompanied by lyre music played by Richard Spendio. And Lady Olivia will guide us on a mystical journey through the dark center of creation. Life is endless. By letting go of what we think we see, we free ourselves to encounter new forms of life within our galaxy and ourselves. May we let go of whatever has been holding us back, so that we may experience the joy and liberation of true creation. Chin up, and keep your vibratory level high!! Love and blessings, Deena Isis Seshat Journal #34 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM LADY OLIVIA ROBERTSON: A REMINDER REGARDING THE FOUNDING OF NEW CENTRES WORLDWIDE Presiding Founders of existing Lyceums, Iseums, Groves & Priories of the Fellowship of Isis are empowered to issue appropriate Charters for members wishing to found new centres. --Olivia Robertson 16/6/2012 News Digest From FOI Global Sites FROM: Ascension of Isis, 161179523978873@groups.facebook.com --Magickal Hummingbyrd: I am thrilled and grateful to share with you all... that I was ordained as a Priestess of ISIS of 10,000 Names And Faces within my beloved Fellowship Of Isis, I also have other FOI Ordination companion Goddesses. I was wonderfully also Initiated as a Druidess within my cherished FOI Druid Clan Of Dana... on that same Full Moon night on July 3rd 2012! I give my loving thank you, and heart~felt appreciation to everyone who is sending me their congratulations and blessings and well~wishes to this new FOI and DCD Priestess and Druidess! Arthur Freeheart ... is my deeply cherished wise Heirophant and Arch Druid under whom I have been wisely, and deeply and lovingly trained! --Linda Iles : Isian News for Beltane 2012 (Issue Number 144) has been published online. The cover features this beautiful painting by Olivia Robertson titled “Sophia, the Lion and the Rose.” Olivia has done a magnificent job creating the new “Reflections” article and accompanying alchemy narration and revelation in two parts. The locale for this latest installment of her book (in progress) “Athena: Arcadian Awakening” is Bohemia, a Utopia reached through Art and Nature! http://isiannewsfoi.org/ -- Deirdre wadding: A wonderful ceremony took place at the Piper's Stones. Three new priestesses dedicated to the Goddess ... ordained today by myself and co-priestess/hierophant Cáit Branigan..We were blessed with the beautiful weather ! Many blessings on their path ! FROM: Druid Clan of Dana - Fellowship [of Isis - An Clann Draoidheachta Danann] News from the Grove/Iseum... <315380318522084@groups.facebook.com> --Alex Langstone: News from the Grove/Iseum of Bega of the Gifts: It is now only 10 days until the release of my book "Spirit Chaser". Our Grove is launching the book on the 21st of June at one of our members houses on the east coast of England. Please feel free to join our page and share in the magic of St Bega and the Summer Solstice. We will be back in Cornwall shortly after the Solstice, where we will continue to tend the shrine of Bega from our grove high up in the North Cornwall hills. --Linda Iles: Luke Eastwood, author of The Druid's Primer: "Just published in Watkin's: Mind Body Spirit, it's about the book and why I wrote it." www.lukeeastwood.com Isis Seshat Journal #34 6 --Alex Langstone: Midsummer news from the Grove/Iseum of Bega of the Gifts. The psychic adventure that helped lead to the formation of our group has now been published. "Spirit Chaser: The Quest for Bega" tells the tale of the re-discovery of the life of St Bega as 7th century Celtic healer and of Bega the Cosmic Goddess of gifts and transformation. A psychic quest that, in turn, led us to re-discover the Celtic traditions of healing, miracles and magic. Published by Spirit of Albion Books: Spirit Chaser: The Quest for Bega spiritofalbionbooks.blogspot.com FROM: Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News] 361723650498@groups.facebook.com -- Eric Cooper: There is a unit in Afghanistan whose base was hit by suicide bombers that took out their dining facility and px and they are on an MRE diet now. If anyone wants to send them a package they are craving Tabasco sauce to help the flavor of the MRE's also any canned food, non-perishables and toiletry items. send me a message and i'll give you the address due to operation security. thank-you. In light of more Pagan Troops deployed coming out plus we have one in Korea running a group we are in need of keeping stocked to send supplies out. These include: 1. Candles of all types 2. Various Incense and censors 3. various oils and oil burners 4. Pagan books 5. Pagan music 6. various herbs and any mortars and pestles 7. various stones and crystals 8. Tarot and Rune decks 9. scrying mirrors and other things of this general nature. Think of the basics that you may need to practice your own craft. I will also be maintaining a list of addresses for those that wish to send packages directly. For those wishing to help with postage the Forest Moon paypal is forestmoongrove@accountant.com thank-you for all your support --Linda Iles: Happy Birthday Olivia! FOI Co-Founder Olivia Robertson was born on April 13 in 1917 - on a Friday. In honor of her birthday two new pages have been added to Fellowship of Isis Central. One features information on Olivia's horoscope with natal chart and readout. The second features photos of Olivia from 1938 through to the present. Horoscope for Olivia Robertson - Natal Chart and Readout and Photo Album: Olivia Robertson Through the Years. Other recent offerings, in case you missed them: Guided Journey to the Sphere of the Full Moon; "The White Sister" a painting by Olivia accompanied by her commentary on Cerridwen as the White Lady available on Olivia Robertson's Online Log -- Sean McCabe: The Grand Knight Commander, Sir Sean P. on behalf of the Great Chancellor, Lady Olivia Robertson, O.T., conferred the Honour of Knighthood on Dame Cait Branigan, O.T., Dame Deirdre Wadding, O.T., Dame Maureen Sullivan, O.T., Dame Mary Whelan, O.T., and Sir John Phelan, O.T., at the Sacred Abbey, Huntington Castle, Clonegal. http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=cddP4aHT26o; Noble Order of Tara. Visit: http://www.lotuspharia.freey ellow.com/thecircleofisis/id3. Isis Seshat Journal #34 7 html [Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cddP4aHT26o --Sarah Rooke: --Congratulations to Danielle Blackstone (wife of Rob Blackstone), from Kirkby in Ashfield, who has gained her first magi degree of Lunar Magic of the Tides (Moon Magic) in the College of Isis. --I am pleased to announce that the Rev Evelyne Baillie, of the Lyceum of Dana and the Healing Waters of the Moon, has been consecrated as Archdruidess in the Druid Clan of Dana by attunement. Her new centre is called Cougie Grove and is based in Portsmouth, UK ‘During the Oracle of Dana, I got warmth, physically! A sensation of love and protection. During the Oracle of Mananan, a warning to rely on Dana in my personal experiences, During the anointing I felt warmth, awe and humility. Cougie Grove is the grove I have carried in my heart since I was introduced to Dana in Scotland. It is the physical representation of this event, my search for knowledge in wisdom from Dana in my resolve to help anyone searching’Many congratulations, Evelyne! --Many congratulations to the Rev Anne Novis, who has been consecrated by attunement as a Priestess Hierophant in the Fellowship of Isis. Her new Lyceum is called Isis-Morgan, Goddess of the Stars and Sea and is based in London. This Lyceum will bring forth love, wisdom and teachings of the Goddess in all Her forms. It will be a light for others revealing the path to the Goddess and her consort the God. Will be a safe place for learning and developing new skills in service to chosen Goddesses. Will enable healing and spiritual development of the student through love and wisdom of the Goddess Isis – Morgen Will encourage trainee’s exploration of self as the Goddess within. Will promote the Priesthood of the Fellowship of Isis Will enable all who ask to access the training regardless of difference or income. --Congratulations to Rob Blackstone, of Kirkby in Ashfield, who has gained his first magi degree of Moon Magic (Lunar Magic of the Tides), in the College of Isis, --Congratulations to Gaynor Linnecor (Uni Versal) from Havant, who has gained her first magi degree of Aquarius and Juno in the College of Isis, Fellowship of Isis. --I am pleased to announce that the Rev Heather Charnley has been consecrated over Beltane as a Priestess Hierophant by attunement in the Fellowship of Isis. Her new Lyceum is called Hecate, Demeter and Artemis, and she is based in Hexham, Northumberland, UK. Heather’s aims for her new Lyceum are as follows: “I wish to continue gathering nature’s wisdom in the form of inspired writings and creative works, and sharing this with others, and also giving workshops, talks and sessions in the future. I am also very interested in herbs and feel they are old friends from time immemorial, and intend to tune into them for learning about plant spirit medicine. I have a number of crystals, including some small crystal skulls, and wish to link with them more, indeed the crystals have said they want to communicate wisdom through me in the future for another book. Link with the Rev Claire Stewart to pool resources and ideas, give sessions/ talks. The combination of art and healing predominates in my life, and I am working on a set of oracle cards based on ancient sites, a forthcoming workshop on my Atlantean chakra code cards I also wish to link closer to the Divine energy, and hence the goddess, and bring that through more so into my life.” --I am pleased to report that the Rev Linda Hilborne of Portsmouth, Hants, UK, has gained her 4th magi degree of Lunar Magic of the Tides (Moon Magic) in the College of Isis --I am pleased to be able to announce that the Rev Linda Hilborne has been initiated as a Druidess in the Druid Clan of Dana over Beltane in Portsmouth, UK -- Caroline Wise: Just back from inaugurating the new London Iseum of 10000 names led by Christine Rhone. We had wonderful spontaneous oracles and invocations, in our rite based around Vesta and Brigid of the Hearths and Isis of FOI. Christine ran crop circle magazine The Cerealogist with the late John Michell, a Blake-ean, Fortean and Pythagorean. The journal was a favourite of Olivia. Olivia says " I am thrilled at having the Iseum of 10000 Names and I LOVE the cartoons of the crop Circle glamour girl 'Cornelia' by Christine from Fellowship of Isis FOI Homepage Archive Homepage Archive Blog, http://foihomepage.blogspot.com Fellowship_of_Isis_Forum@yahoogroups.com --Connia Silver <foihomepage@aol.com>~ April 13, 2012: Happy 95th Birthday to Olivia Robertson, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis! Listen to her giving an Invocation of Isis: Isis Invocation ~ Audio File: "I invoke Isis, daughter Isis Seshat Journal #34 8 of Nuit, Who knows the secret name of Ra. Oh Isis, bring us thou great enchantress to Eternal Life. Evoe Isis Myrionymous!" To read about Olivia and see more photos, visit her biography pages: Olivia Robertson Please see our blog page for our happy birthday post to Olivia and to hear a short audio clip of her invocation of Isis: -- In honor of Olivia's birthday, Logic Reality released a video clip of new footage. It may be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XLZuQRK7o5g Thanks to Dennis and Steven. The DVD, "Olivia, Priestess of Isis" may be purchased at this link: http://www.logicreality.co.uk/available-on-dvd/olivia-priestess-of-isis FROM: Fellowship_of_Isis_Forum FOI Homepage Archive <foihomepage@aol.com> Fellowship_of_Isis_Forum@yahoogroups.com --Please see our blog for a newly archived audio recording of Olivia Robertson: http://foihomepage.blogspot.com/ FROM: Friends of Green Tara https://www.facebook.com/groups/424061497609611/424131200935974/?notif_t=group_activity Friends of Green Tara --Caroline Wise: FOI archpriests and longtime members Claudia and Thomas Wehmeyer have a page dedicated to Green Tara. Claudia and Thomas have worked tirelessly for the FOI in Germany, translating the Liturgy, working with the College of Isis, the Noble Order of Tara and the Druid Clan of Dana, with conferences and practical training. --Just delivered today: Grist to Whose Mill, a previously unpublished novel by Kenneth Grant. --Congratulations to Sheila Broun and the new Iseum of Sulis and Nementona that we inaugurated at the weekend with some of our FOI Priesthood friends from Glastonbury. Celia spoke of the Hearths of the Goddess, the vision of Lawrence Durdin Robertson. We saw the hearths springing up and linking with all Iseums as points of light around the globe. The oracle saw the sacred springs bubbling up all through the hills and linking to the well at Foundation Centre. A hearth blazed in the fireplace and Clonegal water was mixed with Glastonbury water for anointing. A Fire and water initiation. FROM: Noble Order of Tara, http://nobleorderoftara.blogspot.com/ --Olivia Robertson: “To find the Immortal Beloved look within, Look in the Well to find your twin.” The Chapel of the Well of Brighid was created in 1976; water from the well has been used in FOI ceremonies since that time. It is thought by some that a Priory of St. Brighid formerly existed on the site of the castle around the well. FROM: Temple of Isis, Temple-of-Isis@yahoogroups.com --Isidora Forrest: New Isiopolis post, Isidora <miforrest3@yahoo.com> Just wanted you to know I'm posting regularly at: http://isiopolis.wordpress.com/ Recent topics include: The Power of Isis…Isis and... Aesop?...The meaning of Osiris' name. I hope you'll drop by. Isis Seshat Journal #34 9 MESSAGES FROM MINETTE OLIVIA ROBERTSON’S VISIT TO A NEW GROVE & LYCEUM in Ireland 1st June, 2012 At THREE CASTLES, CO. KILKENNY Our new Grove, ‘An a Cuallacht Dé Danaan’ (Fellowship of Danu) And Lyceum ‘An Neimheadh’ (Sacred Space – The Goddess Nemetona) Lady Olivia says: “Three Castles is in one of the most ancient areas of Pre-Druidic remains. The Centre is dominated by a lofty Norman Castle, the ruins of another Castle and strangest of all, The Old Rectory where Eimear Burke & Howard Campbell live is also part of a Norman Castle, one over each other in segments. The River Nore runs nearby, and is dedicated to The Goddess Fόdhla. The land here is connected with the defeat of the Danaans by the Milesian ‘Sons of Lugh’- and led to the retreat of the Danaans ‘underground’ to the psychic realm of Tír na nÓg. A Milesian Gaelic invader Eremon has his grave there on the ‘Plain of the Silver Woods', near the banks of the river. It is good to have a connection with the land to balanceArachne’s World Wide Web!” Minette says, “I took some photographs whilst we were on our visit to Three Castles.” The Sycamore Tree is said to be the “Tree of Isis”, and a beautiful young one silently presides just to the left as you enter Her Temple which has recently been created within the smallest stone tower. It is a delightful intimate space and its four walls are open to the skies beneath the green canopy of the Sycamore. Isis Seshat Journal #34 10 Stepping out of the doorway of this first Temple, this is just one charming wild pathway of many which wind all round the Castles and garden. Turning to the right you meet this lovely Druid Shrin e. There is something of interest at every turn. The largest sacred space of the three Castles, also open to the skies, is entered via a short flight of stone steps and through an ancient stone doorway you step down into what was clearly used at one time as a Church with narrow windows and high walls. Looking to your left as you enter, a triple branched spiral or triskele has been created on half of the floor space, and an iron gateway looks out over an ancient graveyard. This Temple has now been dedicated to the Irish Goddess of Sacred Space - ‘An Neimheadh’. This is a beautiful space for Ceremony and is enjoyed by all the members of the Grove and Lyceum. Eimear & Howard run various courses at their Centre and welcome contact: eimearbindigo@gmail.com +353 56 7767142 Isis Seshat Journal #34 11 CASTLE WEBSITE Alexander Durdin-Robertson, who now runs a year-round programme of attractive events open to the public, including guided tours of the Grounds and Castle and so on, has invited our Fellowship websites to include a link to the Castle's own website at www.huntingtoncastle.com , so that visitors can get an overall picture of what is available at Clonegal nowadays and come along. Although the Fellowship refers to the Castle as “Foundation Centre” or “Clonegal Castle,” which was its old name - and it is in the village of Clonegal on the borders of Counties Carlow and Wexford in Ireland - it is also known as “Huntington Castle,” and all general, nonFOI information, can only be found under that name. There is no change to the usual “Invitations” system for those wishing to attend any of the 8 annual festivals held by the FOI at the Castle by request via the Hon.Sec. of the Circle of Brigid which assists in running them. Link to invitations to FOI seasonal festivals is shared by the Fellowship of Isis Homepage Archive: http://www.fellowshipofisis.com/events.html MESSAGE FROM LADY OLIVIA ROBERTSON A Reminder Regarding the Founding Of New Centres Worldwide: Message received June 18, 2012 from Olivia Robertson via Minette Quick: “Presiding Founders of existing Lyceums, Iseums, Groves and Priories of the Fellowship of Isis are empowered to issue appropriate Charters for members wishing to found new centres.” --Olivia Robertson 16/6/2012 NOTICES FROM FOI MEMBERS From ANNA APPLEGATE: A Chicago launch party for Mandragora took place Saturday, June 2, 201. There were poetry readings anda book signing of the new Scarlet Imprint anthology of esoteric poesis with poets Anna Applegate, Ariana Dawnhawk and Jennifer Lawrence. The book is available at http://www.scarletimprint.com/mandragora.html From STEPHANIE CAMPBELL: Sisters of isis <376238209082334@groups.facebook.com> Blessings to all Sisters of Isis ( & Brothers). Health Happiness and Harmony to you all on this Beautiful New Moon In Taurus.As we manifest our dreams, let us give thanks to the Great Mother! From ERIC COOPER: Forest Moon Grove, PMB 568, 1500 E. College Way Suite A, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 medicyne_eagle@yahoo.com Isis Seshat Journal #34 12 Forest Moon Grove is gearing up for Troop support as we are now sponsoring and endorsing a group in Afghanistan and expect more to follow. We are looking for the following: 1.Candles of all types 2.Various Incense and censors 3.various oils and oil burners 4.Pagan books 5.Pagan music 6.various herbs and any mortars and pestles 7.various stones and crystals 8.Tarot and Rune decks 9.scrying mirrors We are a legal non-profit Pagan church and can give out tax write-off receipts. We will also set up a pen-pal listing eventually for civilians to adopt a Pagan Soldier. We are also making Forest Moon T-shirts and offer them free to our sponsors and have been giving PR packets to various people who wish to represent Forest Moon at their local Pagan Pride events or other Pagan events. Thank-you for your support in advance. Our HQ address is: http://www.facebook.com/l/AQGe7edEAQGgr_vWpOzoafSWZsHSIDyfat9mM0ARFxUJJw/www.forestmoon.spru z.com http://www.facebook.com/l/bAQGcwmAEAQEIAOqJe8Hlo0N45XqBRk18x_ZdEfg2a95E2g/groups.yahoo.com/gr oup/forestmoongrove/ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=524912412#!/pages/Forest-Moon Grove/134048249940279 From DAVID DE ROECK: --There is a meditation link for the MP3 on David’s Facebook group, Ascension of Isis. Ascension of Isis" <161179523978873@groups.facebook.com From SORITA D’ESTE: THOTH: the History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom by Lesley Jackson sheds light on Thoth’s lunar aspects, his symbolism, his associations with the afterlife, creation and also looks at his role as magician, healer and judge. It is a historical study of Thoth’s myths, symbols and functions which explores the diverse and essential roles he played in the cosmology and theology of ancient Egypt. The influence of Thoth spanned more than three thousand years, and as the patron of magicians he remains one of the most popular Egyptian gods today. In this thorough and accessible work the magic of Thoth shines forth into the twenty-first century. In Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, the author and researcher Lesley Jackson presents a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of this unique god spanning six millennia. Drawing on the latest archaeological and textual research, from magical papyri and stelae to statues and wall carvings, the author explores Thoth's diverse functions including as god of writing, magic and wisdom, creator god, judge, healer, psychopomp, reckoner of time and lunar god. Developing from pre-dynastic origins, the worship of Thoth is discussed through the different Egyptian social classes from peasant to Pharaoh, and placed in the context of ancient Egyptian rituals and festivals; as is the later syncretisation of Thoth with the Greco-Egyptian figure of Hermes Trismegistus. The author demonstrates the pivotal role that the ibis-headed god fulfilled in many of the Egyptian myths and his functions within the three main Egyptian theologies – i.e. Heliopolitan, Hermopolitan and Memphite. http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/hellenismos/thoth-ancient-egyptian-god-of-wisdom. If you enjoy occult fiction and looking for something to read in the sun somewhere nice (kindle or print!), The Ravener & Others by Donald Tyson is worth checking out. This new book from the internationally bestselling and acclaimed author is an exciting collection of six esoteric tales featuring the Elizabethan magician Dr John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley. The two men use their wits and angelic magic to battle a range of supernatural foes and threats, find out more at http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/magical-fiction/the-ravener-others From LUKE EASTWOOD: http://www.lukeeastwood.com/ The Druid's Primer by Luke Eastwood This is Luke’s first book published under his own name. After some fifteen years of studying Druidry and around ten years training as a Druid, he has written a book that pulls together the wide reaching research and reading that have been part of his studies. It covers all of the core areas with sufficient depth, honesty and accuracy to help the would-be Druid along the path. Publication date was 24 Feb 2012. Signed copies ar available. Luke’s Grove is named Solas Nemed (Grove of Light) Originally founded by Cáit Branigan (FOI priestess) in 2004, in Co. Wexford. It changed name in 2006 and has been a DCD grove since 2009, it is currently facilitated by Luke Eastwood, the sole original member. Meeting monthly Isis Seshat Journal #34 13 and also for the solstices and equinoxes, working outside at various locations in Wexford and sometimes Wicklow. Focus is on healing the land and people, journeying and working with the sidhé and sharing our experiences. Contact: Luke Eastwood at Email: info@lukeeastwood.com From NORMANDI ELLIS: --Nicki Scully and Normandi Ellis will be in Egypt sharing the mysteries October 23-November 8, mostly while sailing the Nile on our private dahabeya (a kind of sailing vessel that used to carry royalty whenever they traveled). To learn more about this tour and the one below, go to http://www.shamanicjourneys.com/Egypt --see Normandi’s new books and tours at www.normandiellis.com http://windpub.com/books/GoingWest.htm http://store.innertraditions.com/isbn/978-1-59143-128-2 Coming in 2012: Imagining the World into Existence http://store.innertraditions.com/isbn/978-1-59143-140-4 From ANASTASIA FENNELL: --The Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millennium was founded by Victoria Viktorovna PreobRAzhenskaya in 2005 in Russia (Moscow), www.VictoriaRA.com. The Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millennium is a multidimensional Siriusian Culture of the Mother of the World, the Universal Doctrine about the Absolute of the Universe, Macro and Microkosmos. It represents a Universal Vision for enlightened mankind, the Absolute Omniscience, Sacral Knowledge of Sophia (Sothis)-Divine Wisdom. It is a Spiritual Science of Light and Transformation, the Path to Eternity and Immortality. The Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millennium includes the following genres: spontaneous Cosmic Dance, Spiritual Painting and Drawing, spontaneous Cosmic Music, Sacral Poetry, the Mystical Songs’ Collection, and Mysterial scenic action which is the Theatre of the Mysteries of Victoria PreobRAzhensky. Victoria PreobRAzhensky has revived the most ancient Mysterial Art, the Theatre of Cosmic Mysteries», the fundamental base of which is the Cult of Great Mother Isis, Goddess of Ten Thousand Names. It is a multidimensional Theatre of Spirit of the Feminine Divine, Quintessence of the Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millenium. --Universal Cultural Heritage: The main objective of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is closely linked to the ideas of the Cosmic Polyart of the Third Millennium, which was founded by Viktoria Preobrazhensky. Its objects and purposes are to help strengthen peace and security by broadening cooperation among peoples in the fields of education, science and culture, to achieve global respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights, as well as the fundamental freedoms promulgated in Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for all people without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. For more than 220 years, Viktoria Preobrazhensky has actively affirmed a new culture for all mankind, centred on her own spiritual knowledge and experience and on the supreme principles of the harmony and beauty of the Universe which surrounds us. Today, Viktoria is a Goodwill Ambassador, working in friendship with UNESCO’s programme for the preservation and growth of the Universal Cultural Heritage. Her “Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millennium” is a contribution to art’s treasures. Her plan is to develop the Diplomatic Mission of the “Cosmic Polyart” for the enlightenment of mankind. She has also developed some programmed projects to preserve the heritage of Russian Theosophy, to spread and clarify sacred cosmic knowledge, and to promote and develop a Centre, located in Moscow, for the Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millennium. She invites sponsors to help carry out these projects on a worldwide scale, and all interested persons and organisations to participate in them. www.VictoriaRA.com Mystic Magazine of the Arts can be read st: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Byfzg5yERj7YQWdwM2RyZzFUS1dQc2o1X2ltbHA5UQ/edit?pli=1 --The Lyseum. Temple Beautiful by Jeanne O'Cain Foster. Is available on http://www.amazon.com/TempleBeautiful-Jeanne-OCain Foster/dp/1468130714/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330907698&sr=8-1-fkmr1 --I also opened a Theosophical Iseum Online: www.theosophy-iseum.com From JEAN FOSTER: Congratulations To: Anastasia Fennell ana_fennell@mac.com from Jean Foster jeanocainfoster@cavtel.net NEWS FROM VA BEACH: Thank you to those who joined the Board of Directors of Lyceum Temple Beautiful, which include Olivia Robertson (1998) Lorean Vigne (1998) Deena Butta (2001) Linda Iles (2004) de Traci Regula (2005) Lloyd Kremer (2005). Temple Beautiful was Launched at Virginia Beach, 1998 by Priest Ian Macwatt. Lorean Vigne ordained Jeanne Foster, Founder of Iseum Isadora in 1998. Lady Olivia entitled her as Adept in 2000, as well as naming her Iseum and Lyceum herself by Attunement. Jeanne visited Clonegal Castle in 2005, and presented a ritual of Circles folowing the Processional through the Gardens to the Yew Walk led by Lady Olivia. Jeanne danced on the Isis Altar and was Blessed by the ArchPriestess with a "Hands" Dance using the Symbolic Mirror of Isis. Jeanne presented her book of poetry , Pearls for Isis. In 1998 Jean presented two of her books, Temple Beautiful Part One and Part Two, to Lady Olivia. In 2012, Jean hopes to develop into a full website Isis Seshat Journal #34 14 the current work-in-progress: http://googlesites.com/site/JeanO'CainFoster.com She will also present five ritual dramas to YouTube which are now on DVDs. Lloyd Kremer can be reached at email: Lloyd@LloydKremer.org. --Jean’s new book was published by Amazon Create Space. The title is Temple Beautifu+12 : The Divine Manuscript for Mystical Practice, http://www.scribd.com/doc/82897747/Temple-Beautifu-l2 From: ELLEN EVERT HOPMAN Ellen Evert Hopman is an herbalist, author, Druid Priestess, and FOI ArchDruidess. She is a Master Herbalist and lay Homeopath who holds an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling, as well as the author of a growing number of books. Her first novel, Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey (Llewellyn, February 2008) combined third century Irish fictional romance with practical Druid rites and rituals. The sequel is called The Druid Isle (Llewellyn, April 2010) which takes place in Western Scotland. The third novel in the series is Priestess of the Fire Temple: A Druid's Tale (Llewellyn, March 2012, which explores the Pagan predecesor of Saint Brighid's Fire Temple in Kildare. Ellen's latest magical herbal is Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing, June 21, 2011). Featuring seventy five medicinal and magical plants of the Highlands, the book covers Scottish folkways from Orkney to Shetland and the Borders. http://www.elleneverthopman.com POB 219, Amherst, MA 01004 From LINDA ILES: there is a Noble Order of Tara group on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/130380647027194/ From NANCY PASSMORE: Thank you all who have time and again answered the call to let the lunacy continue. It is your support that keeps our little moon boat afloast. Please join with us now in publishing the 37th annual edition. Make a gift of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1000, $5000, or other. Please make US dollar checks payable to “Luna Press.” UK pound cheques to “NFW Passmore.” By mail: Luna Press, PO Box 15511, Kenmore Station, Boston MA 02215-0009 USA. By phone: (617)-327-8000 Online: www.thelunapress.com Look up with the joy of many moons. Read Letters to Luna at www.thelunapress.com. From MOMMA WHITE COUGAR: Momma White Cougar refers to her poems as “heartsongs,” as this is a beautiful recognition and acknowledgement of what they actually are. Her first e-book is THE SACRED WHEEL. Her current e-book, WHITECOUGAR'S JOURNALS, is available on Amazon.com for Kindle through www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com. Visit Momma White Cougar’s author's page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MommaWhiteCougar From AMY AUSET ROHN: Travel to Scotland with Amy in 2013 and visit sacred sites, sing with the stones, connect with the land, and re-align your spirit with the stars. Amy will present a mystical tour with Karen Ralls PhD and Finbarr Ross. Amy is also introducing “Sothis Rising,” a telephone course that touches your past, your present and your future, and helps you connect with past lives that may hold a key of understanding for finding fulfillment in this lifetime. Find Amy Auset Rohn on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/amy.a.rohn and at her website, http://www.awaken2light.webs.com/ Burning Bowl Workshop will be offered again in January 2013. It will provide you with a personal Burning Bowl in which to burn wishes, empower your affirmations, send prayers or distant Reiki healing, or in private ceremony to let go of the past for deep cleansing. It will also incorporate work with crystals and candles. Check Amy’s websites for information about her other classes, and about her Moon Messages, available via subscription for $13/month, which you will receive at each new and full moon. From TAMARA SIUDA: -- These at-home versions of Kemetic Orthodox spiritual baths are traditionally given to the faithful on Wep Ronpet (Kemetic New Year), but can be used all year round. Each bath is handcrafted by Hekatawy I, Nisut of the Kemetic Orthodox Faith. They are pleasant-smelling herbal infusions designed to add a spiritual component to a bath and provide the protection and blessing of the great goddess Sekhmet, patroness of healing and appropriate action, as well as other deities of the Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) pantheon as noted. Isis Seshat Journal #34 15 Each bath comes in a 4-ounce liquid concentrate, with complete instructions for use. Varying prices for each bath reflect their different ingredients and the time required to hand-craft each bath. These baths are made to order for each purchase -- they are not created in bulk! purchase from http://www.legbastore.com/searspba.html or Contact the Crossroads! Legba's Crossroads / Stargazer Design, 1321 S Winchester Blvd Ste 205, San Jose, CA 95128-4320. General/Order inquiries: orders@tearsofisis.com Contact Mambo T directly at: andezo@gmail.com For best results, the Sekhmet bath is recommended before taking other baths, which include: Sekhmet Spiritual Bath: for all-purpose cleansing and blessing $10.95--Serqet Bath Version 1: for deep cleansing, protection, and blessing of abuse victims $14.95--Serqet Bath Version 2: for blessing and vision $14.95--Aset (Isis) Bath: to amplify and improve heka (magic) and psychic talents $19.95--Bast Bath: to relieve anxiety, social phobia, or other mental illnesses $10.95--Hethert (Hathor) Bath: for prosperity, love, and joy $14.95--Heru-wer (Horus the Elder) Bath: for power, strength, and courage $14.95--Wesir (Osiris) Bath: for amplifying herbal magic or creative potentials of any type $14.95--Amun-Ra Bath: for blessings of all types $19.95--Yinepu (Anubis) Bath: for ancestral knowledge and protection $14.95--Djehuty (Thoth) Bath: for wisdom and clarifying creative processes $14.95--Ptah Bath: for luck, creativity, and inspiration $16.95 Please allow up to two weeks for shipment.-Wepwawet (Apuat) Bath: to open your way and make opportunities $13.95 --Tamara recently gave an interview about Kemet to the "Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole" radio show, where she spoke a bit about Lady Olivia and FOI. Listen to it at: http://deeper-down-the-rabbit-hole.com/2012/03/episode-51-rev-tamara-l-siuda-discusses-reconstructionalkhemetic-religion/ -- [editor: Tamara also publishes under the name Mambo Chita Tann, as she is is a mambo asogwe, the highest initiated rank in Haitian Vodou. She has more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, published author, and lecturer on African religions. She is also a professional Egyptologist and the spiritual leader of the Kemetic Orthodox Faith, a modern form of ancient Egyptian religion, and has appeared in a History Channel documentary about Egypt under her given name, Tamara L. Siuda. Visit the author online at www.Legba.biz . Tamara’s book was published in February 2012, it is called Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti's Indigenous Spiritual Tradition. $15.95 | 9780738730691 Imprint: Llewellyn Specs: Trade Paperback | 9780738730691 English | 264 pages | 6 x 9 x 1 IN From the Llewellyn website: “Haitian Vodou is a fascinating spiritual tradition rich with ceremonies and magic, songs and prayers, dances and fellowship. Yet outside of Haiti, next to no one understands this joyous and profound way of life. ln Haitian Vodou, Mambo Chita Tann explores the historical roots and contemporary practices of this unique tradition, including discussions of: —Customs, beliefs, sacred spaces, and ritual objects —Characteristics and behaviors of the Lwa, the spirits served by Vodou practitioners —Common misconceptions such as “voodoo dolls” and the zombie phenomenon —Questions and answers for attending ceremonies and getting involved in a sosyete (Vodou house) —Correspondence tables, Kreyol glossary, supplemental prayer texts, and an extensive list of reference books and online resources Well-researched, comprehensive, and engaging, Haitian Vodou will be a welcome addition for people new to Haitian spirituality as well as for students, practitioners, and academics.” Read a fascinating related article in The Llewellyn Journal titled “Forty Days and Nights of Purity: Lent, Haitian Vodou Style” at http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2274] FROM HENNIE VAN GEEL: Hennie announces poems he wrote over the last year and which he self published in a booklet called At Last. Some of them will be reprinted in Isis Seshat Journal, with thanks to Hennie Van Geel FROM LOREON VIGNE: Loreon is excited to be hosting the Fellowship of Isis once again...and having Lady Olivia visit at the Isis Seshat Journal #34 16 Temple of Isis in Geyserville California, Oct. 5 to the 8th.This year they are focusing on the Goddess Tauret, hippo Goddess signifying birth...It is indeed time to birth the very essence of what the Goddess movement is all about. They have such wonderful times on these special occasions studying various aspects of the Goddess. Last year 40 new Priestesses and Priests were ordained. It is gratifying to see the Isian movement grow. Most people come and stay at Isis Oasis for three days but some come for only one or two days. They keep the cost down as best they can and always have fascinating programs from morning to night. This being the year of transformation and rebirth will be a really fulfilling experience. The cost is $115 a day which includes overnights, 3 meals, and all events. Call Isis Oasis Sanctuary at 707-857-ISIS or email isis@isisoasis.org Visit www.isisoasis.org for more info. From DIERDRE WADDING: Ascension of Isis" <161179523978873@groups.facebook.com> Three trainee priestesses were ordained as priestesses of the Fellowship of Isis on March 28 outdoors at a sacred site by herself and co-Hierophant Cáit Branigan of the Lyceum of the Three Mothers. from ANI WILLIAMS: At this most extraordinary time of eclipses and the Venus Transit….I am…returning to beloved Britain this fall with two “Voices of the Magdalene” tours: Scotland September 26—October 5 and England October 10—20. I will be teaming up with Catherine Ann Clemett, co-author of Anna, Voice of the Magdalenes. If you haven’t read this one, I recommend it, as it presents the story of Yeshua, Magdalene and the holy family in a way that you can imagine being there yourself. On the journeys we will return to some of my favorite holy sites: Iona, Fortingall, Roslin Glen, Isle of Mull, Cornwall, Chalice Well, Avebury, Stonehenge, and the Isle of Man. The itineraries, photos and details are at http://www.aniwilliams.com/2012-voice_of_magdalenes. The rare Venus Transit across the Sun on June 5-6 signaled a time of illumination of Venus’ qualities of love, beauty and harmony. Venus transits have been noted as important turning points for humanity by many ancient cultures, including the Mayan, Aztec and recorded on the Babylonian Venus Tablet from the 7th century BC. Jean Houston calls this “the time of the Possible Human.” Let us all strive to create beauty and recognize the luminous nature within all beings. In the spirit of the return of harmony, Songaia Sound announces the DVD Sound Alchemy, incorporating music, visuals and historical teachings of the Science of Harmony which uses the planetary tone patterns and the same sounds as they are mirrored in the human energy field and voice frequency patterns (Voice Spectrum Analysis). This year I have been reviewing my earliest harp recordings from the 1980’s and one by one, re-mastering and releasing them on CD for the first time.The first two, Summer Rose (1983) and Sky Dance (1986) are now available after being unavailable for almost 20 years! The next two CDs due for re-release are Lotus Returning (1982) and Violets in Spring (1985). This June I am recording new music in the acoustically live churches in the region, which should be available this autumn. Long-awaited songs Salt of Earth, Viva Santa Maria and others will be included. Currently Voice Spectrum Analysis sessions are being offered long distance via Skype. You can find more information about these sessions and the benefits at: http://www.aniwilliams.com/voice_spectrum_analysis.htm “The person who has found the key-note in their voice has found the key to their life.” Hazrat Inayat Khan Bright Blessings to you all in this extraordinary time of great change and expansion…to the possible human that is you. Ani Songaia Sound Productions, 2675 W. Hwy. 89-A #1081, Sedona, AZ 86336, Email: songaia@earthlink.net, Web: www.aniwilliams.com, Phone US: 928-204-1124 From IONA WINTON: The Iseum of the Daughters of Qetesh has a new blog that honors and teaches about this interesting Goddess. Iona Winton is on facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/361723650498/ From CAROLINE WISE: Druid Clan of Dana - Fellowship of Isis, An Clann Draoidheachta Danann, <315380318522084@groups.facebook.com> There is a new Druid Clan of Dana Shrine at Three Castles, Kilkenny. The Founders are Elmear and Howard. The largest sacred space of the three Castles, also open to the skies, is entered via a short flight of stone Isis Seshat Journal #34 17 steps and through an ancient stone doorway you step down into what was clearly used at one time as a Church with narrow windows and high walls. Looking to your left as you enter, a triple branched spiral or triskele has been created on half of the floor space, and an iron gateway looks out over an ancient graveyard. This Temple has now been dedicated to the Irish Goddess of Sacred Space - ‘An Neimheadh’. This is a beautiful space for Ceremony and is enjoyed by all the members of the Grove and Lyceum. Elmear and Howard run various courses eimearbindigo@gmail.com. Olivia visited the New Grove and Lyceum in Ireland, June 1st 2012 ‘An a Cuallacht Dé Danaan’ (Fellowship of Danu) and Lyceum ‘An Neimheadh’, (Sacred Space – The Goddess Nemetona). Three Castles is in one of the most ancient areas of Pre-Druidic remains. The Centre is dominated by a lofty Norman Castle, the ruins of another Castle and strangest of all, The Old Rectory where Eimear Burke & Howard Campbell live is also part of a Norman Castle, one over the other in segments. The River Nore runs nearby, and is dedicated to The Goddess Fόdhla. The land here is connected with the defeat of the Danaans by the Milesian ‘Sons of Lugh’ which led to the retreat of the Danaans ‘underground’ to the psychic realm of Tír na nÓg. A Milesian Gaelic invader, Eremon, has his grave there on the ‘Plain of the Silver Woods', near the banks of the river. Lady Olivia observes that it is good to have a connection with the land to balance Arachne’s World Wide Web! PRAYER REQUESTS FROM GISELA, Iseum of Isis and Enki, Berlin Dear all, My friend Maria was operated on her hip some months ago and she does not recover from that, because since then she fell into a state of restlessness that spoils healing. She can´t sleep at night, can´t sit at day, has to move about - and is still walking with two crutches! Worn out by fatigue she can´t concentrate on anything or work or relax. And by now she has tried al sorts of pills, doctors, healers, and meditations a sensible person would think of. Today we visualised that before the end of this year she ´ll come across her path of healing by a flash of intuition or through someone she meets. Please send her rays of healing to guide her on this blindfolded quest. Thanks and blessings, Gisela Isis Seshat Journal #34 18 CHANGING FACES OF THE TEMPLE By Olivia Robertson (artist) And Minette Quick (photographer) 17 March 2012 SHRINE OF ANDROMEDA CONSTELLATION Between PISCES & ARIES SHRINES Olivia tells of her ancestor, The Earl of Rosse who was an astronomer. He was among the first who saw the Galaxy situated in Andromeda. He called it “a firmament”. He used the famous telescope created by another Earl of Rosse at Birr. The GODDESS AMATERASU NO KAMI, The Japanese SUN GODDESS, Tutelary Deity of the Imperial Family. Olivia brought the frontal of Japanese women artists from Japan. The Japanese FOI Priest & Priestess visited the Temple And performed a Shinto ritual dance. THE ANIMAL GUARDIANS OF THE HIGH ALTAR OF ISIS Are from the Orient. A CHEETAH, brought by New Age pilgrims for Olivia Isis Seshat Journal #34 19 And THE DRAGON The 2 Pillars that hold up the ancient wooden-beams Represent SHU & TEFNUT, The 2 Egyptian POWERS OF BALANCE That uphold the starry sky. 22 March 2012 HIGH ALTAR OF ISHTAR & TAMMUZ STAR CHAPEL Re-arranged with Olivia’s painting of the incoming incarnated boy on the left. He came through the mirror portrait in Olivia’s vision on 27th April, 2011. Olivia Robertson’s portrait of the boy Isis Seshat Journal #34 20 6 months later, on 30th October, Olivia had a vision of the white angel-like girl Whose likeness now has been recognised in the mirror portrait itself. Olivia Robertson’s portrait of the girl Olivia has not yet found her as a baby! 3rd April, 2012 OLIVIA’s STUDIO, Clonegal Castle Painting on fabric by Olivia Robertson of GODDESS BRIGID of JOY With Boy & Girl Sidhe Portrait of Ancestor of Nora Parsons, Olivia’s Mother, The 1st Earl of Rosse, head of the family He introduced Freemasonry to Ireland Portrait of ROBERT MANNING 1771-1857, ancestor of Olivia’saFather, Manning Robertson. He published a book addressed as follows: “Dear Friends, You millions of the human race – Let us Love One Another” He then listed all the genocidal atrocities committed by world religions. As this included Christianity, the Manning Robertson family burnt every copy save one. Olivia found this in a secret drawer as a young woman, and felt overwhelmed at being addressed in this way by her ancestor. As she rightly says, we have all been given this message many times. But somehow, sadly, we’ve never got round to it…..She is honoured to finally pass on his heartfelt message. “It’s taken a long, long time.” She says. “But better late than never.” His is the central message of the Fellowship and of the Goddess. Isis Seshat Journal #34 21 Lady Olivia’s Great, Great, Great Ancestress, BARBARA ST. LEGER 1748-1820, married Alexander Durdin. Her paternal grandmother was Helen Durdin. Barbara’s cousin ELIZABETH ST. LEGER of Doneraile Court was famous as the only Freemason who practised the Craft all her life. PAINTING of THE ARMS OF THE SCOTTISH BARONY of STRATHLOCH Revived and bestowed through the Irish Heraldic Office on Laurence Durdin Robertson. Painted by his Daughter, the Artist Anna Curry 28th April, 2012 2 NEW SHRINES in the SOUTH EAST of OLIVIA’s STUDIO, Clonegal Castle 1. THE SHRINE OF THE TRIPLE GODDESSES Upon the mantelpiece is a figurine of THE WINGED ISIS On either side are OR’s paintings of her visions of THE GODDESS DANA & THE GODDESS TARA 2. THE SHRINE OF ISIS OF THE STARS Beneath the fireplace Painting of “ISIS OF THE STARS” by Judith Page. This was commissioned by Caroline Wise of Atlantis Publications As a cover to her edition of “The Call of Isis” by Olivia Robertson. (Image copyrighted) Isis Seshat Journal #34 22 Olivia’s mother, Nora Parsons, gave her the two small portraits on either side of the main picture above the Winged Isis figure. The carved fireplace is by Laurence & Olivia’s Grandfather Alexander Durdin, LLD, a scholar, who built up the Library. NEW SHRINE in the NORTH EAST of OLIVIA’s STUDIO THE MIRROR SHRINE of “ISIS OF THE FOLDED WINGS” With close up of the Goddess 12th May, 2012 OLIVIA’s STUDIO, Clonegal Castle Handsome Art Nouveau PEACOCK hanging on screen Circa 1912! TEMPLE OF ISIS ZODIAC SHRINE of CANCER by South Door to Garden. Statuette of the GODDESS JUNO of the Midsummer Moon. By Her is a ceramic figure of Her Peacock. Real peacock feathers show their Starry Eyes of the Sky. She stands on an appliquéd representation of the Spider Goddess Arachne Who spins the Cosmic Web. Close up of JUNO before her mirrored reflection In Her new portrait by Olivia Robertson Isis Seshat Journal #34 23 Book Reviews By Michael Starsheen Donald P. Ryan's travelog: Ancient Egypt on 5 Deben a Day is a tour of ancient Egypt done as though you were traveling there, and has wonderful pictures and snippets of information about the gods, temples, tombs, and life. From: Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News" <361723650498@groups.facebook.com Nigel Strudwick's Hieroglyph Detective is a book that takes you through decoding heiroglyphics from different murals, tombs, and other sources. For those of you who enjoy learning the Egyptian language, this one is a cool deal! Both are available through Amazon. From: Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News" <361723650498@groups.facebook.com Hymn to Aset by MeritAset Beloved Aset, Mother Goddess, awaken my heart Golden Lady of Ten Thousand Names Fill me with Your inspiring light. My Mother, my Goddess, my Companion. You embrace me with Your sacred wings. Sacred Lady of eternal Light Embodiment of eternal life. You are Mother of the Cosmos. The star, Sirius risesin Your name. Your star rises and life flourishes. Aset, I dance to the pulse of Your Heart. I sing with the melody of Your voice. I transform in the light of Your beauty. Blessed Lady of the Sacred Black Land, Where the Nile flows for eternity. Bestow upon me Your grace and compassion. As I am and always shall be Your priestess. A Child of Egypt, a Daughter of Aset. A soft breeze caresses my cheek, a Sweet fragrance of lotuses touches my nose, And I know my beloved Goddess has touched my life. Lady of Egypt, my heart rings true in Your Blessings. Anuk Dua Pa'a Aset Ma'at. Isis Seshat Journal #34 24 APHRODITE By Sara Kobuszko “Thou art the Great Goddess, The Holy Mother of the Universe, O Silver Moon, O Star of the sea, Let me be at one with Thee, Now and for eternity.” (Hymn to Aphrodite given to me by my High Priestess when I was 25) Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of erotic love: giver of beauty and sexual attraction. One of the twelve great Olympian deities, Aphrodite was able to influence all living beings, be they god or mortal. This is except for the three virgin goddesses: Athena, Artemis and Hestia. According to Homer, Aphrodite was born of Zeus and Dione. Zeus is always associated with the Oak tree, but Dione is a nymph of the Oak, and this was in myth the traditional nesting place of the amorous dove, a bird traditionally associated with Aphrodite. Hesiod’s opinion was that Aphrodite was born of Uranus’ dismembered genitals, when they were flung by Cronus (Uranus’ and Gaia’s son) into the sea. The semen of that genitalia mixed with the foam of the sea and created the beauteous Aphrodite (Foam Born). She came ashore, riding a scallop shell, on the island of Cythera, and allegedly found it too small for her needs, so went to Pathos at Cyprus, which then became the seat of her worship. Aphrodite was greeted on the shore, clothed and adorned with jewels by the Seasons, and the Muses attended her. Grass and flowers sprang up where she stood. This indicates that it was not merely erotic love that Aphrodite had power over, but fecundity, generation of life itself. Aphrodite took to the air at will with doves and sparrows, and her temples all rested in the high places - mountains that overlooked the sea where she was born, hence one of her many epithets was Acraea (of the height). One of her many gifts was the morning dew, coming to thirsty animals and plants from her cloud covered temples. The earliest sculptures found in her temples were cone or pyramid shaped, perhaps indicating the mountain itself- reminding me of Hindu goddess Parvati (Daughter of the Mountain). When told by a priestess once that Aphrodite is a ‘an Olympian, she must be painted white, everything must be pure’ did not ring true with me. I knew that this wondrous goddess is more ancient even than the Olympian gods, and from farther afield - she to me is a well travelled goddess. My statue of Aphrodite is draped with offerings of necklaces and other jewellery. She is green and mossy, which to me speaks of her fertility and ancient nature. Indeed, to Robert Graves (The Greek Myths), Aphrodite is ‘ the same wide ruling goddess who rose from Chaos and danced on the sea, and who was worshipped in Syria and Palestine as Ishtar, or Ashtaroth. Apart from the dove and the sparrow, Triton shells are sacred to Aphrodite, as are the sea urchin and cuttlefish - these items have been found on the goddess’s ancient altars; in fact all fish are sacred to her, and sea birds. Bees, hares, dolphins, swans,geese, goats, heifers, roses, apples and apple trees, theMyrtle and lettuce are also sacred to her. At Paphos, only male animals were sacrificed to Aphrodite. These were only sacred festival days and for rich worshippers. Inside the temple there was a table on which the votaries would place flowers, fruit, Isis Seshat Journal #34 25 breads, cakes in the shape of animals and other items that were of value to them. There was hardly anything which was unacceptable to Aphrodite. Even human hair was given to her. Aphrodite’s priestesses were prized for their oracular abilities, and like the prophetesses of Apollo, they chewed on narcotic plant leaves or inhaled smoke produced by those leaves. As we already know, her special month is April, but in March also the festivities around the staging of the death and resurrection of Adonis on 25th and 26th annually were held in Paphos and most other Cypriot towns. Adonis is a comparatively late arrival to Cyprus and the Greeks Homer apparently did not speak of him, and the earliest known mention is in 7th Century BC, in a poem by Sappho and the writings of Hesiod. His story is one of death and rebirth of nature, and Aphrodite is his lover. He shared many qualities with Eros, who was a companion of Aphrodite. Aphrodite’s female followers - wives and daughters and mothers, were sometimes known to parade on the first day of this festival in sympathy with the mourning goddess tearing at their hair and clothing, exposing their breasts and shouting obscenitiesand generally making difficult for any males who got in the way. The second day was a happier occasion, celebrating Adonis' resurrection with sacrifice (of boar) and feasting (on pork - bearing in mind that Adonis was killed by a ravening boar). Some visitors apparently felt shocked by this, as they thought that Adonis was associated with the boar and they should not eat it. However, the Cypriots saw this association and embraced it, taking their Lord Adonis into their own bodies, much like the Christians of today eat their Lord Jesus' body and blood. Modern Cypriots now look on Mary and Jesus in a very similar light, and offer - if not as demonstrative, then as fervent worship as their ancestors did to Aphrodite and Adonis. The title Queen of Heaven is shared by both Aphrodite and Mary. I could write for a long time on this subject, as I love Aphrodite so much, and want to know more about Her myself. I don't want to bore you though, so here it stops! Good night all. Many kisses and lots of love and blessings of The Great Goddess Aphrodite. --Love Sara Isis Seshat Journal #34 26 Note: Aradia was written on the Sabbat of Lughnassadh (Lammas). The celebration of the first harvest, and theGod Lugh, in honor of the sun and earth for all their bounty and sustenance. The Wheel of the Year celebrates Lammas, "the feast of the bread".—Radagast, Pennsylvania. ARADIA By Radagast the Bard Diana and Lugh's love was so very bright; Goddess of the moon and God of the light. Aradia was born of their union and kiss; A Goddess and God in heavenly bliss. Diana taught Aradia the Craft of the Wise To send her to earth and end evil lies. Aradia learned well and prepared to go soon To appear on the earth from Diana's bright moon. Her destiny was fraught with much fear and fright, But Diana knew well that her daughter was bright. She appeared soon on earth after hearing the call; On earth she appeared...not a mortal at all. The poor suffered severely at the hands of the rich, But Aradia would end it, as the very first Witch. She looked for the good folk to start her work soon, As her mother, Diana, observed from the moon. The thieves and the evil ones fled far and wide, But Aradia made sure there was no place to hide. She punished the robbers and assassins as well, And continued to cleanse as the evil ones fell. The Gospel of the Witches became legend to all, Since Diana sent Aradia to answer the call. Aradia, Aradia, immortal of moon and light Returned to the heavens when all became right. The ancient legends recall Aradia to be mortal, But Diana knew well...she was not mortal at all. Given birth in the light of such heavenly bliss; Aradia sent to earth with her mother's sweet kiss. Isis Seshat Journal #34 27 4th “Day for the Goddess“ in Berlin by Gisela Kranz On a sunny summer evening some years ago we had been sitting together. In a happy, optimistic mood we agreed to establish a “Day for the Goddess” in Berlin. On June 2nd this year we celebrated the 4th annual Day. Each event has been different, and looking back, I think we have walked quite a way. Last year we came across a location that really suited us. It is the backroom of an esoteric bookshop where lectures and workshops are held. It is already charged with good vibrations and we are happy to integrate those and add some more. There is room for about 25 people, which would be quite a big audience for our proceedings considering that there are usually 5 – 7 devotees attending our seasonale rites. There are 12 names on our present members-andfriends-list. Nearly all of them had attended the annual festivals the years before, but this spring I heard quite often, “no, unfortunately I have to... but I wish you a splendid day.” I could hardly keep myself from asking who they thought could be “you”, when they don´t show up. But there was also that other voice whispering in me: “surrender to the process!” The week before the Day for the Goddess we knew for sure, there would be 3 people taking part, 1 member (yipiie!) plus the 2 organizers, Rev. Erik and me. Anyway, we had our posters and flyers displayed in the bookshop, a note on our website and as every year we had placed an eye-catching announcement in the leading esoteric magazine of Berlin. An Isis-statue in Egyptian style does stick out among all sorts of logos! We met for a rehearsal, there we sat, the 3 of us, changing the 4 roles of the mystery drama into a one-man-mime, arranging how one of the actors could look after the music at the same time and how to do a circle-dance with 3 people. Nevertheless this rehearsal was a milestone in our preparations of festivals! In the years before participants had maintained that things would work out on the spot. This had led to some unexpected incidents, not all of them easy to appreciate.This time I learnt that people tend to forget some details agreed upon at the only rehearsal. At this state of preparations I drew a goddess-card from a deck of 80. Nu Gua of China came up saying: “share your creativity with the world and you won´t be lonely anymore.” I felt misunderstood. Hadn´t I been totally at ease with Isis Seshat Journal #34 28 my creativity as long as I was on my own? Worries started onnly when I thought, I could share with the world! And then good news came: one of our members who was supposed to be far away for a professional engagement, would drive all the miles to Berlin, her meeting had been canceled. Someone else would come at noon because her ex had agreed to look after the children. On the very Day of festival we were welcomed by the friendly keeper of the bookshop. The positive atmosphere in there – a shop on Saturday morning – dispersed all dark thoughts of being left over and ignored. Our relations with the world around were shown forth by our own display of books: we had a booklet on the cult of Isis in the mediterranian world during the early Roman imperial period produced by one of our friends for her M.A.-exam and now published, there was also “Priestess of Avalon – Priestess of the Goddess” by Kathy Jones, which is available in German since April this year. We are so grateful to have one book about how to serve the goddess in the way of FOI in our own language! And there was the Isis-Seshat-Journal of course. It has got 5 readers (I know of) in this country now. There would be some more, if it was not for the language barrier. After the opening ceremony we listened to a lecture on “The Great Goddess and Mary the Virgin” by Rev. Erik and enjoyed the beautiful pictures of Mary´s altars he had compiled. We were amazed to hear that the early christians wished to learn all about the family and especially the mother of Jesus, so in the 2 nd century all stories were written down in the so called protevangelium by Jacobus who lived most likely where the tradition of Isis was strongest: in Egypt. In 391 the Roman Emperor Theodosius forbid all pagan worship but only 40 years later the Church yielded to the belief of the common people and acknowledged Mary officially as “She Who Gave Birth to God”. This took place in 491 in the city of Diana the Virgin: Ephesus. Since than there is room for those who feel drawn to worship the Divine Feminine within the Catholic church. After a break for lunch and with one more devotee arriving, our friend Kati Schwabach took us to the banks of the Rhine in the ancient days when Celtic people lived there honouring nature and the land. She enchanted us by reading from her first esoteric novel “Wolfsnest” published some months ago. Next on our program was a mantra-singingworkshop. Since all of us can only sing along when there is a leading voice to follow, we had invited a professional singer. She was accompanied by three more ladies who joined us just for the sake of mantra-singing. Christiane knew how to trigger the best of our talents, soon beautiful mantras for the Goddess filled the room with fine vibrations, nine people in a powerful circle were singing around the altar. At the end a mantra for Yemanja took us to Africa and the site of our main ritual “The Awakening of the Inner Sun” from Melusina. Since we had never before invoked Centra-African deities I gave an introduction on the basics of African cosmology and the deities and spirits involved in our rite and also on the European attitude towards precolonial African civilisations. We agreed that our ignorance still reflects the patterns of the white invaders. Scientific studies on ancient African mythologies and cultures were taken up as late as in the middle of last century. Nevertheless there is a beautiful collection of African Arts in our local Museum of Ethnology. Rev. Erik had made big pictures of some of the objects, we pinned them on the wall to achieve at least some small impression of the civilisations connected with our rite. – And Nana Buluku, the Great Goddess of Creation who dwells also in the our own bodies in the energy centre of the Inner Sun, came when invoked and Eshu, God of Crossroads, Doors and Path of Life truely guided our magical journey. Above I described the obstacles we met – maybe they are quite characteristic for small groups – and I outlined what was in our range to offer as a festival for the Goddess. I believe, it was worth the effort, the festival was nourishing. On the material level there is a good point in showing up regularly and steadily; for others it may be a signal to get in touch next time when they have heard of FOI this time. For ourselves it is one way of being sincere about our commitment, the Goddess deserves a festival and so do we. Also we gained more insights by both, that what went well – more elements which go straight to the heart for every ritual! – and by what could be improved, more time to prepare for a rite (why not take it before as a seasonal rite?), some networking throughout the current of the year, including working on my internet-skills. On the emotional level we had shared a whole, joyful day on spiritual issues. This will reach out to our next meetings and so sweep over to those who had not witnessed the very event. And most important of all, the spiritual level. High vibrations to take home, to carry us for a while, to be remembered when needed. Each of us had been blessed with some personal insights in one way or another and the sending forth of healing radiances at the end of the rite proved powerful and immediatly helpful this year and had also the year before. We had been able to create a gift and we had received a gift. Isis Seshat Journal #34 29 Goddess Destinations by Dr. Rev. Karen Tate A plethora of sacred sites of Goddess can be found on almost every continents ranging from archaeological sites and churches to museums, industrial parks and natural landscapes. The variety of these sites depict the diversity of her worship across the globe from living traditions thousands of years old to contemporary temples founded and blossoming during the last decade. With each of these locales one discovers the treasure trove that is the herstory of the Sacred Feminine. These destinations reveal the many faces and aspects of She of Ten Thousand Names, to her profound age, which came alive in the human psyche over 36,000 years ago, long before worship of any male gods. We know this because her devotees have left their mark on herstory from standing temple stones and textiles to ancient texts, artifacts and the traditions that thrive today. These holy sites are fast becoming recognized pilgrimage sites for women and men as they incorporate the Divine Feminine into their spiritual repertoire. The sites are particularly important to women’s psychological and religious identities, since they can see in all these strong archetypal feminine images of Goddess traditions where women were heroines, queens and divine, that they too were also created in the image of deity. The sites substantiate a time of egalitarian societies, when women held power and influence and were not relegated to second class status as with the advent of the Abrahamic religions. Some sacred sites of Goddess reflect an intersection of religions and earlier cultures, such as the holy places of the Saint named Brigid blending with Goddess Brigid in Ireland and Our Lady of Guadalupe mixing with the Aztec Goddess, Tonantzin, in Mexico City. In both these destinations we discover the pagan Goddess intermingled with Christianity, just as we find over and over again, churches which have been built atop ancient pagan holy places, coopting the previous religion of the people of the land, since churches for Guadalupe were built atop the sacred sites for Tonantzin.. We also discover the pagan Goddess’ aspects, symbols and titles were passed along much like a baton, to the new face of the Sacred Feminine, usually Mary, the mother of Jesus, because the people refused to give up their ancient Great Mother. One example of this was with the Goddess Artemis in Ephesus, whose temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We also find with some sleuthing, sites or artifacts sacred to Goddess which would greatly surprise most people, particularly the Kabaa stone of Mecca, which was once worshiped as Goddess, according to early Muslim scholars. We learn that Jerusalem, thought to be the holy site of Jews, Christians and Muslims was and is a holy site of Goddess advocates. And we discover the many names and holy sites of the Goddesses in the Middle East from pre-Islamic times. Traveling to sacred sites from our armchair or with boots on the ground allows us to delve into the early Goddesses of India before their domestication and similarly, learn the Goddesses of pre-patriarchal Greece were quite different than most might realize. Yes, the destinations of Goddess not only open a new window into ancient times and cultures unknown to many, but it can also be a hot button of controversy as it challenges gender-inequality and the status quo of patriarchy or male dominated religion and societal structure. And as we discover the landscape of Goddess, Her very body as the sacred land, it also provides a counter-balance to beliefs that humankind was intended to dominate Nature and entitled to rape and exploit all the natural resources of Mother Earth. Yes, looking through the lens of Goddess destinations suggests new ideals for what we value, the way we live our lives, and how we structure our society. Te Celtic Goddess Brigid and Christian Saint Brigid live side by side in the hearts and minds of the people of Ireland. Here survives a living tradition of the people visiting her various sacred wells thought to be healing waters and tying strips of cloth with their prayers written on them to prayer trees, called clootie trees, at her sacred sites or near her wells. Just outside Kildare, Ireland, at Tobar Bride, we see a statue of St. Brigid in the garb of a nun placed alongside the sacred waters of Brigid. The Pagan symbol of Brigid, the Cross of Brigid, is painted on the brick arch that spans her sacred stream there. What Christianity failed to eradicate of the Pagan Goddess, they assimilated, so here in Ireland Brigid is known as the nun who founded a convent in Kildare. Not unlike the Goddess, known to provide sustenance for the survival of humankind, it was said that the convent was heralded for it’s abundance and fertility. Additionally, it was believed that Brigid was none other than the Queen of Heaven herself, thus identifying her with Mary, Mother of Jesus. One can easily see how the Sacred Feminine embodies many things to many people as she is held close to their heart, no matter her name or religious affiliation. In Mexico City, on the hill of Tepeyac we find the Basilica of Guadalupe built atop the holy site of the Aztec Isis Seshat Journal #34 30 Goddesses Tonantzin and Coatlique, considered the Earth Goddess of the heavens and underworld. It is here that a female apparition appeared to the Aztec Indian named Juan Diego in 1531 with the message for the bishop that she wanted a temple built on this spot. Of course the bishop did not believe Juan Diego until proof of her appearance manifested on the tilma, or shawl belonging to Juan. The evidence, the image of the Lady, referred to as Our Lady of Guadalupe, that miraculously appeared on the tilma is prominently displayed behind glass above the altar of the basilica to this day. The ancient Mother is not suppressed; she is barely concealed within Mary. Here again, we see spiritualities and cultures blend amicably in the face of the Divine Feminine at this, the holiest shrine in Mexico and it begs further question. What about all those other apparitions of Our Lady sighted across the world? Might they too be faces of the Sacred Feminine? Or is her identity in the eye of the beholder? For instance it was said of the apparition in Zeitun, Egypt, an apparition caught on video tape, that Muslims saw Fatima, Christians saw Mary and Pagans saw Isis. In Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, one of the holiest places on Earth to the three major religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, we have a site also sacred to Goddess. Remember, where the Romans occupied, they brought their Goddesses and here at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where it is believed Jesus was buried, a wall still remains from the Temple of Aphrodite. To many, Aphrodite was considered just a “boudoir babe”, the Greek Goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, yet she was so much more. In her oldest and most varied aspects she was also associated with the star Venus, with chastity, war and maritime affairs. As one of her symbols was the fishing net, it is believed she was also a Sea Goddess. More than likely, she was a universal Mother Goddess of pre-history, with roots in the Near East, possibly with non-Indo-European origins. Some of her earliest temples were in Syria and one of her most important temples is in Palaepaphos, Cyprus. One can see from her statue from Aphrodiasias, Turkey, with the many animals depicted on her torso, she was the Mistress of the Animals, much like Magna Mater of that region, and the polos crown atop her head, reminiscent of a tower or city wall, indicated her role as protectress of the people of the land. She was also thought to represent the cycles of life and the seasons and as such the renewal of Earth and all life. So much more than a mere bourdoir babe! She was often identified with Isis in title and trait, and her son, Eros, compared to Isis’ son, Horus. Again, the widespread archetypal Goddess, sleeping behind images in contemporary religions, is now being awakened, available to the souls of women believers. One of the Egyptian Goddess Isis’ temples, beautifully surrounded by water, on the Island of Philae near Aswan in Egypt is reached by a calming ride aboard an Egyptian boat called a felucca. To many, Isis was She of Ten Thousand Names. Her worship spread through the ancient world, along the Silk Road to China and throughout the Roman Empire. Isis was a hard mistress to dethrone and was quite the challenge to fledgling patriarchal Christianity which adopted many of the aspects, philosophy and ritual of the religion of Isis and her consort, Osiris. In fact, one only has to look at images of Isis with her son, Horus to see what inspired depictions of Mary with Jesus on her lap. With her symbol of the throne, Isis bestowed kingship to pharaohs with all the responsibility that entailed. On temple walls one can see Isis handing the pharaoh the Goddess Maat, the embodiment of justice, truth and order, so not only was male kingship bestowed by this Divine Female, but she demanded the king rule his kingdom and people justly - quite a different paradigm than we have in our patriarchal world! In fact, many images show the pharaoh seated upon the lap of Isis as she metaphorically suckles him, providing him with her divine milk, instilling within him the ability to rule the land. Isis’ temple in Philae, an outpost of ancient Egypt, was one of the last bastions of Paganism to close under the pressure of the rise of Christianity. One wonders if the first printed book had not been the Bible, but texts of the mysteries of Isis or if Cleopatra, who believed herself the living embodiment of Isis, and her consort, Marc Antony, had won the battle of Actium, what a different world we might live in today. Speaking justice, truth and order, we find that the Romans deified certain virtues, such as liberty resulting in a temple dedicated to Lady Libertas on the Pallantine Hill of ancient Rome. Today many contemporary Goddess Advocates borrow from that idea and have adopted the Statue of Liberty, or Lady Liberty in New York harbor as the archetypal political Goddess of the masses, embodying their yearning for justice, freedom and hope. To conclude, this has been just a small representation of the numerous sacred locales of the Divine Feminine across continents and cultures. These are not “dead rocks” or irrelevant empty vessels of a by-gone age, but instead a rich tapestry and wealth of ancient archetypal wisdom that can help women and men re-vision anew spiritual and psychological images of gender relations, perhaps even adopted for a more liberating and sustainable society of justice, equality and balance. Isis Seshat Journal #34 31 OLIVIA’S 95TH BIRTHDAY Friday 13th April, 2012 By Minette Quick A large gathering of people turned up at the Castle to celebrate Olivia’s 95th Birthday at the invitation of her family. Friends from the village joined a number of Fellowship members to meet many of Olivia’s extended family who had travelled over to Ireland to be with her on this special occasion from England, the Isle of Man, and Bavaria. All were entertained to a delightful concert in the Theatre, presented by Olivia’s niece, Cressida and her husband Bob who are wonderful entertainers, and various family members, including her sister Caroline, took the stage to sing and play. To give a taste of the occasion I include a couple of photographs. One is of Olivia’s nephew Patrick, playing a metal ‘didgeridoo ’constructed from a long vacuum cleaner tube! This was a splendid sounding instrument, and he encouraged everyone to join in chanting ‘OM’ in rhythm with his spirited playing, which together with Lydia Lyte’s infectious drumming really got things going. The other photo is of Caroline playing her own delightful and accomplished composition on the tin whistle. The concert was rounded out by the uproarious performance of an impromptu play, entitled “Space Mums” consisting of ‘Anonymous Confessions’ regarding the unusual and disturbing powers of their offspring, such as ‘levitating,’ and ‘getting their own way….’ Directed by Olivia with her customary panache, various members of the audience spontaneously engaged with great enthusiasm and wit, to much laughter and applause! Afterwards everyone enjoyed tea and cakes, served in the Castle Tea Rooms which adjoin the Theatre. Despite the forecast of storms, thunder and overcast skies in the morning, and the fact that I drove up the Avenue with hail-stones bouncing violently off my windscreen just before 2pm, the weather cleared and the sun came out in perfect time for us all to set off after tea for a procession down to the Druid’s Grove of Dana for invocations amongst the great trees in the wilderness by the River Derry (Irish Daire-Druid river of the Oak) The swans have returned to breed on their island and four many-coloured donkeys are grazing beside it like Olivia’s ‘Four Holy Donkeys of the Zodiac.’ Next we processed to the ruins of the Abbey, home of the Noble Order of Tara, still in sunshine and blessed by the beautiful blossoms of the flowering cherry beside it, for further invocations from Members of the Order. We then returned to the Temple entering from the gardens by Persephone’s gateway. At Brigid’s Well we received the blessings of Her Healing Water and members of the priesthood who had travelled over from London, Glastonbury and France, contributed to the ceremony both at the Well and in a beautiful Oracle from Brigid, Goddess and Saint, and Olivia took us all on a trance journey to Tir Na Nog. Afterwards members of the priesthood offered counselling and healing to any who wished to receive it, and we all went down to the village at 6pm to relax over tea and sandwiches. It was, as Isis Seshat Journal #34 32 ever, a wonderful opportunity to share our experiences and to meet up with old and new friends. All in all it was a wonderful day which Olivia enjoyed to the full, and a very happy time was had by all Lady Olivia’s Birthday Bash By David de Roeck A quick note before I begin the posted photos are for viewing only and are for FOI and AOI members to assist in celebrating the birthday’s energy so please respect them as such. Also any person who appears in the photos dose so freely and we ask them to add their names if they wish I will just be giving general details. Friday the 13th April 2012 the auspicious day of Lady Olivia’s birthday after a leisurely drive down to Clonegal I arrived about 2pm at the foot of the drive to Huntingdon Castle. Ascending the drive the skies darkened and the pitter patter of rain through the trees lined avenue lead me to the car park where I stopped to wait out this slight shower. To my surprise it was as if River dance were preforming on the roof of my car as hail stones bounced in unison almost daring me to exit my safe warm vehicle. Then as by magick it softened to a gentle rain that one knew was drifting off to drench some thirsty field and rolling hills to feed back to the river Slaney. To my right alighting from her chariot was the sister priestess Deirdre cloaked head to toe in sumptuous emerald green velvet with striking gothic purple shoes, her two knight errant sons helping with umbrella and ancillaries I mused if she is brave enough then who am I to halt progress. We entered the court yard to Ra’s blessing of Sun shine as groups gather in anticipation of what was to come. A small contingent of us went into the castle to assist with proceedings and where greeted by Lady Olivia in a vibrant Aries fire red beret, jacket and slacks striking an energetic pose she offered an impromptu tour of the drawing room, Figure 1Lady Olivia at the window of the drawing room: dining room, library (where it all was conceived FOI) Figure 2 the library where FOI was conceived and then her private study were she writes her inspired books. Isis Seshat Journal #34 33 Figure 3: Olivia's office and study, Clonegal Castle, Carlow. We then moved on to the courtyard again to start the proceedings with a procession through the grounds to the Druid Clan of Dana Circle of mystic trees. Lady Olivia and I headed the throng followed by the gifted Glastonbury ladies on drums and bowron with rhythmic beats and chants wafting on the breeze. We all entered the sacred tree circle and the priesthood invoked Deity then weaving onward to the Abby for further invocation, before making our way back across the graved courtyard with silent crunching beneath our feet, to the theatre where we all took our seats for the show. As all were being settled the drums hushed our hearts as Lady Olivia introduces from the stage how as a slip of girl herself and sisters entertained family and the village from this very stage. Then priestess Cressida and husband Bob set the bar very high with shanty songs and whimsical ditties that we all joined in on the chorus like a classical pantomime, before introducing Olivia’s family who one by one took to the stage. We all sang the chorus to Bally James Duffy as Olivia niece played guitar and sang, then her nephew played a didgeridoo made from a vacuum cleaner hose. Followed by Olivia’s sister who delighted us with a compassion she pen for the whistle, I feel all present would have jumped on stage to do their party piece if given the nod. Cressida and Bob enchanted us with more folk song and then introduced all to an almost Gregorian chant song of piece all around it was both mystical and uplifting, followed by a young group from the galleries descending to the stage to give their version of big yellow taxi. Lady Olivia then rose and said we will do an interactive performance of women who say they have been visited by spacemen and given space children. In one of Olivia’s many voices she mused a name and told a brief story of her pretend encounter and how she now a child and he has flown. Now asking the assemble to participate a poignant hush filled the theatre and after what seemed an age I jumped up and said “My name is Galadreal Moonbean Child and I am a spaceman looking for earth female friends.” Laughter filled the air and from then on banter abounded to and fro with point and counter point innuendo and subtlety. When the laughter subsided we went for tea and cake provided by the Castle. Alexander and his beautiful wife with new addition Casper hosted the most civilised tiffin this side of the Raja. After a comely interlude we processed to the temple entrance of Persephone where giving thanks and adjourning to the well of Brigid as the priestess blessed all with the sacred waters drawn from the well by these hands. Then an Oracle by a gifted Priestess before Lady Olivia guided all on a mystical journey to Tir na nÓg sending out healing and energy to all who are open to receive, special thoughts where held in the Hearts and minds for all FOI and AOI members family and friends. Then the Priesthood assembled gave thanks and sent out blessings to Olivia and all. As for me I choose to say: " Stars fade like memory the instant before dawn. Low in the east the sun appears, golden as an opening eye. That which can be named must exist. That which is named can be written. That which is written shall be remembered. That which is remembered lives. In the land of Ireland Lady Olivia breathe and Live" Isis Seshat Journal #34 34 We then all descended on the coaching house, Osborne’s, for more tea sandwiches’ and cake as stories, yarns and tales permeated the air. I do hope you all enjoy this and remember that we remembered you in remembering those who are important to remember. Blessings to you and yours from me and mine. Please find photos of the day on Ascension of Isis group page on Facebook.. A BAST CHANELLING By Sarah Rooke Here is a channelling i received from the Egyptian Goddess Bast in the 1990's… "Greetings to you of the Earth. You are Children of the Earth Mother and are Her beneficiaries, and are under Her protection. It is under Her guidance you seek us in order to live and fulfill your Earthly lives. Many aeons have passed, some have gone with the swiftness of the wind, others like the day of the crocodile. There is always something going to happen to darken or enrich your lives. Much happiness and joy do I bring you, for I am the Lady of Life, of the Sistrum, and the pride is the comfort of the realm of the family and spirit. Heed my words, Oh Dark Ones and Great Ones of the Earth. for though thou plot with the Earths resources, destroying her wares for thy pleasure, thou run the risk of poisoning her and raping that on which you live and breathe in order to survive. The Coming Age of the Sun shall be filled with much controversy. We have heard the phrases of the time that 'the end is nigh'. It is only in the hearts of men it is so. The Gods do not wish it. If that is what you say, then indeed it shall be so. The mind is much stronger than the body. You cannot break the Spirit without first breaking the Will. Sons and Daughters of Earth, remember you have freewill. I am the Lady of music, of the adornment worn on your bodies in the form of cloth. I am the warp and weft of the household and family. I am the sister of my twin, the Sun God Horus. I am Daughter of the Divine Isis and Osiris. What is it that thou seekest, people of the Earth? Is it the love of a partner. ambition, freedom and redemption from sin, a haven in the next world? A family? Think on these things. We hear you crying out. Something in the soul stirs to strive for what you want most. We all need love, we all need fulfilment, you are all afraid of death and the Divine. What is such a mystery? You think of life as a chore, life is a joy. Did not your mother and father unite in their joy and love to conceive you? Shall you not unite in joy and love to conceive your children? Cherish life, for it is a joy to receive and to give it. Indeed, it is a gift bestowed on you from the Divine. Fear not the secrets of the Mysteries of the Divine. Life is eternal. Like nirvana is a never ending wheel of incarnations, only to be freed when one realises that those Great Eternal Mysteries, deemed true by many on the Path of Light, can one attune with the Divine life force and realise ones potential in the stars. I believe in the Fellowship of All Things. All things are equal, none is below, inferior, or higher, or superior than another. Men and women, find within yourselves the part of you that is in each other, for you should realise you are alike. It is suggested that men do not cry, and women do not understand men’s problems. This is nonsense. Given the chance, you will find women can be strong, and men can be sensitive. It is the mind that holds the key. Remove the lock that holds it. Men should let their feminine selves come forward without shame. Women should encourage the help of their stronger selves to come forward. Isis Seshat Journal #34 35 Also plants, animals, the sea, land, air and fire are your equals. Indeed one may be above you in spirituality. Is not the cat wise before it leaps in looking and sensing with its whiskers any danger? Yet you mortals tend to leap before you look in many instances! Many may wonder what this teaching has been about. The subject is yourself. You do not always need to know of wondrous things like time, the universe. or space. You need to know how to be yourselves, how to enjoy life, and most of all, learn from life. Life is a school, the earth is your classroom. Cherish it, and learn from all you have done. Learn from mistakes. past failures, and what you set out to do, but didn’t actually do. Next time you shall know, and shall have learned from your life. Life is your great teacher. It can be a joy, it can bring pain. What you are taught shall remain with you in this life, the next, and the next. Please consider my words, Children of the Earth, and remember there is a reason for every event, whether joyful or painful., for it is your tutor in the subject of life. I offer you my Blessing, and from my Divine Mother, Isis, her love. Our protection is with you always......" Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News.http://www.facebook.com/groups/361723650498/?view=permalink&id=10150354080645499 Exploring a spirituality of the past, for a better future: The Druid’s Primer By Luke Eastwood (originally published in Watkin's: Mind Body Spirit, May 2012) Most of us are aware of the Druids, even if the image in our minds is somewhat obscured and our perception is that of a religion shrouded in mystery. Most people would regard Druidism/Druidry as a long dead, primitive spirituality that met its demise as Christianity spread across Europe. However, the truth is hugely different and far more complicated than most people expect. I became seriously interested in Celtic culture and more specifically Druidry, over twenty years ago. At that time my understanding of what druids did was very limited and I was not aware that they still existed in any serious sense. I have long had an interest in religion, stemming from my Catholic upbringing and my introduction to Buddhism as a teenager, plus a fascination with mythology. As I looked more deeply into the roots of Christianity I became increasingly aware of the legacy of Celtic paganism that has been absorbed into Christianity to a surprisingly large extent. Having also developed a great interest in ecology, social/political issues and creativity, I was pleased to find that these areas are of no small significance within Druidry - hence this path seemed an obvious choice for me. After some years, studying the druids of old, encountering many stumbling blocks, I eventually joined a druid grove in Ireland and also joined the international Druid order the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). Of course, the modern path has dispensed with the more violent and undesirable aspects of the ancient path, nonetheless modern orders I have encountered generally aspire to the principles and spiritual wisdom of the original form. Isis Seshat Journal #34 36 Through the course of my own study and study with OBOD it was clear to me that much of the original source material that has inspired the modern druid movement has fallen into obscurity and what exists is widely scattered among the literature and lore of the past. I have also become increasingly aware that almost all of the modern texts on Druidry focus on the Welsh traditions, with other Celtic nations remaining in the background. I felt that I could perhaps throw some light on the obscured roots of the modern Druid path, particularly many of the beautiful and extensive traditions of Ireland and Scotland. I also wished to demonstrate that Druidry is a highly practical and relevant spiritual path for today’s world – uniting our heady spiritual aspirations with a deep love and respect for the natural world. The book starts with a brief history of Celtic culture, a chapter defining what druids do and a compendium of the major deities. I felt it important to lay an honest and detailed foundation before moving onto more complex ideas such as cosmology or the annual seasonal observances. I’ve structured the book so that each chapter stands alone but builds on the content of previous chapters. In all cases I’ve drawn from verifiable sources from Wales such as The Black Book of Camarthen and The Mabinogion, Irish texts such as The Scholar’s Primer and The Book of Invasions and Scottish texts such as Carmina Gadelica. I’ve also consulted the works of most of the major writers on Druidry from the 18th century revival onwards. I’ve blended my own personal insights from experience with the core aspects of druidic thought and practice with the intention of giving a more picture of what Druidry is. I hope that this proves useful to the would-be druid, but in truth I wrote it as much for myself as anyone else. In compiling this distillation of Druidic knowledge the process of writing crystallized my own understanding and conception of what it really means to be a Druid in the modern world. As I understand it, Druidry is not really about magic, creativity or being an environmentalist; indeed it may incorporate all of these things, but primarily it is about forging a connection to the divine in a very direct way. Having much in common with Taoism, Druidry is about becoming more in touch with the world, with the rest of humanity and in doing so, discovering your true self and the spark of divinity within us all that exists throughout all creation. Isis Seshat Journal #34 37 A Bast Blessing By Marie Clewley *~ Oh Great loving mother of felicity and life returning, Our blessed Bast, with comforting purrs that ground us back into the foundation of nature's feelings, Oh great Goddess of the wisdom that comes from this source, we are given the knowing of love and compassion, the lessons of courage and a true understanding of suffering, and with this grows the knowing of fairness and good karma, from deep within our own incarnating souls! Our beloved pets are little people, angelic healing gifts that She shares with those who treat Her with respect and to those with the sight and the awareness of her infinite wisdom! Blessed be All. ~* ...¤✫*¨Wishing you.¸¸.✫* .☆*(\__/)✫*¨.¸¸.✫ ¤☆*¨✫☆ * .☆*(=’.’=) *☆¸.• ¤☆*´¨) A Million..¤✫ .☆*(”)♥(”) *¸.• ¤☆*¨) Heavenly ¤✫ ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.• ¤*¨)¤✫*¨.¸¸.✫*Purrs ¤✫~* Ascension of Isis 161179523978873@groups.facebook.com MY 80th BIRTHDAY BY LOREON VIGNE June 8th came on a Friday and I had invited a number of friends to a birthday party….my 80 th. In addition I planned to have an entire festival that weekend, on Saturday. and Sunday, which I called “Goddess Groove.” It was to be opened to the general public. It was a lot to arrange but it did turn out spectacularly. There was wonderful entertainment all the time, which at first I never imagined could be manifested. After opening a myriad of presents and hearing words from those who wished to sing my praises, we all went into the theatre to be wowed by different forms of excellent spell binding entertainment. The first was a dance with myself and Heaven and the “Isis is Silver, Isis is Gold” song embellished by wings…There was poetry by Rain, a cello concert by Mana, and the mesmerizing wordsmith Michaela who totally overwhelmed us all with her wit. In the end there was no time to show the film I had chosen…Fantasia; but I vowed to show it another time. Isis Seshat Journal #34 38 The next day started at noon with a ceremony in the small shrine. Lots of people squeezed into I, and then more folks came; and we started the festival outdoors with Terra belting out her original songs. Then Pamela Parker sang and playe, followed by a sitar concert with Peter Van Gelder. And then .. a dance performance. This was exquisite as Shannon , Elizabeth, and Christy all learned to dance like Isadora Duncan under the excellent guidance of Lois Flood, the expert in the life and work of Isadora. The dances they performed were flawless and it looked as though all had been practicing forever when in fact it had only been for an hour or two. There were delicious wraps and salad for dinner. Helen had come with her amazing selection of Egyptian wares, and a red tent on the lawn housed Arisa and her magical deck of Tarot cards. An elegant white dome was erected and occupied by healers under the auspices of Heather Salmon. Bruce Elliott told a King Arthur tale under the big tree, which captivated everyone as he shifted from one part as a knight to another as an old ugly woman. His son was demonstrating how to use cobb by making dome bird cages, which fascinated the children. A table for making a giant mural was on the lawn, with all sorts of painting possibilities. As we were called to the theatre, we encountered the amazing Wendy Rule , a woman from Australia, who took the place of the Druid Sisters who bowed out quite suddenly. What a blessing she was. Her opening saw her honoring the directions in a beautiful way; and the rest of her performance was exquisite. Then Eostar Kamala and her musician friends put on a lovely performance, gratis as well. Then there was Pamela Parker and a gal who mimics Janis Joplin and actually sings with Big Brother and the Holding Company, both professional singers with their guitars. This too was an act of pure love. Somewhere in the middle of this, CeCe and Leema put on an amazing dance performance to a contemporary song about Venus, which was entirely adorable. After all this, the guests were treated to some dance music and spent the rest of the night dancing and having fun. What a spectacular day this was. Sunday came, and we laid out some fruit and a continental breakfast. There was another shrine ceremony at noon. Then it was time for the animal tou,r where we could show off our gorgeous creatures, from ocelots to African crowned cranes, to our tiny insects in the vivarium. Once again, we mounted the steps to the theater where Leema graciously entertained us with a another dance, this time with a giant boa snake of incredible beauty. Linda Iles blessed us with one of her delightful talks on Bast, for whom she is writing a book soon to be published. Then to top this off, Sereena came on, complete with cat tattoos, and did her charming version of a Goddess Bast ritual in her original song style. Soon it was time for the Kirtan people. There were five of them, all excellent musicians; and I personally never heard Kirtan as they performed it. De Traci graced us with her little songbook of Isis Songs. Shannon and I chimed in with a few of the Temple Songs we have perfected and hope to tape soon. Heather Salmon and Donnie offered their magic thereafter, which they did with so much divinity. It ended as before… dancing with the wings. It is so colorful to see so many dancing with those Isian wings…truly a divine experience. One guest at the Groove asked if he could give us a special transmission, as he believed he was imbued with messages from outer space. He had us close our eyes as he toned; and it seemed he was truly using the language of terrestrials. We were all amazed. What a wonderful birthday! Which I will never forget… one that no other had ever topped. I spent time afterward putting away the many lovely gifts bestowed upon me. There were scarves, garments, boots, slippers, purses, earrings, bracelets, books, robes, and even a large oil painting of a famous Israeli artist which Sereena gave me. A box came from Zarita and Warren with more amazing gifts. As I look back on this event, I have truly realized a most magnificent birthday and I feel the significance of being 80. It is quite an achievement. I spent some time reading the incredible cards that I received and indeed they were dear to my heart. I am saving them all in my archive. I am now being described mostly as an inspiration to the lives of those that sent them. This is very gratifying indeed. Some see me as their mother figure, and others even as a grandmother. Still, having always been the youngest in my family and at school, I still feel that youth inside me; and cannot conceive of being as old as I am. I have Olivia Robertson of the Fellowship of Isis to thank for being such a role model, as she is now 95. There is still time to do more, and I hope to begin a new sort of life soon. May the Goddess continue to inspire me to stay young at heart and to be able to give the Temple of Isis the ability to continue on after I am no longer here. I see it Isis Seshat Journal #34 39 growing every day, and I envision myself making wise decisions and doing things that I know for certain are the path the Goddess will choose for me in this the next phase of my existence. So be it! Night Swimming by Beth duPont 1st Swim of the Season, 3rd week in July, 2:30AM Warm choppy water. The waves are almost shoulder high. They're not high enough for surfing, but rough enough for a bit of a challenge. A grin creeps across my face. I run to meet the challenge, and hurl myself into the tempest. Breathing between the waves and diving under the crests I rise to each new assault. The wind is strong and blowing at a NW angle. The wind and waves push in towards the shore. I fight to swim further out away from it. I try to swim through the waves in a straight line, using the downslide on the backs of the waves to gain momentum, and push through the crests with all of my strength. After only half an hour or so, I am exhausted. Ten years ago I would have fought this for much, much longer. I stop arguing with the water and bob up & down like a cork. It slaps me in the face and rolls me around like a piece of driftwood. It's a bit like a carnival ride, "Weee!!" I turn and face the shore, ready to return to it. The sea has another game in mind. The waves threw me into an old pier. I had thought I had clearance. I was a good distance from the first wooden spike jutting out of the water. However, in front of the visible hazard were submerged wooden daggers and broken pieces of some steel framework. I assume this helped bind the poles together at some point. Now, it hampered my ability to swim. "How now brown cow?" I thought to myself, both surprised and puzzled by my new situation. My legs hit wood and steel and caught under rods. I cut my shins and bruised my knees on unseen debris. I couldn't get out of this at first, and the waves pushed me further into the broken pier. Pain is an excellent motivator. Adrenaline cancels fatigue and pushes the input from nerve endings to the back of your mind, allowing a clarity of focus to solve the problem at hand. I stopped using my legs and used only my arms in a shallow breast stroke to stabilize myself and gain control of my trajectory. Still timing my breathing, the waves and the obstacle could work to my advantage. The next time my legs smashed into a wooden pole, I grabbed it with them. The broken pier was at least solid. I waited for a wave to go by, and launched myself away from it with the strongest kick I could manage. With my legs now free, I swam with all of my strength away from the rotting wooden trap, and back to shore, fighting a tide that was toying with me. Back on the beach with the exploding surf behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief and satisfaction. I stood up, turned around to face the strong wind and the loud thundering sound of crashing waves. "Ha Ha!" raising my arms up over my head, I shouted my defiance. "Until next time old friend!" I called out to a sea that I love, and respect as it is, both nurturing and devastating, sometimes at the same time. I have no desire to tame it, but to live in its glorious company. I embrace its wild side as well as its gentle side. I learn to control only myself. Isis Seshat Journal #34 40 Solstice 2012 By Michael York How many wrong notions there are in the world, and along with these the petty greeds and outrageous thefts (including those of mayhem and slaughter). And on more usual, personal levels, the picayune bureaucracies, political/legal quagmires and difficulty of life in general combine to augment a sorry affair. These are what colour modern life in an over all unencouraging sense. As one grows older, we do indeed *judge*; we have perspectives and opinions that we can no longer simply ignore as we grow less and less intimidated by postures of ‘political correctness’ and the like. And as one grows older, one comes increasingly to consider what one’s own legacy might become. As the remaining days grow less, each of us will ask what it will be that we leave behind. For myself, I want to bequeath a paganism that is affirmative and commensurate both with the underlying natural beauty of our planet and with the formed aesthetic of humanity’s artistic creations – a paganism that takes us beyond the unpleasant and renders the disappointments, the pains and losses as ephemeral and unimportant apart from as learning gifts. And I use ‘paganism’ deliberately – not as a religion per se but as the generic, natural and folk-oriented spirituality that is closest to our innate reverences, our sense of wonder and our instinctual pursuit of honour and virtue. This is a paganism as the mother of all religions but a mother like the earth herself that is the (perhaps lost) foundation of all effort. She evokes the love each of us has for our own mothers – the maternal lap of comfort and completeness. She loves all her children and is distressed by sibling discord. And she patiently waits for the child to reform, to wake up and return to the warmth of her bosom. As we grow older, we also come to know by experience, and this in itself is double-edged. We *can* become more locked into narrow and resentful views – frightened and belittled by what we have known or at least feared; but we also can develop a wider and more detached perspective. We have less of a future in which to be invested. It is probably no accident that among those peoples who are traditionally closer to the earth, the elder retains intrinsic respect; the elder is valued. Mine is not a complaint that we have lost much of that direct understanding in our Western culture; my complaint is that we have lost the time, ability and freedom to cherish that which is already there for us *to* cherish if we have the eyes and desire for it. In the northern hemisphere, our solstice is again the two-edged sword. It is the ultimate culmination as well as the beginning of decline. But our warmest days are yet to come, and these are succeeded by our autumnal reflections and followed finally by solar rebirth. In the southern hemisphere of the earth, the whole cycle is reversed so that, as a whole, our planet comprises a dualistic pairing of up-and-down and down-and-up. How sacred this all is. My wish, my wished for legacy, is to help and assist in this recovery of the human appreciation of the sacred in its purest and unadulterated understanding and actualisation. Originally from Pagans 189417727762379@groups.facebook.com thanks to Michael York Isis Seshat Journal #34 41 Prayer to Bastet and Sekhmet By Maire Doyle Bastet Oh Great Bastet, neath the warming rays of the Sun you bask, what a pleasure you are to behold. Your shining coat, your graceful head My Heart with joy you fill. You purr with contentment As with Life you are filled, And the Divine within you dwells. Sekhmet Sekhmet, your giant paws pad softly across the plains. Your mighty frame silhouetted against the setting Sun. Beneath a glowing, fiery sky the land is ablaze And amid the nocturnal chorus of nature's sounds Your throaty voice is mingled. Wearily you head for slumber, with eager anticipation. The company of your pride you seek with deep appreciation. Ascension of Isis 161179523978873@groups.facebook.com By Maire Doyle UNIVERSAL EYE THE COSMIC LAWS - ONE UNIVERSAL MIND-MATRIX OF LIGHT By Victoria Preobrazhenskaya INTRODUCTION Cosmic laws are the characteristics of the One Universal Mind in operation throughout the whole universe. They are also referred to as Universal laws, for there is no place, dimension, solar system, or galaxy where they do not Isis Seshat Journal #34 42 function or operate as the administrative organ of the Cosmos. Another term for Cosmic laws are the "Laws of Nature." From the standpoint of the average person, the laws of Nature normally refer to physical laws such as the law of gravity. Using or understanding the expression in such a manner is actually narrow and short-sighted, for Nature is more than the flora and fauna, life, or physical expression of the material world. Nature encompasses the visible and invisible realms. Its reality is actually non-physical--which does not imply that it is not real. The effects that the laws of Nature produce in the physical world has its source in the higher dimensions that are invisible to the physical senses. These dimensions are called "archetypal" in occultism. They contain the matrix, or the blueprint of all manifested life-forms and phenomena of Nature. Therefore, each life-form or phenomena that we experience in the physical world has its own archetype, its ideal form from which it would eventually reflect. When we consider the laws and forces of Nature, we cannot separate them from the beings that embody or personify them, or what in fact is the intelligence of Nature herself. Angels and elementals are the forces of Nature. Cosmic laws are actually the expression of Great Cosmic Intelligences. These beings are identical to Nature, they are one and the same. Without them, we have no phenomena or creation in any worlds or dimensions. Those spirit beings are responsible for the manifold expressions of Nature: the rain, the wind, the flame, the growing tulip, the rainbow, the vibrant colors . . . It is the mental myopia and ignorance of the reality behind Nature that results in terms such as the "supernatural," "paranormal," and "miracle" as understood in a narrow and limited sense. These terms often carry negative connotations. In the proper context, and in contrary to the above, the mystic sees everything as natural and normal. Miracles only exist to those who are ignorant of the Cosmic laws underlying their manifestation. In actuality, the mystic recognizes nothing supernormal, paranormal, abnormal, or subnormal. This is because the conscious awareness of the mystic or advanced metaphysician is more expansive and transcendent than the average person and realizes that everything has its place in the scheme of things, and that human criteria for evaluating and judging the various expressions of Nature are arbitrary and flawed from the spiritual point of view. The mystical consciousness embraces the higher dimensions and its spiritual values, and is above the warped sense of interpretative and theological morality that characterizes most precepts of our present-day religions and cultures. Advanced mystics are aware that Life and Truth are not confined solely to this physical realm and planet, or the word of God to any book, prophet, or religion, for that would be limiting the power of God--one is hardly aware that one is limiting God by conceptualization and maintaining unproven beliefs. It is presumptuous on the part of puny mortals. Although some Cosmic laws may specifically apply and be confined to certain dimensions, the laws in themselves are living potentials in every dimension. They exist in the Mind or Beingness of God as His/Her very Life; and as such, Cosmic laws are immutable. They are unchangeable, not by any being, and not by the Cosmic (God) Itself. We may think that nothing is impossible to God. Pertaining to the expressions of life, this is true; however, there is one thing impossible for the Cosmic: the Cosmic is unable to change its very nature, the laws of its being, for to do so would indicate Its Reality to be ephemeral and non-eternal. This is not a question of "won't" on the part of the Cosmic; the Cosmic simply cannot mutate what It Is, accept for its manifestations in the worlds of relativity, the worlds of illusions or "maya" as sensed by man. Metaphysicians know that from the absolute point of view, there is nothing that is eternal or constant in the whole universe accept for the Essence or Source of All that we call God. Keep in mind that what we call Cosmic laws are merely the nature and behavior of the one Universal Being expressing through Its many facets. Cosmic laws may be classified according to the dimension in which they operate. There are certain laws functioning specifically in the mental realm, the astral realm, or in the physical realm--although this classification is arbitrarily made by the human mind and not real in the Universal Mind; for every division, realm, world or dimension is but an illusion from the Cosmic point of view. Every manifested thing, from atom to solar system is but a thought in God's Mind. To explain the fact that one law may not be applicable in all realms let us but mention the Law of Reincarnation which is a law not in operation in the higher Archetypal or Causal dimensions, but solely in the lower realms. Everything is governed and controlled by Cosmic laws. These laws are always working whether we are conscious of them or not. The more we know of these laws, the more we will understand ourselves and all life. In the physical realm, Cosmic laws are usually known by their effects. The laws and causes of those effects are unseen, having their origin in higher dimensions. By knowing the causes of those effects, by tracing the causation of life's manifold manifestation, we may begin to learn the nature of certain Cosmic laws and learn to abide by them and even Isis Seshat Journal #34 43 applying or tapping them for our own benefit. By so doing we may overcome or avoid the many unnecessary, excessive hardships and struggles in life. We, in fact, become the co-creators of God, a master of life. By knowing, understanding, and applying Cosmic laws in a positive, constructive, and creative manner we automatically promote our spiritual growth and evolution. Knowing the cause of our problems by understanding the Cosmic laws and principles involved, we learn to take proper control and direction of our lives. Suffering is thus eliminated, and peace, health, abundance, and prosperity are attained. A master of the laws is a master-magus, an adept. All of the laws of the Cosmic are interrelated; invoke one and you invoke many others. Several of the Cosmic laws have sub-laws; and although Cosmic laws cannot be changed or destroyed, the sub-laws of their parent Cosmic law, or any one law, may be neutralized, superseded, or transcended by a higher law. For instance, the Law of Karma may be transcended by the Law of Grace or Mercy. Let us translate this into practical terms: supposing we were to hurt someone; that person may seek to avenge his hurt, for the Law of Karma is technically, a law of cause and effect, or consequence. We caused someone to be in pain, and the effect may be that the person may retaliate in anger. Now supposing we were to sincerely apologize to that person and then compensate in some way; that person might decide to forgive us. What happens then is that the Law of Grace takes over and the harsh lesson of harmlessness that the Law of Karma might wish to teach us would no longer be necessary. This illustrates in a simple way how a Cosmic law may be transcended or neutralized by another law. It is important to know the difference between Cosmic laws and principles as related to metaphysics, and as used by us. Cosmic laws are an integral part of Nature, whereas principles are ways and means of operating and applying those laws. Principles illustrates how a law functions, behaves, and operates. Principles may also be defined as methods or rules of applying Cosmic laws developed by man. Principles are guidelines concerning the nature of a law. Man may devise or discover principles but he does not create Cosmic laws. Sometimes the term "principle" is used to refer to the various components within the microcosm. In our teachings we often use the word in such a sense. Other metaphysical teachers may have their own interpretation or understanding of the terms "law" and "principle." In this and succeeding chapters we will present a list of some of the Cosmic laws known to us that are relevant to metaphysical theory and practice. It must be kept in mind that although metaphysicians know that these laws exist and have arbitrarily designated them with names, not all of these laws are properly understood as yet. Although the laws may be called by various appellations, the importance is the law itself and not the label. It should be known that some of the laws may appear to contradict one another. This is, however, illusory and not real. Seeming contradictions may be the result of faulty representations or interpetation of the laws on our part as occult teacher or erroneous comprehension on the part of the student-disciple. We do not pretend to totally understand the laws ourselves, for there is much that we too personally do not know. Therefore, the metaphysical student should not accept everything that any Guru has to teach (including us) as gospel. Always refer to the inner teacher. What is revealed in this book should be considered as guidelines for your own research, study, and application. In order to fathom or probe the nature of Cosmic laws, or to prove their reality, it would take intense meditation, contemplation, and experimentation upon them. Through such methods we would intuitively and empirically understand them and even be inspired by higher sources to do research into the right channels in order to fully grasp their fundamentals. Most of the time acquiring metaphysical knowledge is dependent upon revelation from the Mind of God and the Divine Beings. It does not always depend upon the rational mind of man which is limited in its scope of functioning. Many inventors will testify to this. It is important to meditate and ponder upon the laws to discover their modes of operation, the methods of their application, and their value and relevance in our mundane world. Whenever you come across psychic phenomena or magical processes that you do not understand, please refer to these laws. For they contain the keys to your comprehension of the Cosmos. We have often heard the phrase, "only God knows." Well, understanding Cosmic laws you will gradually come to know too. When the mind of man is attuned to the Mind of God, all that God knows, man may come to know too--to a certain degree; as sacrilegious as this may sound, it is true; for God has ordained it when he made man in his image, in his likeness. This "knowing" is the hidden key (Daath) of the Qabalistic "Tree of Life." Cosmic laws help to explain the so-called inexplicable; however, should you experience or come across any phenomena and not find an answer in any of the laws expounded, suspect that there is an "X" factor, or in other words, an unknown law involved that awaits to be discovered, identified, experimented, classified, and tabulated. Also keep in mind that although we have done our best to compile these known Cosmic laws from various sources, Isis Seshat Journal #34 44 it is possible for some Cosmic laws already known and revealed to man to have escaped our attention in our compilation. Perhaps in future papers we will elaborate upon the laws and apply them for metaphysical purposes. We stress the importance for the metaphysical student to apprehend Cosmic laws. Through the right understanding and application of these laws we become a master of life and we promote our spiritual growth. Those who are ignorant of Cosmic laws simply go through life lamenting their "fate" which no being, God or otherwise has predetermined except for those individuals themselves, whether consciously or unconsciously. Humanity as a whole has a collective destiny determined by God at certain stages of its evolutionary growth. When it comes to personal destiny, its creation lies a great deal within our own hands. It is the gift and the Law of the "Freedom of Choice" that enables us to align ourselves with Cosmic laws if we will and experience "heaven" and all that it represents, or oppose it and find ourselves in a hell of our own making. When counseling or healing clients of their spiritual, mental, emotional or physical problems, it is a standard procedure for a metaphysician to take recourse to these Cosmic laws to see which of them the client is violating or out of harmony with and is causing them some problems; or whether any of these laws may be taught to them that they may apply them for their own benefit in healing their mundane troubles. Basically, in metaphysical healing, the main objective is to heal the client's negative attitude towards life and their erroneous way of thinking coupled with patterns of retrogressive thought and feeling established in their subconscious minds; for it is there, in a large percentage of cases, where the cause and source of their problem lies, no matter what the external manifestation of their problem may be. Ignorance or denial of Cosmic laws do not abrogate their existence. Mortal beliefs concerning them do not change their nature one iota. For instance, the non-belief in the Law of Gravity does not affect its being, or to cause it to be non-existent. Cosmic laws continue to exist and to function no matter what man knows or believes about them. The Law of Gravity has existed long before its discovery, and it will continue to exist long after man has forgotten about it. Like our illustration above of the Law of Gravity, the same can be said of the other laws; for instance, the controversial subject of reincarnation. Arguments based on mortal, biased interpretations of Holy Scriptures may come forward denying its reality, and yet, such arguments mean nothing to the law. The law continues to exist. Human opinions have no power to influence the existence of Cosmic laws. In some cases, Cosmic laws may also be referred to as the laws of the Soul, for the Soul as it progresses become aware of these laws and is obedient to them. Not all of these laws are yet clearly defined, nor have they all precipitated as yet into human awareness; however, the effort to stand consciously and steadfastly in the light of one's divine being causes these laws to come into active play, and one's awareness of them grows and grows. Cosmic laws have metaphysical value. Their application allows the metaphysician to perform theurgical (divine) and thaumaturgical (magical) operations. There are many laws not for public distribution for not only are they beyond the comprehension of most individuals, they also confer a higher degree of power in their application--power that undeveloped people tend to misuse. But enough of this for now. Below and in the following papers of this series we will present some of the Cosmic laws as metaphysicians have known them. THE COSMIC LAWS The Law of Karma This is the law of cause and effect, the law of "as ye sow so shall ye reap." Whatever we put into motion with our thoughts, words and deeds have their effects and consequences, and they always rebound back to us. Positive causes results in positive effects, negative causes in negative effects; however, in truth there is no such thing as bad or good Karma--the law does not have an inherent moral standard or judgement. All judgments are human based. The Law of Karma like all Cosmic laws are neutral and impersonal. Karma is not punitive. It does not punish. It is there to help all beings to evolve. It is educative in nature and is the task-master that sometimes make us learn harsh lessons. So-called luck in the result of the good causes we put into motion; misfortune and bad luck, otherwise called "sengkolo" by Javanese mystics is the effect of negative causes that we create. "Chance," "coincidence," or "accident" are also but names of the functions of the unrecognized influence of the Law of Karma working in conjunction with the Law of Synchronicity. Isis Seshat Journal #34 45 The Law of Karma is sometimes referred to as the "Law of the Boomerang," for what we put out into the universe, returns to us, whether instantly, in later life, or in later lifetimes. However, one must keep in mind that the influence of Karma may be changed, modified or neutralized, or its weight lightened through the appropriate measures and means. The Law of Karma may be applied in our everyday lives for beneficial results that we seek, especially in the realm of mentalism. For instance, positive thoughts and feelings have an effect of improving the physical body's integrity and wholeness. In metaphysics, sin is a non-entity, a non-reality. It is not a Cosmic law or principle. It is simply a mistake that one makes--as the root meaning implies--and one does learn and grow through mistakes. Sin, in reality, does not govern men's lives--Karma does, but it is in our province to work with Karma and the Law of Grace instead of against them to wipe away any stain upon our souls. Sin is a feeling of guilt conditioned by religious dogmatic precepts. It is selfimposed by our beliefs and not by any Cosmic law. Having its birth in the human mind, sin, is not considered by metaphysicians as a Cosmic law, but as a conditioned pattern of thought. It has no real existence. One should, however, not misinterpret this to mean that one is free to constantly make mistakes and not suffer therefrom. For one is never free from the Law of Karma, from the consequences of the mistakes that one makes unless one invokes a higher law--one can only work with the Law to avoid or alleviate suffering, and grow through one's mistakes. Though God and Man may forgive one for mistakes made, still compensation in some form ought to be expressed and thus satisfy the Law of Balance. When overwhelmed by one's negative karmic effects, it is possible to invoke the Grace of God to lighten our burdens by withholding them temporary from manifestation so that we may regain our soul-composure. Such karma may be released at a later date by the Divine Intelligences presiding over the karma of this planetary scheme, at a time when we are definitely ready to face them. In some cases, the Law of Grace may neutralize one's negative karma. This depends on factors such as: whether the lesson that one's karma seeks to teach has been learnt; whether one's heart has repented; whether one is willing to make compensations; or whether one has invoked the Law of Grace through the appropriate action such as prayers, etc. The Law of Forgiveness is a sub-law of the Law of Grace, for only when we learn to forgive others who have trespassed us will the Law of Grace function and forgive us for the trespasses that we have done to others. Even then, we must sincerely apply ourselves in prayer and request the spirit of forgiveness to clear our minds of any complexes. Recently, a dispensation was given by the "Lords of Karma" to humankind. This dispensation comes in the form of teachings concerning a certain cosmic ray, a Violet Ray, that may help man to eliminate and neutralize his negative karmic effects and record of their causes in a simple way by utilizing visualizations, invocations, and decrees. Though certain forms of prayers may have an effect of canceling karma to some degree, the Violet Ray is considered to be one of the most effective means of doing so. This dispensation is the Law of Grace at work. Certain prayers to be found in Islam and Tibetan Buddhism invokes this Violet Ray effectively. It is also possible to request more of our past karma to be released to us. This is usually done because the person requesting it wishes to quickly evolve and to compensate and undergo the karma that is still unmanifested and holding it back. This request may be granted and this is also in effect the result of the Law of Grace. Those who tread the spiritual path often invoke in a natural manner more of the on-coming karma into their lives, and this occurs under the guidance of their true Spiritual Master working in conjunction with the Lords of Karma. As a result, when we study and practice mysticism, occultism and metaphysics we often wonder why our life's circumstances instead of improving, seems to be getting worse. Religion would declare that God tries and tests those whom he loves. This is true, although not in the way normally understood. Everything is in motion in this physical universe and in multi-universes. There is no absolute stillness except perhaps in the very innermost being of God, though this is still questionable. Motion is to be found within the atom, in the solar system and within the galaxy. Motion is what gives life; in fact, it is Life. Whatever is in motion is alive. Nothing is absolutely still, no matter from what perspective. Just as Nature abhors a vacuum, so does she resent motionlessness. Everything is alive, therefore, there is nothing "dead." To live contrary to motion, to live a life of inertia, simply results in evolutionary stagnation. It is in effect going against Nature and one's true Will. Motion does not always imply movement in a straight line. It may move in curves, in spirals, or in loops. For instance, our sense of time is linear. We divide it into past, present, and future. This is known as chronological time; Isis Seshat Journal #34 46 however, there are various behaviors of time that defies our human understanding. As an example, if time is linear why is it that future events may occasionally be seen by mystics? Why is precognition possible? Is it because that what we call the future may be a shadow of a distant past, or "now" in a different reality? If so, this would make the linear concept of time non-valid. From this "anomaly" we may conclude that time does not really exist. It has no existence in Nature except for the sense of it in human consciousness. The subject of time is too complex to get into right now, so we will have to leave it for the time being. Motion results in transformation, in change--change in position, magnitude, quality, nature, characteristic, etc. Inertia does not exist in God's creation, therefore man should not express it for it is unnatural. Inertia is stagnancy, non-progress, involutionary, and retrogressive. Inertia is a violation of the Cosmic law of "progress." Becoming is an expression of life. Death does not exist; in reality, it relates to "transition," "change," and "transformation"--an ever progression of becoming. Nothing remains as it is. Everything becomes--becomes what it is not. Entities with intelligence such as human beings, have the privilege and the will to direct this becoming. Man may choose to become god-like, animal-like, demon-like, or simply remain contented to be human-like. This Law of Becoming was made popular in Ancient Greece by Heraclitus. Evolution is the result of the Law of Becoming in a positive, God-ward direction. If one does not evolve with the evolutionary current of the Cosmos, one retrogresses into a lower evolutionary state. The misuse of one's microcosmic energies causes great harm to one's life-stream. The return to a lower state and its characteristics is an expression of evil--using the word "evil" in a relative sense. For instance, for a human being to act like an animal goes against evolutionary laws and is considered negative. Evolution expands the consciousness and improves the soul-quality of a life-unit. For instance, the consciousness and soul-force of a plant will aeons later ensoul an animal-form. The soul of an animal will eventually acquire human-consciousness status. The consciousness of an animal is greater than that of a plant, just as the consciousness of a human being is much more advanced than an animal. Beyond the level of human consciousness lies yet higher states of consciousness. Matter is evolving to the point where it may sustain consciousness. This is the process of the spiritualization of matter. Conscious life-units are evolving to the point where they may ensoul a planet, solar system, dimension, or galaxy. This is the process of God-development. When left to nature, the life-units evolving in any planetary scheme may require aeons of time to reach a higher status. It is only commencing at the human-consciousness level that it becomes possible for the life-units to work with the evolutionary forces and speed up their own progress. Man has the privilege of this choice: when man chooses to work with the Law of Evolution he quickens his personal evolution and spiritual growth; if he chooses to ignore the potential of the law, he may linger for aeons in the human state of consciousness. Should the choice be a positive one, what would have taken aeons could well take place in a single life-time. The spiritual path of soulcultivation is a way and process of evolving man at a rapid pace. It transforms man from human-hood to god-hood. It is the straight, and narrow path to the mountain peak of divinity. This law has been discovered and verified through various means. It was revealed by Divine Beings and then observed as to its truth through mystical methods. As said before, it makes no difference whether one believes or disbelieves in the existence of a law. The law continues to function regardless of human opinions. Sometimes this particular law of reincarnation is denied because of certain statements to be found in scriptures or statements made by prophets; and yet if we were to contemplate those said statements, other meanings emerge which has nothing to do with the denial of reincarnation. The truth is that God does not contradict Himself. What some early prophets received from divine sources as revelations of truth remains as such. What prophets of a later date receive as revelation do not contradict earlier teachings acquired through the same divine source--they in fact fulfill what has gone before. They may appear or seemingly contradict but, in fact, do not. Truth is always the same, though they may be seen through different viewpoints and emphasized in accord with the priority of the spiritual need of humanity. Putting the above aside, let us consider the law itself. Reincarnation has been called by other names such as rebirth, and transmigration. Jewish mystics call it "Gilgul," which means "to rotate"--obviously referring to the cycles of the law. In the gospel stories, the Master "Jesus" or Isa often hinted on the existence of the Law of Reincarnation; and if this law were false, he would have openly objected to it like he did with many other things. Reincarnation is a law Isis Seshat Journal #34 47 taught in most world religions: in Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc.--although each and every religion may have their own interpretation on how the law functions or exactly what part of the microcosm reincarnates. In general, reincarnation as a law refers to the periodical incarnation of a divine spark of God into the physical realm for the purpose of evolution, for the purpose of spiritual growth, discipline, learning, and remembrance; although in the process of incarnation, the soul, or divine spark often creates karma which binds it to the law and prolongs its needless stay in the realm of matter. This karmic bondage is also one of the factors causing the soul to forget its true purpose of being. The many inconsistencies, mysteries, conflicts, and problems that we face in life may be easily and logically explained when the law of reincarnation and karma are taken into consideration. This law is also called "the Law of Reflection," for that which is in the lower worlds is but a reflection of the higher worlds. For instance, the microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm. The part contains the whole; or as the Hermetic precept has it "as above, so below." This is one of the Cosmic laws helpful in aiding us to understand the higher dimensions by a careful analysis and examination of the essence of the physical dimension, disregarding human miscreations. Conversely, what lies in the spiritual realms should reflect in the physical plane of being--this would result in the fulfillment of the first movement in the Tao (or the reason for the "Big Bang"), or in more simple terms--"Heaven on Earth." Every speck of universal substance contains the image (or pattern) of the entire universe in the same way that a fragment or piece of a laser holograph image still contains the entire original image. Each soul contains the cosmic image, just as every cell contains the blueprint of the entire physical human being. When the outer image is tuned or brought into resonance with the inner image, a change in one will simultaneously change or affect the expression or state of the other. To perceive one is to perceive the other. This law is also one reason why you could say that humanity is created in God's image. The universe is within us and without us. Changing our inner world creates a corresponding change in our outer world. This is, in fact, one of the axioms of thaumaturgical magic. Applying the law in a different sense, occultists have discovered that any one object of a certain kingdom in nature has its correspondence in another kingdom or in other manifestations of the Cosmos, for their frequencies, though of a different octave, resonate. For instance, the energies of the planet Mars resonate with the color red, with the metal iron, and with the gemstone ruby. Knowing how objects, and what objects resonate with one another is a vital subject in occultism. Objects that resonate with one another or with the same basic frequency are often used in a powerful ceremonial manner to influence the human psyche and cause changes in one's reality. This law also refers to the fact that what we think and feel consciously and subconsciously generates corresponding realities in our outer experiences, in our external circumstances. Our outer world reflects the condition or state to be found within us. In the metaphysical system of New Thought much use is made of this law. Related to the Law of Correspondence is the Law of Analogy where things of certain dissimilarities correspond in certain respects. This is a useful law in explaining the functions of certain phenomena. For instance, transition into a higher world may be analogically explained or likened to birth into the physical realm. Everything, throughout all time and space, are linked either directly or indirectly to everything else. Everything is connected in their inner core. All manifestations, all forms, are actually illusions, called Maya by the Hindu philosophers. Underlying all manifestations there is only one Essence. This is the basis of the mystical concept expressed succinctly in Islam as, "la illaha illahlah," or "there is no god but God." Metaphysically, this should be understood that essentially, every manifestation in the universe is but God's expression, or God's being. In other words, the reality of the manifested and non-manifested universe in their totality are expressions, actually "unseparated parts," of the one whole that we call "God." Lao Tze called the One, Tao. In Hinduism, the One is known as Brahman. Almost all religions in their pristine form are aware of the truth of the One Essence in all and the Unity of Being. Every manifestation in the universe may be reduced to its common denominator: energy. Everything is composed of energy vibrating in varying frequencies. Energy possesses characteristics attributed to God: omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience. This would indicate that energy is identical to God or at least a part of divine expression. If energy is God, or is of God, then Science has unwittingly discovered the existence of our Divine Parent that it Isis Seshat Journal #34 48 denies knowing. It should be realized that the truth of this metaphysical law is difficult to put into writing and should simply be intuitively grasped. Related to the above, the Law of One may be called the Law of Unity. This is the blending of one's consciousness with all Mind and all Life in all space and dimensions. It is to become one with that which you already are and to realize and have awareness that you are God, speaking of course, in a qualitative and not in a quantitative sense. This is the extreme height of evolution, of comprehension, or realization and understanding, of Christ Consciousness and of Godliness. Exoteric religion, generally speaking, is dumbfounded when faced with the expression of this law. It has feared, attacked, tortured, and executed the proponents of the Law of One and Unity. Nevertheless, this sacred truth has been and will always be kept alive in the breast of the true representatives of God. When applied on a lesser scale of oneness, the Law of Unity is the Law of Assumption or Identification, of which we will deal later. Since everything is essentially one, there is no such thing as a life-unit being an island unto itself. Everything is interrelated and interdependent. Human beings are influenced by higher and lower beings of nature, and conversely, humans affect other beings as well. What one thinks affects others on a mental level; what one feels affects others on an emotional level; and what one does physically affects others on the material level. Unity is a law of rightrelationship between life-units: cooperation and harmony results in expansion, progress, and growth. (From the Theosophical Lectorium)… Isis Seshat Journal #34 49 Litany of Great Feline Powers by Demetria Nanos Great Ones who walked the land before we were born: Great Ones, you have been with us from the time of our first ancestors, Great Ones, we hear your distant roar, we honor You. The feeling of movement with grace, movement with purpose, movement with action; Alert, aware, confident, at ease; The scent of the weather on the wind, Great Ones, we hear your distant roar, we honor You. The golden sun and its heat are the fire of your cosmic essence in our hearts The stars that are your hearts in the night sky give portents of things to come. Great Ones, we hear your distant roar, we honor You. We stretch and move like cats We stretch and dance like cats We dance and roar like lions We dance and roar like tigers We stretch and leap like leopards We stretch and leap like panthers We dance and move like lynxes, We dance and move like lions. Sekhmet, Mafdet, Tefnut, Bast, Menuhit, Mahit, Pakhet, Mihos; Rhea, Hera, Kybele, Kubaba, Hepat, Hebat, Matit, Ida; Qadesh, Aphrodite, Athirat, Asherah, Ariadne, Herakles, Shesmetet, Ra, Bes, Apedemak, Astarte, Tanit, Anahita, Narasimha, Durga, Neith; Artemis, Nana, Ishtar, Inanna, Xi Wang Mu; Ambika, Parvati, Devi, Byakko, Baihu! Demetria Nanos, July 3, 2012 - Litany of Great Feline Powers Isis Seshat Journal #34 50 Contemplating the Manifesto of the Fellowship of Isis by Rt. Rev. Deena Hartray Butta AU “Growing numbers of people are rediscovering their love for the Goddess. At first, this love may seem to be no more than an inner feeling. But soon it develops; it becomes a longing to help the Goddess actively in the manifestation of Her divine plan. Thus, one hears such inquiries as, "How can I get initiated into the Mysteries of the Goddess? How can I experience a closer communion with her? Where are her nearest temples and devotees? How can I join the priesthood of the Goddess?", and many other such questions. The Fellowship of Isis has been founded to answer these needs.” As our love for the goddess matures, it seeks to express and fulfill itself not merely through thought but also by action. Indeed, as people who honor the Elements of the Wise, we understand that to live a balanced life we must embody and express the four elements: new ideas making their way tour consciousness, represented by Air; new energy, purpose, and activity represented by Fire; new feelings, new dreams, nourissment for our souls represented by Water; and new results manifesting in actual material reality represented by Earth. All four of these realities comprise the balanced life and the manifestation of Our Lady on several levels. Interestingly, the number of examples of needs expressed in The Manifesto is also four. They are: “How can I get initiated into the Mysteries of the Goddess?” “How can I experience closer communion with her?” “Where are her nearest temples and devotees?” “How can I join the priesthood of the goddess?” Of the many inquiries people make, these four have been identified by Lady Olivia as the most commonly occurring. Thus, she has provided ways for them to be met through the Fellowship of Isis. She writes, “The Fellowship of Isis has been founded to answer these needs.” In response to “How can I get initiated into the Mysteries of the Goddess?” The liturgies channeled by Lady Olivia offer a path of initiation “into the mysteries of the goddess,” and thus answer the first need. In the FOI liturgies, the seeker interacts with numerous goddesses. The goddesses are encountered directly, in a spiritual way, not through a religion of a specific time or place and its dogma. Thus the seeker is not constrained by the requirements of any religion that might ever have been associated with that goddess. The FOI liturgies emerged in our own time, and are pertinent for us here and now. These rites do not require the seeker to take on a new religion, because this is a fellowship, not a religion. The goddess is already present within the feminine divine of the seeker’s own religion or spiritual path, and so the FOI rites simply enable the seeker to reconnect with Her in a new way. The liturgies are like a spiritual forum in which the doors of many temples of many goddesses are open to all, and invite all to meet each other openly. Here, all paths cross in a safe and friendly plaza, not secretly behind closed doors designed to exclude. The FOI initiations come directly from the goddess. They come from within, not from any external thing or requirement handed down from authority. The second need, “to experience closer communion with her,” is also provided by the Fellowship of Isis. Communion with the Goddess comes about through the liturgies, through oracles, and through daily attunement. Communion takes place by the power and magic of each liturgy working on our psyches. Inner doors are opened, allowing us to meet the goddess in myriad ways and to recognize her in myriad forms and situations. Each liturgy includes time for meditation on what has been experienced. In this way, communion with the goddess quietly takes place. Communion also takes places when the devotee attunes to the goddess and to Foundation Center at Clonegal Castle daily at sunrise and sunset. It is a matter of opening ourselves and welcoming whatever form the communion takes. Lady Olivia has also established a spiritual priesthood within the FOI to answer the third need, “Where are her nearest temples and devotees?” People want a spiritual home, represented by an actual place. Clonegal Castle is the model and archetype for FOI of this kind of sacred place, from which creative divine energy flows. But it is not the only place, even though it may have been the original place. The temple can be a non-physical place as well as a physical one. Soon, the temple of Isis at Clonegal Castle had a Sisten Center. Little by little it came to have many Sister Centers in many places. These Sister Centers came to be called “Iseums.” Soon, lyceums, groves, and priories were founded by FOI members for the benefit of other members. Thus the magic of the temple of Isis at Isis Seshat Journal #34 51 Clonegal Castle proliferates. Issues of Isian News in the 1970s through the mid-1990s carried a directory through which other members and devotees could be found. Many wonderful relationships developed through this means. Members sponsored gatherings in the name of Isis and the Fellowship. In 1993, many FOI members who had never met in person were able to come together for the first time at the Parliament of the World Religions in Chicago. Soon after, the internet became available and enabled FOI members to connect in new ways. The Internet was thought of by some as “an electronic campfire” around which FOI members could spiritually gather. The creative possibilities for FOI members to enrich their own lives and the lives of others is endless. Last but not least, the fourth need, to “join the priesthood of the goddess,” can also be met through the Fellowship of Isis. Within the first six months, the FOI founders had ordained their first priestess. Soon, many ordinations were taking place. The FOI liturgy for ordination can be personally adapted for the specific situation of each devotee. Ordination within the Fellowship of Isis focuses not on the esoteric but on the practica, and on direct experience of the goddess. It is first and foremost a path of service to the feminine divine. The means to have these four needs fulfilled through the Fellowship of Isis gives concrete expression to the love we feel for the goddess, and allows it to be fulfilled here and now in countless ways that “help the Goddess actively in the manifestation of Her divine plan.” The word “actively” is key. FOI members do real, actual, and active good in the world. Isis Seshat Journal #34 52 FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS GODDESS FESTIVAL Saturday, September 29, 2012 Sponsored by members and friends of the Lyceum of Eleusis Chicago Latvian Community Center, 4146 N. Elston Ave. Chicago IL 60618 , 9 am to 7 pm “Magical Journey to Aquila and Lyra” Dedicated To The Goddess Nu Kua EVERYONE IS WELCOME! * CELEBRATE AUTUMN EQUINOX * MEET LADY OLIVIA ROBERTSON * DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF CREATION * PREPARE FOR THE COSMIC SHIFT OF DECEMBER 2012 * RAISE YOUR VIBRATORY LEVEL * COMMUNE WITH ISIS OF TEN THOUSAND NAMES, WITH NU KUA, AND THE STARS OF AQUILA AND LYRA * MEET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE * RECONNECT WITH SPIRITUAL FAMILY. * LEARN WHAT’S NEW IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS * SHOP AT AQUILA’S EXPO * DANCE * MEDITATE * SHARE *LEARN * CELEBRATE! DeeAnkh@sbcglobal.net www.foichicago.org Isis Seshat Journal #34 (773) 478-4763 53 REGISTRATION FORM: Goddess Festival Name: Address: City: State: Phone: ZIP: E-Mail address: Prices: we encourage early registration! A) Reception, Friday September 28, 2012: -- $10 per person x number of people_________ = total :__________ (NOTE: Friday reception is in honor of Lady Olivia Robertson, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis. Location is Lyceum of Alexandria, 3334 W. Eastwood Ave., Chicago. B) Festival, Saturday September 29, 2012 : $35 pre-registered by September 1, 2012 $45 at the door --Amount per person:__________ x number of people:________ = total: enclosed__________ C) Tables: Are you a member of the FOI, and do you or your Iseum produce Isian materials or services you want to make available to fellow members? A limited number of display tables are available for a $25 donation: Ask about availability. D) Your Love Offering Will Help Us Very Much, because the fees do not cover all our costs… ____I am unable to attend this year’s gathering, but I want to make a donation ____I am attending, but I want to make an additional contribution to help with expenses $ Your donation is very much appreciated! Thank you! E) Silent Auction: Please check here if you have an item to donate to our silent auction:_____________ Grand Total: $ Deadline for pre-registration by mail is September 22, 2012. Please do not mail anything after September 15, 2012! No refunds can be given after September 1, 2012. Please make checks or money orders payable to: DEENA BUTTA, and write “FOI Gathering” in memo line of check. Mail payment and forms to: Deena Butta Lyceum of Alexandria 3334 W. Eastwood Ave. Chicago IL 60625 USA (773) 478-4763 deeankh@sbcglobal.net Isis Seshat Journal #34 www.foichicago.org 54 CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Deena Hartray Butta has been a member of FOI since 1977, and is founder of the Lyceum of Alexandria and Iseum of Eleusis. She is an ArchPriestess Hierophant, FOI Q&A Forum moderator, editor of Isis Seshat Journal and member of the Grand Commander Union, ArchDruid Union, and Star of Isis Advisory Council . Deena coordinates the annual FOI Goddess Festival in Chicago . Marie Clewley received her FOI ordination in September 1987. In 1994 she was consecrated Priestess Mag,a and founded the Marishtara Isis Iseum. David de Roeck is a priest in the Fellowship of Isis, and one of the eight members of the Circle of Brigid. He has been schooled in the Eg yptian Mysteries for many years, and runs the Ascension of Isis online mystery school, www.ascensionofisis.com Maire Doyle is an FOI priestess and healer living in Dublin. Beth Dupont is a devotee of Nature. She is a member of the Lyceum of Alexandria in Chicago. Luke Eastwood Luke Eastwood is facilitator of a Druid Clan of Dana grove in Co. Wexford, Ireland (Solas Nemed). He is also a member of OBOD, a writer, musician and horticulturist. You can read more of his work at www.lukeeastwood.com Jack J. Gerber, Ph.D. is a retired psychologist who became dedicated to She of Ten Thousand Names in the revival during the early 1960's. He is an American who now lives in Canada. drjackgerber@gmail.com Linda Iles was appointed by Lady Olivia as Honorary Secretary of the Circle of Isis. She is a Priestess, Hierophant, Solar Alchemist, GDC and ArchDruidess in the Fellowship of Isis, as well as Priestess in the Temple of Isis. Her Lyceum is Isis, Lotus of Alexandria. She offers teaching by correspondence. Sarah Kobuszko has been a member of FOI since she was a young teenager. she loves to read, and paints I Pagan subjects. She loves the Goddess in all of Her aspects. Gisela Kranz has been an FOI member since 2004. She is the Priestess Adepta of the Iseum of Isis and Enki in Berlin, Germany. She can be reached at isis-enki@web.de MeritAset Una Nefer is founder and Priestess of the Temple of Isis Michigan, and owns Treasures of Isis Jewelry Designs in which she makes original, one of a kind Egyptian and other Pagan jewelry. Merit lives in West MI with her two young cats. Demetria Nanos was raised in a book and art-loving home by parents who encouraged learning as the key to personal excellence regardless of socio-economic status. She has been active as an astrologer working with various forms of divination and oracular work since 1968, and involved in magickal/philosophical organizations since 1974 Victoria Preobrazhenskaya (www.victoriara.com) has worked with the Spirit of the Great Mother since childhood. She founded ISIS of the ARTS in 1990. The Cosmic Poliart of the Third Millenium is her newest project, dedicated to the Great Mother and Isis of the Arts. Minette Quick is an ArchDruidess and Hon. Secretary of Circle of Brigid in Ireland.. hon.sec.circleofbrigid@gmail.com Radagast the Bard is a solitary eclectic pagan from Pennsylvania. He has been a student of occult, esoteric studies for over 35 years. He is a member of the Fellowship of Isis, Ar nDraiocht Fein: A Druid Fellowship, and Circle Sanctuary. Sarah Rooke has been a member of the Fellowship of Isis since the late 1980s. She is a priestess of Sekhmet, Dame Commander of the Noble Order of Tara, Arbandraoi in the Druid Clan of Dana, and Priestess Hierophant of the Lyceum of Isis and Sekhmet of the Stars. Michael Starsheen is Archpriest Hierophant of the Lyseum of Isis of the Stars. He is also an artist, poet, mystic, shaman, medium, warrior, researcher, writer, and all-round dogsbody for the Gods. Karen Tate is founder of the Iseum of Isis Navigatum, an Adepta within the Fellowship of Isis and founder of the Isis Ancient Culture & Religion Society. Her newest book is Walking An Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth. Karen is the host of Voices of the Sacred Feminine, an internet radio show that airs weekly. Contact Karen at ancientcultures@ca.rr.com Loreon Vigne is Priestess Hierophant and founder of the Temple of Isis Lyceum and Isis Oasis in Geyserville, California, where spiritually oriented programs, including including weekly Sunday Goddess Salons, take place throughout the year. Michael York is an FOI member, a Religionist, and an English Religious Studies scholar who specializes in the study of pre-Christian European religion and its relation to Contemporary Paganism. Isis Seshat Journal #34 55 Directory of Key FOI Personnel AU = ArchPriesthood Union; ADU = ArchDruid Union; GCU = Grand Commander Union Afarri, Prof. A. E., AU/ADU (Star of Isis, Nemeton of Dana)--Accra North, Ghana Akpabio, Vincent (Nemeton of Dana)--Nigeria Allen, Denise (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member)--USA Almond, Jocelyn, AU (Star of Isis; FOI Q&A Forum moderator)--Lyceum of Isis Myrionymous (BM Box 1129, London, WC1N 3XX England. ladythemaga@lyceum.fsnet.co.uk Astraea, Joanne (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member)--California USA Barikor, Abraham K. D, AU/GCU--Isis and Ngama Paradise, Rivers, Nigeria. Bhagavati Devi Dasi, Mother Beatrice, AU/ADU--Lyceum of the Cosmic Isis, Abia, Ebonyi, Nigeria Brannigan, Cait (Circle of Brigid) Browne, Mary (Round Table of Tara) & Steven, ADU/GCU--New York USA Brueckner, Dietlinde, GCU (Circle of Isis)--Germany Butta, Deena (Star of Isis; Isis Seshat Journal editor; Goddess Festival coordinator; FOI Q&A Forum moderator) & Raymond, AU/ADU/GCU--Lyceum of Alexandria (Chicago, Illinois 60625 USA.; (773) 478-4763; DeeAnkh@sbcglobal.net; www.foichicago.org Campbell, Daniel (Nemeton of Dana)--USA Cwetna, Ronald (Circle of Isis)--Germany DeWitt, Mary (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member)--USA Dillon, Ruth & Richard, AU--Crystal Moon Lyceum, Matteson, Illinois, USA; info@crystalmoonfoi..com) Duncan, Karl, ADU--London, UK Ekwe, Uchechukwu Oko, AU--Lyceum of the Cosmic Isis, Abia, Nigeria Farah, Catherine (Circle of Isis)--California USA Fawcett, Kris (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member) Forrest, M. Isidora (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member) Goggin, Stephen, GCU--Ireland Greer, Mary, AU--Isis Aurea, Nevada City, California 95959; mkgreer@pacbell.net Griffin, Patricia, AU/ADU (Circle of Brigid, Nemeton of Dana; Assistant Foundation Center Temple priestess)--Lyceum of Aine and Sophia, Ireland Iles, Linda, ADU/GCU (Circle of Isis Hon. Sec.; Circle of Pelagia Honorary Sister-Member)—California USA Janesdaughter, Laura, ADU (Circle of Pelagia, Star of Elen)--California USA Kelley, Elizabeth (Circle of Isis)--California USA Kurimoto, Sumika, AU/ADU/GCU--Lyceum Isis Orientalis, Tokyo, Japan; isis@ss.iij4u.or.jp) Lamond, Fred (Star of Elen)--Austria Langston, Alex, ADU--Cornwall UK Lawrence, Eileen, ADU (Circle of Brigid; Nemeton of Dana)--County Laois, Ireland Layson, Letecia (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA Lee, Callista (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA MacWatt, Ian, AU/GCU--Isis Invicta, England Ma’heo, Misha (Circle of Pelagia Hon.Sister-Member) Marshall, Jane, ADU--Glastonbury, UK Matthews, Caitlin & John, AU/ADU--Domus Sophiae Terrae and Sancte Gradalis Lyceum (BCM Hallowquest, London WC1N 3XX England; Tigerna9@aol.com McBride, Fee, ADU--Glastonbury UK McCabe, Sean, CGU (Circle of Brigid, Special Advisor) McCord, Julie (Estara T’shirai) AU: Lyceum of the Wayfarer, California; Estara2@earthlink.net Merron, John, AU/ADU (Circle of Isis; Nemeton of Dana; Star of Elen): Elen of the Green Ways (P.O. Box 196, London WC1A ILY England) Nwogu, Sunday, AU--Isis of Happiness, Imo, Nigeria Nwonti, Joseph, AU--Lyceum of Miraculous Healing, Rivers, Nigeria Ohnuma, Prof. Tadahira AU/ADU/GCU (Round Tablle of Tara)--Lyceum Isis Orientalis, Tokyo, Japan; isis@ss.iij4u.or.jp Okoruwa, Michael, AU/ADU/GCU (Round Table of Tara)--Temple of Ngame, Edo, Nigeria Onyeani, Apostel Paul, AU--Isis of Divine Healing, Cotoneu, Benin Republic O'Reilly, Padraic, ADU--Ireland Peterson, Cathleen (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member) Poorun, Störm (Star of Elen)--UK Pryor, Cressida (Star of Elen)--UK Quicke, Minette, ADU (Circle of Brigid, Hon. Secretary)—Ireland; hon.sec.circleofbrigid@gmail.com Ravenmoon, Anniitra (Circle of Pelagia) California USA Regula, DeTraci, AU/GCU (Star of Isis, Circle of Isis)--Throne of Isis Lyceum, California; tregula@concentric.net Robb, Kat (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA Robertson, Olivia, AU/ADU/GCU (Star of Isis, Circle of Brigid, Star of Elen, and Circle of Pelagia Overseeing Consultant; Circle of Isis Global Advisor; Nemeton of Dana; Round Table of Tara Chancellor): FOI Foundation Center; Grove of Eithne; Chancellor: Priory of Tara of 108 Names (Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland (FOI co-founder; FOI Q&A Forum overseeing consultant; creator of FOI policies and procedures) Robinson, Sara, GDC (Round Table of Tara)--UK Roca, Henri (Round Table of Tara)--USA Roeck, David (Circle of Brigid)--Ireland Rogers, Cathryn Anne, AU (Star of Isis; Nemeton of Dana; FOI Q&A Forum moderator)--Font of Isis Lyceum, Minnesota USA; fontisis@yahoo.com Sarocco, InannaMoon (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA Silver, Connia, AU (Star of Isis, Round Table of Tara; FOI central homepage; FOI central register; FOI Q&A Forum moderator)--Crossroads Lyceum isislyceum@aol.com Smiles, Marian (Circle of Brigid) Staley, Michael, ADU/GCU (Star of Elen)--London, UK Starsheen, Michael Artonn, AU/ADU/GCU (Circle of Isis)-- Isis of the Stars Lyceum (203 Marion St., Dunsmuir, California 96025 USA; starsheen@sbcglobal.net Sudheer, Swami Prem, AU/ADU (Star of Isis, Round Table of Tara)--Lyceum of Brighid, Penicuik Midlothian, Scotland Taylor, Pat (Circle of Pelagia Hon. Sister-Member) Tristram, GCU--Ontario, Canada Veleda, Aauriane, ADU--Florida USA Vernon, Glory (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA Victor, Arisa (Circle of Isis)--California USA Vigne, Loreon, AU/GCU (Circle of Isis; Temple of Isis legal status / federal recognition in California USA) Isis Oasis, Geyserville California 95441 USA; isis@isisoasis.org Wadding, Deirdre (Circle of Brigid) Wehmeyer, Claudia & Thomas, AU/ADU/GCU (Circle of Isis)--Tara Hedge Lyceum, Westfalia, Germany; Fellowship_of_isis@online.de Wilson, Steve, AU/ADU--Isis of Time and Space, England; steve@sethur.f9.co.uk Wise, Caroline, AU/ADU/GCU (Circle of Isis; Star of Elen; Circle of Pelagia Honorary Sister-Member; London Convention)--Isis of the Thames (P.O. Box 196, London WC1A ILY England Wright, Catherine (Circle of Pelagia)--California USA Isis Seshat Journal #34 56 Aset Shemsu - The Retinue of Isis hieroglyphs were researched by Lawrence Durdin-Robertson and drawn by Olivia Robertson Aset Shemsu - the logo of the Fellowship of Isis MANIFESTO Growing numbers of people are rediscovering their love for the Goddess. At first, this love may seem to be no more than an in ner feeling. But soon it develops; it becomes a longing to help the Goddess actively in the manifestation of Her divine plan. Thus, one hears such inquiries as, "How can I get initiated into the Mysteries of the Goddess? How can I experience a closer communion with h er? Where are her nearest temples and devotees? How can I join the priesthood of the Goddess?", and many other such questions. The Fellowship of Isis has been founded to answer these needs. Membership provides means of promoting a closer communion betw een the Goddess and each member, both singly and as part of a larger group. There are hundreds of Iseums and thousands of members all over the world, since the Fellowship was founded in 1976 by Lawrence, Pamela and Olivia Durdin-Robertson. Love, Beauty and Truth are expressed through a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-racial Fellowship. The good in all faiths is honored. The Fellowship of Isis has no particular affiliations. The Fellowship is organized on a democratic basis. All members have equal privileges within it, whether as a single member or part of an Iseum or Lyceum This manifesto applies also to the daughter societies: the College Of Isis, the Spiral of the Adepti, the Spiral of Alchemy, the Noble Order of Tara, and the Druid Clan of Dana. The Fellowship respects the freedom of conscience of each member. There are no vows required or commitments to secrecy. All Fellowship activities are optional and members are free to resign without question. Membership is free. The Fellowship reverences all manifestations of Life. The God also is venerated. The Rites exclude any form of sacrifice, whether actual or symbolic. Nature is revered and conserved. The work of the Noble Order of Tara is for conservation of Nature. The Fellowship accepts religious toleration, and is not exclusivist. Members are free to maintain other religious allegiances. Membership is open to all of every religion, tradition and race. Children, listed as "Children of Isis", are welcomed, subject to parent al consent. The Fellowship believes in the promotion of Love, Beauty and Abundance. No encouragement is given to asceticism. The Fellowship seeks to develop friendliness, psychic gifts, happiness, and compassion for all life. The Druid Clan of Dana develops Nature's psychic gifts. The College of Isis has been revived after its suppression 1,500 years ago. Like Aset Shemsu, The FOI itself, it has always been alive in the Inner Planes. It is from these Inner Planes that its return has been inspired. Magi degrees may be conferred through Lyceums of the College. Correspondence courses are offered. There are no vows nor secrecy. Iseums are the very Hearths of the Goddess, or Goddess and God to Whom they are dedicated. These are listed, along with Lyceu ms in every Isian News. Tara Priories and Dana Groves are also listed regularly. All these centers and Isian News are for FOI members only. The Fellowship of Isis Foundation Union Triad is over-all Custodian for the Fellowship. The Fellowship of Isis Priesthood is derived from a hereditary line of the Robertson from Ancient Egypt. Priestesses, priests, every member, have equal honor. Priestesses and Priests work with the Goddess - or Goddess and God - of their own Faith. Every human, animal, bird, tree is an eternal offspring of the Mother Goddess's Divine Family of Life. Isis Seshat Journal #34